Autonomous coverage robot navigation system

• Main Authors: Ozick, Daniel N, Okerholm, Andrea M, Won, Chikyung, Mammen, Jeffry W, Halloran, Michael J, Sandin, Paul E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 13.11.2019
• Subjects: COFFEE MILLS; CONTROLLING; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; FURNITURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRANSMISSION; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR

A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot (100,212,302) between bounded areas. A navigation beacon (150,202,203,304) is positioned in a gateway (210) between adjoining first and second bounded areas (204;206). The beacon is configured to transmit a gateway marking emission (208) across the gateway. The coverage robot (100,212,302) is placed within the first bounded area and autonomously traverses the first bounded area (204) in a cleaning mode. Upon encountering the gateway marking emission in the gateway, the robot remains in the first bounded area (204), thereby avoiding migration into the second area (206). Upon termination of the cleaning mode in the first area (204), the robot autonomously initiates a migration mode to move through the gateway (210), past the beacon (150,202,203,304), into the second bounded area (206).