Debris monitoring

• US 8,742,926 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Schnittman, Mark Steven, Rosenstein, Michael Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/340,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 153/19, 153/39, 153/401, 318/568.1, 700/245, 700/250
• US Class Current: 340/540
• 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 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• 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: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• 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 1/0234 : using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70

Abstract

A debris monitoring system includes a receptacle, a first and a second emitter, and a first receiver. The receptacle defines an opening to receive debris into the receptacle. The first and second emitter are each arranged to emit a signal across at least a portion of the opening. The first receiver is proximate to the first emitter to receive reflections of the signal emitted by the first emitter, and the first receiver is disposed toward the opening to receive an unreflected portion of the signal emitted by the second emitter across at least a portion of the opening.

Claims

1. A debris monitoring system comprising:

a receptacle defining an opening to receive debris into the receptacle, the opening having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion above the bottom portion as debris is received into the receptacle;

a first and a second emitter, each arranged to emit a signal across at least a portion of the opening; and

a first receiver proximate to the first emitter to receive reflections of the signal emitted by the first emitter, the first receiver disposed along a top portion of the opening and toward the opening to receive an unreflected portion of the signal emitted by the second emitter across the largest dimension of the opening.

2. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the opening is substantially rectangular and the first receiver and the second receiver are substantially diagonally opposed to one another across the opening.

3. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the first and second emitter are arranged relative to one another such that the respective signals emitted by the first and second emitters intersect along at least a portion of the opening.

4. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the opening is defined in a substantially vertical plane as debris is received into the receptacle.

5. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the first receiver is arranged about 1 inches to about 8 inches from the second emitter.

6. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the first receiver is less than about 0.25 inches from the first emitter.

7. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the distance between the first receiver and the second emitter to the distance between the first receiver and the first emitter is about 4 to about 100.

8. The debris monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is releasably engageable with a housing configured to support the receptacle as debris is received through the opening of the receptacle.

9. The debris monitoring system of claim 8 wherein the first and second emitters and the first receiver are each supported on the housing and the receptacle is movable relative to the first and second emitters and the first receiver.

10. The debris monitoring system of claim 8 wherein the first and second emitters and the first receiver are each supported on the receptacle.

11. The debris monitoring system of claim 10 further comprising a controller supported on the housing, wherein the first and second emitters and the first receiver are each in wireless communication with the controller.

12. The debris monitoring system of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication comprises infrared communication.

13. A debris monitoring system comprising:

a receptacle defining an opening to receive debris into the receptacle;

a plurality of first emitters and a plurality of second emitters, each emitter of each plurality of emitters arranged to emit a signal across at least a portion of the opening;

a first receiver proximate to the plurality of first emitters to receive reflections of the signal emitted by each of the plurality of first emitters and the first receiver disposed toward the opening to receive an unreflected portion of the signal emitted by each of the plurality of second emitters across at least a portion of the opening; and

a second receiver proximate to the plurality of second emitters to receive reflections of the signal emitted by each of the plurality of second emitters and the second receiver disposed toward the opening to receive an unreflected portion of the signal emitted by each of the plurality of first emitters across at least a portion of the opening.

14. The debris monitoring system of claim 13 further comprising a controller configured to pulse the plurality of first emitters on and off and to pulse the plurality of second emitters on and off.

15. The debris monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the controller is further configured to sample of each of the first and second receivers synchronously such that a first sample of each receiver is taken when the plurality of first emitters and the plurality of second emitters are off, a second sample of each receiver is taken when the plurality of first emitters is on and the plurality of second emitters is off, and a third sample of each receiver is taken when the plurality of first emitters is off and the plurality of second emitters is on.

16. The debris monitoring system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of first emitters and the plurality of second emitters are arranged relative to one another such that the signals emitted by the plurality of first emitters intersect the signals emitted by the plurality of second emitters, the intersection being along at least a portion of the opening.

17. The debris monitoring system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of first emitters and the plurality of second emitters are arranged relative to one another such that the signals emitted by the plurality of first emitters intersect the signals emitted by the plurality of second emitters along a line substantially bisecting the opening.

18. The debris monitoring system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of first emitters and the plurality of second emitters are spaced relative to one another such that the signals emitted by the plurality of first emitters and the plurality of second emitters span substantially all of the area of the opening when all of the emitters from each of the plurality of first and second emitters are on.