Pool cleaning system and method to automatically clean surfaces of a pool using images from a camera
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A pool cleaning system comprising:
- a powered robotic surface cleaning vehicle to travel on and clean adjacent water containing surfaces of a pool while submerged within the pool;
a camera configured to capture movement of the vehicle while the vehicle is submerged within the pool;
a controller in electronic communication with the camera to generate control signals to steer the vehicle based on the signals from the camera; and
sensors, in electronic communication with the controller and carried by the vehicle, to sense the water containing surfaces of the pool after the water containing surfaces of the pool have been cleaned by the vehicle during a pass of the vehicle under control of a pool coverage algorithm, wherein the control signals steer the vehicle so as to reclean the water containing surfaces having a cleanliness characteristic that is sensed by the sensors and fails to satisfy a predefined threshold.
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Abstract
A pool cleaning system utilizes a powered robotic surface cleaning vehicle to travel adjacent water containing surfaces of a pool while submerged within the pool. In one implementation, a camera captures movement of the vehicle. In one implementation, a dry station serve the intermediary across a wide area network between the vehicle and a server which communicates with the portable electronic device.
34 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A pool cleaning system comprising:
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a powered robotic surface cleaning vehicle to travel on and clean adjacent water containing surfaces of a pool while submerged within the pool; a camera configured to capture movement of the vehicle while the vehicle is submerged within the pool; a controller in electronic communication with the camera to generate control signals to steer the vehicle based on the signals from the camera; and sensors, in electronic communication with the controller and carried by the vehicle, to sense the water containing surfaces of the pool after the water containing surfaces of the pool have been cleaned by the vehicle during a pass of the vehicle under control of a pool coverage algorithm, wherein the control signals steer the vehicle so as to reclean the water containing surfaces having a cleanliness characteristic that is sensed by the sensors and fails to satisfy a predefined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code configured to cause a processor to; generate first control signals for moving a robotic pool cleaning vehicle so as to clean water containing surfaces of a pool; obtain signals from a camera representing the water containing surfaces of the pool and movement of a robotic pool cleaning vehicle adjacent to and along the water containing surfaces of the pool; identify portions of the water containing surfaces of the pool that have not been cleaned by the pool cleaning vehicle to satisfy a predefined threshold; and automatically generate second control signals to steer the robotic pool cleaning vehicle to reclean the identified portions of the water containing surfaces based upon the signals from the camera. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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moving a robotic pool cleaning vehicle so as to clean water containing surfaces of a pool; capturing images of a pool being cleaned with a robotic pool cleaning vehicle operating according to a steering algorithm; obtaining signals from a camera representing the water containing surfaces of the pool and movement of a robotic pool cleaning vehicle adjacent to and along the water containing surfaces of the pool; identifying portions of the water containing surfaces of the pool that have not been cleaned by the pool cleaning vehicle to satisfy a predefined threshold; and steering the robotic pool cleaning vehicle based upon signals from the camera to reclean the identified portions. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A pool cleaning system comprising:
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a powered robotic pool cleaning vehicle to travel adjacent to water containing surfaces of a pool while submerged within the pool; a camera configured to capture movement of the vehicle while the vehicle is submerged within the pool and identify debris located on the water containing surfaces; a controller in electronic communication with the camera to generate control signals to steer the vehicle, wherein the controller automatically steers the robotic pool cleaning vehicle to reclean identified portions of the water containing surfaces still having debris based on the signals from the camera; and a dry station remote from the pool and in communication with the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification