Apparatus and methods for programming and training of robotic household appliances

• US 9,717,387 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Inventors: Szatmary, Botond, Polonichko, Vadim
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/632,842
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/049 Temporal neural networks, e.g. delay elements, oscillating neurons or pulsed inputs

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for training and operating of robotic appliances. Robotic appliance may be operable to clean user premises. The user may train the appliance to perform cleaning operations in constrained areas. The appliance may be configured to clean other area of the premises automatically. The appliance may perform premises exploration and/or determine map of the premises. The appliance may be provided priority information associated with areas of the premises. The appliance may perform cleaning operations in order of the priority. Robotic vacuum cleaner appliance may be configured for safe cable operation wherein the controller may determine one or more potential obstructions (e.g., a cable) along operating trajectory. Upon approaching the cable, the controller may temporarily disable brushing mechanism in order to prevent cable damage.

Claims

1. A robotic apparatus comprising:

a processor apparatus;

a memory apparatus;

a sensor apparatus; and

a non-transitory computer-readable apparatus, the non-transitory computer-readable apparatus comprising a storage medium having a plurality of instructions embodied thereon, the plurality of instructions being configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the robotic apparatus to;

operate the robotic apparatus to produce, via the sensor apparatus, a map that correlates to an interior of a user premises;

store the produced map in the memory apparatus;

based on the map, identify a plurality of waypoint locations characterized by waypoint coordinates on the map;

navigate along a first trajectory comprising the plurality of waypoint locations;

navigate along a second trajectory, the navigation along the second trajectory being associated with user-guided coordinates distinct from the waypoint coordinates; and

receive a set of training commands from a user during the navigation along the second trajectory;

wherein the set of training commands causes the robotic apparatus to record the plurality of user-guided coordinates associated with the second trajectory, the recorded plurality of user-guided coordinates configured to enable the robotic apparatus to subsequently navigate along the second trajectory in an absence of the set of training commands.

2. The robotic apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first trajectory comprises an autonomous trajectory;

the second trajectory comprises a user-trained trajectory, the user-trained trajectory correlating to recorded plurality of user-guided coordinates; and

the robotic apparatus is configured to switch between the first trajectory and the second trajectory.

3. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method of operating a robotic appliance apparatus, the method comprising:

based on a first indication from a user, operating the robotic appliance apparatus in a premises exploration mode to produce a map characterizing an interior of a user premises;

storing the map in memory;

based on a second indication from the user, storing a plurality of waypoints, individual waypoints corresponding to waypoint coordinates on the map;

navigating along a first trajectory comprising the plurality of waypoints, the navigating along the first trajectory being characterized by a waypoint order; and

navigating along a second trajectory, the navigating along the second trajectory being characterized by user-guided coordinates distinct from the waypoint coordinates;

based on a third indication received from the user while navigating along the second trajectory, recording a plurality of user-guided coordinates along the second trajectory for enabling subsequent navigation along the second trajectory in an absence of the one or more training commands.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 3 wherein:

the first indication is based on an explore premises command from the user; and

the premises exploration mode is configured based on a random trajectory selection process.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 4 further comprising:

logic configured to identify one or more objects disposed on a floor of a room comprising at least the floor and a wall;

the map comprises information related to a position of individual ones of the one or more objects;

the first trajectory comprises a path proximate to at least one of the one or more objects or the wall; and

the second trajectory comprises a path away from at least one of the one or more objects or the wall.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the path proximate to at least one of the one or more objects or the wall is within a distance of less than one half of a dimension of the robotic appliance apparatus from a nearest one of the one or more objects or the wall.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein the path away from at least one of the one or more objects or the wall is at a range of no less than one half of a dimension of the robotic appliance apparatus from a nearest one of the one or more objects or the wall.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein individual ones of the one or more objects comprise one or more of a bicycle, a dining table, a chair, or a couch.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the operating the robotic appliance apparatus in the premises exploration mode further comprises sensing the user premises using one or more sensors.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the performed method further comprises altering a navigation speed based at least on detection of an obstacle.

9. A method of operating a robotic cleaner in a household, the method being performed by one or more processors executing instructions stored by a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the method comprising:

obtaining priority information, the priority information conveying a first priority associated with a first area of the household relative to a second priority of a second area of the household;

accessing a map of the household, the map conveying a position of one or more objects within the household;

accessing a first trajectory information, the first trajectory information being related to the first area of the household associated with the first priority; and

performing a first cleaning operation of the first area based on the first priority being greater than the second priority, the first cleaning operation being characterized by a first trajectory configured to avoid at least one of the one or more objects, the first trajectory being based on the map;

wherein the first priority is based on a history of one or more training trials and a history of performance of the robotic cleaner associated with a first area of the household.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the priority information to the robotic cleaner via a remote interface apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote interface apparatus comprises a computing device having a touch screen user interface.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote interface apparatus comprises a wireless remote control device having one or more buttons, activation of one of the one or more buttons communicating the priority information.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising obtaining the priority information by the robotic cleaner based on an analysis of an output of a debris sensor.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising executing a premises exploration operation comprising:

navigating an exploration trajectory;

wherein the navigating the exploration trajectory further comprises determining a distance to a nearest obstacle of the one or more objects from a location of the robotic cleaner according to a sampling interval selected from a plurality of sampling intervals;

storing the location of the robotic cleaner and the position of the of one or more objects within the household along the exploration trajectory;

amending the map based on a plurality of locations and positions associated with individual ones of the plurality of sampling intervals; and

storing the amended map in memory.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring the exploration trajectory based on a random selection of a direction of motion of the robotic cleaner.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising producing the map of the household.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising training the robotic cleaner to perform the first cleaning operation.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating the priority information through a predictive process.