# US 11,111,687 B2 · Pool cleaning robot with a detachable sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,111,687 B2 - Document ID: US11111687B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/747,576 - Filed: 2020-01-21 - Published: 2020-05-14 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-13 - Assignees: Maytronics Ltd. - Applicants: Maytronics Ltd. - Inventors: Shay Witelson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111687B2 ## CPC - E04H 4/1654: {Self-propelled cleaners} - B25J 3/00: Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements - B25J 11/0085: {Cleaning} - 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 1/0027: {involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00)} - G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface} - G05D 1/0295: {by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet} - G05D 1/10: Simultaneous control of position or course in three dimensions (G05D1/12 takes precedence) - Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - 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 - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A pool cleaning robot that may include a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pool cleaning robot comprising a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing by a locking and unlocking mechanism. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing in a magnetic manner. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing in an electrostatic manner. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is an optical sensor that comprises: at least one light source that illuminates an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; a detector able to generate, based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; and a processor arranged to receive the detection signals and to determine a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is an acoustic sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a motion sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a laser wall recognition device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a heading direction measurement sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is an impact sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 whereby a detachable sensor comprises a detachable module. ### Claim 12 A method for cleaning a pool, the method comprises receiving by a pool cleaning robot a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; and cleaning at least one region of the pool by the pool cleaning robot; and wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing in a magnetic manner. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12 comprising illuminating by at least one light source of the detachable sensor an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; generating, by a detector of the detachable sensor based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; receiving by a processor of the detachable sensor the detection signals; and determining by the processor, a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 14 A pool cleaning robot comprising a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; wherein the detachable sensor is selected out of (a) an acoustic sensor, (b) a motion sensor, (c) a heading direction measurement sensor, and (d) an optical sensor that comprises: at least one light source that illuminates an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; a detector able to generate, based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; and a processor arranged to receive the detection signals and to determine a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 15 A pool cleaning robot comprising a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; wherein the detachable sensor comprises a detachable module. ### Claim 16 A method for cleaning a pool, the method comprises receiving by a pool cleaning robot a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; and cleaning at least one region of the pool by the pool cleaning robot; wherein the method further comprises illuminating by at least one light source of the detachable sensor an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; generating, by a detector of the detachable sensor based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; receiving by a processor of the detachable sensor the detection signals; and determining by the processor, a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot.