Control of autonomous mobile robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12458191-B2
Application number	US-202016895848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2020
Priority date	Mar 12, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A method includes receiving mapping data collected by an autonomous cleaning robot as the autonomous cleaning robot moves about an environment. A portion of the mapping data is indicative of a location of an object in the environment. The method includes defining a clean zone at the location of the object such that the autonomous cleaning robot initiates a clean behavior constrained to the clean zone in response to encountering the clean zone in the environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a computing system, sensor data collected by an autonomous cleaning robot as the autonomous cleaning robot moves about an environment, the sensor data comprising mapping data indicative of a location of an object in the environment; based on the sensor data, determining, by the computing system, a type of the object, wherein the type of the object is associated with a debris level; and based on the type of the object being associated with the debris level, defining, by the computing system, a clean zone at the location of the object such that the autonomous cleaning robot initiates a clean behavior constrained to the clean zone in response to encountering the clean zone in the environment.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the type of the object is based on one or more contextual features in the environment proximate to the object and distinct from the object.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more contextual features indicate a type of a room in which the object is located.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, after performing the clean behavior within the clean zone, the autonomous cleaning robot
initiates movement to a second clean zone associated with another object in the environment, and then initiates a clean behavior in response to encountering the second clean zone.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating a priority with the clean zone such that the autonomous cleaning robot, based on the priority associated with the clean zone, initiates movement to the clean zone.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, based on the priority, the autonomous cleaning robot initiates the movement to the clean zone in response to a mission with an expected duration less than a threshold duration.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, based on the priority, the autonomous cleaning robot initiates the movement to the clean zone in response to a low battery status of the autonomous cleaning robot.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising causing the autonomous cleaning robot, in response to an initiation of a mission in the environment, to initiate the movement to the clean zone from a docking station based on the priority.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the clean behavior corresponds to a focused clean behavior.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the focused clean behavior causes the autonomous cleaning robot to cover the clean zone two or more times, to increase a vacuum power of the autonomous cleaning robot, or to decrease a movement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of the object comprises a sink, a stove, a kitchen counter, a dining room table, a doormat, a door, a kitchen island, a trash can, a window, a pet home, or a cabinet.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of the object is associated with increased debris.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the type of the object is associated with increased debris on the object or in a vicinity of the object.

14 . A method comprising:
receiving mapping data collected by an autonomous cleaning robot as the autonomous cleaning robot moves about an environment; defining a behavior control zone corresponding to a portion of the mapping data such that an autonomous cleaning robot initiates a behavior in response to encountering the behavior control zone in the environment; and associating a priority with the behavior control zone such that the autonomous cleaning robot, based on the priority associated with the behavior control zone, initiates movement to the behavior control zone, wherein the priority is associated with a temporal condition based on which the autonomous cleaning robot initiates movement to the behavior control zone.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the temporal condition comprises that, based on the priority, the autonomous cleaning robot
initiates the movement to the behavior control zone at a start of a mission, and then initiates the behavior in response to encountering the behavior control zone, the behavior corresponding to a focused clean behavior performed within the behavior control zone.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein, after performing the focused clean behavior within the behavior control zone, the autonomous cleaning robot
initiates movement to a second behavior control zone associated with another priority lower than the priority associated with the behavior control zone, and then initiates a focused clean behavior in response to encountering the second behavior control zone.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein associating the priority with the behavior control zone comprises associating the priority with the behavior control zone based on a user selection of an environmental feature to associate with the behavior control zone.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
defining a plurality of behavior control zones, wherein defining the plurality of behavior control zones comprises defining the behavior control zone; and associating a plurality of priorities with the plurality of behavior control zones, respectively, wherein associating the plurality of priorities with the plurality of behavior control zones comprises associating the priority with the behavior control zone.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising providing, to the autonomous cleaning robot, a schedule to cause the autonomous cleaning robot to prioritize cleaning a first subset of the plurality of behavior control zones during a first time, and to prioritize cleaning a second subset of the plurality of behavior control zones during a second time.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first time is during a first cleaning mission, and the second time is during a second cleaning mission.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first time and the second time are during a cleaning mission.

22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the temporal condition comprises that the autonomous cleaning robot initiates the movement to the behavior control zone in response to a mission with an expected duration less than a threshold duration.

23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the priority associated with the behavior control zone varies based on an event.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the event comprises a time of day, a time of year, or a weather event.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Fong Philip
• Schneider Ryan

Classifications

• G05D1/6484

  by taking into account parameters or characteristics of the working area or space, e.g. size or shape · CPC title

• A47L2201/06

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

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L2201/022

  Recharging of batteries · CPC title

• A47L9/0477

  Rolls · CPC title