Bistatic object detection apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A method for detecting an object by a computerized robotic apparatus configured to clean a surface, the method comprising:
- configuring a reference pattern, the reference pattern comprising a persistent two-dimensional geometric pattern for display on the surface during movement of the robotic apparatus along the surface, the reference pattern further comprising an object detection portion and a second portion comprising information associated with one or more operational characteristics of the movement of the robotic apparatus along the trajectory;
projecting the reference pattern onto a surface in front of the robotic apparatus using a light emitter component, the projecting of the reference pattern comprising projecting (i) the object detection portion and (ii) the second portion comprising the information associated with the one or more operational characteristics of the movement of the robotic apparatus;
detecting a reflected pattern by a camera component, the camera component being configured to produce a digital image;
analyzing the digital image to determine a parameter of the reflected pattern, the analyzing comprising determining a change within the reflected pattern in comparison to the configured reference pattern; and
based on the parameter of the reflected pattern breaching a threshold, producing an indication of the object being present in front of the robotic apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for navigation of a robotic device configured to operate in an environment comprising objects and/or persons. Location of objects and/or persons may change prior and/or during operation of the robot. In one embodiment, a bistatic sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver. The receiver may be spatially displaced from the transmitter. The transmitter may project a pattern on a surface in the direction of robot movement. In one variant, the pattern comprises an encoded portion and an information portion. The information portion may be used to communicate information related to robot movement to one or more persons. The encoded portion may be used to determine presence of one or more object in the path of the robot. The receiver may sample a reflected pattern and compare it with the transmitted pattern. Based on a similarity measure breaching a threshold, indication of object present may be produced.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for detecting an object by a computerized robotic apparatus configured to clean a surface, the method comprising:
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configuring a reference pattern, the reference pattern comprising a persistent two-dimensional geometric pattern for display on the surface during movement of the robotic apparatus along the surface, the reference pattern further comprising an object detection portion and a second portion comprising information associated with one or more operational characteristics of the movement of the robotic apparatus along the trajectory; projecting the reference pattern onto a surface in front of the robotic apparatus using a light emitter component, the projecting of the reference pattern comprising projecting (i) the object detection portion and (ii) the second portion comprising the information associated with the one or more operational characteristics of the movement of the robotic apparatus; detecting a reflected pattern by a camera component, the camera component being configured to produce a digital image; analyzing the digital image to determine a parameter of the reflected pattern, the analyzing comprising determining a change within the reflected pattern in comparison to the configured reference pattern; and based on the parameter of the reflected pattern breaching a threshold, producing an indication of the object being present in front of the robotic apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A robotic apparatus comprising:
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a bistatic sensor apparatus comprising a transmitter component and a receiver component; a non-transitory computer-readable apparatus comprising a storage medium, the storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause the robotic apparatus to; configure an encoded reference pattern, the encoded reference pattern comprising (i) one or more first portions that represent one or more parameters related to a given task of the robotic apparatus and (ii) a second portion comprising human-readable information related to the given task of the robotic apparatus; project the encoded reference pattern onto a surface at a front side of the robotic apparatus via the transmitter component, the projection of the encoded reference pattern comprising a dynamic adjustment of the one or more first portions thereof and the second portion thereof, the dynamic adjustment being based on a change in the given task of the robotic apparatus; detect a reflected pattern via the receiver component, the receiver component being configured to generate a digital image; analyze the digital image to determine a parameter of the detected reflected pattern; and when the parameter of the detected reflected pattern breaches a threshold, produce an indication of a presence of an object at the front side of the robotic apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 21)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable apparatus comprising a storage medium, the storage medium comprising a plurality of computer-executable instructions therein, the plurality of instructions being configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause a robotic apparatus to:
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configure an encoded reference pattern, the encoded reference pattern comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first and the second portions being dynamically selected based on an environmental parameter and a task parameter of a given task of the robotic apparatus; project the encoded reference pattern onto a surface in front of the robotic apparatus using a transmitter component; detect a reflected pattern via a receiver component, the receiver component being configured to produce a digital image; analyze the digital image to determine a parameter of the reflected pattern; and when the parameter of the reflected pattern breaches a threshold, produce an indication of an object being present in front of the robotic apparatus; wherein the encoded reference pattern comprises a two-dimensional spatial pattern, and the breaching of the threshold comprises at least a two-dimensional spatial discrepancy between the encoded reference pattern and the reflected pattern. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification