US 9,520,731 B2 · Control method for cleaning robots

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a charging station for a cleaning robot. The charging station includes an IR transmitter and a controller. The IR transmitter outputs a first IR light beam, wherein the IR light beam includes a second boundary and a first boundary which is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary. The controller controls the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam. When the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A charging station for a cleaning robot, comprising:

an infrared (IR) transmitter to output a first IR light beam with a scattering angle 2θ, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary, and the IR transmitter is offset at the angle θ to make the first boundary is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary;
and
a controller to control the IR transmitter, wherein when the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output a second IR light beam.

A charging system, comprising:

a charging station, comprising:
an infrared (IR) transmitter to output a first IR light beam with a scattering angle 2θ, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary, and the IR transmitter is offset at the angle θ to make the first boundary is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station;
and
a controller to control the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam;
and
a cleaning robot comprising a light detector to detect the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam, wherein when the light detector detects the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam, the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/768,546Filed 15 Feb 2013 · us provisional application

Priority

TW 101135041 A25 Sep 2012

Published

US 2013/0214727 A122 Aug 2013

Granted

13 Dec 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H02J 7/00
Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from
G05D 1/0242
Using optical position detecting means: using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
A47L 2201/022
Docking stations; Docking operations: recharging of batteries
A47L 2201/04
Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation: automatic control of the travelling…

Control method for cleaning robots

Life of this patent

Control method for cleaning robots

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16