Celestial navigation system for an autonomous vehicle

• US 9,921,586 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Chiappetta, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US15/366,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• 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 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

A navigation control system for an autonomous vehicle comprises a transmitter and an autonomous vehicle. The transmitter comprises an emitter for emitting at least one signal, a power source for powering the emitter, a device for capturing wireless energy to charge the power source, and a printed circuit board for converting the captured wireless energy to a form for charging the power source. The autonomous vehicle operates within a working area and comprises a receiver for detecting the at least one signal emitted by the emitter, and a processor for determining a relative location of the autonomous vehicle within the working area based on the signal emitted by the emitter.

Claims

1. An autonomous robotic cleaning device comprising:

a robot body;

a drive supporting the robot body above a floor surface of a home and configured to maneuver the robot body across the floor surface;

a cleaning apparatus to clean the floor surface;

a processor configured to

wirelessly receive data indicative of a user selection of one or more rooms in the home and a user selection of a schedule to clean the floor surface in the one or more rooms, and

initiate, in accordance to the schedule, one or more cleaning operations, wherein during each of the one or more cleaning operations, the drive maneuvers the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the floor surface in accordance to the user selection of the one or more rooms while the cleaning apparatus cleans the floor surface.

2. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the user selection of the one or more rooms in the home includes a user selection of an order in which to the clean the one or more rooms in the home, and the processor is configured to, during the one or more cleaning operations, navigate the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the one or more rooms in accordance to the user selection of the order.

3. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein:

the user selection of the schedule includes a user-selected frequency in which to clean the floor surface, and

the processor is configured to initiate multiple cleaning operations from the one or more cleaning operations in accordance with the user-selected frequency.

4. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to

assign a unique name to each of the one or more rooms in the home,

wirelessly receive data indicative of a user selection of one of a plurality of unique names, and

control the autonomous robotic cleaning device to clean a room associated with the one of the plurality of unique names.

5. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein:

the user selection of the schedule includes one or more user-selected start times at which to initiate the one or more cleaning operations, and

the processor is configured to initiate the one or cleaning operations in accordance to the one or more user-selected start times.

6. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein:

the user selection of the schedule includes a plurality of start times each associated with a corresponding room of the home, and

the processor is configured to initiate a plurality of cleaning operations in accordance to the plurality of start times.

7. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless antenna to communicate with a remote device, wherein the processor is configured to initiate operations for the wireless antenna to receive the data from the remote device.

8. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 7, wherein the remote device includes a cellular phone.

9. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a signal receiver configured to receive signals emitted through the home, wherein the processor is configured to determine in which of the one or more rooms of the home the autonomous robotic cleaning device is located.

10. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising an upward-angled camera directed at least partially away from a ceiling of the home to capture visible points on wall surfaces within the home,

wherein the processor is configured to navigate the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the home based on a location of the autonomous robotic cleaning device relative to the points.

11. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to

receive data indicative of a user selection of a docking operation, and

initiate the docking operation in which the drive maneuvers the autonomous robotic cleaning device toward a charging station.

12. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to

receive data indicative of a user-selected movement command selected from a forward movement command, a leftward movement command, a rightward movement command, and a backward movement command, and

initiate drive operations to move the autonomous robotic cleaning device in accordance to the user-selected movement command.

13. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, responsive to receiving data indicative of a user-selected command to initiate an area rug cleaning operation, initiate the area rug cleaning operation.

14. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to create a map of the home while navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the home to perform the one or more cleaning operations.

15. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 14, further comprising a sensor to detect obstacles within one of the one or more rooms, wherein the processor is configured to:

indicate, on the map, an entrapment area based on an output from the sensors while navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device during a first cleaning run, and then

control the autonomous robotic cleaning device using the map to avoid the entrapment area during a subsequent cleaning run.

16. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 14, further comprising a dirt sensor to detect dirt on the floor surface, wherein the processor is configured to indicate, on the map, readings from the dirt sensor.

17. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a cleaning behavior of the autonomous robotic cleaning device during the one or more cleaning operations in response to a signal indicative of a floor type of the floor surface.

18. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit data indicating how much of the one or more cleaning operations has been completed, the data comprising data to cause a remote control device to display a floor plan of the room indicating portions of the floor surface that the autonomous robotic cleaning device has traversed and portions of the floor surface that the autonomous robotic cleaning device has not traversed.

19. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a cleaning behavior of the autonomous robotic cleaning device in response to a signal indicative of a floor type of the floor surface.