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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019212730-A1
Application number	US-201816236844-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2018
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Jul 11, 2019
Grant date	—

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 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 to detect a plurality of connected devices located in the environment; and a controller to determine, using data from the ranging device, locations of the plurality of connected devices, 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.

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 localize the individual connected device based on the detected changes to the environment.

4 . The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 3 , wherein the ranging device is configured to visually detect 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 cleaning robot of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of missions performed by the cleaning robot comprises at least one cleaning mission.

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

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

10 . The 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 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 cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine distances between pairs of individual connected devices in the environment.

13 . A robot comprising:
a drive system to maneuver the robot about an environment; a ranging device to detect a plurality of connected devices located in the environment; and a controller to determine, using data from the ranging device, locations of the plurality of connected devices, 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 localize the individual connected device based on the detected changes to the environment.

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 identify the individual device as a dynamic node.

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 identify the individual device as a static node.

22 . The robot of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine distances between pairs of individual connected devices in the environment.

23 . A user terminal comprising:
a display; a user input device; a wireless communication device; and a controller in communication with the display, the wireless communication device, and the user input device, the controller being configured to receive, using the wireless communication device, data indicative of locations of a plurality of connected devices detected by a mobile cleaning robot in an environment, present, using the display, a visual representation of the environment and visual indications indicative of the locations of the plurality of connected devices relative to the environment, receive, from the user input device, a command to control an operating state of a connected device of the plurality of connected devices, and transmit, using the wireless communication device, data indicative of the command to control the operating state of the connected device of the plurality of connected devices.

24 . The user terminal of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of connected devices comprises at least one light, light bulb, door sensor, window sensor, door lock, speaker, thermostat, environmental sensor, window blind, voice interface device, or monitoring camera.

25 . The user terminal of claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the data as the mobile cleaning robot maneuvers through the environment and detects the locations of the plurality of connected devices.

26 . The user terminal of claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to receive data indicative of a location of another connected device distinct from the plurality of connected devices and data indicative of an uncertainty of the location of the other connected device, and present the visual indications of the plurality of connected devices without presenting a visual indication of the location of the other connected device in response to the uncertainty.

27 . The user terminal of claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to update a visual indication of the visual indications indicative of the locations of the plurality of connected devices in response the mobile robot detecting an additional connected device distinct from the plurality of connected devices.

28 . The user terminal of claim 23 , whe

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A47L9/2826

  the condition of the floor · CPC title

• A47L9/2894

  Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners · CPC title

• G05B2219/45098

  Vacuum cleaning robot · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• G05B19/4155

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