Robot Confinement

• US 20150006015A1
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Sandin, Paul E., Jones, Joseph L., Ozick, Daniel N., Cohen, David A., Lewis, David M. Jr., Vu, Clara, Dubrovsky, Zivthan A., Preneta, Joshua B., Mammen, Jeffrey W., Gilbert, Duane L. Jr., Campbell, Tony L., Bergman, John, Chiappetta, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,713,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method of cutting grass with an autonomous robot lawnmower, the method comprising:

placing a series of responders defining a path between two zones to be cut;

placing one or more markers defining at least a portion of a perimeter of a first of the two zones; and

activating an autonomous robot lawnmower to cut grass of a second of the two zones;

wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to;

follow the path defined by the responders to cross an area separating the two zones and corresponding to a region to not be cut, thereby moving autonomously from the second zone to the first zone;

once in the first zone, confirm that the robot lawnmower is positioned within the perimeter by sensing one or more of the markers; and

then

upon confirming that the robot lawnmower is positioned within the perimeter, cut grass within the first zone.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to cut grass in the second zone before following the path.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to not cut grass while following the path.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to disable a grass cutter while following the path, the grass cutter being positioned on the robot lawnmower.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to enable the grass cutter after following the path and after confirming that the robot lawnmower is positioned within the perimeter.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to enable the grass cutter in the second zone.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to follow the path defined by all of the responders.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to enable the grass cutter while the robot lawnmower is within a prescribed range of the markers.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to detect stasis of the robot by a stasis detector carried by the robot lawnmower.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the stasis detector is configured as an optical sensor.

27. A robot lawnmower comprising

a body;

a drive system carried by the body and configured to propel the robot lawnmower across grass;

a grass cutter carried by the body and positioned to engage grass across which the robot lawnmower is propelled; and

a controller carried by the body and configured to control the drive system to maneuver the robot lawnmower according to a sequence of behaviors while the robot lawnmower cuts grass, including

following a perimeter of an area to be mowed; and

sequentially following parallel, adjacent paths across the area to be mowed;

wherein the robot lawnmower also comprises a sensor responsive to deviation from an intended path, the controller configured to maneuver the robot lawnmower to sequentially follow the parallel, adjacent paths in response to input from the sensor.

28. The robot lawnmower of claim 27, wherein the sensor is responsive to conditions corresponding to location of an interface between a mowed area and an unmowed area, and wherein the controller is configured to maneuver the robot to follow an edge of a mowed area while sequentially following the parallel, adjacent paths.

29. The robot lawnmower of claim 27, wherein the controller is further configured to detect whether the robot lawnmower is moving while sending a signal to the drive system to propel the robot lawnmower.

30. The robot lawnmower of claim 27, wherein the sensor is also responsive to motion of the robot lawnmower, such that the controller is configured to detect whether the robot lawnmower is moving based on input from the sensor.

31. The robot lawnmower of claim 27, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

32. The robot lawnmower of claim 31, wherein the optical sensor is a mouse-type sensor.

33. The robot lawnmower of claim 27, wherein the sensor is an edge following sensor.

34. The robot lawnmower of claim 33, wherein the edge following sensor includes a fore edge sensor bank preceding an aft edge sensor bank in a direction of cutting.

35. The robot lawnmower of claim 27, further comprising obstacle detection sensors.

36. The robot lawnmower of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configured to maneuver the robot lawnmower to alter a direction of motion of the robot lawnmower when the robot lawnmower detects obstacles.