Systems and methods to control an autonomous mobile robot

• US 11,020,860 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Issued: 06/01/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Cheuvront, Jacob C., Jones, Christopher V., Dooley, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US15/614,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• 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 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4091 Storing or parking devices, arrangements therefor; Means allowing transport of the machine when it is not being used
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0085 adapted for special purposes not related to cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0005 Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A method for controlling one or more operations of an autonomous mobile robot maneuverable within a home includes establishing wireless communication between an autonomous mobile robot and a remote computing system and, in response to receiving a wireless command signal from the remote computing system, initiating one or more operations of the autonomous mobile robot. The autonomous mobile robot is remote from an audio media device stationed within the home. The audio media device is capable of receiving and emitting audio. The remote computing system is configured to associate identification data of the autonomous mobile robot with identification data of the audio media device. The wireless command signal corresponds to an audible user command received by the audio media device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling one or more operations of an autonomous mobile robot maneuverable within a home, the method comprising:

establishing wireless communication between an autonomous mobile robot and a remote computing system, the autonomous mobile robot being remote from an audio media device stationed within the home, the audio media device being capable of receiving and emitting audio, and the remote computing system being configured to associate identification data of the autonomous mobile robot with identification data of the audio media device;

in response to receiving a wireless command signal from the remote computing system, initiating one or more operations of the autonomous mobile robot, the wireless command signal corresponding to an audible user command received by the audio media device; and

causing the audio media device to emit audible instructions indicating a sequence of user actions for addressing a basis of an error condition of the autonomous mobile robot in response to a detection of the error condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operations include autonomously navigating about the home relative to the audio media device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the autonomous mobile robot comprises an autonomous cleaning robot, and the one or more operations include autonomously navigating to a docking station for the autonomous mobile robot.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more operations include autonomously navigating toward the audio media device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a position signal from the remote computing system, the position signal being indicative of a location of the audio media device within the home; and

autonomously navigating about the home relative to the audio media device while localizing to the location of the audio media device.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising, while autonomously navigating about the home, generating a map of the home including positions of devices in wireless communication with the remote computing system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operations include pausing a cleaning operation of the autonomous mobile robot.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the one or more operations includes initiating a cleaning operation of the autonomous mobile robot.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

autonomously navigating about the home while performing a cleaning operation; and

in response to receiving the wireless command signal from the remote computing system, initiating a localized cleaning operation within a portion of the home by navigating the autonomous mobile robot in a predefined pattern within the portion of the home and increasing an amount of power delivered to a cleaning apparatus of the autonomous mobile robot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operations include emitting an audible signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operations include storing a user-defined schedule to perform a subsequent operation at a future time;

and

performing the subsequent operation at the future time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the error condition using a sensor system of the autonomous mobile robot.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the error condition using the sensor system of the autonomous mobile robot comprises detecting the error condition using a cliff sensor of the sensor system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the error condition corresponds to a stall condition for drive wheels of the autonomous mobile robot or a charge depletion condition for a battery of the autonomous mobile robot.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the error condition corresponds to a condition of the autonomous mobile robot that inhibits or impedes operations of the autonomous mobile robot.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the error condition is associated with a component of the autonomous mobile robot, the component being a cleaning pad, a cleaning roller, a cleaning bin, a drive wheel, a battery, a bumper, or a blade assembly of the autonomous mobile robot.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the audible instructions indicating the sequence of user actions comprise audible instructions indicating user actions for

(i) removing a cleaning pad from the autonomous mobile robot and mounting a new cleaning pad to the autonomous mobile robot,

(ii) removing a cleaning roller from the autonomous mobile robot, removing debris on the cleaning roller, and inserting the cleaning roller free of debris on the autonomous mobile robot, or

(iii) removing a cleaning bin from the autonomous mobile robot, removing debris from the cleaning bin, and inserting the cleaning bin free of debris on the autonomous mobile robot.

18. A method of providing status of an autonomous mobile robot maneuverable within a home, the method comprising:

establishing wireless communication between an audio media device and a remote computing system, the audio media device being capable of receiving and emitting audio and being stationed within a home at a location remote from the autonomous mobile robot, and the remote computing system being configured to associate identification data of the autonomous mobile robot with identification data of the audio media device; and

emitting an audible signal that represents an operating status of the autonomous mobile robot in response to receiving a wireless notification signal from the remote computing system, the wireless notification signal corresponding to status data received by the remote computing system as the autonomous mobile robot autonomously navigates about the home relative to the audio media device, wherein emitting the audible signal comprises emitting audible instructions indicating a sequence of user actions for addressing a basis of an error condition of the autonomous mobile robot in response to a detection of the error condition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal comprises emitting the audible signal in response to determining that a user has entered the home.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the operating status of the autonomous mobile robot includes a schedule of previous operations, and emitting the audible signal includes emitting an audible request to modify the schedule of previous operations based on the schedule of previous operations.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the operating status corresponds to a stasis condition of the autonomous mobile robot within the home, and emitting the audible signal comprises emitting the audible signal to indicate that the autonomous mobile robot is in the stasis condition.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the audible signal indicates a location of the autonomous mobile robot within the home.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal includes emitting the audible signal to indicate a frequency of previous operations of the autonomous mobile robot.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal includes emitting the audible signal to indicate a total duration of previous operations of the autonomous mobile robot within a predefined period.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal includes emitting the audible signal to indicate an estimated remaining service life of a component of the autonomous mobile robot.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the component of the autonomous mobile robot is a cleaning brush, a cleaning pad, a roller, a battery, debris bin, or a wheel module.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal includes emitting the audible signal to identify an obstacle detected by the autonomous mobile robot while the autonomous mobile robot navigates within the home.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal includes emitting the audible signal to identify a connected device located within the home, the connected device being wirelessly connected to the remote computing system and being associated with the audio media device.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal includes emitting the audible signal after the autonomous mobile robot autonomously navigates about the home, the audible signal identifying an area of the home that the autonomous mobile robot did not traverse while autonomously navigating.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein emitting the audible signal comprises emitting the audible signal upon receiving an audible user request for the operation status of the autonomous mobile robot.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the audible signal further identifies an obstacle blocking the area of the home that the autonomous mobile robot did not traverse while autonomous navigating.