MODULAR ROBOTIC FLOOR-CLEANING SYSTEM
Some aspects provide a floor cleaning system, including: a robot, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a processor; a plurality of sensors; a vacuum module; a mopping module; a dustbin module for storing debris; a cleaning fluid tank module for storing cleaning fluid; and a rechargeable battery module; and a base station; wherein: the base station is configured to empty debris stored within the dustbin module; the base station is configured to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid; and the robot navigates to the base station when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation and departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold.
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This application is a Continuation of Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/726,471, filed Dec. 24, 2019, which is a Continuation of Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/997,801, filed Jan. 18, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/114,569, filed Feb. 10, 2015, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSUREThe disclosure relates to automated floor-cleaning systems.
BACKGROUNDRobotic appliances have become increasingly popular for cleaning residential homes. Vacuuming and mopping robots are frequently used to clean floors. These devices, however, are not widely used in commercial settings. One reason for this is that robotic appliances often require servicing (emptying of debris, replacement of cleaning liquid) too frequently to be practical for cleaning very large areas. A need exists for a method to allow a mobile robotic cleaning device to operate for longer periods of time and cover larger spaces without requiring frequent maintenance.
SUMMARYSome embodiments include a floor cleaning system, including: a robot, including: a chassis; a drive system including a set of wheels to enable movement of the robot; a control system in communication with the drive system including a processor operable to control the drive system to provide at least one movement pattern; a cleaning assembly; two or more modules comprising at least a rechargeable battery and a dustbin; and a means for navigating; and a base station; wherein the robot navigates to the base station during an operation when a rechargeable battery charge is below a first particular threshold and departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second particular threshold.
Some aspects provide a floor cleaning system, including: a robot, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a processor; a plurality of sensors; a vacuum module; a mopping module; a dustbin module for storing debris; a cleaning fluid tank module for storing cleaning fluid; and a rechargeable battery module; and a base station; wherein: the base station is configured to empty debris stored within the dustbin module; the base station is configured to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid; and the robot navigates to the base station when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation and departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold.
Some aspects include a method for operating a robot and a corresponding base station, including: cleaning, with a vacuum module and mopping module of the robot, an environment; emptying, with the base station, debris stored within a dustbin module of the robot; replenishing, with the base station, a cleaning fluid tank module of the robot with cleaning fluid; and recharging, with the base station, a rechargeable battery module of the robot when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation, wherein: the robot autonomously navigates to the base station to recharge the rechargeable battery module when the rechargeable battery charge is below the first threshold; and the robot departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention.
Generally, the disclosure relates to a modular robotic floor-cleaning system suitable for cleaning large spaces. Some embodiments provide a robotic floor-cleaning system that requires a minimal amount of maintenance. Some embodiments provide a robotic floor-cleaning system that can operate for extended periods of time and cover large amounts of surface area with a minimum of stoppages. Some embodiments provide a robotic floor-cleaning system that can effectively service large scale or commercial locations.
Some embodiments provide a modular robotic floor-cleaning system. In some embodiments, a mobile cleaning robot has modules for each of its functions that collects or uses materials, substances, or resources. For example, a vacuuming module, a mopping module, a polishing module, and rechargeable battery module may be provided. In some embodiments, a separate base station stores new modules, so that when modules are expended, they may be exchanged for new modules. For example, once the vacuuming dustbin module is full, the robot returns to the base station and exchanges the full dustbin module for an empty dustbin module.
In some embodiments, a floor-cleaning robot has modules for each of its functions that collect or consume resources. In some embodiments, the modules may be ejected and replaced as necessary. In some embodiments, a synchronized base station stores new modules and, in some embodiments, may also contain a repository for used modules. In some embodiments, the robot returns to the base station periodically, ejects expended modules, and loads new modules. In some embodiments, exchange of modules may be triggered by sensors that detect when a module has been expended. In some embodiments, exchange of modules may simply occur at predetermined intervals based on the run time of the system. In some embodiments, materials, substances, or resources of modules may be emptied or replenished after a particular amount of operational time or a particular distance travelled. In some embodiments, when the material, substance, or resource of a module must be emptied or replenished the robot may return to the base station or may switch from the functionality corresponding with the module to another functionality corresponding with another module. The system can thus continue working without waiting for human assistance in emptying, cleaning, or refilling modules.
In some embodiments, the base station further comprises a repository for storing ejected/expended modules.
In some embodiments, the floor-cleaning robot carries out operation as normal until it reaches any of a predetermined time limit, a predetermined stopping point, or a sensed state.
In some embodiments, a single base station may serve groups of floor-cleaning robots. In some embodiments, a base station containing modules for all the floor-cleaning robots in a group may be positioned in a central location where all the robots in the group may access it to load new modules as needed.
Claims
1. A floor cleaning system, comprising:
- a robot, comprising: a chassis; a set of wheels; a processor; a plurality of sensors; a vacuum module; a mopping module; a dustbin module for storing debris; a cleaning fluid tank module for storing cleaning fluid; and a rechargeable battery module; and
- a base station;
- wherein: the base station is configured to empty debris stored within the dustbin module; the base station is configured to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid; and the robot navigates to the base station when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation and departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold.
2. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to clean at least a portion of the mopping module.
3. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on a particular interval.
4. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on at least a user instruction.
5. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein:
- a first sensor indicates an amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module; and
- the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on the amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module.
6. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on at least user instruction.
7. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein:
- a second sensor indicates an amount of debris stored within the dustbin module; and
- the robot navigates to the base station to empty the dustbin based on the amount of debris stored within the dustbin module.
8. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein a voltmeter detects the rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module.
9. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein at least odometry information is used in navigating the robot.
10. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein at least one other robot shares the base station with the robot.
11. The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises:
- a first repository for storing one or more used modules; and
- a second repository for storing one or more new modules corresponding to a robot cleaning function, the one or more new modules having never been used previously by the floor cleaning system.
12. The floor cleaning system of claim 11, wherein:
- the robot ejects a used module from a module slot of the robot into the first repository of the base station; and
- the base station loads a new module from the second repository of the base station into the module slot of the robot.
13. A method for operating a robot and a corresponding base station, comprising:
- cleaning, with a vacuum module and mopping module of the robot, an environment;
- emptying, with the base station, debris stored within a dustbin module of the robot;
- replenishing, with the base station, a cleaning fluid tank module of the robot with cleaning fluid; and
- recharging, with the base station, a rechargeable battery module of the robot when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation, wherein: the robot autonomously navigates to the base station to recharge the rechargeable battery module when the rechargeable battery charge is below the first threshold; and the robot departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- cleaning, with the base station, at least a portion of the mopping module.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on a particular interval.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on at least a user instruction.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein:
- a first sensor disposed on the robot indicates an amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module; and
- the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on the amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on at least user instruction.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein:
- a second sensor disposed on the robot indicates an amount of debris stored within the dustbin module; and
- the robot navigates to the base station to empty the dustbin based on the amount of debris stored within the dustbin module.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein:
- the base station comprises: a first repository for storing one or more used modules; a second repository for storing one or more new modules corresponding to a robot cleaning function, the one or more new modules having never been used previously by the floor cleaning system;
- the method further comprises: ejecting, with the robot, a used module from a module slot of the robot into the first repository of the base station; and loading, with the base station, a new module from the second repository of the base station into the module slot of the robot.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 3, 2023
Publication Date: Nov 30, 2023
Applicant: Al Incorporated (Toronto)
Inventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi (Henderson, NV)
Application Number: 18/364,987