Patents by Inventor Andreas Kolling
Andreas Kolling has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 12025987Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for operating a mobile robot in an environment according to a coverage path generated using an environment map. The path includes a set of linear path segments connected by a number of turns therebetween, and the path minimizes or reduces the number of turns that the robot makes as it traverses the environment. An exemplary system includes at least one controller that partitions the environment map into regions with respective orientations based on the region's dimensional information and neighboring regions' properties, decomposes the regions into parallel ranks, and generates a coverage path using the ranks. One or more mobile robots can accomplish designated missions such as cleaning in the environment when moving along their respectively identified path.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Andreas Kolling, Isaac Vandermeulen
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Patent number: 11966227Abstract: A method includes constructing a map of an environment based on mapping data produced by an autonomous cleaning robot in the environment during a first cleaning mission. Constructing the map includes providing a label associated with a portion of the mapping data. The method includes causing a remote computing device to present a visual representation of the environment based on the map, and a visual indicator of the label. The method includes causing the autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a behavior associated with the label during a second cleaning mission.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2022Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mario Munich, Andreas Kolling, Manjunath Narayana, Philip Fong
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Patent number: 11961411Abstract: A method of assisting user-configuration of hardware for a mobile autonomous cleaning robot can include detecting a flooring type of a room or other portion of an environment. A size of the portion of the environment can be detected and a total size of the environment can be determined. generating a hardware characteristic recommendation can be generated based at least in part on the flooring type, the size of the portion of the environment, and the total size of the environment.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2022Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Andreas Kolling, Christopher Mehegan
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Patent number: 11571813Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for maintaining a valid semantic map of an environment for a mobile robot. A mobile robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to sense occupancy information, a memory, a controller circuit, and a communication system. The controller circuit can generate a first semantic map corresponding to a first robot mission using first occupancy information and first semantic annotations, transfer the first semantic annotations to a second semantic map corresponding to a subsequent second robot mission. The control circuit can generate the second semantic map that includes second semantic annotations generated based on the transferred first semantic annotations. User feedback on the first or the second semantic map can be received via a communication system. The control circuit can update first semantic map and use it to navigate the mobile robot in a future mission.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2020Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Manjunath Narayana, Andreas Kolling, Philip Fong
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Publication number: 20230029426Abstract: A method of assisting user-configuration of hardware for a mobile autonomous cleaning robot can include detecting a flooring type of a room or other portion of an environment. A size of the portion of the environment can be detected and a total size of the environment can be determined. generating a hardware characteristic recommendation can be generated based at least in part on the flooring type, the size of the portion of the environment, and the total size of the environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2022Publication date: January 26, 2023Inventors: Andreas Kolling, Christopher Mehegan
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Patent number: 11436940Abstract: A method of assisting user-configuration of hardware for a mobile autonomous cleaning robot can include detecting a flooring type of a room or other portion of an environment. A size of the portion of the environment can be detected and a total size of the environment can be determined, generating a hardware characteristic recommendation can be generated based at least in part on the flooring type, the size of the portion of the environment, and the total size of the environment.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2020Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Andreas Kolling, Christopher Mehegan
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Publication number: 20220269275Abstract: A method includes constructing a map of an environment based on mapping data produced by an autonomous cleaning robot in the environment during a first cleaning mission. Constructing the map includes providing a label associated with a portion of the mapping data. The method includes causing a remote computing device to present a visual representation of the environment based on the map, and a visual indicator of the label. The method includes causing the autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a behavior associated with the label during a second cleaning mission.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Mario Munich, Andreas Kolling, Manjunath Narayana, Philip Fong
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Publication number: 20220183529Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot includes a drive system to support the robot above a surface, a sensor system configured to generate a signal indicative of a location of the robot on the surface, and a controller operably connected to the drive system and the sensor system. The drive system is operable to navigate the robot about the surface. The controller is configured to execute instructions to perform operations including establishing a behavior control zone on the surface, controlling the drive system, in response to establishing the behavior control zone on the surface, to maneuver the robot to a location of the behavior control zone on the surface, and maneuvering, using the drive system, the robot about the surface and initiating a behavior in response to determining, based on the signal indicative of the location of the robot, that the robot is proximate the behavior control zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2022Publication date: June 16, 2022Inventors: Mario Munich, Philip Fong, Vazgen Karapetyan, Andreas Kolling
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Patent number: 11266287Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot includes a drive system to support the robot above a surface, a sensor system configured to generate a signal indicative of a location of the robot on the surface, and a controller operably connected to the drive system and the sensor system. The drive system is operable to navigate the robot about the surface. The controller is configured to execute instructions to perform operations including establishing a behavior control zone on the surface, controlling the drive system, in response to establishing the behavior control zone on the surface, to maneuver the robot to a location of the behavior control zone on the surface, and maneuvering, using the drive system, the robot about the surface and initiating a behavior in response to determining, based on the signal indicative of the location of the robot, that the robot is proximate the behavior control zone.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mario Munich, Philip Fong, Vazgen Karapetyan, Andreas Kolling
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Patent number: 11249482Abstract: A method includes constructing a map of an environment based on mapping data produced by an autonomous cleaning robot in the environment during a first cleaning mission. Constructing the map includes providing a label associated with a portion of the mapping data. The method includes causing a remote computing device to present a visual representation of the environment based on the map, and a visual indicator of the label. The method includes causing the autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a behavior associated with the label during a second cleaning mission.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2019Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mario Munich, Andreas Kolling, Manjunath Narayana, Philip Fong
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Publication number: 20210268652Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for maintaining a valid semantic map of an environment for a mobile robot. A mobile robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to sense occupancy information, a memory, a controller circuit, and a communication system. The controller circuit can generate a first semantic map corresponding to a first robot mission using first occupancy information and first semantic annotations, transfer the first semantic annotations to a second semantic map corresponding to a subsequent second robot mission. The control circuit can generate the second semantic map that includes second semantic annotations generated based on the transferred first semantic annotations. User feedback on the first or the second semantic map can be received via a communication system. The control circuit can update first semantic map and use it to navigate the mobile robot in a future mission.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2020Publication date: September 2, 2021Inventors: Manjunath Narayana, Andreas Kolling, Philip Fong
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Publication number: 20210272471Abstract: A method of assisting user-configuration of hardware for a mobile autonomous cleaning robot can include detecting a flooring type of a room or other portion of an environment. A size of the portion of the environment can be detected and a total size of the environment can be determined, generating a hardware characteristic recommendation can be generated based at least in part on the flooring type, the size of the portion of the environment, and the total size of the environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2020Publication date: September 2, 2021Inventors: Andreas Kolling, Christopher Mehegan
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Publication number: 20210124354Abstract: A method includes constructing a map of an environment based on mapping data produced by an autonomous cleaning robot in the environment during a first cleaning mission. Constructing the map includes providing a label associated with a portion of the mapping data. The method includes causing a remote computing device to present a visual representation of the environment based on the map, and a visual indicator of the label. The method includes causing the autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a behavior associated with the label during a second cleaning mission.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Inventors: Mario Munich, Andreas Kolling, Manjunath Narayana, Philip Fong
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Publication number: 20200375429Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot includes a drive system to support the robot above a surface, a sensor system configured to generate a signal indicative of a location of the robot on the surface, and a controller operably connected to the drive system and the sensor system. The drive system is operable to navigate the robot about the surface. The controller is configured to execute instructions to perform operations including establishing a behavior control zone on the surface, controlling the drive system, in response to establishing the behavior control zone on the surface, to maneuver the robot to a location of the behavior control zone on the surface, and maneuvering, using the drive system, the robot about the surface and initiating a behavior in response to determining, based on the signal indicative of the location of the robot, that the robot is proximate the behavior control zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2019Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Mario Munich, Philip Fong, Vazgen Karapetyan, Andreas Kolling
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Publication number: 20200089255Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for operating a mobile robot in an environment according to a coverage path generated using an environment map. The path includes a set of linear path segments connected by a number of turns therebetween, and the path minimizes or reduces the number of turns that the robot makes as it traverses the environment. An exemplary system includes at least one controller that partitions the environment map into regions with respective orientations based on the region's dimensional information and neighboring regions' properties, decomposes the regions into parallel ranks, and generates a coverage path using the ranks. One or more mobile robots can accomplish designated missions such as cleaning in the environment when moving along their respectively identified path.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2019Publication date: March 19, 2020Inventors: Andreas Kolling, Isaac Vandermeulen
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Patent number: 9987511Abstract: An apparatus for gait training, comprising: a movable base (11) comprising a drive unit (13) for moving the movable base (11), an arm arrangement (15, 16, 18) extending from the movable base (11) to enable a person (113) to be at least partially suspended from above, a movement detector (14, 115; 20; 21) to detect a movement of the person (113), and a control unit (119) configured to control said drive unit (13) in response to movement of the person detected by the movement detector (14, 115; 20; 21) such that the movable base (11) follows the person (113) in a predetermined distance range and in a predetermined angular range with respect to a movement direction of the person (113). The apparatus may comprise a projector (112) configured to project a path to be taken by the person (113) and a securing mechanism (21) to secure the suspension of the person (113) in response to a fall or stumbling being detected by a fall detector (21).Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2013Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Hocoma AGInventors: Rainer Bucher, Gery Colombo, Lijin Aryananda, Andreas Koll
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Publication number: 20150306440Abstract: An apparatus for gait training, comprising: a movable base (11) comprising a drive unit (13) for moving the movable base (11), an arm arrangement (15, 16, 18) extending from the movable base (11) to enable a person (113) to be at least partially suspended from above, a movement detector (14, 115; 20; 21) to detect a movement of the person (113), and a control unit (119) configured to control said drive unit (13) in response to movement of the person detected by the movement detector (14, 115; 20; 21) such that the movable base (11) follows the person (113) in a predetermined distance range and in a predetermined angular range with respect to a movement direction of the person (113). The apparatus may comprise a projector (112) configured to project a path to be taken by the person (113) and a securing mechanism (21) to secure the suspension of the person (113) in response to a fall or stumbling being detected by a fall detector (21).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2013Publication date: October 29, 2015Applicant: Hocoma AGInventors: Rainer Bucher, Gery Colombo, Lijin Aryananda, Andreas Koll
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Publication number: 20060172171Abstract: This invention relates to a fuel cartridge for the supply of a fuel cell device, with an outlet device, which is formed such that it can be opened by an opening device of a cartridge receptacle device appropriate to the fuel cartridge. Furthermore, the invention relates to a cartridge receptacle device for a fuel cartridge of this type which comprises guidance and retention devices for guiding and retaining the fuel cartridge, opening devices for opening the fuel cartridge, and fuel extraction devices for extracting the fuel from the fuel cartridge. In addition the invention relates to a fuel cell device with this type of cartridge receptacle device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2002Publication date: August 3, 2006Inventors: Klaus Deinzer, Rafael Rensch, Christoph Rebsamen, Andreas Koll