Patent · US Expired

Mobile robots and their control system

US6389329B1 · kind B1 · utility

557Cited by
3References
17Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 26, 2000
Grant dateMay 14, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 26, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/40621
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

System of guidance and positioning relative to a fixed station (1) for an autonomous mobile robot (7) utilizing at least a directional infra-red beam (2′) emitted by the fixed station, the mobile robot being provided with a directional system of detection (10a, 10b) of infra-red emission connected to a microcomputer incorporated in the robot, the robot moving on a work surface in an essentially random manner, the microcomputer (44) including an algorithm able to control the return to fixed station (1) by displacement of the robot (7) towards the direction of emission of said infra-red beam (2′), characterized in that the infra-red beam (2′) is a narrow directional beam and in that the system of detection (10a, 10b) is located on a frame at the center of rotation of the robot (7), oriented in the direction of movement of the robot, precise positioning in the fixed station (1) being carried out by rotation of the machine around a vertical axis according to an algorithm based on the detection of the narrow beam (2′).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.