METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MOVEMENT OF AN AUTOMAIC CLEANING DEVICE USING VIDEO SIGNAL

• US 20110108064A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diversey Incorporated (Sealed Air)
• Original Assignee: Intellibot Robotics, LLC
• Inventors: Thomas, Kevin L., Coffman, Vinton, Herr, Stephen D., McCann, Ralph, Hillman, Henry L. JR., Daly, Daniel M., Knuth, David M. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,679,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method of cleaning an area using an automatic cleaning device may include receiving, from a video camera, information associated with an edge located on a surface, determining, by an automatic cleaning device, a position of the automatic cleaning device on the surface relative to the edge and using the received information to move the automatic cleaning device from the determined position along a path so that the automatic cleaning device cleans the surface along the path. The path may be substantially parallel to the edge, and the edge may be located a distance from a reference point on the automatic cleaning device during movement of the automatic cleaning device.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning an area using an automatic cleaning device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a video camera, information associated with an edge located on a surface;

determining, by an automatic cleaning device, a position of the automatic cleaning device on the surface relative to the edge; and

using the received information to move the automatic cleaning device from the determined position along a path so that the automatic cleaning device cleans the surface along the path, wherein the path is substantially parallel to the edge, wherein the edge is located a distance from a reference point on the automatic cleaning device during movement of the automatic cleaning device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information comprises receiving information in response to a request for information from the automatic cleaning device to the video camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information comprising receiving one or more of the following:

a slope associated with the edge;

an intercept associated with the edge; and

an error associated with the edge.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information associated with an edge comprises continuously receiving information from the video camera over a period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using the received information comprises:

adjusting the path based on the received information in response to an amount of error associated with the received information as compared to the position being less than an amount of error associated with the received position data as compared to the position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein cleaning the surface along the path comprises:

determining one or more characteristics associated with the surface along the path;

determining a cleaning method based on the determined one or more characteristics; and

applying the cleaning method to the surface along the path.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining one or more characteristics comprises determining that surface along the path comprises one or more of the following:

hard wood flooring;

tile flooring;

carpeting;

a high-traffic area; and

a low-traffic area.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein applying a cleaning method comprises performing one or more of the following:

vacuuming the surface along the path;

scrubbing the surface along the path; and

waxing the surface along the path.

9. A method of cleaning an environment using an automatic cleaning device, the method comprising:

sending, to a video camera, a request for information comprising a color value and a tolerance value;

receiving, from the video camera, information associated with an area corresponding to the color value and the tolerance value; and

using the received information to adjust a position of the automatic cleaning device on a surface of an environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the received information comprises one or more Of the following:

coordinates associated with a substantially center portion of the area;

coordinates associated with one or more corners of a rectangle that surrounds the area;

a number of pixels of the color within the area;

a numerical value associated with a detected color; and

a tolerance range associated with the detected color.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the using comprises:

adjusting the path based on the received information in response to an amount of error associated with the received information as compared to the position being less than an amount of error associated with the received position data as compared to the position.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein using the received information to adjust a position of the automatic cleaning device comprises:

determining an estimated location of the automatic cleaning device;

using the received information to determine an actual location of the automatic cleaning device; and

if the estimated location differs from the actual location, moving the automatic cleaning device to the estimated location.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising cleaning at least a portion of the surface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein cleaning at least a portion of the surface comprises:

determining one or more characteristics associated with the portion of the surface;

determining a cleaning method based on the determined one or more characteristics; and

applying the cleaning method to the portion of the surface.

15. A method of cleaning an area using an automatic cleaning device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a video camera, information associated with an edge located on a surface;

determining, by an automatic cleaning device, a position of the automatic cleaning device on the surface relative to the edge; and

adjusting the position of the automatic cleaning device based on a proximity of the automatic cleaning device to the edge.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving information associated with an edge comprises receiving information associated with an edge located substantially perpendicular to the automatic cleaning device'"'"'s movement.

17. A system for cleaning an area using an automatic cleaning device, the system comprising:

an automatic cleaning device comprising a processing device and a computer-readable storage medium; and

a video camera in communication with the automatic cleaning device,

wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for;

receiving, from the video camera, information associated with an edge located on a surface of an area,

determining a position of the automatic cleaning device on the surface relative to the edge, and

using the received information to move the automatic cleaning device from the determined position along a path, wherein the path is substantially parallel to the edge, wherein the edge is located a distance from a reference point on the automatic cleaning device during movement of the automatic cleaning device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more programming instructions for receiving information comprise one or more programming instructions for receiving information in response to a request for information from the automatic cleaning device to the video camera.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more programming instructions for receiving information comprise one or more programming instructions for receiving one or more of the following:

a slope associated with the edge;

an intercept associated with the edge; and

an error associated with the edge.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more programming instructions for receiving information associated with an edge comprise one or more programming instructions for continuously receiving information from the video camera over a period of time.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more programming instructions for using the received information comprise one or more programming instructions for:

adjusting the path based on the received information in response to an amount of error associated with the received information as compared to the position being less than an amount of error associated with the received position data as compared to the position.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for cleaning at least a portion of the path.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more programming instructions for cleaning at least a portion of the path comprise one or more programming instructions for:

determining one or more characteristics associated with the portion of the path;

determining a cleaning method based on the determined one or more characteristics; and

applying the cleaning method to the portion of the path.

24. A system for cleaning an environment using an automatic cleaning device, the system comprising:

an automatic cleaning device comprising a processing device and a computer-readable storage medium; and

a video camera in communication with the automatic cleaning device;

wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for;

sending, to the video camera, a request for information comprising a color value and a tolerance value,

receiving, from the video camera, information associated with an area corresponding to the color value and the tolerance value, and

using the received information to adjust a position of the automatic cleaning device on a surface of the environment.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the programming instructions for receiving information comprise one or more programming instructions for receiving one or more of the following:

coordinates associated with a substantially center portion of the area;

coordinates associated with one or more corners of a rectangle that surrounds the area;

a number of pixels of the color within the area;

a numerical value associated with a detected color; and

a tolerance range associated with the detected color.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the programming instructions for using the received information comprise one or more programming instructions for:

adjusting the path based on the received information in response to an amount of error associated with the received information as compared to the position being less than an amount of error associated with the received position data as compared to the position.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the programming instructions for using the received information to adjust a position of the automatic cleaning device comprise one or more programming instructions for:

determining an estimated location of the automatic cleaning device;

using the received information to determine an actual location of the automatic cleaning device; and

if the estimated location differs from the actual location, moving to the estimated location.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for cleaning at least a portion of the surface.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more programming instructions for cleaning at least a portion of the path comprise one or more programming instructions for:

determining one or more characteristics associated with the portion of the surface;

determining a cleaning method based on the determined one or more characteristics; and

applying the cleaning method to the portion of the surface.