Patents by Inventor Levi Fox

Levi Fox 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: 11930991
    Abstract: A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a canister and a base configured to receive the mobile cleaning robot thereon, where the base can include a front portion and a back portion opposite the front portion. The base can include a vacuum port extending at least partially through the base. The canister can be connected to the back portion of the base and can be located at least partially above the base. The canister can include a debris bin connected to the vacuum port to receive debris therefrom and a fan compartment connected to a side wall of the debris bin and including a fan system operable to draw debris through the vacuum port and the debris bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent Andrew Wolff, Brian W. Doughty, Leo Torrente, Travis Gschrey, Jack Zhang, Levi Fox, Rogelio Manfred Neumann, Celerick Stephens, James J. Mahoney, Jr.
  • 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: 20220061612
    Abstract: A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a canister and a base configured to receive the mobile cleaning robot thereon, where the base can include a front portion and a back portion opposite the front portion. The base can include a vacuum port extending at least partially through the base. The canister can be connected to the back portion of the base and can be located at least partially above the base. The canister can include a debris bin connected to the vacuum port to receive debris therefrom and a fan compartment connected to a side wall of the debris bin and including a fan system operable to draw debris through the vacuum port and the debris bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Vincent Andrew Wolff, Brian W. Doughty, Leo Torrente, Travis Gschrey, Jack Zhang, Levi Fox, Rogelio Manfred Neumann, Celerick Stephens, James J. Mahoney, JR.
  • Patent number: 11058276
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a base station for receiving a mobile cleaning robot including a docking structure. The docking structure includes a horizontal surface and at least two electrical charging contacts, each of the electrical charging contacts having a contact surface positioned above the horizontal surface. The base station also includes a platform that is connectable to the docking structure. The platform includes a raised rear surface having a front portion and a rear portion, two wheel wells located in the front portion of the raised rear surface of the platform, and a plurality of raised surface features forward of the raised rear surface configured to support an underside portion of the mobile cleaning robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
  • Patent number: 11006807
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a base station for receiving a mobile cleaning robot including a docking structure. The docking structure includes a horizontal surface and at least two electrical charging contacts, each of the electrical charging contacts having a contact surface positioned above the horizontal surface. The base station also includes a platform that is connectable to the docking structure. The platform includes a raised rear surface having a front portion and a rear portion, two wheel wells located in the front portion of the raised rear surface of the platform, and a plurality of raised surface features forward of the raised rear surface configured to support an underside portion of the mobile cleaning robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, 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
  • Publication number: 20200000305
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a base station for receiving a mobile cleaning robot including a docking structure. The docking structure includes a horizontal surface and at least two electrical charging contacts, each of the electrical charging contacts having a contact surface positioned above the horizontal surface. The base station also includes a platform that is connectable to the docking structure. The platform includes a raised rear surface having a front portion and a rear portion, two wheel wells located in the front portion of the raised rear surface of the platform, and a plurality of raised surface features forward of the raised rear surface configured to support an underside portion of the mobile cleaning robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
  • Patent number: 10383499
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a base station for receiving a mobile cleaning robot including a docking structure. The docking structure includes a horizontal surface and at least two electrical charging contacts, each of the electrical charging contacts having a contact surface positioned above the horizontal surface. The base station also includes a platform that is connectable to the docking structure. The platform includes a raised rear surface having a front portion and a rear portion, two wheel wells located in the front portion of the raised rear surface of the platform, and a plurality of raised surface features forward of the raised rear surface configured to support an underside portion of the mobile cleaning robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
  • Publication number: 20190059680
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a base station for receiving a mobile cleaning robot including a docking structure. The docking structure includes a horizontal surface and at least two electrical charging contacts, each of the electrical charging contacts having a contact surface positioned above the horizontal surface. The base station also includes a platform that is connectable to the docking structure. The platform includes a raised rear surface having a front portion and a rear portion, two wheel wells located in the front portion of the raised rear surface of the platform, and a plurality of raised surface features forward of the raised rear surface configured to support an underside portion of the mobile cleaning robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll