Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080276407 | Compact Autonomous Coverage Robot - An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle. | 11-13-2008 |
20090044370 | REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROBOTS - A cleaning robot system includes a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller, and a cleaning assembly including a cleaning assembly housing and a driven cleaning roller. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing and a docking platform configured to support the robot when docked. A mechanical agitator engages the roller of the robot with the robot docked. The agitator includes an agitator comb having multiple teeth configured to remove accumulated debris from the roller as the agitator comb and roller are moved relative to one another. The robot maintenance station includes a collection bin arranged to receive and hold debris removed by the mechanical agitator. | 02-19-2009 |
20100011529 | REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROBOTS - A cleaning robot system includes a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller, and a cleaning assembly including a cleaning assembly housing and a driven cleaning roller. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing and a docking platform configured to support the robot when docked. A mechanical agitator engages the roller of the robot with the robot docked. The agitator includes an agitator comb having multiple teeth configured to remove accumulated debris from the roller as the agitator comb and roller are moved relative to one another. The robot maintenance station includes a collection bin arranged to receive and hold debris removed by the mechanical agitator. | 01-21-2010 |
20100107355 | Removing Debris From Cleaning Robots - A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway. | 05-06-2010 |
20120011668 | COMPACT AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT - An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle. | 01-19-2012 |
20120011669 | COMPACT AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT - An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle. | 01-19-2012 |
20120084937 | Removing Debris From Cleaning Robots - A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway. | 04-12-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140124004 | Autonomous Coverage Robot - A mobile floor cleaning robot includes a robot body supported by a drive system configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface. The robot also includes a cleaning system supported by the robot body, an imaging sensor disposed on the robot body, and a controller in communicates with the drive system and the imaging sensor. The controller receives a sequence of images of the floor surface; each image has an array of pixels. For each image, the controller segments the image into color blobs by color quantizing pixels of the image, determines a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and for each image color, identifies areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color. The controller then tracks a location of the color blobs with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images. | 05-08-2014 |
20140129027 | Simultaneous Localization And Mapping For A Mobile Robot - A method of simultaneous localization and mapping includes initializing a robot pose and a particle model of a particle filter. The particle model includes particles, each having an associated map, robot pose, and weight. The method includes receiving sparse sensor data from a sensor system of the robot, synchronizing the received sensor data with a change in robot pose, accumulating the synchronized sensor data over time, and determining a robot localization quality. When the accumulated sensor data exceeds a threshold accumulation and the robot localization quality is greater than a threshold localization quality, the method includes updating particles with accumulated synchronized sensor data. The method includes determining a weight for each updated particle of the particle model and setting a robot pose belief to the robot pose of the particle having the highest weight when a mean weight of the particles is greater than a threshold particle weight. | 05-08-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120169497 | DEBRIS MONITORING - A debris monitoring system includes a receptacle, a first and a second emitter, and a first receiver. The receptacle defines an opening to receive debris into the receptacle. The first and second emitter are each arranged to emit a signal across at least a portion of the opening. The first receiver is proximate to the first emitter to receive reflections of the signal emitted by the first emitter, and the first receiver is disposed toward the opening to receive an unreflected portion of the signal emitted by the second emitter across at least a portion of the opening. | 07-05-2012 |
20120173070 | COVERAGE ROBOT NAVIGATING - A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot on a floor includes controlling movement of the robot across the floor in a cleaning mode, receiving a sensor signal indicative of an obstacle, rotating the robot away from the sensed obstacle, determining a change in the received sensor signal during at least a portion of the rotation of the robot away from the sensed obstacle, and identifying the sensed obstacle based at least in part on the determined change in the received sensor signal. | 07-05-2012 |
20120199006 | DUST BIN FOR A ROBOTIC VACUUM - A dust bin for a robotic vacuum comprises a dust bin frame having a cavity defined therein to receive debris, a filter frame disposed within the dust bin frame and defining two filter openings at opposite sides thereof, and a central impeller disposed adjacent to or under the filter frame to draw air from outside of the dust bin into the dust bin. The dust bin also comprises two air filters, one air filter being located on each side of the central impeller, each air filter being inserted into one of the filter openings, each filter having an overhang around a perimeter thereof that includes a sealing face to form a vacuum-assisted seal with the filter frame when air is drawn into the dust bin. | 08-09-2012 |
20130117952 | COMPACT AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT - An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle. | 05-16-2013 |
20130298350 | COVERAGE ROBOTS AND ASSOCIATED CLEANING BINS - An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning assembly housing and at least one driven sweeper brush. The robot includes a controller and a removable sweeper bin configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper brush. The sweeper bin includes an emitter disposed on an interior surface of the bin and a receiver disposed remotely from the emitter on the interior surface of the bin and configured to receive an emitter signal. The emitter and the receiver are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the sweeper bin blocks the receiver from receiving emitter emissions. The robot includes a bin controller disposed in the sweeper bin and monitoring a detector signal and initiating a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service. | 11-14-2013 |
20140109339 | REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROBOTS - A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway. | 04-24-2014 |
20140130272 | REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROBOTS - A cleaning robot system includes a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller, and a cleaning assembly including a cleaning assembly housing and a driven cleaning roller. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing and a docking platform configured to support the robot when docked. A mechanical agitator engages the roller of the robot with the robot docked. The agitator includes an agitator comb having multiple teeth configured to remove accumulated debris from the roller as the agitator comb and roller are moved relative to one another. The robot maintenance station includes a collection bin arranged to receive and hold debris removed by the mechanical agitator. | 05-15-2014 |
20150020326 | COMPACT AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT - An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle. | 01-22-2015 |