US 12,579,677 B1Granted

Remote distance estimation system and method

AssigneeAI Incorporated

InventorsAli Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia, Lukas Robinson

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Abstract

Included is a method for estimating distance, including: emitting, with at least one light emitter disposed on a robot, a light structure onto objects; capturing, with at least one image sensor disposed on the robot, images of the light structure emitted onto the objects; identifying, with a processor, the light structure within the images; determining, with the processor, positions of elements of the light structure within the images; determining, with the processor, a characteristic relating to the objects based on positions of elements of the light structure within the images; determining, with the processor, an object class of at least one object within the images based on a comparison between features of the object extracted from the images and an object dictionary comprising various object classes and their associated features; and instructing, with the processor, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object class identified.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A robot, comprising:

a chassis;
a set of wheels;
a plurality of sensors;
a LIDAR disposed above a top surface of the robot;
a processor;
and
a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor of the robot effectuates operations comprising:
capturing, with the LIDAR, distance readings to objects within an environment of the robot at an operating height of the LIDAR;
creating, with the processor of the robot, a digital model based on the distance readings;
devising, with the processor of the robot, a path plan of the robot based on the digital model of the environment;
emitting, with at least one light emitter disposed on a front portion of the robot, a light structure onto objects positioned on a driving surface in front of the robot;
capturing, with an image sensor disposed on the front portion of the robot, images of the environment in front of the robot, wherein the images are captured from a height below a height of the top surface of the robot, the heights being measured from the driving surface of the robot;
identifying, with the processor of the robot, an object type of at least one object captured in the images, wherein different object types comprise at least one of animal bodily waste, shoes, and a cord;
instructing, with the processor of the robot, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object type of the object
determining, with the processor of the robot, a floor type of the driving surface of the robot based on sensor data collected by at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors;
and
actuating, with the processor of the robot, at least one mopping pad to engage or disengage based on the floor type of the driving surface, wherein:
the mopping pad moves in an upwards direction in relation to the driving surface when disengaged and the mopping pad moves in a downwards direction in relation to the driving surface when engaged;
the mopping pad contacts the driving surface when engaged and is free of contact with the driving surface when disengaged;
and
the mopping pad is disengaged when the floor type is carpet.

18 more elements

A memory storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a robot effectuates operations comprising:

capturing, with a LIDAR disposed above a top surface of the robot, distance readings to objects within an environment of the robot at an operating height of the LIDAR;
creating, with the processor of the robot, a digital model of the environment based on the distance readings;
devising, with the processor of the robot, a path plan of the robot based on the digital model of the environment;
emitting, with at least one light emitter disposed on a front portion of the robot, a light structure onto objects positioned on a driving surface in front of the robot;
capturing, with an image sensor disposed on the front portion of the robot, images of the environment in front of the robot, wherein the images are captured from a height below a height of the top surface of the robot, the heights being measured from the driving surface of the robot;
identifying, with the processor of the robot, an object type of at least one object captured in the images, wherein different object types comprise at least one of animal bodily waste, shoes, and a cord;
and
instructing, with the processor of the robot, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object type of the object;
extracting, with the processor of the robot, characteristics of a current room within which the robot is positioned from sensor data collected by at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors;
recognizing, with the processor of the robot, a type of room in the environment based on a comparison between the characteristics of the current room within which the robot is positioned and known characteristics of different types of rooms in the environment;
wherein:
the robot is paired with an application of a communication device configured to:
display the digital model and a battery level;
and
receive at least one input designating;
a schedule of the robot;
a deletion, addition, or modification to the digital model of the environment;
a deletion, addition, or modification of a keep-out zone;
a suction power to use in a subarea;
and
the digital model is stored in memory accessible to the robot during a subsequent operational session.

18 more elements

A method for operating a robot, comprising:

capturing, with a LIDAR disposed above a top surface of the robot, distance readings to objects within an environment of the robot at an operating height of the LIDAR;
creating, with a processor of the robot, a digital model of the environment based on the distance readings;
devising, with the processor of the robot, a path plan of the robot based on the digital model of the environment;
emitting, with at least one light emitter disposed on a front portion of the robot, a light structure onto objects positioned on a driving surface in front of the robot;
capturing, with an image sensor disposed on the front portion of the robot, images of the environment in front of the robot, wherein the images are captured from a height below a height of the top surface of the robot, the heights being measured from the driving surface of the robot;
identifying, with the processor of the robot, the light structure within the images;
determining, with the processor of the robot, positions of elements of the light structure within the images;
determining, with the processor of the robot, a characteristic relating to at least one object based on the positions of elements of the light structure within the images;
determining, with the processor of the robot, the object type of the at least one object based on a comparison between the characteristic of the at least one object extracted from the images and an object dictionary comprising various object types and their associated characteristics;
identifying, with the processor of the robot, the object type of the at least one object captured in the images, wherein different object types comprise at least one of animal bodily waste, shoes, and a cord;
instructing, with the processor of the robot, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object type of the object;
wherein:
the robot is paired with an application of a communication device configured to:
display the digital model and a battery level;
and
receive at least one input designating:
a schedule of the robot;
a deletion, addition, or modification to a digital model of the environment;
a deletion, addition, or modification of a keep-out zone;
a suction power to use in a subarea;
and
the digital model is stored in memory accessible to the robot during a subsequent operational session.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/135,557Filed 17 Apr 2023 · continuation
Priority: 23 Aug 2015
Granted: 17 Mar 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G01S 17/48
Indirect determination of position data: active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other…
G01S 11/12
Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation: using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
G01S 17/46
Systems determining position data of a target: indirect determination of position data
G01S 17/89
Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications: for mapping or imaging

Family

Application62/208,791Us provisional application · filed 23 Aug 2015
Application15/243,783Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Aug 2016
Application15/954,335Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Apr 2018
US 9,972,098 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 15 May 2018
Application62/914,190Us provisional application · filed 11 Oct 2019
Application62/933,882Us provisional application · filed 11 Nov 2019
Application62/942,237Us provisional application · filed 2 Dec 2019
Application62/952,384Us provisional application · filed 22 Dec 2019
Application62/952,376Us provisional application · filed 22 Dec 2019
Application62/986,946Us provisional application · filed 9 Mar 2020
Application16/832,221Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Mar 2020
Application17/344,898Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Jun 2021
US 11,669,994 B1Parent of this continuation
US 11,069,082 B1Parent of this continuation
Application16/832,221Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application15/954,335Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0318493 A1Published application
US 12,579,677 B1This patent

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