Algorithm for a pool cleaner
AssigneePentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
InventorsKevin J. Braidic, John Rotundo, Daniel B. Freve, William Sowerwine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pool cleaner control system is provided. The pool cleaner control system includes a pool cleaner having an imaging device and a controller. The imaging device is configured to acquire at least one image of an aquatic environment. The controller is in communication with the imaging device. The controller identifies candidate debris from the at least one image, analyzes at least two potential candidate debris-containing pathways, and determines which of the at least two potential candidate debris-containing pathways is an optimal cleaning pathway.
Claims20
A pool cleaner control system, comprising:
- a pool cleaner including an imaging device and a controller, the imaging device configured to acquire at least one image of an aquatic environment, the controller in communication with the imaging device, wherein the controller identifies candidate debris from the at least one image, analyzes at least two potential candidate debris-containing pathways, and determines which of the at least two potential candidate debris-containing pathways is an optimal cleaning pathway based on a degree to which the pool cleaner must angularly deviate from a current trajectory in order to follow a particular candidate debris-containing pathway.
A method of determining a path for a pool cleaner including an imaging device, the method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring one or more images in an aquatic environment using the imaging device;
- filtering out spots created by water surface movement from the one or more images;
- analyzing the one or more images to identify debris;
- identifying at least two potential debris-containing pathways in the aquatic environment based on the identified debris;
- determining which of the at least two potential debris-containing pathways is an optimal cleaning pathway;
- and
- navigating the pool cleaner to remove the debris along the optimal cleaning pathway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.