Autonomous floor-cleaning robot

• US 8,763,199 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Joseph L., Mack, Newton E., Nugent, David M., Sandin, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/824,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 15/521, 153/40, 153/56, 153/60, 15/411, 15/491, 15/501, 15/884, 700/23, 700/258
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• 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 2201/04 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 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/32 Handles

Abstract

A robot includes a robot housing having a substantially arcuate forward portion and a motor drive housed by the robot housing and configured to maneuver the robot on a floor surface. At least two independently driven drive wheels are moveably attached to the robot housing and biased toward the floor surface, each of the drive wheels being moveable downwardly in response to the each of the drive wheels moving over a cliff in the floor surface. A plurality of cliff sensors are disposed adjacent a forward edge of the robot housing and spaced from each other, each cliff sensor including an emitter and a detector aimed toward the floor surface and configured to receive emitter emissions reflected off of the floor surface, each cliff sensor being responsive to a cliff in the floor surface and configured to send a signal when a cliff in the floor surface is detected. The robot also includes a wheel drop sensor in communication with each drive wheel that senses when a drive wheel moves downwardly and sends a signal indicating downward movement of the pivoted drive wheel. A controller is in communication with the cliff sensors, each of the wheel drop sensors, and the motor drive to redirect the robot when a cliff in the floor surface is detected.

Claims

1. An autonomous coverage robot comprising:

a robot housing including a substantially arcuate forward portion, as defined in a plane parallel to a floor surface;

a motor drive mounted in the robot housing and configured to maneuver the robot on the floor surface;

at least two drive wheel modules controlled by the motor drive comprising independently driven drive wheels moveably attached to the robot housing and biased toward the floor surface, each of the drive wheels being moveable downwardly in response to the each of the drive wheels moving over a cliff in the floor surface;

at least one side brush, comprising at least two discrete brush arms, wherein each brush includes a terminal end having a plurality of bristles, driven about a nonhorizontal axis, at least a portion of the at least one side brush extending beyond a peripheral edge of the robot housing to direct debris to within the peripheral edge of the robot housing while the robot is maneuvered across the floor surface, at least a portion of the at least two discrete brush arms periodically occluding an emission path of an emitter of at least one of a plurality of cliff sensors as the robot is maneuvered across the floor surface;

the plurality of cliff sensors housed in the forward portion of the robot housing substantially near a forward edge and spaced from each other, each cliff sensor comprising an emitter and a detector aimed toward the floor surface and configured to receive emitter emissions reflected off of the floor surface, each cliff sensor responsive to a cliff in the floor surface;

at least one obstacle sensor, disposed at a front side of the robot, each obstacle sensor being responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot;

a wheel drop sensor, associated with each drive wheel, that is configured to sense when a drive wheel moves in a direction away from the robot housing and which sends a signal indicating a wheel drop condition of the drive wheel; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of cliff sensors, the at least one obstacle sensor, each of the wheel drop sensors, and the motor drive to redirect the robot in response to a signal from one of the plurality of cliff sensors, the at least one obstacle sensor, and at least one of the wheel drop sensors.

2. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cliff sensors are substantially evenly positioned along an arc defined by the arcuate forward portion of the robot housing.

3. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a collision avoidance routine that navigates the robot about objects as the robot moves across the floor surface.

4. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one side brush is mounted in a recess in the robot housing in front of one of the drive wheels and adjacent the peripheral edge of the robot housing.

5. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, further comprising a bumper extending along a portion of the robot housing, the bumper having a bumper sensor responsive to movement of the bumper relative to the robot housing.

6. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the wheel drop sensor is configured to sense when the drive wheel pivots in a direction away from the robot housing.

7. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the wheel drop sensor is configured to sense when the drive wheel extends in a direction away from the robot housing.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein free ends of the bristles of the at least one side brush define a locus that intersects a peripheral edge of one of the independently driven drive wheels.

9. A robot comprising:

a robot housing having a substantially arcuate forward edge;

at least two independently driven drive wheels located adjacent a lateral edge of the robot housing, each of the drive wheels being moveably attached to the robot housing and biased toward a floor surface, each of the drive wheels being moveable downwardly in response to movement of each of the drive wheels over a cliff in the floor surface;

at least three cliff sensors disposed along a contour of the arcuate forward edge of the robot housing and spaced from each other, each cliff sensor comprising an emitter and a detector aimed toward the floor surface and configured to receive emitter emissions reflected off of the floor surface, each cliff sensor being responsive to a cliff in the floor surface;

a bumper having a shape of the arcuate forward edge and extending along the robot housing to a position adjacent to the drive wheels, the bumper having a bumper sensor responsive to movement of the bumper relative to the robot housing;

a wheel drop sensor, associated with each drive wheel, that is configured to sense when a respective drive wheel moves downwardly, and which sends a signal indicating downward movement of the respective drive wheel;

an edge cleaner comprising a rotatable shaft mounted in a recess in an underside of the robot housing, and a side brush comprising a plurality of discrete arms extending outwardly from a hub and attached to the shaft such that rotation of the hub causes the side brush to move debris from the floor surface beyond a peripheral edge of the robot housing for collection by the robot,

wherein the plurality of discrete arms of the side brush each includes a terminal end having a plurality of bristles being configured to periodically interrupt a path between at least one of the three cliff sensors and the floor surface as the robot is moved across the floor surface; and

a controller responsive to signals generated by the bumper sensor and the wheel drop sensors to redirect the robot in response to a signal from one of the bumper sensor and at least one of the wheel drop sensors.

10. The robot according to claim 9, further comprising an obstacle sensor in a forward portion of the robot responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot, the obstacle sensor further comprising an emitter and a detector configured to detect a proximity of an object and transmit a detection signal that causes the controller to reduce the speed of the robot.

11. The robot according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a collision avoidance routine that navigates the robot about objects as the robot moves across the floor surface.

12. The robot of claim 9, wherein the at least three cliff sensors are substantially evenly distributed along the arc defined by the arcuate forward portion of the robot housing.

13. The robot of claim 9, wherein the wheel drop sensor sends a signal causing the controller to redirect the robot when the wheel moves downwardly by a predetermined amount.

14. The robot of claim 9, wherein the plurality of arms of the side brush are curvilinear in order to facilitate the movement of debris in a direction under the robot housing.

15. The robot of claim 9, wherein at least one of the three cliff sensors is disposed adjacent a mid-point of the arcuate forward edge.

16. The robot of claim 9, wherein the wheel drop sensor is configured to sense when the respective drive wheel pivots downwardly.

17. The robot of claim 9, wherein the wheel drop sensor is configured to sense when the respective drive wheel extends downwardly.

18. The robot of claim 9, wherein free ends of the bristles of the side brush define a locus that intersects a peripheral edge of one of the at least two independently driven drive wheels.

19. The robot according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of discrete arms comprise at least two circumferentially spaced arms.

20. A robot comprising:

a robot housing having a substantially arcuate forward portion;

at least two independently driven drive wheels moveably attached to the robot housing and continuously spring biased toward a floor surface, each of the drive wheels including a motor drive connected thereto and being independently moveable while biased downwardly in response to the each of the drive wheels moving over a cliff in the floor surface;

an arcuate bumper movable with respect to the robot housing and having a shape of the substantially arcuate forward portion and extending along the robot housing to a position adjacent to the drive wheels, the bumper having a bumper sensor responsive to movement of the bumper relative to the robot housing;

a plurality of cliff sensors disposed adjacent to and each aligned substantially along a contour of the substantially arcuate forward portion of the robot housing and spaced from each other, each cliff sensor comprising an emitter and a detector, each detector disposed adjacent the contour and aimed toward the floor surface and configured to receive emitter emissions reflected off of the floor surface, each cliff sensor responsive to a cliff in the floor surface and configured to send a signal when a cliff in the floor surface is detected;

a side brush comprising at least two discrete arms each of which includes a terminal end having a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from a hub and attached to the shaft such that rotation of the hub causes the side brush to move debris from the floor surface beyond a peripheral edge of the robot housing for collection by the robot;

a wheel drop sensor in communication with each drive wheel configured to sense when a drive wheel is moved by the spring bias downwardly and send a signal indicating downward movement of the drive wheel; and

a controller in communication with the bumper sensor, each of the cliff sensors, each of the wheel drop sensors, and each of the motor drives to redirect movement of the robot on a floor surface when a cliff in the floor surface is detected.