Method for establishing a desired area of confinement for an autonomous robot and autonomous robot implementing a control system for executing the same

• US 8,706,297 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futuregen Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RoboLabs, Inc.
• Inventors: Letsky, Michael Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US13/452,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20120265391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-541, 700/245
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• 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 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• 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 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• 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 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A method of establishing an area of confinement and an autonomous robot for performing a task within the area of confinement. In one aspect, the invention can be a method of defining an area of confinement for an autonomous robot comprising: a) positioning the autonomous robot at a first location point P₁, the autonomous robot comprising a location tracking unit, and recording the first location point P₁ within a memory device; b) moving the autonomous robot from the first location point P₁ to a plurality of location points P_2-N and recording each of the plurality of location points P_2-N within the memory device; and c) defining, with a central processing unit, a first closed-geometry comprising the first location point P₁ and the plurality of location points P_2-N as a perimeter of the area of confinement within the memory device.

Claims

1. A method of defining an area of confinement for an autonomous robot comprising:

a) positioning the autonomous robot at a first location point P₁, the autonomous robot comprising a location tracking unit, and recording the first location point P₁ within a memory device;

b) moving the autonomous robot from the first location point P₁ to a plurality of location points P_2-N and recording each of the plurality of location points P_2-N within the memory device; and

c) defining, with a central processing unit, a first closed-geometry comprising the first location point P₁ and the plurality of location points P_2-N as a perimeter of the area of confinement within the memory device;

wherein the central processing unit automatically performs step c) upon one of the plurality of location points P_2-N being determined to be substantially coincident With the first location point P₁; and

wherein the perimeter of the area of confinement is defined in the memory device as map data, and further comprising automatically transmitting the map data to a server upon the first closed-geometry being defined.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in steps a) and b), the central processing unit records the first location point P₁ and the plurality of location points P_2-N in the memory device in response to user-generated record location point signals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step c) comprises defining the closed-geometry by generating linear segments between the first location point P₁ and the plurality of location points P_2-N in successive order of recordation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

d) positioning the autonomous robot at a first exclusion location point E₁ and recording the first exclusion location point E₁ within the memory device, wherein the first exclusion location point E₁ is located within the perimeter of the area of confinement;

e) moving the autonomous robot from the first exclusion location point E₁ to a plurality of exclusion location points E_2-N and recording each of the plurality of exclusion location points E_2-N within the memory device, each of the plurality of exclusion location points E_2-N located within the perimeter of the area of confinement; and

f) defining, with the central processing unit, a second closed-geometry comprising, the first exclusion location point E₁ and the plurality of exclusion location points E_2-N as a perimeter of an area of exclusion within the memory device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit is configured to:

(1) move the autonomous robot at a first velocity when the autonomous robot is within the area of confinement and at least a first distance from the perimeter of the area of confinement; and

(2) reduce the first velocity to a second velocity when the autonomous robot is approaching the perimeter of the area of confinement and the autonomous robot is less than the first distance from the perimeter of the area of confinement.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit is configured to:

(1) transmit to the server a perceived location of the autonomous robot within the area of confinement when the perceived location is less than a first distance from the perimeter of the area of confinement; and

(2) update in the memory device the perceived location to an actual location of the autonomous robot within the area of confinement based upon actual location data received from the server.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

d) transmitting the ma data indicative of the perimeter of the area of confinement to the server;

e) overlaying, by the server, the area of confinement onto a satellite image corresponding to a geographic location that includes the area of confinement; and

f) displaying, on an external device, a visual representation of the area of confinement overlaid onto the satellite image.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of location points P_2-N are discrete location points, and wherein during step b) the autonomous robot automatically records each of the plurality of location points P_2-N in the memory device while the autonomous robot maneuvers along the perimeter of the area of confinement.

7. The method of claim wherein the memory device is housed within the autonomous robot and the autonomous robot further comprises a transceiver, the method further comprising:

d) transmitting, from the autonomous robot to the server during operation of the autonomous robot performing a task, the map data indicative of the perimeter of the area of confinement and a location of the autonomous robot within the area of confinement;

e) the server transmitting said map data to an external device; and

f) displaying said map, data on a display of the external device to visually represent status of a work session of the autonomous robot.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said status of said work session comprises:

(1) an indication of a current location of the autonomous robot within the area of confinement during operation of the autonomous robot performing the task;

(2) an indication of portions of the area of confinement on which work has been completed by the autonomous robot during the work session; and

(3) an indication of portions of the area of confinement on which the work has not yet been completed by the autonomous robot during the work session.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the task is cutting grass and wherein the central processing, unit is configured to detect, via a current sensor, a thickness of the grass by comparing a current value received by the current sensor to a threshold current value.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting, from the autonomous robot to the server, data indicative of the thickness of the grass at various locations within the area of confinement;

the server transmitting said data indicative of the thickness of the grass at various locations within the area of confinement to an external device; and

displaying said data indicative of the thickness of the grass at various locations within the area of confinement on a display of the external device to visually represent the thickness of the grass at various locations within the area of confinement.

13. An autonomous robot comprising:

a housing, a control system, and a plurality of drive wheels, the control system comprising a location tracking unit, a memory device, a data receiving port for receiving signals from an external device, and a central processing unit; and

the central processing unit configured to;

(1) track location of the autonomous robot based on output generated by the location tracking unit during movement of the autonomous robot;

(2) record a first location point of the autonomous robot within the memory device;

(3) automatically record a plurality of additional discrete location points of the autonomous robot within the memory device while the autonomous robot maneuvers along a perimeter of an area of confinement; and

(4) define a closed-geometry comprising the first location point and the plurality of additional discrete location points as the perimeter of the area of confinement within the memory device, wherein the closed geometry is automatically defined by the central processing unit upon one of the plurality of additional discrete location points being determined to be substantially coincident with the first location point.

14. The autonomous robot of claim 13 further comprising:

a capacitive touch sensor operably coupled to the housing and to the central processing unit, the memory device storing a baseline capacitance value of the capacitive touch sensor;

wherein at least a portion of the housing is operably coupled to the capacitive touch sensor, the portion of the housing comprising an electrically conductive material;

wherein upon an object having a capacitance value contacting the portion of the housing while the autonomous robot is activated, the capacitive touch sensor detects an increase in capacitance value relative to the baseline capacitance value and transmits an increased capacitance value signal to the central processing unit; and

wherein upon receiving the increased capacitance value signal from the capacitive touch sensor, the central processing unit deactivates the autonomous robot.

15. The autonomous robot of claim 14 wherein the capacitive touch sensor is a proximity sensor such that the capacitive touch sensor transmits the increased capacitance value signal to the central processing unit upon detecting, the object being located in a surrounding area of the autonomous robot.

16. The autonomous robot of claim 13 wherein the central processing unit records the first location point in the memory device in response to a user-generated record location point signal being transmitted from the external device to the data receiving port of the autonomous robot.

17. The autonomous robot of claim 13 wherein the location tracking unit is a GPS unit and wherein each of the plurality of location points are recorded in the memory device as a latitude-longitude coordinate.

18. An autonomous robot comprising:

a housing and a control system, control system comprising a memory device in operable connection with a central processing unit;

a capacitive proximity sensor operably coupled to the central processing unit and to the housing, the memory device storing a baseline capacitance value of the capacitive proximity sensor;

wherein at least a portion of the housing is operably coupled to the capacitive proximity sensor, the portion of the housing comprising an electrically conductive material;

wherein upon an object having a capacitance value being detected in a surrounding area of the autonomous robot while the autonomous robot is activated, the capacitive proximity sensor detects an increase in capacitance value relative to the baseline capacitance value and transmits an increased capacitance value signal to the central processing unit; and

wherein upon receiving the increased capacitance value signal from the capacitive proximity sensor, the central processing unit deactivates the autonomous robot.

19. The autonomous robot of claim 18 wherein upon the object no longer being in the surrounding area of the autonomous robot, the capacitive proximity sensor detects a decrease in capacitance value and the central processing unit enables the autonomous robot to be restarted.