Patents Assigned to IROBOT
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Patent number: 10124490Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a sensor system, and a controller. The drive system supports the robot body and maneuvers the robot over a floor surface. The sensor system includes an inertial measurement unit for measuring a pose of the robot and issues a sensor signal including data having information regarding a pose of the robot. The controller communicates with the drive and sensor systems and executes a behavior system. The behavior system receives the sensor signal from the sensor system and executes a behavior. The behavior system executes an anti-stasis behavior in response to sensor signals indicating that the robot is constrained to evaluate a state of constraint. In addition, the behavior system executes an anti-tilt behavior in response to sensor signals indicating that the robot is tilted with respect to a direction of gravity to evaluate a state of tilt.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2016Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mark Schnittman, Thomas W. Bushman
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Patent number: 10100968Abstract: A protractible and retractable mast system for an autonomous mobile robot includes an elongate flexible member including a first lateral end and a second lateral end, and a fastener having a first portion extending along a length of the first lateral end and a second portion extending along a length of the second lateral end. The flexible member is configured to be at least partially coiled within a body of the robot, and a portion of the flexible member is vertically movable away from the body when the flexible member is being uncoiled. The fastener is configured to connect the first lateral end to the second lateral end when the flexible member is being uncoiled, and disconnect the first lateral end from the second lateral end when the flexible member is being coiled.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2017Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Patrick Chow, Nikolai Romanov
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Patent number: 10102429Abstract: The present teachings provide an autonomous mobile robot that includes a drive configured to maneuver the robot over a ground surface within an operating environment; a camera mounted on the robot having a field of view including the floor adjacent the mobile robot in the drive direction of the mobile robot; a frame buffer that stores image frames obtained by the camera while the mobile robot is driving; and a memory device configured to store a learned data set of a plurality of descriptors corresponding to pixel patches in image frames corresponding to portions of the operating environment and determined by mobile robot sensor events.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2017Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventor: Mark S. Schnittman
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Patent number: 10091930Abstract: A robot lawnmower includes a robot body, a drive system, a localizing system, a teach monitor, and a controller in communication with one another. The drive system is configured to maneuver the robot lawnmower over a lawn. The teach monitor determines whether the robot lawnmower is in a teachable state. The controller includes a data processing device and non-transitory memory in communication with the data processing device. The data processing device executes a teach routine when the controller is in a teach mode for tracing a confinement perimeter around the lawn as a human operator pilots the robot lawn mower, when the robot lawnmower is in the teachable state, the teach routine stores global positions determined by the localizing system in the non-transitory memory, and when the robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state, the teach routine issues an indication of the unteachable state.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Paul C. Balutis, Alec Likhite, Brian Doughty, Jeff Karlson, Tyler Nikitas
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Patent number: 10088845Abstract: System and method for behavior based control of an autonomous vehicle. Actuators (e.g., linkages) manipulate input devices (e.g., articulation controls and drive controls, such as a throttle lever, steering gear, tie rods, throttle, brake, accelerator, or transmission shifter) to direct the operation of the vehicle. Behaviors that characterize the operational mode of the vehicle are associated with the actuators. The behaviors include action sets ranked by priority, and the action sets include alternative actions that the vehicle can take to accomplish its task. The alternative actions are ranked by preference, and an arbiter selects the action to be performed and, optionally, modified.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Robert Todd Pack, James Allard, David S. Barrett, Misha Filippov, Selma Svendsen
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Patent number: 10070763Abstract: 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: April 14, 2017Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: 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: 10070764Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2016Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mark Steven Schnittman, Zivthan A. Dubrovsky, Jeffrey W. Mammen, Aaron Solochek
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Patent number: 10067232Abstract: A location estimation system for use with an autonomous lawn mowing robot, comprises a plurality of synthetic surfaces positioned with respect to a mowable space in an environment, a radiation source coupled to the lawn mowing robot, a detector coupled to the lawn mowing robot and configured to detect radiation reflected by objects in the environment, and a controller configured to controllably direct radiation from the radiation source to scan the environment, and to vary at least one of an output power of the directed radiation and a scan rate of the directed radiation, as a function of detected radiation reflected from one or more of the synthetic surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2016Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mike Halloran, Jamie Milliken, Travis Pierce, Eric Charles Peters
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Patent number: 10064533Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a body, a controller supported by the body, a drive supporting the body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface in response to commands from the controller, and a pad holder attached to an underside of the body to hold a removable cleaning pad during operation of the robot. The pad includes a mounting plate and a mounting surface. The mounting plate is attached to the mounting surface. The robot includes a pad sensor to sense a feature on the pad and to generate a signal based on the feature, which is defined in part by a cutout on the card backing. The mounting plate enables the pad sensor to detect the feature. The controller is responsive to the signal to perform operations including selecting a cleaning mode based on the signal, and controlling the robot according to a selected cleaning mode.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Ping-Hong Lu, Joseph M. Johnson, Daniel Foran, Marcus Williams, Andrew Graziani
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Patent number: 10059388Abstract: A wheel assembly for a remote vehicle comprises a wheel structure comprising a plurality of spokes interconnecting a rim and a hub. The spokes comprise at least one slit extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub. The assembly also comprises a flipper structure comprising an arm, a plurality of legs, and an attachment base. The plurality of legs and the attachment base comprise a four-bar linkage. The assembly further comprises an insert comprising a bore with a flat surface that tapers outward from a top portion to a bottom portion of the insert. The insert being configured to couple the flipper structure to the wheel structure via an axle on the remote vehicle and prevent backlash between the axle and the flipper structure. The flipper structure being configured to transmit axial forces to the wheel structure. The wheel structure being configured to absorb radial and axial forces.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2016Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: IROBOT DEFENSE HOLDINGS, INC.Inventors: Pavlo E. Rudakevych, Garran M. Gossage, Christopher L. Morey, Todd M. Meaney, Timothy R. Ohm
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Patent number: 10061896Abstract: The present disclosure describes various aspects of remote presence interfaces (RPIs) for use on portable electronic devices (PEDs) to interface with remote telepresence devices. An RPI may allow a user to interact with a telepresence device, view a live video feed, provide navigational instructions, and/or otherwise interact with the telepresence device. The RPI may allow a user to manually, semi-autonomously, or autonomously control the movement of the telepresence device. One or more panels associated with a video feed, patient data, calendars, date, time, telemetry data, PED data, telepresence device data, healthcare facility information, healthcare practitioner information, menu tabs, settings controls, and/or other features may be utilized via the RPI.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2016Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignees: INTOUCH TECHNOLOGIES, INC., IROBOT CORPORATIONInventors: Charles S. Jordan, Andy Young, Mei Sheng Ng, Yair Lurie, Fuji Lai, Timothy C. Wright, Cody Herzog, Blair Whitney, Bill Rizzi, James Ballantyne, Yulun Wang, Cheuk Wah Wong, Justin H. Kearns, Orjeta Taka, Ramchandra Karandikar
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Patent number: 10045676Abstract: A method of scheduling a robotic device enables the device to run autonomously based on previously loaded scheduling information. The method consists of a communication device, such as a hand-held remote device, that can directly control the robotic device, or load scheduling information into the robotic device such that it will carry out a defined task at the desired time without the need for further external control. The communication device can also be configured to load a scheduling application program into an existing robotic device, such that the robotic device can receive and implement scheduling information from a user.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Zivthan A. Dubrovsky, Gregg W. Landry, Michael J. Halloran, James Lynch
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Patent number: 10034421Abstract: A method of mowing with an autonomous robot lawnmower includes traversing a mowable area with the autonomous robot lawnmower carrying a cutter and a vegetation characteristic sensor. The vegetation characteristic sensor is configured to generate sensor data in response to detecting a vegetation characteristic of the mowable area. The vegetation characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a moisture content, a grass height, and a color. The method includes storing position-referenced data representing the vegetation characteristic detected across the mowable area. The position-referenced data is based at least in part on the sensor data and position data. The method includes sending data to a remote device to cause the remote device to display a map including information based on the position-referenced data.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2015Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Brian Doughty, Andrew Beaulieu, Brian Yamauchi, Alec Likhite, Erik Steltz
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Patent number: 10037038Abstract: A robot lawnmower includes a body and a drive system carried by the body and configured to maneuver the robot across a lawn. The robot also includes a grass cutter and a swath edge detector, both carried by the body. The swath edge detector is configured to detect a swath edge between cut and uncut grass while the drive system maneuvers the robot across the lawn while following a detected swath edge. The swath edge detector includes a calibrator that monitors uncut grass for calibration of the swath edge detector. In some examples, the calibrator comprises a second swath edge detector.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2015Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Paul E. Sandin, Joseph L. Jones, Daniel N. Ozick, David A. Cohen, David M. Lewis, Jr., Clara Vu, Zivthan A. Dubrovsky, Joshua B. Preneta, Jeffrey W. Mammen, Duane L. Gilbert, Jr., Tony L. Campbell, John Bergman
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Patent number: 10035270Abstract: A robot includes a body and a bumper. The body is movable relative to a surface and includes a first portion of a sensor. The bumper is mounted on the body and movable relative to the body and includes a backing and a second portion of the sensor. The backing is movable relative to the body in response to a force applied to the bumper. The second portion of the sensor is attached to the backing and movable with the backing relative to the first portion of the sensor in response to a force applied to the bumper. The sensor is configured to output an electrical signal in response to a movement of the backing. The electrical signal is proportional to an amount of displacement of the second portion relative to the first portion.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2016Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Victor Fay, Seth Blitzblau, Samuel Duffley, Kyle Dumont, Justin H. Woodman
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Patent number: 10024964Abstract: A scanning optical range finder in a mobile robot includes an optical emitter circuit, a non-imaging optical element, an optical detector circuit, and a ranging circuit. The non-imaging optical element is arranged to receive optical signals at an entrance aperture thereof responsive to operation of the optical emitter circuit, and to direct the optical signals to an output aperture thereof. The optical detector circuit is configured to receive the optical signals from the output aperture of the non-imaging optical element, and to generate detection signals based on respective phase differences of the optical signals relative to corresponding outputs of the optical emitter circuit. The ranging circuit is configured to calculate a range of a target from the phase differences indicated by the detection signals. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2014Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Travis Pierce, Jamie Milliken, Marc Wilga
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Patent number: 10021830Abstract: A grass cutting mobile robot includes a body and a blade assembly connected to the body and rotatable about a drive axis. The blade assembly includes blades, a housing to hold the blades, and a spring that connects the blade to the housing. The housing includes a slot in which to mount a blade so that a portion of the blade is movable through the slot towards another blade in response to an impact. The slot slopes upwards in the housing towards the body, thereby enabling the blade to move upwards relative to a ground surface toward the body in response to the impact. The spring is for constraining movement of the blade relative to the housing.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2016Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventor: Brian Doughty
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Patent number: 9993129Abstract: Cleaning robots may use floor-type-detection techniques as a trigger for autonomously altering various floor-cleaning characteristics. In some examples, a controller circuit of the robot is configured to determine a flooring type as a function of a signal from a motion sensor indicative of a change in pitch caused by the robot crossing a flooring discontinuity. In some examples, the controller circuit is configured to determine a flooring type based on a power draw signal corresponding to the cleaning head assembly of the robot.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2015Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventor: Fabrizio Santini
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Patent number: D826389Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2016Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventor: Russell Walter Morin
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Patent number: D833096Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2016Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Garrett Breheny, Timothy Angle, Matthew Sigel Evans
