Systems and methods for configurable operation of a robot based on area classification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10310507-B2
Application number	US-201815943083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A method of operating a mobile robot includes generating a segmentation map defining respective regions of a surface based on occupancy data that is collected by a mobile robot responsive to navigation of the surface, identifying sub-regions of at least one of the respective regions as non-clutter and clutter areas, and computing a coverage pattern based on identification of the sub-regions. The coverage pattern indicates a sequence for navigation of the non-clutter and clutter areas, and is provided to the mobile robot. Responsive to the coverage pattern, the mobile robot sequentially navigates the non-clutter and clutter areas of the at least one of the respective regions of the surface in the sequence indicated by the coverage pattern. Related methods, computing devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method of operating a mobile robot, comprising:
executing, by at least one processor, computer readable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at the mobile robot from a remote device, cleaning mission information, the cleaning mission information comprising an order of cleaning respective demarcated regions of a segmentation map, the segmentation map comprising a representation of a surface segmented to define the respective demarcated regions; and
performing a cleaning operation based on the cleaning mission information, wherein performing the cleaning operation comprises operating a drive of the mobile robot to sequentially navigate areas of the surface represented by the respective demarcated regions of the segmentation map in the order indicated by the cleaning mission information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the cleaning operation further comprises operating the drive of the mobile robot to traverse an area of the surface represented by one of the respective demarcated regions in a direction of travel indicated by a rank direction included in the cleaning mission information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rank direction is along a first dimension of the one of the respective demarcated regions that is longer than a second dimension thereof, and wherein operating the drive of the mobile robot to traverse the area of the surface represented by the one of the respective demarcated regions in the direction of travel indicated by the rank direction comprises fewer turns than in a direction of travel along the second dimension.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning mission information comprises:
a first cleaning mission instruction that identifies a first selection of the respective demarcated regions to be cleaned and the order of cleaning therefor, wherein the order of cleaning is indicated by numerical values; and
a second cleaning mission instruction that identifies a second selection of the respective demarcated regions to be cleaned, wherein the second selection is different from the first selection.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the cleaning operation comprises:
operating the drive of the mobile robot to navigate areas of the surface represented by the first and second selections of the respective demarcated regions of the segmentation map based on a first scheduled time associated with the first cleaning mission instruction and a second scheduled time associated with the second cleaning mission instruction, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning mission information further indicates at least one of the respective demarcated regions that is not to be cleaned, and wherein performing the cleaning operation further comprises operating the drive of the mobile robot to avoid navigation of an area of the surface represented by the at least one of the respective demarcated regions as indicated by the cleaning mission information.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the segmentation map based on occupancy data that is collected responsive to navigation of the surface; and
transmitting the segmentation map to a mobile terminal for display thereon.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the segmentation map is based on first occupancy data that is collected responsive to a previous navigation of the surface by at least one mobile robot during a first cleaning mission executed before the cleaning operation, and wherein the updating is based on second occupancy data that is collected responsive to the navigation of the surface by the at least one mobile robot.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective demarcated regions of the segmentation map correspond to respective rooms, and wherein performing the cleaning operation comprises operating the drive of the mobile robot to complete navigation in an area of the surface corresponding to one of the respective rooms before traversing an area of the surface corresponding to a next one of the respective rooms based on the order indicated by the cleaning mission information.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting room-based statistical information for one or more respective rooms to a mobile terminal for display thereon, wherein the one or more respective rooms correspond to the respective demarcated regions of the segmentation map.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning mission information comprises:
a first cleaning mission instruction that indicates the order of cleaning the respective demarcated regions; and
a second cleaning mission instruction that indicates a date or time for cleaning the respective demarcated regions,
wherein performing the cleaning operation comprises operating the drive of the mobile robot to sequentially navigate the areas of the surface represented by the respective demarcated regions of the segmentation map at the date or time indicated by the second cleaning mission instruction and in the order indicated by the first cleaning mission instruction.

12. A method of operating a mobile terminal, comprising:
executing, by at least one processor, computer readable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform operations comprising:
displaying, via a user interface of the mobile terminal, an image of a segmentation map including respective demarcated regions, the segmentation map comprising a representation of a surface segmented to define the respective demarcated regions, and the segmentation map being based on occupancy data that is collected responsive to navigation of the surface by at least one mobile robot;
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a cleaning operation that indicates an order of cleaning for one or more of the respective demarcated regions; and
transmitting cleaning mission information comprising the selection, wherein the cleaning mission information instructs the at least one mobile robot to sequentially navigate one or more areas of the surface represented by the one or more of the respective demarcated regions in the order.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one of the respective demarcated regions of the segmentation map, wherein the respective demarcated regions correspond to respective rooms,
wherein displaying the image of the segmentation map comprises displaying room-based statistical information for the one of the respective demarcated regions responsive to the selection thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection indicates a cleaning pattern including one or more directions of travel in the one or more of the respective demarcated regions, and wherein the cleaning mission information instructs the at least one mobile robot to traverse one or more areas of the surface represented by the one or more of the respective demarcated regions based on the cleaning pattern.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection indicates a cleaning level including a number of passes in the one or more of the respective demarcated regions, and wherein the cleaning mission information instructs the at least one mobile robot to repeatedly traverse one or more areas of the surface represented by the one or more of the respective demarcated regions based on the number of passes.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection image of the segmentation map displayed via the user interface numerically indicates the order of cleaning the one or more

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Kleiner Alexander D
• Munich Mario E

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• A47L9/2894

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• A47L9/2852

  Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title