MAPPING INTERFACE FOR MOBILE ROBOTS
A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot includes presenting, on a display of a handheld computing device, a graphical representation of a map including a plurality of selectable rooms, presenting, on the display, at least one selectable graphical divider representing boundaries of at least one of the plurality of selectable rooms, the at least one selectable graphical divider being adjustable to change at least one of the boundaries of the plurality of selectable rooms, receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing a selection of an individual selectable graphical divider, receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing at least one adjustment to the individual selectable graphical divider, the at least one adjustment including at least one of moving, rotating, or deleting the individual selectable graphical divider, and presenting, on the display, a graphical representation of a map wherein the individual selectable graphical divider is adjusted.
This specification relates generally to control systems for autonomous cleaning robots. In one exemplary system, selectable and editable maps are used for controlling an autonomous cleaning robot.
BACKGROUNDCleaning robots include mobile robots that autonomously perform cleaning tasks within an environment, e.g., a home. Many kinds of cleaning robots are autonomous to some degree and in different ways. The cleaning robots include a controller that is configured to autonomously navigate the cleaning robot about the environment such that the cleaning robot can ingest debris as it moves.
SUMMARYA mobile application can be used to present a map displaying areas traversed by an autonomous cleaning robot during cleaning missions and may allow editing room boundaries on the map. A master map is generated from data collected by the autonomous cleaning robot traversing an area (e.g., a series of rooms). The master map is editable and allows a user to customize (e.g., label, resize, reshape, etc.) particular rooms displayed on the master map. Selectable graphical dividers are positionable and allow the user to define boundaries between rooms on the master map (e.g., to restrict future operations of the autonomous cleaning robot). Labels can be applied to rooms on the master map and can be compiled into a list from which a user can individually select rooms, floors, etc. for inclusion in a cleaning mission for the autonomous cleaning robot.
Described herein are examples of methods and devices for training and using mobile robots configured to traverse floor surfaces and perform various operations including, but not limited to, cleaning, Advantages of the foregoing may include, but are not limited to, those described below and herein elsewhere.
The generation of a custom map allows a user to perform on-demand cleaning of particular areas (e.g., rooms, floors) of the user's home. For example, the user may direct the autonomous cleaning robot to clean the entire downstairs or just the master bedroom. On-demand cleaning is especially useful, for example, if the user is having guests over to his/her home and needs the kitchen, living room, and bathroom cleaned before guests arrive, as the user may select just those rooms for cleaning,
In one aspect, the present specification provides a method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot. The method includes presenting, on a display of a handheld computing device, a graphical representation of a map including a plurality of selectable rooms. The method also includes presenting, on the display, at least one selectable graphical divider representing boundaries of at least one of the plurality of selectable rooms, the at least one selectable graphical divider being adjustable to change at least one of the boundaries of the plurality of selectable rooms. The method also includes receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing a selection of an individual selectable graphical divider. The method also includes receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing at least one adjustment to the individual selectable graphical divider, the at least one adjustment including at least one of moving, rotating, or deleting the individual selectable graphical divider and presenting, on the display, a graphical representation of a map wherein the individual selectable graphical divider is adjusted.
In some implementations, the method also includes receiving input, at the handheld computing device, to initiate the autonomous cleaning robot to perform a cleaning mission, wherein the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to clean based on the graphical representation of the map wherein the individual selectable graphical divider is adjusted.
In some implementations, the method also includes presenting, on the display, a visual alert upon receiving input to position a center point of the individual selectable graphical divider outside of a room. In some instances, presenting the visual alert includes changing a color of the individual selectable graphical divider or a shape of the center point.
In some implementations, the method also includes presenting, on the display, in at least one of the plurality of selectable rooms, a representation of an open area and a representation of an area containing one or more moveable objects.
In some implementations, a center point of the individual selectable graphical divider is positionable in a room, in an open area, or in an area containing at least one moveable object.
In some implementations, the method also includes presenting, on the display, a representation of an immovable object in a room, wherein the individual selectable graphical divider accounts for a position of the immovable object to divide the room. In some instances, the method also includes presenting a visual alert upon a center point of the individual selectable graphical divider being placed on the representation of the immovable obstacle.
In some implementations, the method also includes presenting, on the display, a list of selectable room labels for naming a selected room.
In some implementations, the method also includes presenting, on the display, an interface for entering a custom name for naming a selected room.
In some implementations, the individual selectable graphical divider is configured to snap to an angular increment based on rotating the individual selectable graphical divider. In some instances, the angular increment is 45 degrees.
In some implementations, the method also includes receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing an addition of a new selectable graphical divider and presenting, on the graphical representation of the map on the display, the new selectable graphical divider.
In some implementations, the method also includes presenting, on the display, a menu including options to rename the map, edit the map, or rename selectable rooms on the map.
In another aspect, the present specification provides a handheld computing device. The handheld computing device includes at least one input configured to receive information from a user, a display, and a processor. The processor is configured to present, on the display, a graphical representation of a map including a plurality of selectable rooms. The processor is also configured to present, on the display, at least one selectable graphical divider representing boundaries of the selectable rooms, the at least one selectable graphical divider being individually adjustable to change at least one of the boundaries of the selectable rooms. The processor is also configured to present, on the display, a graphical representation of a map wherein an individual selectable graphical divider is adjusted. The received information includes a selection of the individual selectable graphical divider, and the received information includes at least one adjustment to the individual selectable graphical divider, the at least one adjustment including at least one of moving, rotating, and deleting the individual selectable graphical divider.
In some implementations, the received information includes information to initiate the autonomous cleaning robot to perform a cleaning mission, and the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to clean based on the graphical representation of the map wherein the individual selectable graphical divider is adjusted.
In some implementations, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a visual alert upon receiving input to position a center point of the individual selectable graphical divider outside of a room. In some instances, presenting the visual alert includes changing a color of the individual selectable graphical divider and a shape of the center point.
In some implementations, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, in at least one of the plurality of selectable rooms, a representation of an open area and a representation of an area containing at least one moveable object.
In some implementations, a center point of the individual selectable graphical divider is positionable in a room, in an open area, or in an area containing at least one moveable object.
In some implementations, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a representation of an immovable object in a room, wherein the individual selectable graphical divider accounts for a position of the immovable object to divide the room. In some instances, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a visual alert upon the center point of the individual selectable graphical divider being placed on the representation of the immovable obstacle.
In some implementations, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a list of selectable room labels for naming a selected room.
In some implementations, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, an interface for entering a custom name for naming a selected room.
In some implementations, the selectable graphical divider is configured to snap to an angular increment based on rotating the individual selectable graphical divider. In some instances, the angular increment is 45 degrees.
In some implementations, the input is configured to receive information representing an addition of a new selectable graphical divider, and the processor is configured to present, on the graphical representation of the map on the display, the new selectable graphical divider.
In some implementations, the processor is further configured to present, on the display, a menu includes options to rename the map, edit the map, or rename selectable rooms on the map.
The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
An application can be used to control operation of an autonomous cleaning robot for cleaning missions. A master map is generated based on the autonomous cleaning robot traversing an area. For example, a master map can be considered a digital representation of the traversable flooring area of an environment (e.g., a residence) that has been generated from data collected by the autonomous cleaning robot over a single cleaning session, a series of cleaning sessions, a training mission, a series of training missions, etc. During a cleaning mission, the autonomous cleaning robot performs cleaning tasks as the autonomous cleaning robot traverses the environment. During a training mission, the autonomous cleaning robot does not perform cleaning tasks (or performs limited cleaning tasks) as the autonomous cleaning robot traverses the environment. The master map is editable and allows a user to customize (e.g., label, resize, reshape, etc.) particular rooms displayed on the master map. Selectable graphical dividers are positionable and allow a user to define boundaries between rooms on the master map. Labels can be applied to rooms on the master map and can be compiled into a list from which a user can select rooms, floors, etc. floors for inclusion in a cleaning mission for the autonomous cleaning robot. In some examples, through the mobile application, the user can manage operations for the autonomous cleaning robot (e.g., select cleaning parameters, schedule the autonomous cleaning robot, view a cleaning status of the autonomous cleaning robot, etc.).
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When the user selects the customize button 406, the mobile device 120 presents interface 500, as shown in
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When the center point 908 is positioned in a room 904 on the map 902, the selectable graphical divider is shown to divide a room 904. When a user is satisfied that the selectable graphical divider 906 is positioned in a desired position on the map 902, the user presses a button 914 labeled “place”. To delete the selectable graphical divider 906, the user presses a delete button 912. In some implementations, the user may drag the center point 908 of the selectable graphical divider 906 to the delete button 912. To cancel a previously executed operation, the user presses cancel button 918. The selectable graphical divider 906 can be snapped to an angular increment, for example a closest angular increment in increments of 45 degrees, by pressing the snap button 910. An example of snapping is shown in
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An immovable object 1022 is positioned on the map 1002 in the kitchen, room 1012. Immovable objects may be, for example, kitchen islands, permanent pieces of furniture, etc. that are positioned in a room. When the user attempts to place the center point 1008 of the selectable graphical divider 1006 on the immovable object 1022, the center point 1008 will change to provide a visual alert to the user that the selectable graphical divider is improperly placed. In some implementations, the mobile application 124 treats an immovable object as creating a boundary of a room, rather than recognizing the immovable object as being within a room. In such an implementation, outer edges of immovable object 1022 would be defined as boundaries of the kitchen 1012 such that the kitchen included a void. In some implementations, the mobile application 124 may account for a position of an immovable object 1022 when the immovable object 1022 is intersected with the selectable graphical divider 1006. When the center point 1008 is positioned in the kitchen 1012 such that the selectable graphical divider 1006 extends across the immovable object 1022, portions of the selectable graphical divider 1006 that cross the immovable object 1022 may be shown differently, or may be absent.
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When the room layout has been completed (i.e., all selectable graphical dividers have been placed and saved), individual rooms can be labelled. An interface 1500, shown in
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The robots and techniques described herein, or portions thereof, can be controlled by a computer program product that includes instructions that are stored on one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media, and that are executable on one or more processing devices to control (e.g., to coordinate) the operations described herein. The robots described herein, or portions thereof, can be implemented as all or part of an apparatus or electronic system that can include one or more processing devices and memory to store executable instructions to implement various operations.
Operations associated with implementing all or part of the robot operation and control described herein can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions described herein. For example, the mobile device, a cloud computing system configured to communicate with the mobile device and the autonomous cleaning robot, and the robot's controller may all include processors programmed with computer programs for executing functions such as transmitting signals, computing estimates, or interpreting signals. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.
The controllers and mobile devices described herein can include one or more processors. Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only storage area or a random access storage area or both. Elements of a computer include one or more processors for executing instructions and one or more storage area devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from, or transfer data to, or both, one or more machine-readable storage media, such as mass PCBs for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Machine-readable storage media suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile storage area, including by way of example, semiconductor storage area devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash storage area devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.
The robot control and operating techniques described herein may be applicable to controlling other mobile robots aside from cleaning robots. For example, a lawn mowing robot or a space-monitoring robot may be trained to perform operations in specific portions of a lawn or space as described herein.
Elements of different implementations described herein may be combined to form other implementations not specifically set forth above. Elements may be left out of the structures described herein without adversely affecting their operation. Furthermore, various separate elements may be combined into one or more individual elements to perform the functions described herein.
Claims
1. An autonomous mobile robot, comprising:
- a drive system configured to move the autonomous mobile robot about an environment; and
- a controller circuit configured to: receive, from a mobile device operable by a user, data representing operations to be performed in one or more areas in the environment, the one or more areas having boundaries graphically represented on the mobile device by at least one selectable graphical divider on a map of the environment; and control the autonomous mobile robot to perform the operations in the one or more areas in the environment.
2. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is configured to:
- receive a user adjustment to the at least one selectable graphical divider to update the boundaries of the one or more areas; and
- control the autonomous mobile robot to clean the one or more areas in accordance with the updated boundaries.
3. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 2, wherein the user adjustment includes moving, rotating, positioning, or deleting the at least one selectable graphical divider.
4. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 1, wherein:
- the one or more areas include one or more selectable rooms having boundaries graphically represented by the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map of the environment; and
- the controller circuit is configured to receive a user selection from the one or more selectable rooms, and to control the autonomous mobile robot to clean the one or more selectable rooms in accordance with the user selection.
5. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 4, wherein the controller circuit is configured to receive a cleaning schedule for cleaning the one or more selectable rooms at respective desired times, and to control the autonomous mobile robot to clean the one or more selectable rooms in accordance with the cleaning schedule.
6. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one selectable graphical divider includes a graphical representation of a center point thereof that is operable to be positioned in an open area or an area containing a moveable object in the environment.
7. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is configured to receive an indication of improper positioning of the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map based on a location of a center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider.
8. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 7, wherein the indication of improper positioning includes the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider being positioned outside of an open area on the map.
9. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 7, wherein the indication of improper positioning includes the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider being positioned on a graphical representation of an immoveable object on the map.
10. The autonomous mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one selectable graphical divider includes a first portion within an open area on the map, and a second portion extending beyond the open area or intersecting with a graphical representation of an immoveable object in the open area, the first portion being presented in a different color or render than the second portion.
11. A mobile robot system, comprising:
- an autonomous mobile robot; and
- a mobile device configured to communicate with the autonomous mobile robot, the mobile device comprising: a user interface including a user input device and a display; and a processor configured to: present on the display a map of an environment and at least one selectable graphical divider; based on a user input for selecting and adjusting the at least one selectable graphical divider via the user input device, update boundaries of one or more areas in the environment; and present on the display a graphical representation of the one or more areas with the boundaries represented by the at least one selectable graphical divider;
- wherein the autonomous mobile robot is configured to perform operations in the one or more areas in accordance with the updated boundaries.
12. The mobile robot system of claim 11, wherein the user input for adjusting the at least one selectable graphical divider includes at least one of moving, rotating, positioning, or deleting the at least one selectable graphical divider.
13. The mobile robot system of claim 11, wherein:
- the one or more areas include one or more selectable rooms having boundaries graphically represented by the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map of the environment;
- the processor of the mobile device is configured to receive a user selection from the one or more selectable rooms; and
- the autonomous mobile robot is configured to clean the one or more selectable rooms in accordance with the user selection.
14. The mobile robot system of claim 13, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to receive a use input for naming the one or more selectable rooms.
15. The mobile robot system of claim 11, wherein the processor of the mobile device is configured to:
- present on the display a graphical representation of a center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider; and
- receive the user input for positioning the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider in an open area or an area containing a moveable object in the environment.
16. The mobile robot system of claim 11, wherein the at least one selectable graphical divider is configured to snap to an angular increment based on a rotation of the at least one selectable graphical divider about a center point thereof.
17. The mobile robot system of claim 11, wherein the processor of the mobile device is configured to present an alert indicating an improper positioning of the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map based on a location of a center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider.
18. The mobile robot system of claim 17, wherein the alert is presented in response to a user input for positioning the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider outside of an open area on the map.
19. The mobile robot system of claim 17, wherein the alert is presented in response to a user input for positioning the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider on a representation of an immoveable object on the map.
20. The mobile robot system of claim 11, wherein:
- the at least one selectable graphical divider includes a first portion within an open area in the environment, and a second portion extending beyond the open area or intersecting with a graphical representation of an immoveable object in the open area; and
- the processor of the mobile device is configured to present the first portion on the display in a different color or render than the second portion.
Type: Application
Filed: May 5, 2021
Publication Date: Aug 19, 2021
Inventors: Vanessa Wiegel (Needham, MA), Stephen O'Dea (Bedford, MA), Kathleen Ann Mahoney (Spencerport, NY), Qunxi Huang (Somerville, MA), Michael Foster (Stoneham, MA), Brian Ratta (Burlington, MA), Garrett Strobel (Boston, MA), Scott Marchant (Saratoga Springs, UT)
Application Number: 17/308,299