IP Library Granted Patent US 11,278,176
Granted Patent B2
US 11,278,176 · App. 16/123,994 · Granted Mar 22, 2022

Scheduling system for autonomous robots

Inventors: Qunxi Huang (Somerville, MA); Chris Lee (Bedford, MA); Domingos Neves (Bedford, MA); Ryan Lesko (Bedford, MA); Manuel Medina (Bedford, MA)
Assignee: iRobot Corporation
A47L11/4061G05D1/0027G05D1/0088G06F3/04847A47L2201/04G05D2201/0203
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,278,176
App. No.
16/123,994
Granted
Mar 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot includes receiving, at a handheld computing device, a first input representing a first set of cleaning schedule parameters for a first cleaning schedule for the autonomous cleaning robot, the first cleaning schedule corresponding to a first area. The method includes presenting, on a display of the handheld computing device, the first cleaning schedule. The method includes receiving, at the handheld computing device, a second input representing a second set of cleaning schedule parameters for a second cleaning schedule for the autonomous cleaning robot, the second cleaning schedule corresponding to a second area different from the first area. The method includes presenting, on the display, the first and second cleaning schedules, and initiating a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot, based on the first or second cleaning schedules, the transmission including data for causing the robot to initiate a cleaning mission.

Claims (33)

1. A method of operating at least one autonomous cleaning robot, the method comprising:

receiving, at a handheld computing device, a first input representing a first cleaning schedule for the at least one autonomous cleaning robot, the first cleaning schedule comprising a first set of rooms;

presenting, on a display of the handheld computing device, the first cleaning schedule;

receiving, at the handheld computing device, a second input representing a second cleaning schedule for the at least one autonomous cleaning robot, the second cleaning schedule being different from the first cleaning schedule and comprising a second set of rooms;

presenting, on the display of the handheld computing device, the second cleaning schedule and the first cleaning schedule, a first single user control associated with the first cleaning schedule and a second single user control associated with the second cleaning schedule; and

initiating a transmission to the at least one autonomous cleaning robot, based on the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule, the transmission comprising data for causing the at least one autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a cleaning mission.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one room in the second set of rooms is different from the first set of rooms.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning schedule and the second cleaning schedule are scheduled for the same day.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning schedule presented on the display is selectable to activate or deactivate the first cleaning schedule.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule and the second cleaning schedule is selectable to be activated in a recurring manner.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule and the second cleaning schedule is selectable to be activated for a single instance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule comprises selectable rooms for cleaning by the at least one autonomous cleaning robot.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule comprises a selection to clean all of the first or the second set of rooms during the cleaning mission.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule comprises selectable floors for cleaning by the at least one autonomous cleaning robot.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the transmission to the at least one autonomous cleaning robot is based on a user input to activate the first cleaning schedule via the first single user control, or to activate the second cleaning schedule via the second single user control.

11. A handheld computing device comprising:

one or more input devices configured to:

receive a first input representing a first cleaning schedule for at least one autonomous cleaning robot, the first cleaning schedule comprising a first set of rooms;

receive a second input representing a second cleaning schedule for the at least one autonomous cleaning robot, the second cleaning schedule being different from the first cleaning schedule and comprising a second set of rooms;

a display; and

a processor configured to:

present, on the display, the first cleaning schedule, the second cleaning schedule, a first single user control associated with the first cleaning schedule, and a second single user control associated with the second cleaning schedule;

and

initiate a transmission to the at least one autonomous cleaning robot, based on the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule, the transmission comprising data for causing the at least one autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a cleaning mission.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one room in the second set of rooms is different from the first set of rooms.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first cleaning schedule and the second cleaning schedule are scheduled for the same day.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first cleaning schedule presented on the display is selectable to activate or deactivate the first cleaning schedule.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule and the second cleaning schedule is selectable to be activated in a recurring manner.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule and the second cleaning schedule is selectable to be activated for a single instance.

17. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule comprises selectable rooms for cleaning by the at least one autonomous cleaning robot.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule comprises a selection to clean all of the first or the second set of rooms during the cleaning mission.

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first cleaning schedule or the second cleaning schedule comprises selectable floors for cleaning by the at least one autonomous cleaning robot.

20. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate the transmission to the at least one autonomous cleaning robot based on a user input to activate the first cleaning schedule via the first single user control, or to activate the second cleaning schedule via the second single user control.

Assignments (5)
NOTICE OF ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Nov 25, 2025
From: TCG SENIOR FUNDING L.L.C., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SANTRUM HONG KONG CO., LIMITED, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073707/0516 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2023
From: IROBOT CORPORATION
To: TCG SENIOR FUNDING L.L.C., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064532/0856 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2023
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: IROBOT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064430/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: IROBOT CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061878/0097 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2018
From: HUANG, QUNXI; LEE, CHRIS; NEVES, DOMINGOS; LESKO, RYAN; MEDINA, MANUEL
To: IROBOT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047271/0888 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200077863A1 · Mar 12, 2020
Cited By (14)
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