Celestial navigation system for an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529363-B2
Application number	US-201514966621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Jul 7, 2004
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A navigation control system for an autonomous vehicle comprises a transmitter and an autonomous vehicle. The transmitter comprises an emitter for emitting at least one signal, a power source for powering the emitter, a device for capturing wireless energy to charge the power source, and a printed circuit board for converting the captured wireless energy to a form for charging the power source. The autonomous vehicle operates within a working area and comprises a receiver for detecting the at least one signal emitted by the emitter, and a processor for determining a relative location of the autonomous vehicle within the working area based on the signal emitted by the emitter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous robotic cleaning device comprising:
a robot body;
a drive supporting the robot body above a floor surface within a room and configured to maneuver the robot body across the floor surface;
a cleaning apparatus to clean the floor surface;
an upward-angled camera positioned on a top of the robot body and directed at least partially away from a ceiling of the room to capture visible points on wall surfaces within the room; and
a processor configured to
navigate the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the room based on a location of the autonomous robotic cleaning device relative to the points,
create a map of the room using the points while navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the room to perform a cleaning operation, and
transmit data indicating how much of the cleaning operation has been completed, the data comprising data to cause a user display device to display a floor plan of the room indicating portions of the floor surface that the autonomous robotic cleaning device has traversed and portions of the floor surface that the autonomous robotic cleaning device has not traversed.

2. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to capture visible points in a direction of travel of the autonomous robotic cleaning device.

3. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor to detect obstacles within the room, wherein the processor is configured to
indicate, on the map, an entrapment area based on an output from the sensors while navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device during a first cleaning run, and then
control the autonomous robotic cleaning device using the map to avoid the entrapment area during a second cleaning run.

4. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
assign a name to the room and another name to another room based on signals indicative of user registrations of the name and the other name,
determine an order to clean the room and the other room based on signals indicative of a user selection of the name and the other name, and
control the autonomous robotic cleaning device to clean the room and the other room in accordance to the order.

5. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to navigate the autonomous robotic cleaning device to a charging station based on detection of the points.

6. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a cleaning behavior of the autonomous robotic cleaning device in response to a signal indicative of a floor type of the floor surface.

7. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the room is separated from another room by a doorway, the camera is configured to capture visible points corresponding to the doorway, and the processor is configured to
determine that the autonomous robotic cleaning device is at the doorway based on the points corresponding to the doorway, and then
adjust a cleaning behavior of the autonomous robotic cleaning device.

8. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the room is adjoined to another room, the camera is configured to capture points on a wall surface of the room and points on a wall surface of the other room, and the processor is configured to
determine that the autonomous robotic cleaning device is within the room if the camera captures the points in the room, and
determine that the autonomous robotic cleaning device is within the other room if the camera captures the points in the other room.

9. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate a cleaning run at a predefined time in accordance to a user selected schedule.

10. The autonomous robotic cleaning device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the user selected schedule from the user display device.

11. A method for operating an autonomous robotic cleaning device, the method comprising:
capturing visible points on wall surfaces of a room using an upward-angled camera of the autonomous robotic cleaning device, the upward-angled camera of the autonomous robotic cleaning device being angled at least partially away from a ceiling of the room; and
navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device within the room while localizing the autonomous robotic cleaning device with respect to the points and while cleaning a floor surface of the room;
creating a map of the room using the points while navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device about the room; and
transmitting data indicating how much of a cleaning operation has been completed, the data comprising data to cause a user display device to display a floor plan of the room indicating portions of the floor surface that the autonomous robotic cleaning device has traversed and portions of the floor surface that the autonomous robotic cleaning device has not traversed.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein capturing the points on the wall surfaces of the room comprises capturing the points in a direction of travel of the autonomous robotic cleaning device.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
indicating, on the map, an entrapment area based on receiving an output from an obstacle detection sensor while navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device during a first cleaning run, and then
controlling the autonomous robotic cleaning device using the map to avoid the entrapment area during a second cleaning run.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
assigning a name to the room and another name to another room based on signals indicative of user registrations of the names, and
determining an order to clean the room and the other room based on signals indicative of a user selection of the name and the other name, and
controlling the autonomous robotic cleaning device to clean the room and the other room in accordance to the order.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising navigating the autonomous robotic cleaning device to a charging station based on capturing the points.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting a cleaning behavior of the autonomous robotic cleaning device in response to a signal indicative of a floor type of the floor surface.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the room is separated from another room by a doorway, and the method further comprises:
localizing the autonomous robotic cleaning device based on capturing visible points corresponding to a door frame or window using the upward-angled camera; and then
adjusting a cleaning behavior of the autonomous robotic cleaning device.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the room is adjoined to another room, and the method further comprises:
determining that the autonomous robotic cleaning device is within the room upon capturing, using the upward-angled camera, points on a wall surface of the room, and
determining that the autonomous robotic cleaning device is within the other room upon capturing, using the upward-angled camera, points on a wall surface of the other room.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising initiating a cleaning run at a predefined time in accordance to a user selected schedule.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising receiving the user selected schedule from the user display device.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Chiappetta Mark J

Classifications

• 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

• G01C21/206

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G01S5/0284

  Relative positioning · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title