Master and slave pool cleaning robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018071908-A1
Application number	US-201715702774-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A set of pool cleaning robots for cleaning a pool, wherein the set includes a master pool cleaning robot and a slave pool cleaning robot.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A set of pool cleaning robots for cleaning a pool, wherein the set comprises a master pool cleaning robot and a slave pool cleaning robot.

2 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot are configured to clean different regions of the pool.

3 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot are configured to a clean same region of the pool.

4 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the slave pool cleaning robot and the master pool cleaning robot are configured to apply collision avoidance maneuvers to prevent collisions between the slave and master pool cleaning robots.

5 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to control at least one cleaning related operation of the slave pool cleaning robot.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to apply collision avoidance maneuvers to prevent collisions between the master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot.

8 . (canceled)

9 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot has cleaning elements that equal to cleaning elements of the slave pool cleaning robot.

10 . (canceled)

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . The set according to claim 1 wherein only one of the master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot is configured to climb on a sidewall of the pool and clean the sidewall of the pool.

14 . The set according to claim 1 wherein only one of the master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot is configured to travel slippery surfaces of a pool.

15 . The set according to claim 1 wherein both master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot is configured to travel slippery surfaces of a pool.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The set according to claim 1 wherein both the master pool cleaning robot and the slave pool cleaning robot comprise a jet propulsion unit.

18 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot comprises a jet propulsion unit that differs from a jet propulsion unit of the slave pool cleaning robot.

19 . The set according to claim 1 wherein at least one pool cleaning robot of the set is configured to generate information about a status of a pool, and wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to allocate a cleaning task to the slave pool cleaning robot based on the information about the status of the pool.

20 . (canceled)

21 . (canceled)

22 . (canceled)

23 . (canceled)

24 . (canceled)

25 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to allocate a cleaning task to the slave pool cleaning robot based a status of the slave pool cleaning robot and a status of the master pool cleaning robot.

26 . (canceled)

27 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to receive a definition of the different regions of the pool and to define overlap areas of the pool that are cleaned, at different points in time, by more than a single pool cleaning robot.

28 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to communicate information about the overlap areas to the slave pool cleaning robot.

29 . (canceled)

30 . The set according to claim 1 wherein each pool cleaning robot of the set is configured to track a position of at least one other pool cleaning robot of the set.

31 . (canceled)

32 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot is configured to receive information about a location of a cord that is connected to the slave pool cleaning robot and to allocate a region to be cleaned by the slave pool cleaning robot based on the information about the location of the cord that is connected to the slave pool cleaning robot and based on estimated or actual location of another cord that is connected to the master pool cleaning robot.

33 . (canceled)

34 . (canceled)

35 . The set according to claim 1 wherein the master pool cleaning robot comprises an image sensor that is not included in the slave pool cleaning robot.

36 . The set according to claim 35 wherein the master pool cleaning robot comprises an image sensor that is a detachable modular sensor to be reattached to a slave pool cleaning robot.

37 . The set according to claim 1 wherein slave pool cleaning robot and the master pool cleaning robot are configured to perform cable entanglement avoidance steps for preventing an entanglement of a cable connected to the slave pool cleaning robot with a cable connected to the master pool cleaning robot.

38 . A method for cleaning a pool, the method comprises cleaning a pool by a set of pool cleaning robots that comprises a master pool cleaning robot and a slave pool cleaning robot, wherein cleaning comprises controlling a cleaning operation of the slave pool cleaning robot by the master pool cleaning robot; wherein each one of the first pool cleaning robot and the second pool cleaning robot comprises a filtering unit, a housing, and a controller.

39 - 74 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Maytronics Ltd

Inventors

• Goldenberg Sharon
• Hadari Yair
• Regev Ofer
• Witelson Shay

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title

• B25J3/00 Primary

  Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements · CPC title

• B25J11/0085

  Cleaning · CPC title

• G05D1/0295

  by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet · CPC title