US 10,091,930 B2Granted

Autonomous mobile robot

AssigneeiRobot Corporation

InventorsPaul C. Balutis, Alec Likhite, Brian Doughty, Jeff Karlson, Tyler Nikitas

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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.

Claims30

Dependent claims

An operator feedback unit in communication with an autonomous robot lawnmower configured for mowing a lawn, the operator feedback unit comprising:

an operator input device configured to
generate a first signal indicative of a completion of a first teaching routine of the autonomous robot lawnmower, the completion of the first teaching routine indicating that the autonomous robot lawnmower has determined, via a localization system, positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower about a perimeter of the lawn and has stored at least some of the positions, and
generate a second signal indicative of a completion of a second teaching routine in which additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are determined as the autonomous robot lawnmower is piloted by the operator about the perimeter of the lawn in the second teaching routine and in which at least some of the additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are stored;
and
a visual display communicably coupled to the operator input device, the visual display configured to
present a first visual indicator in response to the first signal indicative of the completion of the first teaching routine, the first visual indicator representing a first geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower from the first teaching routine, and
present a second visual indicator overlaid on the first visual indicator in response to the second signal, the second visual indicator representing a second geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the additional stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower from the second teaching routine.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

generating, via an operator input device, a first signal indicative of a completion of a first teaching routine, the completion of the first teaching routine indicating that an autonomous robot lawnmower has determined, via a localization system, positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower about a perimeter of the lawn and has stored at least some of the positions;
presenting a first visual indicator on a display device in response to the first signal indicative of the completion of the first teaching routine, the first visual indicator representing a first geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower determined from the first teaching routine;
generating a second signal indicative of a completion of a second teaching routine in which additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are determined as the autonomous robot lawnmower is piloted by the operator about the perimeter of the lawn in the second teaching routine and in which at least some of the additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are stored;
and
presenting, in response to the second signal, a second visual indicator overlaid on the first visual indicator, the second visual indicator representing a second geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the additional stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower from the second teaching routine.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/379,796Filed 15 Dec 2016 · continuation
Priority: 31 Mar 2014
Published: US 2017/0094897 A16 Apr 2017
Granted: 9 Oct 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A01D 34/008
Control or measuring arrangements: for automated or remotely controlled operation
B25J 5/007
Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages: mounted on wheels
G05D 1/00
Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or
G05D 1/0011
Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots: associated with a remote…

Family

Application61/972,752Us provisional application · filed 31 Mar 2014
Application14/659,705Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Mar 2015
US 2017/0094897 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Apr 2017
US 9,554,508 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0271991 A1Published application
US 10,091,930 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.