Adjustable parameters for autonomous cleaning robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12440080-B2
Application number	US-202318151863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2023
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot includes presenting, on a display of a mobile device, a representation of each of multiple cleaning levels, each cleaning level corresponding to a respective rank overlap parameter for a wet cleaning mission of the autonomous cleaning robot. The method includes receiving, at the mobile device, an input indicative of a selection of one of the cleaning levels; and controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to execute a wet cleaning mission according to the rank overlap parameter corresponding to the selected one of the cleaning levels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot, the method comprising:
presenting, on a display of a mobile device, a representation of each of multiple spray levels;
receiving, at the mobile device, an input indicative of a selection of one of the spray levels; and
controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to execute a wet cleaning mission according to the selected spray level, including controlling a distance traveled by the autonomous cleaning robot between consecutive ejections of fluid from a nozzle of the autonomous cleaning robot according to the selected spray level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to execute the wet cleaning mission according to the selected spray level comprises controlling a volume of fluid ejected by the nozzle of the autonomous cleaning robot according to the selected spray level.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the controlled volume of fluid ejected by the nozzle of the autonomous cleaning robot comprises a volume of fluid ejected per spray event.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the multiple spray levels comprise a first spray level corresponding to a first spray volume in a range from 200 μL to 500 μL and a second spray level corresponding to a second spray volume in a range from 400 μL to 1000 μL.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple spray levels comprise a first spray level corresponding to the autonomous cleaning robot traveling in a range from 300 mm to 1400 mm between the consecutive ejections of fluid and a second spray level corresponding to the autonomous cleaning robot traveling in a range from 1400 mm to 2300 mm between the consecutive ejections of fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the representation of each of the multiple spray levels comprises presenting a graphical representation of each of the multiple spray levels.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the representation of each of the multiple spray levels comprises presenting one or more of (i) a slider bar having multiple positions, each position corresponding to one of the spray levels or (ii) a radio button corresponding to each of the spray levels.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
presenting, in a user interface with the representation of each of the multiple spray levels, a representation of each of multiple cleaning intensities,
wherein the multiple cleaning intensities are selectable independently of the input indicative of the selection of the one of the spray levels.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the multiple cleaning intensities are each associated with a corresponding rank overlap parameter for navigation by the autonomous cleaning robot during the wet cleaning mission.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the representation of each of the multiple spray levels comprises presenting a non-quantitative graphical or textual representation of each of the multiple spray levels.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to execute a spot cleaning mission of an area, comprising:
controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to navigate the area in a first set of ranks according to a first rank orientation;
after controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to navigate the area in the first set of ranks, controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to navigate the area in a second set of ranks according to a second rank orientation different than the first rank orientation; and
after controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to navigate the area in the second set of ranks, controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to navigate a closed-loop perimeter of the area,
wherein navigation of the closed-loop perimeter is distinct from the navigation in the first set of ranks and the second set of ranks.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving, at the mobile device, a second input to initiate the wet cleaning mission; and
controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to execute the wet cleaning mission responsive to receiving the second input.

13. The method of claim 1 , in which controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to perform the wet cleaning mission comprises initiating a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot comprising instructions to execute the wet cleaning mission according to the selected spray level.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising presenting, on the display of the mobile device, a summary of the wet cleaning mission, the summary comprising a representation of an amount of fluid spray consumed during the wet cleaning mission in accordance with the selected spray level.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising presenting, on the display of the mobile device, a summary of the wet cleaning mission, the summary comprising a map of an area cleaned by the autonomous cleaning robot during the wet cleaning mission.

16. A mobile device comprising:
an input device;
a display; and
one or more processors configured to:
present, on the display, a representation of each of multiple spray levels;
receive data representing an input received through the input device, the input being indicative of a selection of one of the spray levels; and
control an autonomous cleaning robot to perform a wet cleaning mission according to the selected spray level, including controlling a distance traveled by the autonomous cleaning robot between consecutive ejections of fluid from a nozzle of the autonomous cleaning robot according to the selected spray level.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein controlling the autonomous cleaning robot to execute the wet cleaning mission according to the selected spray level comprises controlling a volume of fluid ejected by the nozzle of the autonomous cleaning robot according to the selected spray level.

18. The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the controlled volume of fluid ejected by the nozzle of the autonomous cleaning robot comprises a volume of fluid ejected per spray event.

19. The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the multiple spray levels comprise a first spray level corresponding to a first spray volume in a range from 200 μL to 500 μL and a second spray level corresponding to a second spray volume in a range from 400 μL to 1000 μL.

20. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the multiple spray levels comprise a first spray level corresponding to the autonomous cleaning robot traveling in a range from 300 mm to 1400 mm between the consecutive ejections of fluid and a second spray level corresponding to the autonomous cleaning robot traveling in a range from 1400 mm to 2300 mm between the consecutive ejections of fluid.

21. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein presenting the representation of each of the multiple spray levels comprises presenting a graphical representation of each of the multiple spray levels.

22. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein presenting the representation of each of the multiple spray levels comprises presenting one or more of (i) a slider bar having multiple positions, each position corresponding to one of the spray levels or (ii) a radio button corresponding to each of the spray levels.

23. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
present, in a user interface with the representation of each of the multiple spray levels, a representation of each of multiple cleaning intensities,
wherein the multiple cleaning intensities are selectable independently of th

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Lu Ping-Hong
• Williams Marcus
• Goss Adam
• O'Dea Melissa

Classifications

• A47L2201/06

  Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning · CPC title

• A47L11/4088

  Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits · CPC title

• A47L11/408

  Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents · CPC title

• A47L11/4066

  Propulsion of the whole machine · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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