# US 10,244,916 B2 · Cleaning robot and method of cleaning thereof

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- Number: US 10,244,916 B2
- Document ID: US10244916B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/527,483
- Filed: 2016-11-14
- Published: 2018-07-12
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-14
- Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yu Gu; Kai Zhao; Yifei Zhang; Hongli Ding; Ying Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244916B2

## CPC

- A47L 11/4091: {Storing or parking devices, arrangements therefor; Means allowing transport of the machine when it is not being used}
- A47L 11/24: Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
- A47L 11/40: Parts or details of machines not {provided for in} groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, {or not restricted to one of these groups}, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
- A47L 11/4002: {Installations of electric equipment}
- A47L 11/4005: {Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements}
- A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor}
- A47L 11/4061: {Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated}
- B25J 9/1682: {Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators}
- B25J 13/086: {Proximity sensors}
- B25J 13/089: {Determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment}
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0227: {using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area}
- G05D 1/024: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)}
- G05D 1/0242: {using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals}
- G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means}
- G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)}
- G05D 1/0257: {using a radar (radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931)}
- G05D 1/0268: {using internal positioning means}
- A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries
- A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

The present application discloses a cleaning robot including a primary robot having a first controller configured to control a plurality of first sensors, a first communication module, a first moving apparatus, and a first cleaning assembly; and at least one secondary robot having a second controller configured to control a plurality of second sensors, a second communication module, a second moving apparatus, and a second cleaning assembly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning robot comprising:
a primary robot comprising a first controller configured to control a plurality of first sensors, a first communication module, a first moving apparatus, and a first cleaning assembly; and
at least one secondary robot comprising a second controller configured to control a plurality of second sensors, a second communication module, a second moving apparatus, and a second cleaning assembly;
wherein the plurality of first sensors are configured to collect a plurality of environmental parameters associated with a target zone inaccessible to the primary robot;
the first controller is configured to drive the first moving apparatus and the first cleaning assembly to perform a first cleaning task outside the target zone, to generate a first command signal based on the plurality of environmental parameters, and to control the first communication module to transmit the first command signal to the second communication module;
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to have a secondary robot moving into the target zone and operate the second cleaning assembly of the secondary robot to perform a second cleaning task inside the target zone, upon receiving the first command signal from the second communication module;
the plurality of second sensors comprise a first sensor to detect trash amount collected by the second cleaning assembly and a second sensor to detect cleaning agent amount stored in the second cleaning assembly; and
the second controller is configured to determine that the second cleaning task is finished when the first sensor detects no change in the trash amount over a certain period of time or the second sensor detects the cleaning agent amount to be substantially below a threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first sensors comprises one or more of an infrared sensor, a visual sensor, an ultra-sound sensor, a laser radar sensor, a cliff sensor, a bumper sensor, a gyro sensor, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of environment parameters associated with the target zone comprises one or more of height, width, shape, humidity, particle densities of the target zone and any objects therein.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the primary robot further comprises a chamber configured for holding the at least one secondary robot;
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to have a secondary robot released from the chamber into the target zone;
the chamber comprises a door panel having a first end coupled to a shaft and configured to rotate around the shaft and a second end;
the first controller is configured to open the door panel of the chamber such that the door panel rotates relative to a shaft till the second end touching a floor surface at a first location while controlling the first communication module to transmit the first command signal to the second communication module, and configured to record a location information of the first location; and
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to have the secondary robot released from a docking position in the chamber via the door panel onto the floor surface at the first location upon receiving the first command signal, and configured to record the location information of the first location before further driving the second moving apparatus to move the secondary robot to any second location in the target zone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The cleaning robot of claim 4, further comprising a first power supply having a first charge capacity in the primary robot and a second power supply having a second charge capacity in the secondary robot, the first charge capacity being substantially larger than the second charge capacity;
wherein the second controller is configured to generate a second command signal based on readout of a current power capacity of the second power supply below a first threshold value and to control the second communication module to transmit the second command signal to the first communication module.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein, upon receiving the second command signal at the first communication module, the first controller is configured to maintain the secondary robot at the docking position in the chamber and control the first power supply to charge the second power supply until the readout of the current power capacity of the second power supply is above a second value, the second value being greater than the first threshold value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein the second controller is configured to generate a third command signal based on readout of the current power capacity of the second power supply below a third value, the third value being less than the first threshold value; or based on a sensed value indicating that the second cleaning task is finished and to control the second communication module to transmit the third command signal to the first communication module.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein a surface of the second end distal to the floor surface is a curve surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The cleaning robot of claim 8, wherein an angle between the surface of the door panel distal to the floor surface and the floor surface is substantially equal to or less than 14 degrees.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary robot includes multiple secondary robots, each of the multiple secondary robots is characterized by a series of character parameters comprising a shape, a size, and a code representing one or more cleaning functions; and
the first controller is configured to calculate a matching degree parameter based on a comparison between the plurality of environmental parameters associated with the target zone and the series of character parameters of each of the multiple secondary robots, and to control the first communication module to transmit the first command signal to a second communication module of a corresponding one of the multiple secondary robots having the highest matching degree parameter indicating a closest matching between the plurality of environmental parameters associated with the target zone and the series of character parameters.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the first communication module and the second communication module are configured to communicate via one or more of Radio, Wireless, and GPS technologies selected from one of a group of Bluetooth™, Infrared, Zigbee™, GRPS, and WI-FI™ or a combination thereof.

### Claim 12

A cleaning robot comprising:
a primary robot comprising a first controller configured to control a plurality of first sensors, a first communication module, a first moving apparatus, and a first cleaning assembly; and
at least one secondary robot comprising a second controller configured to control a plurality of second sensors, a second communication module, a second moving apparatus, and a second cleaning assembly;
wherein the plurality of first sensors are configured to collect a plurality of environmental parameters associated with a target zone inaccessible to the primary robot;
the first controller is configured to drive the first moving apparatus and the first cleaning assembly to perform a first cleaning task outside the target zone, to generate a first command signal based on the plurality of environmental parameters, and to control the first communication module to transmit the first command signal to the second communication module; and
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to have a secondary robot moving into the target zone and operate the second cleaning assembly of the secondary robot to perform a second cleaning task inside the target zone, upon receiving the first command signal from the second communication module;
wherein the primary robot further comprises a chamber configured for holding the at least one secondary robot;
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to have a secondary robot released from the chamber into the target zone;
the chamber comprises a door panel having a first end coupled to a shaft and configured to rotate around the shaft and a second end;
the first controller is configured to open the door panel of the chamber such that the door panel rotates relative to a shaft till the second end touching a floor surface at a first location while controlling the first communication module to transmit the first command signal to the second communication module, and configured to record a location information of the first location; and
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to have the secondary robot released from a docking position in the chamber via the door panel onto the floor surface at the first location upon receiving the first command signal, and configured to record the location information of the first location before further driving the second moving apparatus to move the secondary robot to any second location in the target zone;
wherein the cleaning robot further comprises a first power supply having a first charge capacity in the primary robot and a second power supply having a second charge capacity in the secondary robot, the first charge capacity being substantially larger than the second charge capacity;
the second controller is configured to generate a second command signal based on readout of a current power capacity of the second power supply below a first threshold value and to control the second communication module to transmit the second command signal to the first communication module; and
the second controller is configured to generate a third command signal based on readout of the current power capacity of the second power supply below a third value, the third value being less than the first threshold value; or based on a sensed value indicating that the second cleaning task is finished and to control the second communication module to transmit the third command signal to the first communication module;
wherein, upon receiving the third command signal at the first communication module, the first controller is configured to drive the first moving apparatus to move the primary robot back to the first location based on the recorded location information in the first controller and open the door panel of the chamber so that the door panel rotates relative to the shaft to have one end touching the floor surface at the first location; and
the second controller is configured to drive the second moving apparatus to move the secondary robot from any second location to the first location based on the recorded location information in the second controller.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The cleaning robot of claim 12, wherein the first controller is further configured to control the plurality of first sensors to collect a plurality of environment parameters associated with the secondary robot moving from the floor surface at the first location onto the door panel, and to control the door panel gradually rotating towards the chamber based on the plurality of environment parameters indicating the secondary robot at a predetermined position of the door panel while moving towards the docking position in the chamber.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The cleaning robot of claim 13, wherein the second controller is further configured to control the plurality of second sensors to collect a plurality of environment parameters associated with a relative orientation of the primary robot and the secondary robot, to calculate an offset for a current moving path of the secondary robot, and to adjust moving direction of the secondary robot based on the offset.

### Claim 15

A method of operating a cleaning robot comprising a primary robot and a secondary robot, comprising:
sensing a target zone via a plurality of first sensors to collect a plurality of environment parameters;
determining that the primary robot is larger than the target zone, and transmitting a first command signal to the secondary robot;
receiving the first command signal by the secondary robot;
releasing the secondary robot from a docking position in the primary robot upon receiving the first command signal by the secondary robot;
performing a second cleaning task by the secondary robot in the target zone;
recording location information in the secondary robot, the location information including a first location of releasing the secondary robot from the primary robot; and
determining whether a power capacity available to the secondary robot is smaller than or equal to a second threshold capacity;
wherein based on a determination that the second threshold capacity is smaller than a first threshold capacity, the method further comprises:
sending a third command signal to the primary robot; and
moving the secondary robot from any location in the target zone back to the first location after sending the third command signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
upon receiving the first command signal by the secondary robot, determining whether a power capacity available to the secondary robot is larger than a first threshold capacity to operate the secondary robot to perform the second cleaning task in the target zone;
wherein, based on a determination that the power capacity available to the secondary robot is smaller than or equal to the first threshold capacity, the method further comprises:
sending a second command signal to the primary robot;
charging the secondary robot retained in a chamber of the primary robot; and
performing a first cleaning task by the primary robot outside the target zone.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
recording the location information in the primary robot, the location information including the first location of releasing the secondary robot from the primary robot;
receiving the third command signal by the primary robot; and
moving the primary robot back to the first location upon receiving the third command signal by the primary robot.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the primary robot comprises a chamber, the method further comprising:
sensing by the secondary robot that the primary robot returns to the first location while the secondary robot is moving back to the first location; and
moving the secondary robot back into the chamber if the primary robot is at the first location.