Robot Confinement

• US 20080039974A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, David, Vu, Clara, Dubrovsky, Zivthan, Mammen, Jeffrey, Preneta, Joshua, Chiappeita, Mark, Bergman, John, Jones, Joseph, Cohen, David, Campbell, Tony, Gilbert, Duane, Sandin, Paul, Ozick, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 : using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 : using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 : Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

An autonomous coverage robot system includes an active boundary responder comprising a wire powered with a modulated current placed along a perimeter of a property, at least one passive boundary responder placed on a property interior circumscribed by the active boundary responder, and an autonomous coverage robot. The robot includes a drive system carried by a body and configured to maneuver the robot across the property interior. The robot includes a signal emitter emitting a signal, where the passive boundary responder is responsive to the signal and a boundary responder detection system carried by the body. The boundary responder detector is configured to redirect the robot both in response to the responder detection system detecting an active boundary responder and in response to detecting a passive boundary responder.

Claims

1. An autonomous coverage robot system comprising:

an active boundary responder comprising a wire powered with a modulated current placed along a perimeter of a property;

at least one passive boundary responder placed on a property interior circumscribed by the active boundary responder; and

an autonomous coverage robot comprising;

a body;

a drive system carried by the body and configured to maneuver the robot across the property interior;

a signal emitter emitting a signal, the passive boundary responder responsive to the signal; and

a boundary responder detection system carried by the body and configured to detect both the active and passive boundary responders, the drive system configured to redirect the robot both in response to the responder detection system detecting an active boundary responder and in response to detecting a passive boundary responder.

2. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein the boundary responder detector system comprises:

an emitter comprising an emitter antennae loop configured as a figure-eight and in communication with an emitter circuit;

a receiver comprising a receiver antennae loop circumscribing and coplanar with the emitter antennae loop, the receiver antennae loop in communication with a receiver circuit; and

a control circuit controlling the emitter and receiver and in communication with the drive system.

3. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein upon recognizing the passive boundary responder, the robot maneuvers away from the boundary responder.

4. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein upon recognizing the passive boundary responder, the robot maneuvers over and follows the passive boundary responder.

5. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein the passive boundary responder comprises a tank circuit to set a resonant frequency.

6. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein the passive boundary responder comprises a radio frequency identification unit.

7. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein the passive boundary responder comprises a responder body and at least one excitable circuit carried by the responder body comprising an elongated substrate.

8. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein the passive boundary responder comprises a responder body and at least one excitable circuit carried by the responder body comprising a spike.

9. The autonomous coverage robot system of claim 1 wherein the robot further comprises a hard surface detector carried by the body and responsive to hard surfaces, wherein the drive system is configured to redirect the robot in response to the detector detecting a hard surface.

10. A method of navigating a property with an autonomous coverage robot, the method comprising:

placing an active boundary responder along at least a portion of a perimeter of the property;

powering the active boundary responder with an electrical voltage;

placing at least one passive boundary responder within the property; and

placing the robot within the property, the robot comprising;

a body;

a drive system carried by the body and configured to maneuver the robot across the property interior;

a signal emitter emitting a signal, the passive boundary responder responsive to the signal; and

a boundary responder detector system carried by the body and configured to detect both the active and passive boundary responders, the drive system configured to redirect the robot in response to detecting an active boundary responder and in response to detecting a passive boundary responder; and

permitting the robot to navigate the property while the drive system redirects the robot in response to encountering the active boundary responder to keep the robot within the property, and redirects the robot in response to encountering the passive boundary responder within the property.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the boundary responder detector system comprises:

an emitter comprising an emitter antennae loop configured as a figure-eight and in communication with an emitter circuit;

a receiver comprising a receiver antennae loop circumscribing and coplanar with the emitter antennae loop, the receiver antenna loop in communication with a receiver circuit; and

a control circuit controlling the emitter and receiver and in communication with the drive system.

12. An autonomous coverage robot comprising:

a body;

a drive system carried by the body and configured to maneuver the robot across a surface; and

an acoustic surface sensor carried by the body and comprising;

a sensor housing defining emitter and receiver receptacles;

an audio transmitter carried in the emitter receptacle and transmitting an audio emission;

a receiver carried in the receiver receptacle and configured to receiver an audio emission reflected from the surface; and

a controller monitoring a received reflected audio emission and comparing a maximum receive energy with a threshold energy to classify the surface.

13. The acoustic surface sensor of claim 12 wherein the audio transmitter transmits multiple audio emissions starting at a fundamental frequency and successively increasing the wavelength of each emission by half the fundamental frequency.

14. The acoustic surface sensor of claim 12 wherein the audio transmitter transmits a first audio emission at about 6.5 kHz and a second audio emission at about 8.67 kHz.

15. The acoustic surface sensor of claim 12 wherein the controller receives the reflected audio emission from the receiver though a narrow band-pass amplifier.

16. The acoustic surface sensor of claim 12 further comprising an anti-vibration mounting system securing the receiver in the receiver receptacle, the anti-vibration mounting system comprising a first elastic support holding the receiver in a tube below a sound absorber, the tube secured in the receiver receptacle with a second elastic support having a lower durometer than the first elastic support.