Mapping, controlling, and displaying networked devices with a mobile cleaning robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11556125-B2
Application number	US-201816236844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2018
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

A mobile cleaning robot that includes a drive system configured to navigate around an operational environment, a ranging device configured to communicate with other ranging devices of respective electronic devices that are in the operational environment, and processors in communication with the ranging device that are configured to receive a distance measurement from the respective electronic devices present in the operational environment, each distance measurement representing a distance between the mobile cleaning robot and a respective electronic device, tag each of the distance measurements with location data indicative of a spatial location of the mobile cleaning robot in the operational environment, determine spatial locations of each of the electronic devices in the operational environment, and populate a visual representation of the operating environment with visual indications of the electronic devices in the operating environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:
a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about an environment during a cleaning mission;
a cleaning head configured to remove debris from a floor surface;
a ranging device configured to communicate with a corresponding ranging device of each of a plurality of connected devices located in the environment, the ranging device configured to receive, at two or more different locations in the environment, from the corresponding ranging devices, respective two or more items of data indicative of an identity and a respective distance associated with each of the plurality of connected devices; and
a controller configured to
determine, using the two or more items of data received by the ranging device, locations of the plurality of connected devices, wherein a location of a first connected device of the plurality of connected devices is determined based on at least two of the two or more items of data, and
transmit data to cause a remote user device to present a visual representation of the environment and visual indications indicative of the identities and locations of the plurality of connected devices in the environment.

2. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to initiate a toggling operation of an individual connected device and detect corresponding changes to the environment.

3. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 2 , wherein the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to:
determine a location of the individual connected device based on the detected changes to the environment; and
transmit data to cause the remote user device to present a visual indication indicative of the location of the individual connected device.

4. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the ranging device is configured to visually detect at least some of the plurality of connected devices.

5. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate transmission, to the remote user device, of data indicative of an operating state of a connected device of the plurality of connected devices to cause the remote user device to present a visual indication indicative of the operating state of the connected device.

6. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the locations of the plurality of connected devices over a plurality of missions performed by the autonomous cleaning robot.

7. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of missions performed by the cleaning robot comprises at least one cleaning mission.

8. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of missions performed by the cleaning robot comprises at least one patrolling mission.

9. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of connected devices are distributed among multiple zones of the environment.

10. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that an individual connected device has moved in the environment with respect to another connected device and identify the individual device as a dynamic node.

11. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that an individual connected device is static in the environment with respect to another connected device and identify the individual device as a static node.

12. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the ranging device is configured to receive data indicative of distances between pairs of individual connected devices in the environment, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine locations of the individual connected devices based on the distances between pairs of the individual connected devices.

13. A robot comprising:
a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about an environment;
a ranging device configured to communicate with a corresponding ranging device of each of a plurality of connected devices located in the environment, the ranging device configured to receive, at two or more different locations in the environment, from the corresponding ranging devices, two or more items of data indicative of an identity and a respective distance associated with each of the plurality of connected devices; and
a controller configured to
determine, using the two or more items of data received by the ranging device, locations of the plurality of connected devices, wherein a location of a first connected device of the plurality of connected devices is determined based on at least two of the two or more items of data, and
transmit data to cause a remote user device to present a visual representation of the environment and visual indications indicative of the locations of the plurality of connected devices in the environment.

14. The robot of claim 13 , wherein the robot is configured to initiate a toggling operation of an individual connected device and detect corresponding changes to the environment.

15. The robot of claim 14 , wherein the robot is configured to determine a location of the individual connected device based on the detected changes to the environment; and
transmit data to cause the remote user device to present a visual indication indicative of the location of the individual connected device.

16. The robot of claim 15 , wherein the ranging device is configured to visually detect the plurality of connected devices.

17. The robot of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate transmission, to the remote user device, of data indicative of an operating state of a connected device of the plurality of connected devices to cause the remote user device to present a visual indication indicative of the operating state of the connected device.

18. The robot of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the location of the plurality of connected devices over a plurality of missions performed by the robot.

19. The robot of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of connected devices are distributed among multiple zones of the environment.

20. The robot of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that an individual connected device has moved in the environment with respect to another connected device and tag the individual device, between at least two types of devices, as a dynamic node type of the at least two types.

21. The robot of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that an individual connected device is static in the environment with respect to another connected device and tag the individual device, between at least two types of devices, as a static node type of the at least two types.

22. The robot of claim 13 , ranging device is configured to receive data indicative of distances between pairs of individual connected devices in the environment, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine locations of the individual connected devices based on the distances between pairs of the individual connected devices.

23. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a map of the environment using the two or more items of data received by the ranging device.

24. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to localize the autonomous cleaning robot on the map of the environment.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Jones Christopher V
• O'Dea Stephen Ernest
• Wasserman Philip

Classifications

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L9/2894

  Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L9/2826

  the condition of the floor · CPC title

• G05B2219/45098

  Vacuum cleaning robot · CPC title

• G05B19/4155

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title