Method and system for controlling a mobile robot

1. A method for operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:

collecting range data of one or more objects in an environment around the robot;

identifying uniquely identifiable ones of the objects as navigation landmarks;

storing a reference map of the navigation landmarks based on the collected range data;

establishing a list or sequence of way points for the robot to visit, each way point defined with reference to one or more landmarks;

reading a message on a tag posted at or near one or more way points; and

managing a task based on the read message.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the message on the tag from a library of messages or tags for a corresponding way point to control a corresponding task for execution at the corresponding way point or a later way point.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

changing the message on the tag to change one or more corresponding tasks to be managed.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

adding an additional later way point to the sequence of way points via a message at or near an earlier way point.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

deleting a later way point from the sequence of way points via a message at or near an earlier way point.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a safety event or an intrusion event;

interrupting the performance of a task or navigation to the next way point to generate an alarm transmission.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting the generated alarm via a wireless communications network to a communications device.

8. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:

detecting thermal variation associated with an open door or open window as the intrusion event.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tag comprises a tag selected from the group consisting of an optical tag, a radio frequency tag, a radio frequency identifier, an RFID, a bar code, a uniform product code, an image on a display, a pattern on a display, and a message on a display.

10. A system for operating a mobile robot, the system comprising:

a range finder for collecting range data of one or more objects in an environment around the robot;

a discriminator for identifying uniquely identifiable ones of the objects as navigation landmarks;

a data storage device for storing a reference map of the navigation landmarks based on the collected range data;

a data processor for establishing a list or sequence of way points for the robot to visit, each way point defined with reference to one or more of the navigation landmarks;

a reader for reading a message on a tag posted at or near one or more way points; and

a task manager for managing a task based on the read optical message.

11. The system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a selector for selecting the message on the tag from a library of messages or tags for a corresponding way point to control a corresponding task for execution at the corresponding way point or a later way point.

12. The system according to claim 10 further comprising:

the data processor arranged to add an additional later way point to the established sequence of way points via a message received at an earlier way point.

13. The system according to claim 10 further comprising:

the data processor arranged to delete a later way point from the established sequence of way points via a message received at an earlier way point.

14. The system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a detector for detecting a security event or an intrusion event;

a task manager for interrupting the performance of a task or navigation to the next way point to generate an alarm transmission based the intrusion event or the security event.

15. The system according to claim 14 further comprising:

a mobile wireless communications device for transmitting the generated alarm transmission via a wireless communications network to a station wireless communications device.

16. The system according to claim 14 further comprising:

a thermal sensor for detecting thermal variation associated with an open door or window as the intrusion event.

17. The system according to claim 10 wherein the tag comprises a tag selected from the group consisting of an optical tag, a radio frequency tag, a radio frequency identifier, an RFID, a bar code, a uniform product code, an image on a display, a pattern on a display, and a message on a display.