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).
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Patent number: 11930991Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 2, 2020Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Vincent Andrew Wolff, Brian W. Doughty, Leo Torrente, Travis Gschrey, Jack Zhang, Levi Fox, Rogelio Manfred Neumann, Celerick Stephens, James J. Mahoney, Jr.
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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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Publication number: 20220061612Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2020Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Vincent Andrew Wolff, Brian W. Doughty, Leo Torrente, Travis Gschrey, Jack Zhang, Levi Fox, Rogelio Manfred Neumann, Celerick Stephens, James J. Mahoney, JR.
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Patent number: 11058276Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
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Patent number: 11006807Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
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Publication number: 20200367715Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2019Publication date: November 26, 2020Inventors: Brian W. Doughty, Isaac Fowler, Timothy James Haughton, Levi Fox
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Publication number: 20200000305Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2019Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
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Patent number: 10383499Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 31, 2017Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll
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Publication number: 20190059680Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2017Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Levi Fox, Marcus R. Williams, Yanhan Li, Jason Jeffrey Suchman, Lucile Driscoll