System and method for autonomous mopping of a floor surface

• US 9,167,947 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Dooley, Michael, Case, James Philip, Romanov, Nikolai
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US14/522,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/245, 700/248, 700/250, 700/252
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• 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 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating 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 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39219 Trajectory tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface

Abstract

A mobile robot configured to travel across a residential floor or other surface while cleaning the surface with a cleaning pad and cleaning solvent is disclosed. The robot includes a controller for managing the movement of the robot as well as the treatment of the surface with a cleaning solvent. The movement of the robot can be characterized by a class of trajectories that achieve effective cleaning. The trajectories include sequences of steps that are repeated, the sequences including forward and backward motion and optional left and right motion along arcuate paths.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a space with a mobile robot, the method comprising:

driving, by a motion controller system, the mobile robot along a first arcuate path by a first distance forward and a third distance to the left,

subsequent to driving the mobile robot along the first arcuate path, driving the mobile robot, by the motion controller system, along a second arcuate path by a second distance backward and by the third distance to the right, the first distance being greater than the second distance;

subsequent to driving the mobile robot along the second arcuate path, driving, by the motion controller system, the mobile robot along a third arcuate path by the first distance forward and a fourth distance to the right; and

subsequent to driving the mobile robot along the third arcuate path, driving, by the motion controller system, the mobile robot along a fourth arcuate path by the second distance backward and the fourth distance to the left;

repeating driving the mobile robot along the first, second, third, and fourth paths in sequential order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distance forward is double the second distance backward.

3. The method of claim 2;

wherein the first distance forward is no more than double a width of the cleaning assembly.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third distance to the right and fourth distance to the left are less than a width of the cleaning assembly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an elapse time of said sequence is greater than 5 second and less than 60 seconds.

6. A motion controller system, the motion controller system configured to cause a mobile robot to perform, a repeated number of times, driving operations comprising:

driving the mobile robot along a first arcuate path forward by a first distance and a third distance to the left;

subsequent to driving the mobile robot along the first arcuate path, driving the mobile robot along a second arcuate path backward and by the third distance to the right the first distance being greater than the second distance;

subsequent to driving the mobile robot along the second arcuate path, driving the mobile robot along a third arcuate path by the first distance forward and a fourth distance to the right; and

subsequent to driving the mobile robot along the third arcuate path, driving the mobile robot along a fourth arcuate path by the second distance backward and to the fourth distance the left.

7. The motion controller system of claim 6, wherein the first distance forward is double the second distance backward.

8. The motion controller system of claim 7;

wherein the first distance forward is no more than double a width of the cleaning assembly.

9. The motion controller system of claim 6, wherein the third distance to the right and fourth distance to the left are less than a width of the cleaning assembly.

10. The motion controller system of claim 6, wherein an elapse time of said sequence is greater than 5 second and less than 60 seconds.