Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2003-09-02
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S253000, C700S254000, C700S255000, C700S258000, C700S262000, C700S302000, C318S568120, C318S580000, C318S581000, C318S587000, C180S167000, C180S168000, C180S169000, C180S211000, C701S001000, C701S050000, C701S213000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615108
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to autonomous robots generally and to autonomous robots which move through an area in particular.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Autonomous robots are known in the art and have been implemented as household appliances, such as a lawnmower or a vacuum cleaner. These household appliances operate by moving about an area to be processed such that the entire area is covered by the end of the operation.
Reference is now made to
FIGS. 1A and 1B
, which illustrate the operation of one exemplary autonomous robot, described in U.S patent application (Ser. No.) 08/554,691, filed Nov. 7, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,793, and assigned to the common assignees of the present invention. U.S. patent application (Ser. No.) 08/554,691 is incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 1A
illustrates the area in which the robot
10
operates and
FIG. 1B
illustrates the elements, in block diagram form, of robot
10
.
The autonomous robot
10
operates within an area marked with boundary markers
12
A. If there are fixed obstacles
14
in the area, such as flower beds, trees, columns, walls, etc., these obstacles are rimmed with further boundary markers
12
B. The boundary markers
12
can be of any suitable type, such as an electrified wire, bar coded posts, a radioactive posts, etc. The term “marker” will be used herein for both posts and wires.
As shown in
FIG. 1B
, the robot
10
includes a navigation system
20
which receives data from an edge sensor
22
which senses when the robot
10
approaches a boundary marker
12
where, if the marker is a continuous wire, the term “marker” indicates the section of the wire near the current location of the robot. The navigation system
20
also receives data from an odometer
24
which measures the distance the robot
10
has moved and a compass
26
which measures the current location of the robot
10
.
Initially, the robot
10
is placed within the area to be covered. The robot
10
moves toward the boundary (if it did not begin near it) and then, as indicated by arrows
32
, moves along the boundary, following the boundary markers
12
. During this process, the robot
10
uses the location information from the compass to produce a map
28
(
FIG. 1B
) of the area to be covered.
Once the map is complete, the robot
10
moves about the area to be covered. Whenever it approaches a boundary marker
12
, as sensed by the edge sensor
22
, the robot
10
changes direction and continues until it reaches another boundary marker
12
. If the boundary marker
12
appeared close to, but not at, its expected position, navigation system
20
updates the map
28
to match the new information.
If the boundary marker
12
is sensed substantially within the area, as determined by a comparison of the output of the compass
26
and the information in the map
28
, the boundary marker
12
must be one which surrounds the obstacle
14
. The robot
10
changes direction and continues until it reaches another boundary marker
12
. The robot
10
moves about the area to be covered until it has determined that all sections of the map
28
have been covered.
However, it will be appreciated that creating the map
28
of the shape of the area to be covered is time consuming. Due to the inaccuracies of the compass
26
and odometer
24
, it is also typically error prone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicants have realized that, if the robot works systematically within the area to be covered, there is no need to create the map.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an autonomous robot, for performing area coverage, which does not create a map of the area to be covered.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a robotic system for systematically moving about an area to be covered. The system includes at least one boundary marker located along the outer edge of the area to be covered, a robot with a navigation system and a sensor unit. The navigation system navigates the robot in generally straight, parallel lines from an initial location and turns the robot when the robot encounters one of the boundary markers, thereby to systematically move about the area to be covered. The sensor unit senses proximity to one of the at least one boundary marker.
Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit includes a unit for indicating proximity to an obstacle within the area to be covered and the navigation system includes a unit for turning the robot when the unit for indicating indicates proximity to an obstacle.
Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the unit for indicating is either a contact sensor or a proximity sensor.
Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system includes a unit for counting the number of laps need to cover the area between an obstacle and a boundary marker.
Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system includes at least one obstacle marker located along the outer edge of the obstacle.
Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one boundary marker is an electrified wire receiving a first signal and the at least one obstacle marker is an electrified wire receiving a second signal.
Alternatively, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one boundary marker is a post having a first bar code and the at least one obstacle marker is a post having a second bar code.
There is also provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a robotic system for systematically moving about an area to be covered. The system includes at least one boundary marker located along the outer edge of the area to be covered, at least one obstacle marker located along the outer edge of an obstacle within the area to be covered, a robot for moving about the area to be covered and a sensor unit for sensing proximity to the boundary and obstacle markers and for differentiating between the boundary and obstacle markers.
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Robotic & Automation at Lulea University, Robots at the robotics deparmetn, no date, Internet, pp. 1-2.*
Hicks et al., A survey of robot lawn mowers, 2000, Internet, pp. 1-8.*
Irigoyen et al., RoboMow evaluation, 2000, Internet, pp. 1-9.*
Chandler et al., The next generation autonomous lawn mower, 2000, Internet, p. 1.*
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Ehud Peless et al.,Navigation Method and System for Lawn Mowers and Other Autonomous Machines, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/
Abramson Shai
Friedman Ronen
Peleg Ilan
Peless Ehud
Cuchlinski, Jr. William A
F. Robotics Acquisitions Ltd.
Marc McDieunel
Polsinelli Shalton & Welte
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