METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRAVERSING CORNERS OF A FLOORED AREA WITH A ROBOTIC SURFACE TREATMENT APPARATUS
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic surface treatment apparatus treats corners of rooms more effectively through intricate guidance of the apparatus through inside and outside corners. In one aspect, contact and/or non-contact sensors provide information to one or more on-board processors on the apparatus to enable selective overriding of obstacle avoidance program code and allow the apparatus to get closer to walls to facilitate treatment. In another aspect, the sensors provide information to the on-board processors to control backup motion of the apparatus to cover previously-missed areas when turning corners. In yet another aspect, the apparatus is shaped to have its treatment mechanism positioned more closely to the front of the apparatus to enable treatment more closely to walls near corners. In one embodiment, the robotic surface treatment apparatus is a robotic vacuum. The vacuum may have its cleaning brush positioned near a flat front portion of the apparatus.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A robotic surface treatment apparatus comprising:
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a chassis; and at least one processor to detect whether the robotic surface treatment apparatus is approaching a corner, by detecting whether the robotic surface treatment apparatus is about to pass an edge of the first wall; wherein, if the robotic surface treatment apparatus is about to pass the edge of the first wall, the at least one processor; controls the robotic surface treatment apparatus to be at a distance from the edge of the first wall, wherein the distance enables the robotic surface treatment apparatus to turn the corner; and causes the robotic surface treatment apparatus to pivot in direction of the edge of the first wall and detect a further wall. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A processor-implemented method of controlling a robotic surface treatment apparatus, the method comprising:
using at least one processor that detects whether the robotic surface treatment apparatus is approaching a corner, by detecting whether the robotic surface treatment apparatus is about to pass an edge of the first wall; wherein, if the robotic surface treatment apparatus is about to pass the edge of the first wall, the at least one processor; controls the robotic surface treatment apparatus to be at a distance from the edge of the first wall, wherein the distance enables the robotic surface treatment apparatus to turn the corner; and causes the robotic surface treatment apparatus to pivot in the direction of the edge of the first wall and detect a further wall. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 42)
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41. A tangible recording medium containing processor-implemented instructions to perform a method of controlling a robotic surface treatment apparatus, the method comprising:
using at least one processor that detects whether the robotic surface treatment apparatus is approaching a corner, by detecting whether the robotic surface treatment apparatus is about to pass an edge of the first wall; wherein, if the robotic surface treatment apparatus is about to pass the edge of the first wall, the at least one processor; controls the robotic surface treatment apparatus to be at a distance from the edge of the first wall, wherein the distance enables the robotic surface treatment apparatus to turn the corner; and causes the robotic surface treatment apparatus to pivot in the direction of the edge of the first wall and detect a further wall. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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42-1. A tangible recording medium containing processor-implemented instructions to perform a method of controlling a robotic surface treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein:
if the robotic surface treatment apparatus is traveling along the further wall, the at least one processor controls the robotic surface treatment apparatus to back up by a predetermined amount before causing the robotic surface treatment apparatus to move forward to follow the further wall.
Specification