Navigational control system for a robotic device

• US 10,813,517 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2018
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Landry, Gregg W., Cohen, David A., Ozick, Daniel N., Chiappetta, Mark J., Jones, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Spencer D
• Application Number:
  US15/916,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20180263454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• 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: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/12 using feedback

Abstract

An autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a chassis, a drive system disposed on the chassis and operable to enable movement of the cleaning apparatus, and a controller in communication with the drive system. The controller includes a processor operable to control the drive system to steer movement of the cleaning apparatus. The autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning head system disposed on the chassis and a sensor system in communication with the controller. The sensor system includes a debris sensor for generating a debris signal, a bump sensor for generating a bump signal, and an obstacle following sensor disposed on a side of the autonomous cleaning apparatus for generating an obstacle signal. The processor executes a prioritized arbitration scheme to identify and implement one or more dominant behavioral modes based upon at least one signal received from the sensor system.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaning apparatus comprising:

a cleaning head;

a drive system operable to move the cleaning apparatus along a surface of a working environment while the cleaning head cleans the surface; and

a receiving system configured to

prior to initiation of a cleaning mission of the cleaning apparatus, store a map of at least a portion of the working environment based on previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus and autonomously identify a hot spot in the map based on the previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus,

determine, during the cleaning mission, a position of the cleaning apparatus in the working environment, and

cause the cleaning apparatus, during the cleaning mission, to initiate a spot coverage cleaning behavior of the cleaning apparatus in response to the determined position of the cleaning apparatus corresponding to the hot spot in the stored map.

2. The autonomous cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the autonomous cleaning apparatus is configured to, during the cleaning mission, clean a perimeter of the working environment and an area of the working environment defined by the perimeter.

3. The autonomous cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

configurations of the receiving system to identify the hot spot in the map based on the previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus comprise configurations to, prior to initiation of the cleaning mission, associate a triggering event with the hot spot, the triggering event corresponding to the position of the cleaning apparatus being within the hot spot, and

configurations of the receiving system to cause the cleaning apparatus, during the cleaning mission, to initiate the spot coverage cleaning behavior of the cleaning apparatus comprises configurations to;

determine that the triggering event has occurred in response to the determined position of the cleaning apparatus being within the hot spot in the stored map, and

cause the cleaning apparatus to initiate the spot coverage cleaning behavior to clean the hot spot.

4. An autonomous cleaning apparatus comprising:

a cleaning head;

a drive system operable to move the cleaning apparatus along a surface of a working environment while the cleaning head cleans the surface; and

a receiving system configured to

prior to initiation of a cleaning mission of the cleaning apparatus, store a map of at least a portion of the working environment based on previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus and autonomously identify a predefined zone in the map based on the previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus,

determine, during the cleaning mission, a position of the cleaning apparatus in the working environment, and

cause the cleaning apparatus, during the cleaning mission, to initiate a prescribed conduct to alter a movement activity of the cleaning apparatus in response to the determined position of the cleaning apparatus being within the predefined zone in the working environment and indicated on the stored map.

5. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the map includes a set of cells corresponding to the working environment, an individual one of the set of cells being configured to be associated with a cell determination.

6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cell determination is set to true in response to occurrence of a pre-determined triggering event.

7. The cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cell determination is set to false in response to non-occurrence of a pre-determined triggering event.

8. The cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the individual one of the set of cells corresponds to the predefined zone, and configurations of the receiving system to initiate the prescribed conduct comprise configurations to initiate a spot coverage behavior in response to the determined position of the cleaning apparatus corresponding to a hot spot in the working environment.

9. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein configurations of the receiving system to cause the cleaning apparatus to initiate the prescribed conduct comprises configurations of the receiving system to initiate a behavior selected from the group consisting of a spot coverage behavior, an edge-following behavior, an escape behavior, a turn behavior, and a room coverage behavior.

10. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the prescribed conduct comprises one or more maneuvers selected from the group consisting of turning the cleaning apparatus, decreasing a speed of the cleaning apparatus, and increasing the speed of the cleaning apparatus.

11. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the prescribed conduct comprises moving the cleaning apparatus to a predetermined position in the working environment.

12. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein configurations of the receiving system to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus comprise configurations to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus based on a signal strength of one or more signals emitted into the working environment.

13. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein configurations of the receiving system to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus comprise configurations to determine a distance between the receiving system and a transmitting system configured to emit one or more signals into the working environment.

14. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the receiving system comprises an omnidirectional detection unit configured to detect one or more signals emitted in the working environment to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus.

15. A navigational control system comprising:

a transmitting system configured to emit one or more signals into a working environment; and

a receiving system integrated with a cleaning apparatus configured to move along a surface of the working environment while cleaning the surface,

wherein the receiving system is configured to

prior to initiation of a cleaning mission of the cleaning apparatus, store a map of at least a portion of the working environment based on previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus and autonomously identify a predefined zone in the map based on the previously determined positions of the cleaning apparatus,

determine, during the cleaning mission, a position of the cleaning apparatus in the working environment by detecting the one or more signals emitted in the working environment, and

cause the cleaning apparatus, during the cleaning mission, to initiate a prescribed conduct in response to the determined position of the cleaning apparatus being within the predefined zone in the working environment and indicated on the stored map.

16. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein the transmitting system comprises a portable transmitting unit configured to be stationary relative to the working environment.

17. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein configurations of the receiving system to cause the cleaning apparatus to initiate the prescribed conduct comprises configurations of the receiving system to initiate a behavior selected from the group consisting of a spot coverage behavior, an edge-following behavior, an escape behavior, a turn behavior, and a room coverage behavior.

18. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein the prescribed conduct comprises one or more maneuvers selected from the group consisting of turning the cleaning apparatus, decreasing a speed of the cleaning apparatus, and increasing the speed of the cleaning apparatus.

19. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein the prescribed conduct comprises moving the cleaning apparatus to a predetermined position in the working environment.

20. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein configurations of the receiving system to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus comprise configurations to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus based on a signal strength of the one or more signals.

21. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein configurations of the receiving system to determine the position of the cleaning apparatus comprise configurations to determine a distance between the receiving system and the transmitting system configured to emit the one or more signals.

22. The navigational control system of claim 15, wherein the receiving system comprises an omnidirectional detection unit configured to detect the one or more signals.