Automatic controlled cleaning machine
First Claim
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1. An automated cleaning apparatus, comprising:
- cleaning means for cleaning a floor surface section;
housing mean-s connected to said cleaning means and having a length, a width and a height with one of (a) said length and height and (b) said width and height defining a substantially planar side to provide a non-cylindrical enclosure;
hardware navigation means for obtaining information relating to the position of at least one of said housing means and said cleaning means;
control means contained substantially only by said housing means for controlling movement of said housing means and the operation of said cleaning means, said control means including;
first means for determining position related information using said information from said hardware navigation means;
second means for avoiding obstacles in the path of said housing means and said cleaning means, wherein said second means is used in avoiding predetermined obstacles in the path of said housing means and said cleaning means, said second means also used in avoiding obstacles whose presence is determined during movement of said housing means and said cleaning means while the floor surface area is being cleaned;
third means for detecting whether obstacles are present to continued movement of said housing means and said cleaning means while the floor surface area is being cleaned;
driving means for moving said housing means and said cleaning means, said driving means being connected to said housing means and including first and second driven wheels positioned on opposite sides of said housing means along said length thereof.
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Abstract
A robotic cleaning apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an automatically controlled cleaning machine and coded reflective targets used to provide information to the cleaning machine for positioning it along desired cleaning paths. The apparatus determines it position on a real time basis, particularly in the case of obstacles that are encountered by the cleaning machine during its cleaning operation. Hardware and software are provided for controlling movement of the cleaning machine relative to side and end walls of the floor surface section being cleaned, as well as controlling the functions of cleaning equipment.
449 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An automated cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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cleaning means for cleaning a floor surface section; housing mean-s connected to said cleaning means and having a length, a width and a height with one of (a) said length and height and (b) said width and height defining a substantially planar side to provide a non-cylindrical enclosure; hardware navigation means for obtaining information relating to the position of at least one of said housing means and said cleaning means; control means contained substantially only by said housing means for controlling movement of said housing means and the operation of said cleaning means, said control means including; first means for determining position related information using said information from said hardware navigation means; second means for avoiding obstacles in the path of said housing means and said cleaning means, wherein said second means is used in avoiding predetermined obstacles in the path of said housing means and said cleaning means, said second means also used in avoiding obstacles whose presence is determined during movement of said housing means and said cleaning means while the floor surface area is being cleaned; third means for detecting whether obstacles are present to continued movement of said housing means and said cleaning means while the floor surface area is being cleaned; driving means for moving said housing means and said cleaning means, said driving means being connected to said housing means and including first and second driven wheels positioned on opposite sides of said housing means along said length thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling an automated cleaning machine, comprising:
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providing a cleaning machine with first and second driven wheels, said cleaning machine including a front end and a rear end and having a length, a width and a height with said length having a different dimension from said width, with said length, width and height defining at least a first planar side, and said cleaning machine further including cleaning equipment for movement along a floor surface section to be cleaned; allowing said cleaning machine to move without human operator intervention while the floor surface section is being cleaned but not permitting said cleaning machine to move in a substantially rearward direction; regulating cleaning functions associated with said cleaning equipment while moving said cleaning machine; identifying a current position of said cleaning machine while it is moving using targets and a laser scanning assembly; detecting whether an obstacle is in the path of said cleaning machine; determining whether an obstacle is avoidable whereby said cleaning continues to move, said step of determining includes taking into account at least one of said height and width of said cleaning machine in determining whether said rear end of said cleaning machine is able to avoid the obstacle and taking into account which direction said cleaning machine is to be moved when it is determined that the obstacle is avoidable; and controlling separately movement of each of said first and second wheels in avoiding the obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification