Patents Assigned to IRobot Corporation
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Patent number: 11860638Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot can include a robot body, a bumper, and a bumper impact system. The bumper can be connected to and supported by the robot body. The bumper impact system can include a first sensor connected to the body in a first orientation with respect to the body and the bumper. The bumper impact system can include a second sensor connected to the body in a second orientation with respect to the body and the bumper different from the first orientation. The first sensor and the second sensor can together be configured to sense an impact region of the bumper based on a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper relative to the robot body.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2020Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Dexter Bautista, Isaac Fowler, Andrew Graziani, Marcus R. Williams, Ping-Hong Lu, Erik Schembor
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Patent number: 11857139Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot can include a body, a drive wheel, and a wheel stop. The drive wheel can be connected to the body and can be operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment. The wheel stop can be movable with respect to the body and the drive wheel between a stop position and a release position. The wheel stop can be engageable with the drive wheel in the stop position to limit vertical travel of the drive wheel with respect to the body.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Edward Steltz, Russell Walter Morin, Fangzheng Guo
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Patent number: 11845187Abstract: An integrated intelligent system includes a first intelligent electronic device, a second intelligent electronic device, a transferable intelligent control device (TICD) and a cross product bus. The first intelligent electronic device performs a first function and the second intelligent electronic device performs a second function. The cross product bus couples the first intelligent electronic device to the transferable intelligent control device. The TICD partially controls behaviors of the intelligent electronic device by sending commands over the cross product bus to the first intelligent electronic device and the TICD partially controls behaviors of the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function. The TICD is first attached to the first intelligent electronic device to partially control the behaviors of the first electronic device, then detached from the first electronic device, and then attached to the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Michael Dooley, Nikolai Romanov, Paolo Pirjanian
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Patent number: 11832780Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot can include a body and a cleaning assembly. The body can include a suction duct. The cleaning assembly can be operable to ingest debris from a surface of an environment. The cleaning assembly can include a dustpan engageable with the surface to direct debris toward the suction duct. The dust pan can be movable with respect to the body.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
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Patent number: 11830618Abstract: A telepresence robot may include a drive system, a control system, an imaging system, and a mapping module. The mapping module may access a plan view map of an area and tags associated with the area. In various embodiments, each tag may include tag coordinates and tag information, which may include a tag annotation. A tag identification system may identify tags within a predetermined range of the current position and the control system may execute an action based on an identified tag whose tag information comprises a telepresence robot action modifier. The telepresence robot may rotate an upper portion independent from a lower portion. A remote terminal may allow an operator to control the telepresence robot using any combination of control methods, including by selecting a destination in a live video feed, by selecting a destination on a plan view map, or by using a joystick or other peripheral device.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2022Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignees: Teladoc Health, Inc., iRobot CorporationInventors: Yulun Wang, Charles S. Jordan, Tim Wright, Michael Chan, Marco Pinter, Kevin Hanrahan, Daniel Sanchez, James Ballantyne, Cody Herzog, Blair Whitney, Fuji Lai, Kelton Temby, Eben Christopher Rauhut, Justin H. Kearns, Cheuk Wah Wong, Timothy Sturtevant Farlow
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Patent number: 11820008Abstract: A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot includes receiving a privacy mode setting from a user interface, where the privacy mode setting is based on a user selection between at least two different privacy mode settings for determining whether to operate the mobile cleaning robot in an image-capture-restricted mode. An image stream of an image capture device of the mobile cleaning robot is permitted in an absence of a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings. At least a portion of the image stream is restricted or disabled based at least in part on a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2023Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Gregg Duthaler, Vincent Edward Colella
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Patent number: 11812916Abstract: A rotating cleaning element configured to be inserted in a cleaning head compartment of a robotic vacuum, the rotating cleaning element including: a drive end including a drive protrusion configured to engage a drive mechanism of the cleaning head compartment; a bearing end and a shroud configured to surround at least a portion of the bearing end to lessen an amount of hair and similar matter that reaches the bearing; and a central member extending between the bearing end and the drive end.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2021Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventor: Matthew Blouin
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Patent number: 11812918Abstract: A bag-based filtering device for collecting debris from a cleaning robot via a debris evacuation station includes a filter bag configured to separate at least the portion of the evacuated debris from a flow of air generated by the evacuation station. The filtering device includes a conduit extending inward from an opening of the filter bag into the receptacle. The conduit is configured to pneumatically connect a receptacle of the filtering device with an inlet of the filtering device to direct the flow of air generated by the evacuation station through the filter bag to separate at least the portion of the evacuated debris from the flow of air.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2020Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Andrew Vincent Wolff, Ellen B. Cargill, Douglas Dell'Accio, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Flavia Pastore
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Patent number: 11800961Abstract: A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot includes receiving, at a handheld computing device, a first input representing a first set of cleaning schedule parameters for a first cleaning schedule for the autonomous cleaning robot, the first cleaning schedule corresponding to a first area. The method includes presenting, on a display of the handheld computing device, the first cleaning schedule. The method includes receiving, at the handheld computing device, a second input representing a second set of cleaning schedule parameters for a second cleaning schedule for the autonomous cleaning robot, the second cleaning schedule corresponding to a second area different from the first area. The method includes presenting, on the display, the first and second cleaning schedules, and initiating a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot, based on the first or second cleaning schedules, the transmission including data for causing the robot to initiate a cleaning mission.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Qunxi Huang, Chris Lee, Domingos Neves, Ryan Lesko, Manuel Medina
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Patent number: 11793384Abstract: Some autonomous cleaning robots include a drive configured to maneuver the autonomous cleaning robot about a floor surface. The robots include a cleaning system to clean the floor surface as the autonomous cleaning robot is maneuvered about the floor surface. The robots include a robot button positioned on the autonomous cleaning robot. The robots include a controller in electrical communication with the drive and the robot button. The controller is configured to perform operations including selecting a behavior of the autonomous cleaning robot from a plurality of behaviors of the autonomous cleaning robot responsive to a duration of actuation of the robot button and causing the autonomous mobile robot to initiate the behavior.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Shipra Arora, Lauren D. Stern, Benjamin H. Schriesheim, Cory White
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Patent number: 11793385Abstract: An autonomous mobile cleaning robot can include an outer shell and a bumper. The outer shell can include a rim extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the outer shell and can include a first feature connected to the rim. The bumper can be connected to the outer shell and can movable with respect to the outer shell when the bumper is connected to the outer shell. The bumper can include a second feature connected to the inner surface.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Andrew J. Pastore, Pu Zhou, Eric Burbank
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Patent number: 11793379Abstract: An autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive system to move the autonomous cleaning robot about a floor surface in a space, a cleaning system to clean a floor surface in the space as the drive system moves the autonomous cleaning robot about the floor surface, and a controller configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Christopher V. Jones, Markku Suomi
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Patent number: 11771288Abstract: An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot includes a controller configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations includes initiating an evacuation operation such that an air mover draws air containing debris from the cleaning robot, through an intake of the evacuation station, and through a canister of the evacuation station and such that a receptacle received by the evacuation station receives at least a portion of the debris drawn from the cleaning robot. The one or more operations includes ceasing the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value being within a range. The pressure value is determined based at least in part on data indicative of an air pressure, and the range is set based at least in part on a number of evacuation operations initiated before the evacuation operation.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2022Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Ellen B. Cargill, Douglas Dell'Accio, Benjamin Pheil, Flavia Pastore, Paul Schmitt, John P. O'Brien
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Patent number: 11771290Abstract: An autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive system to maneuver the autonomous cleaning robot across a floor surface; a cleaning assembly for cleaning the floor surface; and a sensor system disposed at a forward portion of the autonomous cleaning robot. The sensor system includes a movable element having (i) a first configuration in which the movable element extends beyond a bottom surface of the autonomous cleaning robot by a first amount, and (ii) a second configuration in which the movable element extends beyond the bottom surface of the autonomous cleaning robot by a second amount less than the first amount; a spring mechanically coupled to the movable element, the spring being biased to hold the movable element in the first configuration; and a sensor assembly configured to generate a signal based on the configuration of the movable element.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Brian W. Doughty, Isaac Fowler, Timothy James Haughton, Levi Fox
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Patent number: 11737632Abstract: A coverage robot including a chassis, multiple drive wheel assemblies disposed on the chassis, and a cleaning assembly carried by the chassis. Each drive wheel assembly including a drive wheel assembly housing, a wheel rotatably coupled to the housing, and a wheel drive motor carried by the drive wheel assembly housing and operable to drive the wheel. The cleaning assembly including a cleaning assembly housing, a cleaning head rotatably coupled to the cleaning assembly housing, and a cleaning drive motor carried by cleaning assembly housing and operable to drive the cleaning head. The wheel assemblies and the cleaning assembly are each separately and independently removable from respective receptacles of the chassis as complete units.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2019Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Chikyung Won, Scott Thomas Burnett, Stephen A. Hickey, Deepak Ramesh Kapoor, Zivthan A. Dubrovsky, Selma Svendsen, Robert Rizzari, Paul E. Sandin
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Patent number: 11737631Abstract: The present disclosure provides, in one aspect, method of controlling an autonomous cleaning robot, the method comprising: navigating the autonomous cleaning robot to a docking station; sensing that the autonomous cleaning robot is navigating to the docking station; increasing a vacuum power of a vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot to reduce an amount of debris from an airflow channel proximate to an inlet of a cleaning bin disposed in the autonomous cleaning robot; and then decreasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2021Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Travis James Gschrey, Eric Burbank, Oliver Lewis, Milan Modh, Sophia Wennstedt
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Patent number: 11740634Abstract: A method of operating a mobile robot includes generating a segmentation map defining respective regions of a surface based on occupancy data that is collected by a mobile robot responsive to navigation of the surface, identifying sub-regions of at least one of the respective regions as non-clutter and clutter areas, and computing a coverage pattern based on identification of the sub-regions. The coverage pattern indicates a sequence for navigation of the non-clutter and clutter areas, and is provided to the mobile robot. Responsive to the coverage pattern, the mobile robot sequentially navigates the non-clutter and clutter areas of the at least one of the respective regions of the surface in the sequence indicated by the coverage pattern. Related methods, computing devices, and computer program products are also discussed.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Alexander D. Kleiner, Mario E. Munich
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Patent number: 11730328Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot system can include a mobile cleaning robot and processing circuitry. The mobile cleaning robot can include a camera and can be operable to clean a floor surface of an environment. The processing circuitry can be in communication with the mobile cleaning robot and the camera, the processing circuitry configured to produce an image output based on an optical field of view of the camera. The processing circuitry can also detect a visual fiducial in the image output and can determine a behavior modification based on the visual fiducial. The processing circuitry can modify movement of the mobile cleaning robot based on the behavior modification.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2020Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Eric J. Burbank, Oliver Lewis
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Patent number: D997221Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Douglas Dell'Accio, Andrew Vincent Wolff, Flavia Pastore
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Patent number: D1008584Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Shaojia Chen, Insun Hong