Robot system

• US 9,392,920 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Halloran, Michael J., Mammen, Jeffrey W., Campbell, Tony L., Walker, Jason S., Sandin, Paul E., Billington, John N. Jr., Ozick, Daniel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/275,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/264, 318/568.12, 455/39, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/229, 709/230, 709/249, 709/250, 370/338, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/400, 370/401, 701/2, 701/23, 701/408
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• 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 11/4041 Roll shaped 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 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• 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 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0466 Rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/12 Dry filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 : Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 : characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• 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 1/0227 : using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 : using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 : using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• 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 1/028 : using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 : in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/50 : Miscellaneous

Abstract

A power-saving robot system includes at least one peripheral device and a mobile robot. The peripheral device includes a controller having an active mode and a hibernation mode, and a wireless communication component capable of activation in the hibernation mode. A controller of the robot has an activating routine that communicates with and temporarily activates the peripheral device, via wireless communication, from the hibernation mode. In another aspect, a robot system includes a network data bridge and a mobile robot. The network data bridge includes a broadband network interface, a wireless command interface, and a data bridge component. The data bridge component extracts serial commands received via the broadband network interface from an internet protocol, applies a command protocol thereto, and broadcasts the serial commands via the wireless interface. The mobile robot includes a wireless command communication component that receives the serial commands transmitted from the network data bridge.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a mobile robot using a network data bridge, the method comprising:

receiving a first communication on a broadband network interface connected to an internet protocol network, wherein the first communication is transferred in compliance with an internet protocol;

extracting a serial command from the received first communication;

forming a second communication including the serial command in compliance with a command protocol distinct from the internet protocol;

broadcasting the second communication to the mobile robot using a wireless command interface connected to a wireless command protocol network;

using the wireless command interface, receiving from the mobile robot information corresponding to a theme, the mobile robot comprising;

a detachable exterior body panel that corresponds to the theme and forms an exterior surface of the mobile robot, and

a theme identification unit configured to identify the theme to generate the information corresponding to the theme;

using the broadband network interface, sending the information corresponding to the theme to a server and receiving customizable content from the server; and

sending, using the wireless command interface, the customizable content to the mobile robot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the internet protocol specifies internet protocol header information, and wherein the command protocol lacks the internet protocol header information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile robot further comprises:

a drive system that moves the mobile robot about an environment; and

a wireless command communication component that receives the serial command broadcasted from the network data bridge.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending local configuration information to a home server using the broadband network interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

polling a pre-configured uniform resource locator (URL) with periodic hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) posts using the broadband network interface, wherein each post contains status information for the mobile robot.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

using the broadband network interface, receiving from software-based virtual sensors information for the mobile robot; and

using the wireless command interface, sending the information to the mobile robot, wherein the mobile robot uses the information to trigger an event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the customizable content includes audible content organized into one or more related discrete sounds.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the broadband network interface, receiving the customizable content from a content distribution system, wherein the customizable content was selected from a content selection display on a user terminal; and

using the wireless command interface, sending the customizable content to the mobile robot.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the serial command is related to one or more of:

robot usage information, robot behavior information, and customer information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the detachable exterior body panel comprises an identification system, and

the theme identification unit is configured to detect the identification system to identify the theme to generate the information corresponding to the theme.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the detachable exterior body panel comprises a printed design visible on the exterior surface of the mobile robot and corresponding to the theme.

10. A method of communicating with a mobile robot using a network data bridge, the method comprising:

receiving a first communication on a wireless command interface from the mobile robot, wherein the wireless command interface is connected to a wireless command protocol network, and wherein the first communication is broadcasted in compliance with a command protocol;

sending a second communication using a broadband network interface connected to an internet protocol network, wherein the second communication is transferred in compliance with an internet protocol distinct from the command protocol, and wherein the second communication includes the first communication and additional internet protocol header information;

using the wireless command interface, receiving from the mobile robot information corresponding to a theme, the mobile robot comprising;

a detachable exterior body panel that corresponds to the theme and forms an exterior surface of the mobile robot, and

a theme identification unit configured to identify the theme to generate the information corresponding to the theme;

using the broadband network interface, sending the information corresponding to the theme to a server and receiving customizable content from the server; and

sending, using the wireless command interface, the customizable content to the mobile robot.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first communication comprises state information for the mobile robot.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first communication comprises debugging information for the mobile robot.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the second communication comprises sending the second communication to a monitoring service.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the customizable content includes audible content organized into one or more related discrete sounds.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

using the broadband network interface, receiving the customizable content from a content distribution system, wherein the customizable content was selected from a content selection display on a user terminal; and

using the wireless command interface, sending the customizable content to the mobile robot.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the detachable exterior body panel comprises an identification system, and

the theme identification unit is configured to detect the identification system to identify the theme to generate the information corresponding to the theme.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the detachable exterior body panel comprises a printed design visible on the exterior surface of the mobile robot and corresponding to the theme.