Map based training and interface for mobile robots

• US 10,835,096 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2018
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: O'Dea, Stephen, Schriesheim, Benjamin H., Huang, Qunxi, Drew, Kenrick E., Goss, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Almatrahi, Faris S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Testardi, David A
• Application Number:
  US16/117,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20200069138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 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: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/383 Indoor data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot is described. The method includes initiating a training run of the autonomous cleaning robot and receiving, at a mobile device, location data from the autonomous cleaning robot as the autonomous cleaning robot navigates an area. The method also includes presenting, on a display of the mobile device, a training map depicting portions of the area traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during the training run and presenting, on the display of the mobile device, an interface configured to allow the training map to be stored or deleted. The method also includes initiating additional training runs to produce additional training maps and presenting a master map generated based on a plurality of stored training maps.

Claims

1. A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot, the method comprising:

initiating a training run of the autonomous cleaning robot;

receiving, at a mobile device, location data from the autonomous cleaning robot as the autonomous cleaning robot navigates an area;

presenting, on a display of the mobile device, a training map depicting portions of the area traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during the training run;

presenting, on the display of the mobile device, an interface configured to provide (i) a first option to allow storage of the entire training map depicting the portions of the area that were traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during the training run and (ii) a second option to allow deletion of the entire training map depicting the portions of the area that were traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during the training run;

storing the entire training map in response to a selection of the first option by a user;

initiating additional training runs to produce additional training maps;

storing one or more of the additional training maps in response to a user indication to store each of the one or more additional training maps; and

presenting a master map generated based on the stored training maps.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, presenting, on the display of the mobile device, a numerical value representing the stored training maps or a percentage of stored training maps relative to a number of training maps used to generate the master map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, merging portions of the master map to identify a portion of the master map as a room.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, splitting portions of the master map to identify a portion of the master map as multiple rooms.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning an editable label comprising a room name to a portion of the master map.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the room represented by the editable label is added to a list of rooms.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the list of rooms is one of a plurality of lists configured to be presented on the display and corresponds to a floor level of the area.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein rooms on the list are selectable for inclusion in or deselectable for exclusion from a cleaning mission.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, initiating a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot comprising instructions to clean the rooms selected on the list.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting, on the display of the mobile device, a number of rooms to be cleaned in a user-selectable button, wherein selecting the user-selectable button initiates a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot to begin cleaning.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the master map is produced after five training maps have been stored.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, on the display of the mobile device, an option to begin the training run.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, on the display of the mobile device, a list of items to be completed by the user prior to initiating the training run.

14. A handheld computing device comprising:

one or more input devices;

a display; and

a processor configured to;

initiate data transmission and reception with an autonomous cleaning robot,

present, on the display, a graphical representation of a training map depicting portions of an area traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during a training run,

present, on the display, an interface providing (i) a first option to allow storage of the entire training map depicting the portions of the area that were traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during the training run and (ii) a second option to allow deletion of the entire training map depicting the portions of the area that were traversed by the autonomous cleaning robot during the training run,

store the entire training map in response to a selection of the first option by a user,

initiate additional training runs to produce additional training maps,

store one or more of the additional training maps in response to a user indication to store each of the one or more additional training maps, and

present a master map generated based on the stored training maps.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a numerical value representing the stored training maps or a percentage of stored training maps relative to a number of training runs used to generate the master map.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to allow merging portions of the master map to identify a portion of the master map as a room.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to allow splitting portions of the master map to identify a portion of the master map as multiple rooms.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to allow assigning an editable label to a portion of the master map, the editable label comprising a room name.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to present, on the display, the room represented by the editable label on a list of rooms.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the list of rooms is one of a plurality of lists configured to be presented on the display and corresponds to a floor level of the area.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the rooms on the list are selectable for inclusion in or deselectable for exclusion from a cleaning mission.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot comprising instructions to clean the rooms selected from the list.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a number of rooms to be cleaned in a user-selectable button, wherein selection of the user-selectable button is configured to initiate a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot to begin cleaning.

24. The device of claim 14, wherein the master map is produced after five training maps have been stored.

25. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to present, on the display, an option to begin the training run.

26. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a list of items to be completed by the user prior to initiating the training run.