NAVIGATING AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOTS

• US 20080058987A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Okerholm, Andrea, Halloran, Michael, Ozick, Daniel, Mammen, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• 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 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0466 Rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/12 Dry filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• 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: A47L 9/2894 : Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 : Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 : Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 : by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 : mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 : Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 : Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 : characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 : to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 : Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 : Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 : by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 : Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 : characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 : Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/38 : adjustably or movably mounted, e.g. horizontally displaceable for securing a space between parked vehicles adjustably mounted for compensating manufacturing tolerances B60R19/24, B60R19/26
• 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 1/0227 : using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 : using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 : using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• 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 1/0272 : 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 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 : using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 : Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/06 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 : in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• 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 90/14 : 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 901/50 : Miscellaneous

Abstract

A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot between bounded areas includes positioning a navigation beacon in a gateway between adjoining first and second bounded areas. The beacon configured to transmit a gateway marking emission across the gateway. In some example, the navigation beacon may also transmit a proximity emission laterally about the beacon, where the robot avoids cleaning the migration within the proximity emission. The method also includes placing the coverage robot within the first bounded areas. The robot autonomously traverses the first bounded area in a cleaning mode and upon encountering the gateway marking emission in the gateway, the robot remains in the first bounded area, thereby avoiding the robot migration into the second area. Upon termination of the cleaning mode in the first area, the robot autonomously initiates a migration mode to move through the gateway, past the beacon, into the second bounded area.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a chassis;

a wheeled drive supporting the chassis and operable to maneuver the robot;

sensors responsive to an environment about the robot;

a memory storing;

instructions configured as a set of behaviors to cause the wheeled drive to move the robot according to a predetermined sequence of the behaviors of the set, at least one of the behaviors of the set featuring a sensor-based enabling condition dependent upon a sensor detection and at least one of the behaviors of the set featuring a sequence-based enabling condition dependent upon a completion of another behavior in the set, and

instructions configured as an arbiter to enable control of the wheeled drive according to a behavior priority, the arbiter passing on commands from a highest priority behavior to control the wheeled drive when enabling conditions of the highest priority behavior are satisfied; and

a controller in communication with the wheeled drive, the sensors, and the memory, the controller executing the arbiter to control the wheeled drive according to the highest priority behavior;

wherein the behaviors of the set tend to control the wheeled drive in the predetermined sequence as the sensor-based enabling conditions and the sequence-based enabling conditions are satisfied.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the set of behaviors has a sequence-based enabling condition from a parent set of behaviors, the set of behaviors being executed in the predetermined sequence upon enablement and a predetermined sequence of the parent set of behaviors being resumed upon either completion of the set of behaviors or cessation of the enabling condition.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the set of behaviors has a sensor-based enabling condition, the controller discontinuing execution of the predetermined sequence upon cessation of the enabling condition.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein behaviors of the set having a sequence-based enabling condition have a lower priority than behaviors of the set having only sensor-based enabling conditions, and have a lower priority than at least an escape behavior and an avoidance behavior.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein a docking behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition has a higher priority than both a navigation behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition and a sequence-based enabling condition.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein a coverage behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition has a lower priority than both a navigation behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition and a sequence-based enabling condition.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein at least one behavior of the set comprises a sequenced-reactive behavior having at least one sensor-based enabling condition and at least one sequence-based enabling condition, wherein at least partial execution of another behavior of the set enables the sequence-based enabling condition of the sequenced-reactive behavior, and wherein the controller aborts the sequenced-reactive behavior upon cessation of at least one of the enabling conditions of the sequenced-reactive behavior.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein at least two sequenced-reactive behaviors of the set share at least one sensor-based enabling condition or sequence-based enabling condition, thereby allowing multiple potential entry points into the predetermined sequence upon satisfying the shared enabling condition.

11. The robot of claim 1, wherein the sensor-based enabling condition comprises one of detecting a navigation pose and detecting an obstacle proximate the robot.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores a sequence planner executable by the controller to monitor a current state of the predetermined sequence and to set a sequence-based enabling condition according to a current sequence state of the robot upon detection of a sequence initiating event.

14. The robot of claim 13, wherein the sequence planner is configured to set a sequence-based enabling condition according to a current location state of a monitored topological state map.

15. The robot of claim 13, wherein the sequence planner is configured to instruct the arbiter to allow execution of a behavior by the controller based on a monitored state of a finite state machine stored in the memory.

16. The robot of claim 13, wherein the sequence planner controls execution by the controller of at least one goal oriented sequence of behaviors, the behaviors of the goal oriented sequence having a sequence-based enabling condition set by the sequence planner according to a current sequence state of the robot upon detection of a goal oriented sequence initiating event.

5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

17. A method of navigating a robot, the method comprising:

monitoring whether sensor-based enabling conditions of behaviors are satisfied, each sensor-based enabling condition being dependent upon a sensor detection;

monitoring whether sequence-based enabling conditions of behaviors are satisfied, each sequence-based enabling condition being dependent upon a successful execution of a preceding behavior;

arbitrating among the behaviors to permit control by the behaviors according to a priority, by permitting control by a highest priority behavior when the enabling conditions of the highest priority behavior are satisfied; and

driving the robot to tend to navigate according to a predetermined sequence of control by the behaviors as the sensor-based enabling conditions and the sequence-based enabling conditions of the behaviors are successively satisfied.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein arbitrating among the behaviors comprises

arbitrating among a set of behaviors to be executed in a predetermined sequence, the set having a sequence-based enabling condition from a parent set of behaviors,

executing the set of behaviors in the predetermined sequence upon enablement, and

resuming a predetermined sequence of the parent set of behaviors upon completion of the set of behaviors or cessation of the enabling condition.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein arbitrating among the behaviors comprises

arbitrating among a set of behaviors to be executed in a predetermined sequence, the set having a sensor-based enabling condition;

and

discontinuing execution of the predetermined sequence upon cessation of the enabling condition.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein behaviors having a sequence-based enabling condition have a lower priority than behaviors of the set having only one or more sensor-based enabling conditions, and have a lower priority than at least an escape behavior and an avoidance behavior.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein a docking behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition has a higher priority than both a navigation behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition and a sequence-based enabling condition.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein a coverage behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition has a lower priority than both a navigation behavior having a sensor-based enabling condition and a sequence-based enabling condition.

24. The method of claim 17, including aborting execution of a behavior upon cessation of the associated enabling condition.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one behavior comprises a sequenced-reactive behavior having at least one sensor-based enabling condition and at least one sequence-based enabling condition, wherein at least partial execution of another behavior of the set enables the sequence-based enabling condition of the sequenced-reactive behavior, and wherein the robot aborts the sequenced-reactive behavior upon cessation of at least one of the enabling conditions of the sequenced-reactive behavior.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least two sequenced-reactive behaviors share at least one sensor-based enabling condition or sequence-based enabling condition, thereby allowing multiple potential entry points into the predetermined sequence upon satisfying the shared enabling condition.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the sensor-based enabling condition comprises one of detecting a navigation pose and detecting an obstacle proximate the robot.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising

monitoring a current state of a predetermined sequence of behaviors, and

setting a sequence-based enabling condition according to a current sequence state of the robot upon detection of a sequence initiating event.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of arbitrating comprises executing at least one goal oriented sequence of behaviors, the behaviors of the goal oriented sequence having a sequence-based enabling condition set by the sequence planner according to a current sequence state of the robot upon detection of a goal oriented sequence initiating event.

21. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

30. (canceled)