Patents by Inventor Isaac Fowler

Isaac Fowler 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).

  • Patent number: 11930976
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Isaac Fowler, Lucile Driscoll
  • Patent number: 11860638
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Dexter Bautista, Isaac Fowler, Andrew Graziani, Marcus R. Williams, Ping-Hong Lu, Erik Schembor
  • Patent number: 11771290
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Brian W. Doughty, Isaac Fowler, Timothy James Haughton, Levi Fox
  • Publication number: 20230277028
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Isaac Fowler, Lucile Driscoll
  • Patent number: 11589724
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Isaac Fowler, Lucile Driscoll
  • Publication number: 20220386834
    Abstract: A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a housing. The housing can define or comprise a pad receptacle and a pad dispenser. The pad receptacle can be configured to receive a soiled pad from a pad tray of the mobile cleaning robot. The pad dispenser can be configured to provide a fresh pad to the pad tray of the mobile cleaning robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Brian W. Doughty, Isaac Fowler, Leo Torrente, Vincent Andrew Wolff
  • Publication number: 20210026365
    Abstract: A mobile robot can include a robot body; a drive system supporting the robot body above a floor surface for maneuvering the robot across the floor surface; a bumper frame on a front periphery of the robot body, the bumper frame supported by the robot body; and a bumper impact system comprising: a first sensor at a first orientation with respect to the bumper frame that is configured to generate a first signal in response to a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper frame relative to the robot body; a second sensor at a second orientation with respect to the bumper frame that is configured to generate a second signal in response to a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper frame relative to the robot body, the second orientation being different from the first orientation; and a processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Dexter Bautista, Isaac Fowler, Andrew Granziani, Marcus R. Williams, Ping-Hong Lu, Erik Schembor
  • Publication number: 20210015331
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Isaac Fowler, Lucile Driscoll
  • Publication number: 20200367715
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Brian W. Doughty, Isaac Fowler, Timothy James Haughton, Levi Fox
  • Patent number: 10824159
    Abstract: A mobile robot can include a robot body; a drive system supporting the robot body above a floor surface for maneuvering the robot across the floor surface; a bumper frame on a front periphery of the robot body, the bumper frame supported by the robot body; and a bumper impact system comprising: a first sensor at a first orientation with respect to the bumper frame that is configured to generate a first signal in response to a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper frame relative to the robot body; a second sensor at a second orientation with respect to the bumper frame that is configured to generate a second signal in response to a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper frame relative to the robot body, the second orientation being different from the first orientation; and a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Dexter Bautista, Isaac Fowler, Andrew Graziani, Marcus R. Williams, Ping-Hong Lu, Erik Schembor
  • Patent number: 10791902
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Isaac Fowler, Lucile Driscoll
  • Publication number: 20200170473
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Isaac Fowler, Lucile Driscoll
  • Publication number: 20200081447
    Abstract: A mobile robot can include a robot body; a drive system supporting the robot body above a floor surface for maneuvering the robot across the floor surface; a bumper frame on a front periphery of the robot body, the bumper frame supported by the robot body; and a bumper impact system comprising: a first sensor at a first orientation with respect to the bumper frame that is configured to generate a first signal in response to a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper frame relative to the robot body; a second sensor at a second orientation with respect to the bumper frame that is configured to generate a second signal in response to a magnitude and a direction of movement of the bumper frame relative to the robot body, the second orientation being different from the first orientation; and a processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Dexter Bautista, Isaac Fowler, Andrew Graziani, Marcus R. Williams, Ping-Hong Lu, Erik Schembor
  • Patent number: D921311
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: John Reimels, Marcus R. Williams, Adam Goss, Lucile Driscoll, Isaac Fowler
  • Patent number: D921312
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Isaac Fowler, Karl Ide-Pech