Pool cleaner with optical out-of-water and debris detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107000-B2
Application number	US-201615049888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a robotic pool cleaner and a control system of a robotic pool cleaner having an optical sensor positioned relative to an intake pathway of the robotic cleaner to monitor a flow of material through the intake pathway. An output of an optical sensor of the robotic pool cleaner can be monitored by the control system of the robotic pool cleaner to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway. The robotic pool cleaner can perform one or more operations in response to a determination that a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway based on the output of the optical sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic pool cleaner configured to be submerged in water and to clean an immersed surface of a pool, the robotic pool cleaner comprising:
an intake pathway, the intake pathway of the robotic pool cleaner being configured to receive water and debris as the robotic pool cleaner traverses the immersed surface of the pool;
a processing device;
an optical sensor operatively coupled to the processing device and positioned relative to the intake pathway, wherein the optical sensor comprises (a) a light emitter operable to output light into the intake pathway, and (b) a light detector operable to detect the light output by the light emitter subsequent to the light entering the intake pathway;
wherein the processing device is programmed to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway of the robotic pool cleaner based on an output of the optical sensor; and
wherein the processing device is programmed to de-energize the light emitter to measure a contribution of ambient light in the output of the optical sensor during an ambient measurement cycle, and to energize the light emitter to measure a contribution of the light output by the light emitter and the ambient light in the output of the optical sensor during a debris measurement cycle.

2. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a light emitter driver that energizes and de-energizes the light emitter in response to a light emitter sequence output by the processing device.

3. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising an amplifier configured to receive an electrical current corresponding to an intensity of light that is incident upon the light detector and to output an amplified electrical current.

4. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 3 , further comprising an integrator configured to receive an amplified electrical current from the amplifier and to integrate the electrical current until the integrator receives a discharge signal from the processing device and to output an integrated electrical current.

5. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 4 , further comprising an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the integrated electrical current and to sample the integrated electric current in response to a synchronization signal received by the analog-to-digital converter from the processing device,
wherein the analog-to-digital converter outputs a quantified value corresponding the light incident upon the light detector to the processing device, and the processing device is programmed to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway based on the quantified value.

6. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is programmed to subtract the output of the ambient measurement cycle from the output of the debris measurement cycle to generate a differential mode output that substantially reduces an effect of the ambient light on a determination of whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway.

7. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein upon a determination that a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is programmed to determine a type of the debris that is flowing through the intake pathway.

8. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is programmed to determine whether air is flowing through the intake pathway based on the output of the optical sensor.

9. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is programmed to determine a type of debris that is flowing through the intake pathway based on one or more signatures of the output of the optical sensor.

10. The robotic cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the one or more signatures are based on at least one of an amplitude of the output, a variability of the output, a time varying characteristic of the output.

11. The robotic cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the type of debris includes at least one of leaves or sand.

12. The robotic cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is programmed to determine the type of debris based on the signature by comparing the output of the optical sensor to one or more signatures corresponding to different types of debris and identifying the type of debris based on the comparing.

13. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is programmed to implement a machine learning algorithm to classify the output of the optical sensor as a type of debris flowing through the intake pathway.

14. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is programmed to determine an out-of-water condition based on a comparison of the output of the optical sensor to one or more signatures.

15. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to alter a movement of one or more wheels of the robotic pool cleaner.

16. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to cause the pool cleaner to circle about a location of the pool associated with the detectable level of debris.

17. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to increase a flow through the intake pathway.

18. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to at least one of extend a cleaning time of a cleaning cycle, extend a cleaning time of future cleaning cycles, or increase a frequency with which the pool cleaner operates to clean the pool.

19. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to learn locations at which debris is detected.

20. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more image capturing devices operatively coupled to the processing device to capture images of surroundings of the pool cleaner as the pool cleaner traverses the immersed surface of the pool.

21. The robotic cleaner of claim 20 , wherein the pool cleaner maps the pool based on the images captured by the one or more image capturing devices.

22. The robotic cleaner of claim 21 , wherein the processing device associates locations at which debris accumulates with the map.

23. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that undetectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to at least one of increase a drive speed or torque of one or more wheels of the robotic pool cleaner or change a direction of travel of the robotic pool cleaner.

24. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
an amplifier operatively coupled to the optical sensor, the amplifier being configured to receive an electrical current output from the optical sensor and to output an amplified electrical current;
an integrator operatively coupled to the amplifier, the amplifier being configured to receive the amplified electrical current from the amplifier and to integrate

Assignees

• Hayward Ind Inc

Inventors

• Barcelos Nathaniel
• Teuscher Scott

Classifications

• G05D2201/0203

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01V8/12

  using one transmitter and one receiver · CPC title

• G05D1/0242

  using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals · CPC title

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title