Patents by Inventor Paul C. Balutis

Paul C. Balutis 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).

  • Publication number: 20170094897
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventors: Paul C. Balutis, Alec Likhite, Brian Doughty, Jeff Karlson, Tyler Nikitas
  • Publication number: 20170079202
    Abstract: A method of mowing multiple areas includes training a robotic mower to mow at least two areas separated by a space, including moving the robotic mower about the areas while storing data indicative of location of boundaries of each area relative to boundary markers, training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas, and initiating a mowing operation. Training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas includes moving the robotic mower to a traversal launch point of a first of the areas and moving the robotic mower to a traversal landing point of a second of the areas. The mowing operation causes the robotic mower to move to the traversal launch point, move from the traversal launch point across the space to the traversal landing point, and then mow the second of the areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Paul C. Balutis, Andrew Beaulieu, Brian Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9554508
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Paul C. Balutis, Alec Likhite, Brian Doughty, Jeff Karlson, Tyler Nikitas
  • Publication number: 20160363933
    Abstract: A method of mapping an area to be mowed with an autonomous mowing robot comprises receiving mapping data from a robot lawnmower, the mapping data specifying an area to be mowed and a plurality of locations of beacons positioned within the area to be mowed, and receiving at least first and second geographic coordinates for first and second reference points that are within the area and are specified in the mapping data. The mapping data is aligned to a coordinate system of a map image of the area using the first and second geographic coordinates. The map image is displayed based on aligning the mapping data to the coordinate system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Paul C. Balutis, Andrew Beaulieu, Brian Yamauchi, Karl Jeffrey Karlson, Dominic Hugh Jones
  • Patent number: 9420741
    Abstract: A method of mapping an area to be mowed with an autonomous mowing robot comprises receiving mapping data from a robot lawnmower, the mapping data specifying an area to be mowed and a plurality of locations of beacons positioned within the area to be mowed, and receiving at least first and second geographic coordinates for first and second reference points that are within the area and are specified in the mapping data. The mapping data is aligned to a coordinate system of a map image of the area using the first and second geographic coordinates. The map image is displayed based on aligning the mapping data to the coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Paul C. Balutis, Andrew Beaulieu, Brian Yamauchi, Karl Jeffrey Karlson, Dominic Hugh Jones
  • Publication number: 20150271991
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventor: Paul C. Balutis