Back to results
US 10,481,607 B2Granted
Systems and methods for robotic garbage container delivery
OwnerAlan Dumitrasinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robotic garbage unit can include a garbage container, a robotic drive system, and sensors. The robotic garbage unit can determine a travel path and drive along the travel path to get to a garbage pickup location. The robotic garbage unit can detect a garbage pickup event based on garbage sensors. When a garbage pickup event is detected, the robotic garbage unit determines a travel path to a docking station and drives to the docking station. The robotic garbage unit can avoid obstructions while traveling by adjusting a travel path.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a garbage container comprising a bottom and four sides;
- a robotic drive system configured to transport the garbage container;
- at least one proximity detection sensor configured to sense a distance and a direction of objects within a proximity of the robotic drive system;
- and
- at least one garbage sensor configured to determine a quantitative measurement of an amount of garbage in the garbage container based at least in part on a distance measurement between a first reference point for the garbage container and a second reference point associated with the amount of garbage.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a robotic drive system;
- and
- at least one computing device communicably connected to the robotic drive system, the at least one computing device being configured to at least:
- cause the robotic drive system to transport a garbage container to be proximate to a first location, the first location being designated for garbage pickup on a predefined frequency;
- detect, via at least one garbage sensor, that an amount of garbage in the garbage container has been reduced based at least in part on a distance measurement between a first reference point for the garbage container and a second reference point associated with the amount of garbage;
- in response to detecting the amount of garbage is reduced, determine a second location of a docking station;
- cause the robotic drive system to transport the garbage container to be proximate to the second location;
- and
- cause the robotic drive system to electrically couple with the docking station.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- detecting a garbage pickup event based at least in part on a detection, via a garbage sensor, of a change of a level of garbage in a garbage container with respect to a reference point on the garbage container;
- identifying a first location of a robotic drive system;
- identifying a second location of a robotic docking station;
- generating a travel path to travel from the first location to the second location;
- in response to detecting the garbage pickup event, transporting, via the robotic drive system, the garbage container along the travel path;
- determining that the robotic drive system is proximate to the robotic docking station;
- and
- initiating a docking sequence to electrically couple the robotic drive system with the robotic docking station.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.