IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,737,631
Granted Patent B2
US 11,737,631 · App. 17/467,649 · Granted Aug 29, 2023

Electrical connection for robot vacuum lid

Inventors: Travis James Gschrey (Billerica, MA); Eric Burbank (Lexington, MA); Oliver Lewis (Waltham, MA); Milan Modh (Waltham, MA); Sophia Wennstedt (Bedford, MA)
Assignee: iRobot Corporation
A47L11/4002A47L9/2805A47L9/2842A47L9/2852A47L11/4011H01R13/2428H01R13/2464H01R13/502H01R33/74A47L2201/04A47L2201/06H01R13/03
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,737,631
App. No.
17/467,649
Granted
Aug 29, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides, in one aspect, method of controlling an autonomous cleaning robot, the method comprising: navigating the autonomous cleaning robot to a docking station; sensing that the autonomous cleaning robot is navigating to the docking station; increasing a vacuum power of a vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot to reduce an amount of debris from an airflow channel proximate to an inlet of a cleaning bin disposed in the autonomous cleaning robot; and then decreasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot.

Claims (39)

1. A method of controlling an autonomous cleaning robot, the method comprising:

navigating the autonomous cleaning robot to a docking station;

sensing that the autonomous cleaning robot is navigating to the docking station;

increasing a vacuum power of a vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot to reduce an amount of debris from an airflow channel proximate to an inlet of a cleaning bin disposed in the autonomous cleaning robot; and

then decreasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous cleaning robot moves to the docking station as the autonomous cleaning increases the vacuum power.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly occurs when the robot is docked at the docking station.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly occurs before docking at the docking station is completed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increased vacuum power corresponds to a motor speed between 20,000 rpm and 24,000 rpm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increased vacuum power is corresponds to a motor speed of approximately 22,000 rpm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the vacuum power occurs during a time interval between approximately 5 seconds and 15 seconds.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the time interval is approximately 10 seconds.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the vacuum power is initiated before the autonomous cleaning robot contacts the docking station.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the vacuum power is initiated after the autonomous cleaning robot contacts the docking station.

11. A method of controlling a mobile cleaning robot including a vacuum assembly and a cleaning bin, the method comprising:

determining that the mobile cleaning robot is navigating to a docking station;

then increasing a vacuum power of the vacuum assembly to increase flow through an airflow channel located near an inlet of the cleaning bin; and

then decreasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly of the mobile cleaning robot.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile cleaning robot;

wherein determining that the mobile cleaning robot is navigating to a docking station is based on the determined location of the mobile cleaning robot.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the location of the mobile cleaning robot is performed using a mapping system.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining that the mobile cleaning robot has contacted the docking station; and

then decreasing the vacuum power after the mobile cleaning robot contacts the docking station after the vacuum power has been increased in response to determining that the robot is navigating to the docking station.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the mobile cleaning robot has contacted the docking station is performed using at least one of the mapping system or a signal from a camera of the mobile cleaning robot.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

extracting debris from a shelf of the airflow channel into the cleaning bin when the vacuum power is increased in response to determining that the robot is navigating to the docking station.

17. A method of controlling a mobile cleaning robot including a vacuum assembly and a cleaning bin, the method comprising:

determining that the mobile cleaning robot is navigating to a docking station;

in response, increasing a vacuum power of the vacuum assembly through an airflow channel located near an inlet of the cleaning bin; and

then extracting debris from a shelf of the airflow channel into the cleaning bin when the vacuum power is increased.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile cleaning robot using a mapping system;

wherein determining that the mobile cleaning robot is navigating to a docking station is based on the determined location of the mobile cleaning robot.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, after the increasing the vacuum power of the vacuum assembly through the airflow channel located near the inlet of the cleaning bin:

determining that the mobile cleaning robot has contacted the docking station using the mapping system; and

decreasing the vacuum power in response to determining that the mobile cleaning robot has contacted the docking station.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the increased vacuum power corresponds to a motor speed between 20,000 rpm and 24,000 rpm, and wherein increasing the vacuum power occurs during a time interval between approximately 5 seconds and 15 seconds.

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 19, 2021
From: GSCHREY, TRAVIS JAMES; BURBANK, ERIC; LEWIS, OLIVER; MODH, MILAN; WENNSTEDT, SOPHIA
To: IROBOT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057832/0565 →
Continuity (2)
Division 16236694 · Dec 31, 2018
Related Publication 20220022714A1 · Jan 27, 2022