Control of evacuation stations

Abstract

An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot includes a controller configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations include initiating an evacuation operation so that a blower draws air containing debris from the cleaning robot through an air inlet of the evacuation station and through a tank of the evacuation station and so that a container received by the evacuation station receives at least a portion of the debris drawn from the cleaning robot. The one or more operations include stopping the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value being within a certain range. The pressure value is determined at least in part based on data representing air pressure, and the range is set at least in part based on the number of evacuation operations initiated before the evacuation operation.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of August 29, 2019, application number 201980055516.7, and invention name “Control of Evacuation Station”. Technical Field

[0002] This instruction manual deals with the control of evacuation stations. Background Art

[0003] An autonomous cleaning robot is a robot that can perform a desired cleaning operation (e.g., vacuum cleaning) in an environment without continuous human guidance. The autonomous cleaning robot can automatically dock with an evacuation station to empty its debris bin of debris collected during the cleaning operation. The evacuation station can initiate an evacuation operation in which the debris collected by the robot is sucked into the evacuation station, and the sucked debris can be stored in a container within the evacuation station. During the evacuation operation, the evacuation station can activate the motor of the evacuation station and create a vacuum, thereby sucking the debris collected by the robot into the evacuation station and the container. The evacuation station can terminate the evacuation operation by deactivating the motor. Summary of the invention

[0004] Advantages of the features described in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to, the features described below and elsewhere herein.The systems, devices, methods, and other features described herein may improve the efficiency and performance of a robotic cleaning system including an evacuation station and an autonomous cleaning robot.

[0005] Features described herein can reduce noise in an evacuation station environment. The blower of the evacuation station generates noise when activated, and this noise can propagate into the environment and disturb human users in the environment. The evacuation station can reduce the amount of time the blower is activated, thereby reducing the noise emitted into the environment. Thus, the evacuation station can evacuate debris from an autonomous mobile robot while a user is in the environment without unduly disturbing the user.

[0006] Compared to conventional evacuation stations, the features described herein can allow an evacuation station to more accurately determine when an autonomous cleaning robot is properly evacuated. The evacuation station can use information collected during previous evacuation operations performed by the evacuation station to distinguish between successful evacuation operations and failed evacuation operations. For example, in some embodiments in which the evacuation station includes a sensor capable of generating data indicating the air pressure within the evacuation station, the evacuation station can determine a range of pressure values ​​corresponding to a successful evacuation operation and a range of pressure values ​​corresponding to a failed evacuation operation. These ranges can accurately reflect the success of the evacuation operation because the ranges are adjusted based on information collected during previous evacuation operations (including failed evacuation operations and successful evacuation operations).

[0007] Features described herein may allow an evacuation station to adapt to changing conditions within the flow path of the evacuation station. When the evacuation station performs an evacuation operation, a portion of the flow path in the evacuation station may be blocked due to debris collected during the evacuation operation. For example, a container for collecting debris in the evacuation station may be full of debris, thereby blocking the flow path between the cleaning robot and the blower. Because this blockage increases the air pressure along the flow path, if the pressure value within the static range used by the evacuation station corresponds to a successful evacuation operation, the evacuation station may prematurely indicate that its container is full. The evacuation station described herein can reduce the possibility of prematurely indicating that the container is full by adaptively changing the range of pressure values ​​corresponding to a successful evacuation operation. This can also reduce the amount of waste generated by replacing containers in the evacuation station because the evacuation station can use most of the capacity of each container connected to the evacuation station.

[0008] In addition to adaptively changing the range of pressure values, the features described herein can also allow the evacuation station to adaptively operate the blower in response to changes in pressure conditions at the evacuation station. For example, in response to high pressure values ​​during an evacuation operation, the evacuation station can initiate a blockage clearing behavior designed to clear a blockage that could potentially cause the high pressure value. Thus, the evacuation station can autonomously react to potential blockages within the evacuation station and remedy the blockage during an evacuation operation.

[0009] In one aspect, the invention is characterized in that an evacuation station is used to collect debris from a cleaning robot. The evacuation station includes an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot, a tank pneumatically connected to the air inlet, a blower pneumatically connected to the tank, one or more sensors, and a controller. The tank is configured to receive a container. The blower is configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation. The one or more sensors are configured to generate data indicating the air pressure in the tank during an evacuation operation in the evacuation operation. The controller is configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations include starting an evacuation operation in the evacuation operation so that the blower draws air containing debris through the air inlet and through the tank, and so that the container receives at least a portion of the debris sucked out from the cleaning robot, and stopping the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value within a certain range. The pressure value is determined at least in part based on the data representing the air pressure, and the range is set at least in part based on the number of evacuation operations initiated before the evacuation operation.

[0010] In another aspect, a method includes initiating an evacuation operation during which a blower directs air containing debris from a cleaning robot to an evacuation station, and stopping the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value being within a range. The evacuation operation is one of a plurality of evacuation operations. The pressure value is determined based at least in part on a measured air pressure within the evacuation station. The range is set based at least in part on a number of evacuation operations initiated prior to the evacuation operation.

[0011] In another aspect, features are one or more computer-readable media storing instructions executable by a processing device and, when so executed, causing the processing device to perform operations. The operations performed include initiating an evacuation operation during which a blower directs air containing debris from a cleaning robot to an evacuation station, and stopping the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value being within a range. The evacuation operation is one of a plurality of evacuation operations. The pressure value is determined based at least in part on a measured air pressure within the evacuation station. The range is set based at least in part on a number of evacuation operations initiated prior to the evacuation operation.

[0012] Implementations of evacuation stations and processes may include the examples described below and elsewhere.

[0013] In some embodiments, the evacuation operation is a second evacuation operation. The data indicating the air pressure may be data indicating a second air pressure in the tank during the second evacuation operation. The measured air pressure may be a measured second air pressure within the evacuation station during the second evacuation operation. The one or more operations may also include initiating a first evacuation operation in the evacuation operation before initiating the second evacuation operation, and during which one or more sensors generate data indicating the first air pressure in the tank. The method may also include initiating the first evacuation operation in the evacuation operation before initiating the second evacuation operation. The range may be set at least in part based on the data indicating the first air pressure. In some embodiments, the first evacuation operation and the second evacuation operation are continuous evacuation operations.

[0014] In some embodiments, the range is set based at least in part on a predicted value of the pressure value. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to generate a predicted value of the pressure value using a Kalman filter. In some embodiments, the method or the operations performed further include generating a predicted value of the pressure value using a Kalman filter. In some embodiments, the range is set based at least in part on data indicating uncertainty associated with the predicted value. In some embodiments, the range is set based at least in part on uncertainty associated with the predicted value. In some embodiments, stopping the evacuation operation in response to the pressure value being within the range includes stopping the evacuation operation in response to the pressure value being not greater than an upper threshold of the range, and the upper threshold is greater than the predicted value of the pressure value by an amount proportional to the uncertainty associated with the predicted value. In some embodiments, the data indicating uncertainty corresponds to data indicating a variance associated with the predicted value. In some embodiments, the uncertainty corresponds to a variance associated with the predicted value. The upper threshold may be five to ten times greater than the predicted value of the pressure value by the variance associated with the predicted value. In some embodiments, stopping the evacuation operation in response to the pressure value being outside the range includes stopping the evacuation operation in response to the pressure value being not less than a lower threshold of the range. The lower threshold may be less than the predicted value of the pressure value by an amount proportional to the uncertainty associated with the predicted value.

[0015] In some embodiments, the data indicating the predicted value is data indicating the first predicted value. In some embodiments, the predicted value is the first predicted value. The one or more operations, the method, or the performed operations may also include, after stopping the evacuation operation, in response to the second predicted value being above the container full threshold value, providing a human-perceptible indication of a full state of the container. The second predicted value may be determined based at least in part on the first predicted value and the pressure value.

[0016] In some embodiments, the pressure value is a second pressure value. In some embodiments, the data indicating the air pressure is data indicating the second air pressure. In some embodiments, the measured air pressure is a second measured air pressure. One or more operations, the method, and the operations performed may also include, during the evacuation operation, initiating an evacuation behavior, during which the controller operates the blower at an evacuation power level, and during the evacuation operation and after the evacuation behavior is completed, initiating a blockage clearing behavior, during which the controller operates the blower at an evacuation power level in response to the first pressure value being outside the range. The first pressure value may be determined at least in part based on the first air pressure in the tank during the evacuation behavior. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors are configured to generate data indicating the first air pressure during the evacuation behavior, and the one or more sensors are configured to generate data indicating the second air pressure including a configuration to generate data indicating the second air pressure after completing the blockage clearing behavior. In some embodiments, the second pressure value is determined after completing the blockage clearing behavior. In some embodiments, the configuration of the one or more sensors for generating data indicating the first air pressure includes a configuration for generating data indicating the first air pressure at the end portion of the evacuation behavior. In some embodiments, the measured first air pressure corresponds to the air pressure at the end portion of the evacuation event.

[0017] In some embodiments, the blower is configured to ramp up the power level of the blower to the evacuation power level over a first length of time during the evacuation behavior, and to ramp up the power level of the blower to the evacuation power level over a second length of time during the congestion clearing behavior. The first length of time may be the same as the second length of time. Alternatively, the first length of time may be greater than the second length of time. In some embodiments, the second length of time is 25% to 75% of the first length of time. In some embodiments, the first length of time is between 3 seconds and 10 seconds, and the second length of time is between 0.5 seconds and 4 seconds. In some embodiments, one or more operations, methods, or operations performed also include deactivating the blower before initiating the congestion clearing behavior and after initiating the evacuation behavior.

[0018] In some embodiments, the evacuation operation is a second evacuation operation. In some embodiments, the data indicating the air pressure is data indicating a second air pressure in the tank during the second evacuation operation. In some embodiments, the measured air pressure is a second measured air pressure. In some embodiments, the pressure value is a second pressure value. One or more operations, methods, or performed operations may also include initiating the first evacuation operation. One or more sensors may generate data indicating the first air pressure in the tank. One or more operations, the method, or performed operations may also include providing a human-perceivable indication indicating a failure to evacuate in response to the first pressure value being outside the range. The first pressure value may be determined based at least in part on the first air pressure in the tank.

[0019] In some embodiments, providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being outside the range includes providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being not less than an upper threshold of the range. In some embodiments, providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being not less than an upper threshold of the range includes providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being not less than the upper threshold and the total duration of the first evacuation operation being greater than an amount of time. In some embodiments, the amount of time is between 10 seconds and 1 minute. In some embodiments, providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being not less than an upper threshold of the range includes providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being not less than the upper threshold and the total number of attempts to clear a blockage in the evacuation station being not less than one. In some embodiments, providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being outside the range includes providing a human-perceptible indication in response to the first pressure value being not greater than a lower threshold of the range. In some embodiments, the human-perceptible indication indicates a seal failure in the evacuation station.

[0020] In some embodiments, the container is at least partially formed by a replaceable filter bag.

[0021] In some embodiments, one or more sensors are located within the tank. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include an air pressure sensor. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include a movable plunger configured to contact a wall of the container such that expansion of the wall when the container receives debris causes the plunger to move. In some embodiments, the configuration of the one or more sensors for generating data indicative of air pressure includes the configuration of the one or more sensors for generating data indicating air pressure at an end portion of an evacuation operation. In some embodiments, the measured air pressure corresponds to the air pressure at an end portion of an evacuation operation.

[0022] In some embodiments, one or more sensors are configured to generate data indicating ambient air pressure in the tank, and the pressure value corresponds to the difference between the air pressure and the ambient air pressure. In some embodiments, the one or more operations, methods, or operations performed include measuring the ambient air pressure in the evacuation station, and the pressure value corresponds to the difference between the measured air pressure and the ambient air pressure. In some embodiments, the configuration of the one or more sensors for generating data indicating ambient air pressure in the tank includes a configuration for generating data indicating ambient air pressure when the blower is not operating. In some embodiments, measuring the ambient air pressure includes measuring the ambient air pressure when the blower is inactive. In some embodiments, the one or more operations, methods, or operations performed also include determining the line voltage delivered to the evacuation station during the evacuation operation, and reducing the line voltage to below the maximum allowable line voltage.

[0023] The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a portion of an evacuation station;

[0025] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 A front perspective view of a system of an autonomous mobile robot and an evacuation station;

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A side cross-sectional view of an evacuation station;

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A top perspective view of the upper portion of the evacuation station;

[0028] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a control system for an evacuation station;

[0029] Fig. 6A shows a process for evacuating debris from an autonomous mobile robot, and Figure 6B-6I Shows Fig. 6A Sub-operations of the process;

[0030] Figure 7-10 is a diagram showing an example of data collected during an evacuation operation;

[0031] Figures 11A-11F is a front view of a remote computing device presenting a user notification.

[0032] Like reference numerals and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] An evacuation station of an autonomous cleaning robot may be used to move debris collected by the robot into a container in the evacuation station. The debris may be moved during an evacuation operation, which may occur between cleaning operations of the robot or between portions of a single cleaning operation. During a cleaning operation, the robot may autonomously move over a floor surface and collect debris from the floor surface. The evacuation station is statically located on the floor surface while the robot autonomously moves over the floor surface. After the robot performs a cleaning operation or a portion of a cleaning operation and collects debris, the robot may dock with the evacuation station. With the robot docked with the evacuation station, the evacuation station may generate an air flow that draws debris contained in the robot into a container of the evacuation station, thereby clearing the capacity in the robot's debris bin to collect more debris in another cleaning operation. This allows the robot to perform another cleaning operation or continue a cleaning operation to collect more debris from the floor surface.

[0034] In order to extract debris from the robot, a blower within the evacuation station can be activated to generate an air flow through the evacuation station to move the debris from the robot into the container. In some cases, a blockage or leak can reduce the operating efficiency of the blower because the blockage or leak can cause a flow loss of the air flow between the robot and the evacuation station. Blockages increase air pressure along a portion of the flow path of the air flow, resulting in flow loss, while leaks form parallel flow paths, resulting in flow loss along the flow path between the robot and the evacuation station. Debris collected along the flow path (e.g., in a replaceable container of the evacuation station) may cause blockages. Leaks may be caused by improper docking between the robot and the evacuation station or improper interfaces between the tank and the container of the evacuation station. As described herein, during an evacuation operation, the evacuation station can operate adaptively and predict pressure values ​​based on measured air pressure from previous evacuation operations. The predicted pressure values ​​and measured pressure values ​​can be used to accurately determine whether there is a blockage or leak. The predicted value may also allow the evacuation station to more accurately determine whether the pressure value of the current evacuation operation indicates a successful evacuation or a failed evacuation, thereby allowing the evacuation station to more effectively collect debris from the robot.

[0035] Example System

[0036] Robotic cleaning systems can include evacuation stations and autonomous cleaning robots. Figure 1 The evacuation station 100 includes a housing 101 (such as Figure 1-4). The housing 101 of the evacuation station 100 may include one or more interconnected structures that support various components of the evacuation station 100. These various components include the blower 117 / air flow path system for the air flow generated by the blower 117, and the controller 113.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 , the housing 101 includes a tank 102 and a base 105. Figure 2 In the example shown, the tank 102 corresponds to the top of the evacuation station 100 and is located on top of the base 105. The tank 102 is configured to receive a container for collecting debris from the autonomous cleaning robot. For example, the tank 102 can receive a filter device 103 for debris with a container 104. In some embodiments, the tank 102 is removable from the base 105, while in other embodiments, the tank 102 is integral with the base 105.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 The blower 117 is part of a vacuum system (e.g., including a motor, an impeller, a duct, or a combination thereof) that forces air through the evacuation station 100. The blower 117 of the evacuation station 100 is configured to generate an air flow 116 through the robot, through the evacuation station 100, through the blower 117, and through the exhaust port 125 (at Figure 2 102, and in particular, the interior 130 of the tank 102, such that activation of the blower 117 causes air to be drawn into the blower 117 through the interior 130. For example, the blower 117 may be positioned below the tank 102 in the base 105 of the evacuation station 100, and the evacuation station 100 may include an air flow channel extending from the bottom of the tank 102 to the top of the base 105. To generate the air flow 116, the blower 117 may include an actuator, such as a motor, and an impeller that rotates in response to activation of the actuator.

[0039] Filter device 103 can be received within tank 102, for example, within interior 130 of tank 102. In some embodiments, filter device 103 includes filter bag 106 that at least partially forms container 104. Filter device 103 also includes inlet 108. Inlet 108 is configured to interface with an outlet of one or more conduits of evacuation station 100. For example, one or more conduits of evacuation station 100 include conduit 110, which includes outlet 112 configured to interface with inlet 108.

[0040] The filter bag 106 may be a replaceable filter bag. For example, the filter device 103 may be a replaceable device that can be disposed of after the filter device 103 is full of debris. A new filter device 103 may then be placed in the evacuation station 100 to enable the evacuation station 100 to collect more debris from the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0041] Figure 1 1 shows an evacuation station 100 during an evacuation operation. During the evacuation operation, the controller 113 operates the blower 117 to generate an air flow 116 through the air path of the evacuation station 100. Figure 2 , which shows a system including an evacuation station 100 and an autonomous cleaning robot 200 , the evacuation station 100 performing an evacuation operation when the autonomous cleaning robot 200 docks with the evacuation station 100 .

[0042] The robot 200 can perform cleaning operations in a room, such as a room in a commercial, residential, industrial or other type of building, and collect debris from the floor surface of the room as the robot 200 moves autonomously within the room. The robot 200 includes tools that enable the robot to collect debris from the floor surface. For example, the robot 200 may include a blower 202 that draws air from a portion of the floor surface below the robot 200 and thus draws any debris on the portion of the floor surface into the robot 200. The blower 202 may include an impeller and a motor that can be activated to rotate the impeller to generate an air flow to draw air into the robot 200. The robot 200 may also include one or more rotatable members (not shown) facing the floor surface that engage with the debris on the floor surface and mechanically move the debris into the robot 200. The one or more rotatable members may include a roller, a brush, a flapper brush or other rotatable tools that can engage the debris and guide the debris into the robot 200. Debris collected from the floor surface is directed into a debris bin 204 of the robot 200. A controller 206 of the robot 200 operates a drive system (not shown) of the robot 200, for example, including motors and wheels operable to propel the robot 200 across the floor surface, to enable the robot 200 to navigate within a room to clean different portions of the room.

[0043] During the cleaning operation, the controller 206 may determine that the debris bin 204 is full. For example, the controller 206 may determine that the debris accumulated in the debris bin 204 has exceeded a certain percentage of the total debris capacity of the debris bin 204, for example, more than 70%, 80%, or 90% of the total debris capacity of the debris bin 204. After making such a determination, the controller 206 operates the drive system of the robot 200 to guide the robot 200 toward the evacuation station 100. In some embodiments, the robot 200 includes a sensor system including an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, or other suitable sensor for detecting the evacuation station 100 during navigation of the robot within the room to find the evacuation station 100.

[0044] The evacuation station 100 can perform an evacuation operation to draw debris from the debris bin 204 of the robot 200 into the evacuation station 100. In order for the evacuation station 100 to remove debris from the robot 200, the robot 200 interfaces with the evacuation station 100. For example, the robot 200 can move autonomously relative to the evacuation station 100 to physically dock with the evacuation station 100. In other embodiments, a conduit (not shown) of the evacuation station 100 is manually connected to the robot 200. In order to interface with the evacuation station 100, in some embodiments, the underside of the robot 200 includes an outlet (not shown) that engages with an air inlet 118 of the evacuation station 100, as shown in FIG. 3. The air inlet 118 is configured to interface with the robot 200 and is in pneumatic communication with the tank 102, for example, in pneumatic communication with one or more conduits of the evacuation station 100, which in turn are in pneumatic communication with the interior 130 of the tank 102. The exit of the robot 200 may be located on the bottom side of the debris bin 204 and may be an opening that engages with a corresponding opening of the air inlet 118. The air inlet 118 may be located along a platform 119 of the base 105 that is positioned to receive the robot 200 when the robot 200 is docked with the evacuation station 100. The air inlet 118 may be an opening along the platform 119.

[0045] The robot 200, the evacuation station 100, or both the robot 200 and the evacuation station 100 may include a valve mechanism that opens only when a negative pressure is generated by the blower 117 during an evacuation operation. For example, the valve mechanism (not shown) of the robot 200 may include a door, a shutter, or other openable device that opens only in response to a negative pressure on the bottom side of the debris bin 204 (e.g., a negative pressure generated by the blower 117 of the evacuation station 100).

[0046] When the robot 200 is docked with the evacuation station 100, the debris bin 204 is in pneumatic communication with the blower 117 of the evacuation station 100. Additionally, in some embodiments, the robot 200 is in electrical communication with the evacuation station 100 such that the evacuation station 100 can charge the battery of the robot 200 when the robot 200 is docked with the evacuation station 100. Thus, when docked with the robot 200, the evacuation station 100 can simultaneously evacuate debris from the robot 200 and charge the battery of the robot 200. In other embodiments, the evacuation station 100 charges the battery of the robot 200 only when the evacuation station 100 is not evacuating debris from the robot 200. For example, the evacuation station 100 can charge the battery of the robot 200 after the evacuation operation is completed or before the evacuation operation begins. The evacuation station 100 can sequentially charge the battery of the robot 200 and evacuate debris from the robot 200 to reduce the power load on the electrical components of the evacuation station 100.

[0047] See also Figure 1 During an evacuation operation in which the evacuation station 100 interfaces with the robot 200, the air flow 116 generated by the evacuation station 100 travels through the debris bin 204, through the air flow path of the evacuation station 100, and through the filter device 103 while carrying debris 120 extracted from the robot 200. The air flow path of the evacuation station 100 includes one or more ducts of the evacuation station 100. In addition to including the duct 110, the one or more ducts may also include ducts 122, 124. The duct 122 includes an air inlet 118 of the evacuation station 100 and is connected to the duct 124, which is connected to the duct 110. At this point, the air flow 116 travels through the one or more ducts of the evacuation station 100 by traveling through the duct 122, the duct 124, and the duct 110. The air flow 116 exits the one or more ducts through the outlet 112 and enters the inlet 108 of the filter device 103, and then enters the container 104. The air flow 116 further travels through the walls of the filter bag 106 toward the blower 117. The walls of the filter bag 106 act as a filtering mechanism, separating a portion of the debris 120 from the air flow 116.

[0048] In some embodiments, the evacuation station 100 may include a removable filter (not shown). The filter may be a small particle filter or a fine particle filter. For example, particles between about 0.1 and 0.5 microns in width carried by the air flow 116 after the air flow 116 leaves the filter device 103 are removed by the filter. The filter may be positioned between the filter device 103 and the blower 117. After the air flow 116 leaves the filter device 103 and travels through the filter, the blower 117 directs the air flow 116 out of the evacuation station 100, particularly through the exhaust port 125 (e.g., Figure 2 shown).

[0049] As described herein, the evacuation station 100 may continue to perform evacuation operations until the sensor 126 ( Figure 1 and Figure 3 104 is full. Sensor 126 may be configured to generate data indicating air pressure in the tank during an evacuation operation. For example, sensor 126 may be an air pressure sensor responsive to pressure changes within interior 130 of tank 102 or other changes along a flow path of evacuation station 100.

[0050] The filter device 103 and the container 104 can be disconnected from the evacuation station 100 and removed from the evacuation station 100. Figure 4 , the housing 101 of the evacuation station 100 includes a cover 128 along the tank 102 of the evacuation station 100. The cover 128 covers the interior 130 of the evacuation station 100. The interior 130 can receive the filter device 103. The cover 128 can be in a closed position (such as Figure 3 ) and the open position (as Figure 4 In the open position of lid 128, the filter device can be inserted into interior 130 or can be removed from interior 130. For example, filter device 103 can be placed in the container to connect with one or more conduits of evacuation station 100. In addition, filter device 103 can be disconnected from one or more conduits of the evacuation station and then removed from interior 130, so that a new filter device can be inserted into the container.

[0051] In some embodiments, the duct 110 of the evacuation station 100 can move in response to the movement of the cover 128. For example, when the cover 128 moves from the closed position to the open position, the duct 110 moves so that the outlet 112 of the duct 110 moves into the interior 130. Figure 4 In the retracted position, the outlet 112 of the conduit 110 is recessed in the housing 101. In the protruding position, the conduit 110 protrudes from the housing 101 into the interior 130, so that the outlet 112 moves to the interior 130. In some embodiments, the conduit 110 is connected to the conduit 124 in a manner that allows the conduit 110 to pivot or flex relative to the conduit 124, thereby enabling the conduit 110 to move relative to the housing 101.

[0052] The evacuation station 100 includes a mechanism for triggering such movement of the conduit 110 in response to movement of the cover 128 from the open position to the closed position. For example, the mechanism includes a movable post 132 that translates in response to movement of the cover 128 from the open position to the closed position. A cam (not shown) on the conduit 110 is configured to interface with the movable post 132 so that when the movable post 132 moves in response to movement of the cover 128, the outlet 112 of the conduit 110 moves further into the interior 130. As described herein, the inward movement of the outlet 112 engages the outlet 112 with the inlet 108 of the filter device 103.

[0053] Figure 5 An example of a control system 500 for an evacuation station 100 is shown. The control system 500 includes a controller 113, a vacuum system 502, and a sensor system 504. The controller 113 can execute one or more instructions to perform one or more operations related to the evacuation station 100. For example, the controller 113 can control the operation of the vacuum system 502 and the sensor system 504. In some embodiments, the controller 113 can receive information from the vacuum system 502 and the sensor system 504, that is, the controller 113 can be used to adjust settings to control the vacuum system 502 and the sensor system 504. The vacuum system 502 is operable to generate an air flow through the evacuation station 100. The vacuum system 502 includes, for example, a blower 117. The sensor system 504 includes one or more sensors of the evacuation station 100. The one or more sensors can generate information that can be used by the controller 113. For example, the sensor system 504 can include a sensor 126 that can generate data indicating the air pressure in the evacuation station.

[0054] In some embodiments, the control system 500 may also include other systems for interacting with the robot 200. For example, the control system 500 may include a charging system that transmits energy to the robot 200 to charge the robot 200. The charging system may include electrical contacts that connect to electrical contacts of the robot 200. In some embodiments, the charging system includes a wireless charging device that can charge the robot 200.

[0055] Example Process

[0056] Fig. 6AAn example of a process 600 for controlling an evacuation operation of an evacuation station 100 is shown. In some implementations, the process 600 can be initiated after or in response to the robot 200 docking with the evacuation station 100. As described herein, the process 600 allows the evacuation station 100 to generate an air flow, such as the air flow 116, to draw debris collected in the robot 200 into the container 104 in the evacuation station 100.

[0057] Process 600, its operations and sub-operations may be performed by a controller (e.g., controller 113). In some embodiments, at least some operations of process 600 are performed by other parts of the control system of the evacuation station (e.g., control system 500). Fig. 6A As shown, process 600 includes operations 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, 616, 618, 620, 622. One or more of these operations may include sub-operations, as described herein.

[0058] At operation 602, an evacuation operation is started. The controller 113, for example, initiates the evacuation operation. The evacuation operation may be initiated in response to a request from the robot 200 to initiate the evacuation operation. Alternatively, the evacuation station 100 may detect the presence of the robot 200 at the evacuation station and initiate the evacuation operation in response to detecting the presence of the robot 200. In addition, in some embodiments, before determining the evacuation operation, the evacuation station 100 determines whether a filtering device, such as the filtering device 103, is received in the evacuation station 100. Operations performed during the evacuation operation may include operations between the evacuation operation initiated at operation 602 and the evacuation operation terminated at operation 622. In this regard, after the evacuation operation is initiated, the evacuation station 100 attempts to generate an air flow to suck debris away from the robot 200. During the evacuation operation, the controller 113 or other components of the control system 500 may perform certain operations for generating an air flow through the evacuation station 100 to suck debris from the robot 200.

[0059] At operation 604, a line voltage check is performed. The line voltage check may be performed to reduce the possibility of damage to the blower 117 due to excessive voltage. Operation 604 may be performed before the blower 117 is activated. Figure 6B An example process is shown for operation 604 to perform a line voltage check.

[0060] After the evacuation operation is started at operation 602, the line voltage of the electric wire that delivers energy to the evacuation station 100 is determined at sub-operation 604a. The controller 113 can use a sensor to determine the line voltage. For example, the evacuation station 100 may include a voltage sensor along the electric wire that delivers power to the evacuation station 100. The voltage sensor may generate a signal indicating the voltage in the electric wire. The controller 113 may use the signal generated by the voltage sensor to measure the line voltage. At sub-operation 604b, the line voltage is compared with the maximum allowable voltage. The controller 113 may determine whether the line voltage is greater than the maximum allowable voltage. The maximum allowable voltage may correspond to the voltage specification of the motor of the blower 117. If the line voltage measured at sub-operation 604a is greater than the maximum allowable voltage, then at sub-operation 604c, the line voltage is reduced to a value lower than the maximum allowable voltage. For example, the controller 113 may operate the voltage converter of the evacuation station 100 to maintain the line voltage below the maximum allowable voltage.

[0061] If the line voltage measured at operation 604b is not greater than the maximum allowable voltage, process 600 may continue with subsequent operations. Fig. 6A As shown, an evacuation setup may be performed at operation 606. During the evacuation setup, preliminary measurements may be performed and the controller 113 may be configured to prepare for an evacuation attempt. Figure 6C An example of a process for performing evacuation setup is shown at operation 606. The evacuation setup operation includes sub-operations 606a, 606b, and 606c.

[0062] At sub-operation 606a, the number of evacuation operations is increased. The number of evacuations may correspond to an index of the current evacuation operation. The evacuation station 100 may track the number of evacuation operations, and the tracked number of evacuation operations may be used to predict pressure values, as described herein. The controller 113 may store data indicating the number of evacuation operations, and may increase the number of evacuation operations by modifying the stored data.

[0063] The number of evacuation operations may correspond to the number of evacuation operations since the container was first replaced in the evacuation station 100. For example, the container may be part of a disposable device such as a filter device 103, and the number of evacuation operations may correspond to the number of evacuation operations initiated by the evacuation station 100 since the filter device 103 is connected to the evacuation station 100. In some embodiments, the evacuation station 100 may be manually operated by a user, for example, using a user interface for the evacuation station 100 or using a user device in communication with the evacuation station 100, to reset the number of evacuation operations. In some embodiments, the evacuation station 100 may automatically detect when a new filter device is connected to the evacuation station 100, and may reset the number of evacuation operations to zero in response to detecting that the new filter device is connected.

[0064] At sub-operation 606b, ambient air pressure is measured. Controller 113 may measure ambient air pressure using sensor 126. Ambient air pressure corresponds to ambient air pressure in evacuation station 100, such as in interior 130 of tank 102. Ambient air pressure may also correspond to air pressure in the environment of evacuation station 100. At this point, sensor 126 may generate data indicating ambient air pressure in tank 102. When blower 117 is not working, for example, when the motor of blower 117 is not rotating, ambient air pressure is measured. As described herein, controller 113 may use the measured ambient air pressure to determine a pressure value that is independent of the air pressure in the environment of evacuation station 100, such as in the room where evacuation station 100 is located. For example, the pressure value may be proportional to the difference between the measured air pressure when (i) blower 117 is activated and the ambient air pressure when (ii) blower 117 is not activated. As described herein, the pressure value may be used to control the evacuation operation.

[0065] At sub-operation 606c, the number of evacuation attempts is reset. The number of evacuation attempts corresponds to the number of times the evacuation station 100 performs evacuation actions during the evacuation operation. As described herein, the number of evacuation attempts can be limited in order to limit the amount of time the evacuation station 100 operates, thereby limiting the noise generated by the evacuation station 100. The controller 113 can store the number of previously performed evacuation attempts as data. At sub-operation 606c, the controller 113 resets the number of evacuation attempts to zero.

[0066] After performing the evacuation setup at operation 606, a robot check is performed at operation 608. During the robot check, the controller 113 verifies that the robot 200 is still docked with the evacuation station 100. For example, in some cases, the robot 200 may be removed from the evacuation station 100 after the evacuation operation is initiated at operation 602. The user may manually move the robot 200 relative to the evacuation station 100, or the robot 200 may be inadvertently moved away from the evacuation station 100 such that the robot 200 and the evacuation station 100 are no longer docked with each other.

[0067] Therefore, prior to executing the blower evacuation cycle at operation 612 , the evacuation station 100 may suspend evacuation operations so that the blower 117 of the evacuation station 100 is not activated without the autonomous cleaning robot docked with the evacuation station 100 . Figure 6C An example of a process for performing a robotic inspection is shown at operation 608. Operation 608 includes sub-operations 608a, 608b, 608c, and 608d.

[0068] At sub-operation 608a, the evacuation station 100 listens for queries from the robot 200. For example, the message from the robot 200 may be electrically transmitted through the electrical contacts of the robot 200 and the electrical contacts of the evacuation station 100. In some embodiments, the robot 200 sends the query using a wireless transceiver or wireless transmitter on the robot 200, and the evacuation station 100 receives the query using a wireless transceiver or wireless receiver on the evacuation station 100. The robot 200 may send the query directly to the evacuation station 100. Alternatively, the robot 200 may wirelessly send the query to a remote server in communication with the evacuation station 100, and the evacuation station 100 may receive the query from the remote server. For example, the robot 200 may send the query only when the robot 200 is docked with the evacuation station 100.

[0069] At sub-operation 608b, the evacuation station 100 determines whether a query from the robot 200 is received. The controller 113 may determine whether the query is received within a limited amount of time, such as within 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, or longer. If the query is not received, the evacuation operation is aborted at sub-operation 608c. In some embodiments, the controller 113 may cause a notification to be provided to the user. The notification may indicate that the communication between the robot 200 and the evacuation station 100 has failed. In some embodiments, if the evacuation operation is aborted at sub-operation 608c, the evacuation station 100 causes instructions to be provided to the user to correct the communication failure. For example, the instructions may request the user to replace the robot 200 on the evacuation station 100, or may request the user to operate the robot 200 or the evacuation station 100 in a manner that causes the robot 200 to dock with the evacuation station 100.

[0070] In some embodiments, the instruction may request the user to issue a command to dock the robot 200 with the evacuation station 100, and the robot 200 autonomously moves on the floor surface to dock with the evacuation station 100. In order for the notification or instruction to be provided, the controller 113 may control an indicator device of the evacuation station 100, such as an auditory or visual indicator device of the evacuation station 100. The visual indicator device may include a display, an indicator light, or other device for providing a visual indication to the user. In some embodiments, in order for the notification or instruction to be provided, the controller 113 may cause the user device to provide the notification.

[0071] If the query is received, for example, within a defined amount of time, the status is sent to the robot 200 at sub-operation 608c. The evacuation station 100 may send the status of the evacuation station 100 to the robot 200. The status of the evacuation station 100 may indicate that the evacuation station 100 is ready to evacuate debris from the robot 200. If the query is not received, for example, within a defined amount of time, the evacuation operation is aborted at sub-operation 608d. After aborting the evacuation operation, the evacuation station 100 may be in a standby state until an evacuation process, such as the evacuation process 600, is initiated again.

[0072] At operation 610, an evacuation attempt is performed. During the evacuation attempt, the evacuation station 100 attempts to draw debris from the container 104. To perform the evacuation attempt, the evacuation station 100 initiates an evacuation behavior in which the evacuation station 100 attempts to generate an air flow to draw debris from the container 104 into the evacuation station 100.

[0073] Fig. 6E An example process is shown for performing an evacuation attempt at operation 610. Operation 610 may include sub-operations 610a, 610b, 610c, 610d, 610e, 610f.

[0074] At sub-operation 610a, the number of evacuation attempts is incremented. As described herein, the evacuation station 100 tracks the number of evacuation attempts to limit the amount of time that the blower 117 is activated. The number of evacuation attempts need not necessarily correspond to the number of evacuation operations counted at sub-operation 606a, as multiple evacuation attempts may be performed during a single evacuation operation. As described herein, the maximum number of evacuation attempts that may be performed during a single evacuation operation is set to limit the duration that the evacuation station 100 operates the blower 117.

[0075] At sub-operation 610b, the power level of the blower 117 is ramped up, for example, from a power level of zero. The controller 113 increases the power level of the blower 117 to an evacuation power level. The power level is increased over an amount of time. The amount of time may be, for example, between 3 and 10 seconds, such as between 3 and 7 seconds, between 5 and 10 seconds, about 5 seconds, about 7 seconds, or about 9 seconds.

[0076] At sub-operation 610c, the power level of the blower 117 is maintained at, for example, the power level set at sub-operation 610b. In this regard, the blower 117 may be operated at the evacuation power level during sub-operation 610b. The power level of the blower 117 may be operated at the evacuation power level for a duration. The duration may be, for example, between 3 seconds and 10 seconds, such as between 3 seconds and 7 seconds, between 5 seconds and 10 seconds, about 5 seconds, about 7 seconds, or about 9 seconds.

[0077] At sub-operation 610d, the air pressure is measured. For example, the controller 113 may use the sensor 126 to generate data indicating the air pressure in the tank 102. The air pressure may be measured when the blower 117 is operating at the evacuation power level. The air pressure may be measured before the power level of the blower 117 is reduced from the evacuation power level.

[0078] At sub-operation 610e, a measured pressure value is determined. A portion of the air pressure measured at sub-operation 610d is generated from the ambient air pressure. This pressure value corresponds to a portion of the air pressure generated by the evacuation station 100. The controller 113 can determine the measured pressure value based on the ambient air pressure determined during sub-operation 606b and the air pressure in the tank 102 measured during sub-operation 610d. As described herein, the pressure value can correspond to a difference proportional to the ambient air pressure (measured during sub-operation 606b) and the air pressure in the tank 102 (measured during sub-operation 610d).

[0079] The air pressure measured during sub-operation 610d may be a steady-state air pressure, and thus the measured pressure value may correspond to a steady-state pressure value. Figure 7 A set of exemplary graphs of pressure values ​​measured during several exemplary evacuation operations are shown. In each of these exemplary evacuation operations, the pressure values ​​are measured multiple times during the time period in which the evacuation operation is performed. As shown in these exemplary graphs, for most of the exemplary evacuation operations, the pressure values ​​reach a steady-state value after the first initial portion 700 of the time period. The first initial portion 700 of the time period may include a time period in which the blower 117 is ramped up at operation 610b. In some cases, the initial portion 700 also includes a portion of the time period in which the power level of the blower 117 is maintained at sub-operation 610c.

[0080] Additionally, for most example evacuation operations, the pressure value is at a steady-state value during a second portion 702 of the time period following the first initial portion 700. The second portion 702 of the time period includes the end portion of the time period.

[0081] The power level of blower 117 is typically maintained during a second portion 702 of the time period, such as at operation 610c. In this regard, the pressure value for the evacuation operation may typically be measured during an end portion of the time period in which the evacuation operation is performed such that the pressure value is a steady-state pressure value.

[0082] Return to reference Fig. 6E , at sub-operation 610f, a predicted pressure value is determined. In particular, the pressure value at the end of the time period in which the blower 117 is activated can be predicted by the controller 113, for example, the pressure value at the end of the time period including the sub-operations 610c, 610d. The predicted pressure value can be determined using a statistical model. For example, the controller 113 can use a Kalman filter to predict the pressure value of the current evacuation operation before the container 104 is expected to be full. The expected number of evacuation operations that can be performed before the container 104 is expected to be full can be between 10 and 100 evacuation operations, for example, between 10 and 50 evacuation operations, between 25 and 75 evacuation operations, between 50 and 100 evacuation operations, about 30 evacuation operations, about 50 evacuation operations, or about 70 evacuation operations.

[0083] The controller 113 may further use a Kalman filter to determine an amount of uncertainty in the predicted pressure value. The uncertainty may correspond to a variance, covariance, or other statistical parameter of the variability of the pressure value. The controller 113 may therefore generate data indicating a predicted value of the pressure value and data indicating uncertainty associated with the predicted value of the pressure value. Using a Kalman filter, the controller 113 may determine the predicted pressure value and the amount of uncertainty using previously measured pressure values, such as those measured in previous evacuation operations.

[0084] Controller 113 may be programmed to use initial conditions for the Kalman filter algorithm. These initial conditions may correspond to data collected from an evacuation station using a container similar to container 104. In some embodiments, the initial conditions may be modified based on data collected from evacuation stations of other users.

[0085] Back to Fig. 6AAt operation 612, the evacuation station 100 determines whether the evacuation attempt performed at sub-operation 610 was successful. For example, the controller 113 of the evacuation station 100 determines the success of the evacuation attempt based on the pressure value measured at sub-operation 610e. The success of the evacuation attempt may be further determined based on at least one of the pressure value predicted at sub-operation 610f, the uncertainty determined at sub-operation 610f, or the number of evacuation operations determined at sub-operation 606a.

[0086] In some examples, a range of pressure values ​​is set that indicates a successful evacuation operation. The range of pressure values ​​may vary depending on an index of the current evacuation operation, such as the number of evacuation operations determined at sub-operation 606a. For example, the pressure value predicted at sub-operation 610f may vary depending on the index of the current evacuation operation. In some embodiments, the controller 113 is programmed to use a default range of pressure values ​​for an initial evacuation operation, i.e., when the number of evacuation operations or the evacuation operation index is one. The default range of pressure values ​​may be modified for subsequent evacuation operations based on the mathematical model described with respect to sub-operation 610f.

[0087] For example, if the current evacuation operation occurs after a previous evacuation operation, the pressure value predicted at sub-operation 610f is based at least in part on the pressure value measured during the previous evacuation operation. The previous evacuation operation and the current evacuation operation may be consecutive evacuation operations. In some embodiments, the previous evacuation operation and the current evacuation operation are not consecutive evacuation operations. For example, at least one intervening evacuation operation is performed between the previous evacuation operation and the current evacuation operation. The pressure value predicted for the current evacuation operation at sub-operation 610f may be based at least in part on the pressure values ​​measured in the previous evacuation operation and the at least one intervening evacuation operation.

[0088] The range of pressure values ​​may be defined at least in part by the predicted pressure value and the uncertainty associated with the predicted pressure value. The predicted pressure value may correspond to a value within the range of pressure values, for example, a center value of the range of pressure values. P ) can at least partially define an upper limit (UB) and a lower limit (LB) of the range of pressure values. A pressure value measured at sub-operation 610e that is within the range of pressure values ​​indicates that the evacuation operation is successful. In some embodiments, the measured pressure value is not greater than or less than the upper limit of the range, and not less than or greater than the lower limit of the range, such that the evacuation operation is successful.

[0089] In some embodiments, the upper limit is greater than the predicted pressure value by an amount proportional to the uncertainty, and the lower limit is lower than the predicted pressure value by an amount proportional to the uncertainty. The upper limit may be equal to the sum of the predicted pressure value and the first multiple of the uncertainty (ie, UB = P P +ασ), and the lower limit can be equal to the difference between the predicted pressure value and the second multiple of the uncertainty (i.e., UB = P P -βσ). The multiplier (α) of the first multiple can be a value between 0.5 and 15, between 1 and 5, between 5 and 10, or more, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more, and the multiplier (β) of the second multiple can be a value between 0.5 and 15, between 1 and 5, between 5 and 10, or more, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more. In some embodiments, the multiplier of the first multiple is equal to the multiplier of the second multiple.

[0090] If it is determined that the successful evacuation is successful, then at operation 614, the power level of the blower 117 is maintained for a duration. The duration can be between 1 second and 10 seconds, such as between 1 second and 5 seconds, between 3 seconds and 7 seconds, between 5 seconds and 10 seconds, about 2 seconds, about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, or about 8 seconds. In some embodiments, after maintaining the power level of the blower 117, the power level of the blower 117 is ramped down or reduced to zero. The power level can be ramped down for a duration, such as between 0.5 and 5 seconds, such as between 0.5 and 2 seconds, between 2 and 3 seconds, between 3 and 4 seconds, between 4 and 5 seconds, about 1 second, or about 3 seconds.

[0091] If it is determined that the evacuation attempt was not successful, then at operations 616, 618, and 620, blockage detection and clearing, seal detection, and container full detection are performed. Although these operations are shown as occurring sequentially, in some embodiments, the order of these operations may be changed, or at least some of these operations may be performed simultaneously.

[0092] If it is determined that the evacuation attempt was not successful, a notification may be provided to the user, for example, in response to the measured pressure value being outside the range of pressure values ​​described with respect to operation 612. The evacuation station 100 may cause a human-perceivable indication that the evacuation operation was not provided. The evacuation station 100 may provide the notification using an indicator device of the evacuation station 100, or the evacuation station 100 may cause a mobile device to provide the notification to the user. Fig. 6F , 6GAs described in and 6I, the indication may include a notification that the evacuation station 100 did not perform an evacuation operation due to a blockage or obstruction in the evacuation station 100 or the robot 200, an improper seal in the evacuation station 100 or the robot 200, or that the container 104 in the evacuation station 100 is full.

[0093] Fig. 6F An example process for performing blockage detection and clearing at operation 616 is shown. Operation 616 may include sub-operations 616a, 616b, 616c, and 616d. At sub-operation 616a, the evacuation station 100 determines whether there may be a blockage or a blockage. The controller 113 determines whether there may be a blockage based on the pressure value measured at sub-operation 610e. If the pressure value is outside the range, the evacuation station 100 determines that there may be a blockage. For example, if the pressure value is greater than an upper limit, the evacuation station 100 may determine that the evacuation station 100 is in a blocked state.

[0094] If the evacuation station 100 determines that there is no obstruction at sub-operation 616a, the process 600 proceeds to operation 618 to perform a seal test. If the evacuation station 100 determines that there may be an obstruction at sub-operation 616a, the evacuation station 100 determines whether the number of evacuation attempts is equal to a limit amount at sub-operation 616b. The limit amount can be equal to three, although in other embodiments, the limit amount can be one, two, four, or more. This sub-operation can ensure that the evacuation station 100 operates only within the limited duration and does not operate the blower 117 outside of the limited duration.

[0095] If the number of evacuation attempts is equal to the limit amount, then at sub-operation 610c, a notification is provided to the user. The evacuation station 100 may provide the notification using an indicator device of the evacuation station 100, or the evacuation station may cause a mobile device to provide the notification to the user. The notification indicates to the user that the evacuation operation was unsuccessful. In some embodiments, the notification also indicates to the user that during the evacuation operation, the evacuation station 100 attempted but failed to remove a blockage or obstruction. In addition to providing the notification, the evacuation station 100 may also deactivate the blower 117. For example, the process may proceed to operation 622, in which the evacuation station 100 terminates the evacuation operation and waits for further evacuation operations to be triggered.

[0096] Additionally or alternatively, when the number of evacuation attempts equals the limit amount, a notification is provided. The notification may indicate that a jam was detected and may further indicate whether the jam was cleared at sub-operation 610d.

[0097] In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to determining at sub-operation 616b whether the number of evacuation attempts is equal to the limit amount, the evacuation station 100 determines whether the total duration of the current evacuation operation is greater than a limited duration. As described herein, the limited duration can be set to prevent the evacuation station 100 from operating in a manner that generates too much noise in the environment of the evacuation station 100. In addition, the limited duration can be between 10 seconds and 1 minute, such as 10 seconds to 45 seconds, 20 seconds to 40 seconds, or approximately 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, or longer.

[0098] In some embodiments, if the number of evacuation attempts is equal to the limit amount, the controller 113 continues to perform the slow container detection at operation 620 instead of terminating the evacuation operation. Since the measured pressure value is greater than the upper limit and indicates a blockage, as described herein with respect to operation 620, the controller 113 can determine whether the measured pressure value is also greater than the container full threshold. If the measured pressure value is also greater than the container full threshold, the controller 113 determines that the container 104 of the evacuation station 100 is full and can provide instructions to the user to replace the container 104.

[0099] If it is determined at sub-operation 616b that the number of evacuation attempts is one or two, then at sub-operation 610d, a jam clearing action is performed. Figure 6G The example process of sub-operation 616b performing the jam clearing behavior is shown. Sub-operation 616b may include sub-operations 630, 632, 634.

[0100] At sub-operation 630, the power level of the blower 117 is ramped down over a duration. At sub-operation 630, the blower 117 may be stopped and the power level of the blower 117 may be set to zero. The duration may be between 0.5 seconds and 3 seconds, such as between 0.5 seconds and 1.5 seconds, between 1 and 2 seconds, between 2 and 3 seconds, or approximately 1, 2, or 3 seconds.

[0101] At sub-operation 632, the power level of the blower 117 is ramped up for a duration. The power level may be ramped up to the evacuation power level to which the power level was increased at sub-operation 610b. The duration of the ramp up that occurs at sub-operation 632 may be between 0.5 and 4 seconds, such as between 0.5 and 2 seconds, between 1 and 3 seconds, between 2 and 4 seconds, or about 1, 2, or 3 seconds. During the evacuation attempt performed at operation 610, the duration of the power level ramp up at sub-operation 632 may be less than the duration of the power level ramp up at sub-operation 610b ( Fig. 6E). The evacuation station 100 may ramp up the power level for sub-operation 632 for a shorter duration to produce a higher impulse force on any blockage that may occur along the air flow path through the evacuation station 100 or robot 200. The higher impulse force may have a higher probability of clearing the blockage. The duration of sub-operation 632 may be 25% to 75% of the duration of sub-operation 610b, such as 25% to 50%, 30% to 70%, 35% to 65%, or approximately 25%, 35%, 45%, 55%, 65%, or 75% of the duration of sub-operation 610b. Alternatively, the duration

[0102] At sub-operation 634, the power level of the blower 117 is maintained at the power level set at sub-operation 632. After sub-operation 634, the evacuation station 100 continues at operation 608 and as Fig. 6A The robot inspection is continued at the operations shown following operation 608. At this point, the evacuation station 100 performs another evacuation attempt and again measures the pressure value to determine whether the evacuation station 100 has successfully performed the evacuation operation.

[0103] Figure 6H An example process for performing a seal detection at operation 618 is shown. At operation 618, the controller 113 determines whether there is a leak along the air flow path, such as due to improper sealing or failure to seal. For example, if the robot 200 and the evacuation station 100 are not properly connected to each other, for example, the outlet of the robot 200 is not aligned with the air inlet 118 of the evacuation station 100, then the parallel air flow may leak through the interface between the robot 200 and the evacuation station 100. Figure 6H As shown, operation 618 may include sub-operations 618a, 618b.

[0104] At sub-operation 618a, the evacuation station 100 determines whether a seal along the airflow path has failed. The controller 113 may determine that the seal has failed based on the pressure value measured at sub-operation 610e. For example, if the measured pressure value is less than the range of pressure values ​​set at operation 612, for example, less than or not greater than the lower limit of the range, the evacuation station 100 determines that the seal has failed. If the evacuation station 100 determines that a seal along the airflow path has failed, then at sub-operation 618b, a notification indicating that the seal has failed is provided to the user. The evacuation station 100 may provide the notification using an indicator device of the evacuation station 100, or the evacuation station may cause a mobile device to provide the notification to the user.

[0105] If the evacuation station 100 determines that the seal along the air flow path has not failed, the process 600 continues to operation 620 where the evacuation station 100 determines whether the container 104 of the evacuation station 100 is full. Fig.6I An example process is shown for performing container full detection at operation 620. Operation 620 includes sub-operations 620a, 620b.

[0106] At sub-operation 620a, the evacuation station 100 determines whether the container 104 of the evacuation station 100 is full. The conditions for determining that the container 104 is full may vary from implementation to implementation.

[0107] In some embodiments, the controller 113 may determine that the container 104 of the evacuation station 100 is full based on the pressure value measured at the sub-operation 610e. For example, if the pressure value measured at the sub-operation 610e is greater than the bag full threshold pressure value (P FULL ), the controller 113 may determine that the container 104 is full. The bag full threshold pressure value may be equal to the sum of the predicted pressure value and the multiple of the uncertainty determined at sub-operation 610f (ie, P FULL =P P +γσ). The multiplier (γ) of the multiple is 1.5 to 10 times greater than the multiplier (α) of the first multiple described with respect to the upper limit of the range of pressure values ​​for a successful evacuation attempt, such as 1.5 to 3 times, 2 to 4 times, 3 to 5 times, or 5 to 10 times. The multiplier (γ) can be a value between 5 and 30, such as between 5 and 15, between 10 and 20, between 15 and 25, between 20 and 30, or about 10, 15, or 20. In embodiments where the controller 113 determines that the container 104 is full based solely on the pressure value, the controller 113 can perform operation 620 after the controller 113 determines that the pressure value indicates an obstruction and therefore exceeds a threshold value that is less than the container full threshold pressure value.

[0108] In some embodiments, the controller 113 may determine that the container 104 is full in response to the total duration that has elapsed during the current evacuation operation. For example, the total duration that has elapsed may not be less than the limited duration described with respect to sub-operation 616b. In some embodiments, the limited duration is selected so that only a limited number of evacuation attempts are performed. The limited number of evacuation attempts may correspond to the limited number described with respect to sub-operation 616b. In some embodiments, the controller 113 may determine that the container 104 is full in response to the total number of evacuation attempts reaching the limited number of evacuation attempts.

[0109] In some embodiments, the controller 113 determines that the container 104 is full in response to the total number of consecutive evacuation operations in which the controller 113 determines that there is a blockage or obstruction exceeding a limit amount. For example, the limit amount can be equal to 1, 2, 3, or more. In some embodiments, the controller 113 determines that the container 104 is full only when: (i) the pressure value exceeds the container full threshold pressure value; (ii) the total number of consecutive evacuation operations in which there is a blockage or obstruction exceeds the limit amount.

[0110] If the evacuation station 100 determines that the container 104 is full, then at sub-operation 620b, a notification is provided to the user indicating that the container 104 is full. A notification may also be provided indicating that the container 104 should be replaced. The evacuation station 100 may provide the notification using an indicator device of the evacuation station 100, or the evacuation station 100 may cause a mobile device to provide the notification to the user. If the evacuation station 100 determines that the container 104 is not full, then the evacuation station 100 terminates the evacuation operation at operation 622 and waits for further evacuation operations to be triggered.

[0111] Other Alternative Implementations

[0112] A number of embodiments have been described, including alternative embodiments. However, it will be appreciated that further alternative embodiments are possible and that various modifications may be made.

[0113] Figure 8 A graph showing pressure values ​​measured for a series of evacuation operations performed by an evacuation station is shown. In the example of FIG8 , a measured pressure value 802, a predicted pressure value 804, a value 806 indicating uncertainty associated with the predicted pressure value 804, and an upper limit 808 of a range of pressure values ​​indicating a successful evacuation attempt are shown. Figure 8 In FIG. 8 , the measured pressure values ​​802 represented by circles, triangles, and crosses correspond to a successful evacuation operation, an evacuation operation in which a blockage was detected, and an evacuation operation in which the container was determined to be full, respectively. Figure 8 The lower limit of the range of pressure values ​​indicative of a successful evacuation operation is not shown, but the evacuation station may determine a seal failure in response to a measured pressure value falling below the lower limit, as described herein in certain embodiments.

[0114] like Figure 8 As shown, values ​​802, 804, 806 and upper limit 808 vary during the evacuation operation. For each evacuation operation, a measured pressure value 802 may be measured according to the process and operation described with respect to sub-operation 610e. A predicted pressure value 804 may be determined according to the process and operation described with respect to sub-operation 610f. Figure 8In the example shown, value 806 corresponds to the sum of the predicted pressure value and the uncertainty. The uncertainty of the predicted pressure value may be determined according to the process and operations described with respect to sub-operation 610f. The upper limit 808 may be determined according to the process and operations described with respect to operation 612. For an evacuation operation, depending on the measured pressure value 802 of the last evacuation operation, the upper limit 808 may be increased or decreased relative to the upper limit 808 of the last evacuation operation. As described with respect to operation 616, the evacuation station determines that a blockage or obstruction exists in response to the measured pressure value 802 being not less than or greater than the upper limit 808.

[0115] Figure 8 The diagram in also shows a threshold pressure value 810 above which the container of the evacuation station is determined to be full. Although in some examples described herein, the container is determined to be full based on a measured pressure value, in some embodiments, the container is determined to be full based on a predicted pressure value 804. Figure 8 In the example shown, the evacuation station determines that the container is full in response to the predicted pressure value 804 being greater than the threshold pressure value 810 .

[0116] Even though upper limit 808 may vary between evacuation operations, threshold pressure value 810 may be uniform across evacuation operations.

[0117] The threshold pressure value 810 may be selected so that, typically, the evacuation station determines that a blockage exists during several evacuation operations immediately before the predicted pressure value 804 breaks through the threshold pressure value 810. Figure 8 In the example shown, evacuating the station performed four consecutive evacuation operations in which a blockage was detected before the predicted pressure value 804 broke through the threshold pressure value 810. In some embodiments, the number of consecutive evacuation operations in which a blockage is detected may be less or more, such as 2, 3, 5, 6, or more.

[0118] Although in some embodiments, the upper and lower limits of the range of pressure values ​​indicating a successful evacuation operation may vary between evacuation operations, in some embodiments, the upper and lower limits may be static. Fig. 9 A diagram is shown in which a lower limit 902 and an upper limit 904 of a range 906 of pressure values ​​for indicating successful evacuation operations are static throughout the evacuation operation. Evacuation operations in which the measured pressure value 908 is within the range 906 are determined to be successful evacuation operations. Evacuation operations in which the measured pressure value 908 is below the lower limit 902 are determined to be failed evacuation operations 910. In these failed evacuation operations 910, the evacuation station determines that the seal has failed. Evacuation operations in which the measured pressure value 908 is above the upper limit 904 are determined to be failed evacuation operations 912. In these failed evacuation operations 912, the evacuation station determines that a blockage exists.

[0119] As described herein, in some embodiments, lower limit 902 and upper limit 904 are variable. In such embodiments, lower limit 902 and upper limit 904 can be changed between evacuation operations.

[0120] As described herein, the measured pressure value may increase as the number of evacuation operations performed by the evacuation station on a single container increases. Fig.10 Measured pressure values ​​1002 are shown for a single container measured over a series of evacuation operations. The measured pressure values ​​1002 generally increase as the number of evacuation operations increases. Fig.10 In the example shown, the measured pressure values ​​1002 tend to increase linearly along the trend line 1004. When the container is full, the measured pressure values ​​tend to deviate from the linear trend line 1004. Fig.10 As the container fills, the measured pressure increases exponentially.

[0121] In some embodiments, a notification may be provided to the user. Fig.11A , the controller 113 may send data indicating the steady-state pressure value to a remote computing device 1100, such as a smart phone, a personal computer, a smart watch, smart glasses, an augmented reality device, or other remote computing device. For example, the controller 113 may send the data directly to the remote computing device 1100, such as via Bluetooth, LAN, or other suitable wireless communication protocols, or the controller 113 may send the data to the remote computing device 1100 via a remote server. Fig.11A As shown, the steady-state pressure value described herein can indicate a full state of the evacuation station 100. In some embodiments, the predicted pressure value can indicate a full state of the evacuation station 100. Based on the steady-state pressure value, the remote computing device 1100 can present a notification 1102 indicating a full state of the evacuation station 100. For example, the notification 1102 can indicate a percentage of the total debris capacity of the container 104 that is occupied by accumulated debris.

[0122] refer to Fig. 11B If the controller 113 determines that a blockage or other obstruction exists, such as at operation 616, the controller 113 may send data indicating the presence of the blockage or other obstruction to the remote computing device 1100, and the remote computing device 1100 may present a notification 1104 indicating the presence of the blockage or other obstruction. The notification 1104 may include instructions for a user to inspect one or more conduits of the evacuation station 100 to remove the blockage or other obstruction.

[0123] refer to Fig. 11CIf the controller 113 determines, for example, that the seal has failed at operation 618, the controller 113 may send data indicating the improper sealing engagement to the remote computing device 1100, and the remote computing device 1100 may present a notification 1106 indicating the improper sealing engagement. The notification 1106 may include instructions for the user to inspect the container 104 and ensure that the container 104 is properly seated within the interior 130 of the evacuation station 100. The notification 1106 may alternatively or additionally include instructions to inspect the lid 128 of the evacuation station 100 to ensure that the lid 128 is fully closed.

[0124] refer to Fig.11D If controller 113 determines that container 104 is full, controller 113 may send data indicating the full status of container 104 to remote computing device 1100, and remote computing device 1100 may present notification 1108 indicating that the user should check container 104 and remove container 104 from evacuation station 100. In some examples, reference Fig.11E , controller 113 may additionally or alternatively present notification 1110 indicating that the user should order one or more additional filtering devices. Notification 1110 may include user interface element 1112 that allows the user to directly order filtering devices to be delivered to the user's home.

[0125] Reference Fig.11F , the controller 113 may send data indicating the termination of the evacuation process to the remote computing device 1100, and the remote computing device 1100 may present a notification 1114 indicating that the evacuation process is complete. In some embodiments, if the robot 200 continues to clean the room after the evacuation process is complete, the notification 1114 also indicates that the robot 100 has resumed cleaning. Figures 11A-11F An example of a remote computing device 1100 presenting a visual notification indicating the status or condition of the evacuation station 100 or robot 200 is shown, but in other implementations, the remote computing device 1100 may present an auditory, tactile, or other type of notification.

[0126] Although operations 616, 618, 620 are described herein as part of process 600, in some embodiments, only a notification is provided to indicate that the evacuation operation was unsuccessful. The notification does not indicate whether the evacuation operation failed due to a blockage or an improper seal. In such embodiments, the measured pressure value is determined to be outside the range of pressure values ​​indicating success, and a general notification is issued to inform the user that the evacuation operation failed.

[0127] The robots and evacuation stations described herein may be controlled, at least in part, using one or more computer program products (e.g., one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in one or more information carriers, such as one or more non-transitory machine-readable media) for execution or control of their operations by one or more data processing devices (e.g., programmable processors, computers, multiple computers, and / or programmable logic components).

[0128] The operations and processes associated with controlling the robots and evacuation stations described herein may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions described herein. Computer programs may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as stand-alone programs or as modules, components, subroutines, or other units suitable for use in a computing environment. Special purpose logic circuits, such as FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) and / or ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), may be used to implement control of all or part of the robots and evacuation stations described herein.

[0129] The controllers described herein (e.g., controller 113, controller 206) may include one or more processors. For example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include general-purpose microprocessors and special-purpose microprocessors, as well as any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only storage area or a random access storage area or both. The components of the computer include one or more processors for executing instructions and one or more storage area devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, the computer will also include or be operably connected to receive data from one or more machine-readable storage media (e.g., a large-capacity PCB for storing data, such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk) or transfer data to them or both. Machine-readable storage media suitable for implementing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile storage areas, such as semiconductor storage area devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash storage area devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Although controller 113 of evacuation station 100 is described as controlling blower 117 and performing other operations described herein, in other embodiments, controller 206 of robot 200 , a remote server, or a combination of the various controllers described herein may be used to control the operation of evacuation station 100 .

[0130] Although sensor 126 is described, in some embodiments, evacuation station 100 includes multiple sensors positioned along or in close proximity to the air flow path of evacuation station 100. For example, evacuation station 100 may include two pressure sensors, one of which is located on opposite sides of the air flow path. In some embodiments, a first pressure sensor may be located within a tank, such as near filter device 103, and a second pressure sensor may be located near air inlet 118 of evacuation station 100. Based on the signals from the multiple sensors, controller 113 may determine a specific location along the air flow path of a blockage or other obstruction or leak.

[0131] Although the sensor 126 is described as an air pressure sensor, in other embodiments, the sensor 126 is an optical sensor, a force sensor, or other sensor that can generate data indicating the air pressure of the evacuation station 100, and thus can generate one or more signals indicating the full state of the filter device 103. For example, in some embodiments, the sensor 126 is in physical contact with the filter device 103. The sensor 126 may include a plunger in physical contact with a wall of the filter device 103, such as the filter bag 106. When the container 104 receives debris from the autonomous cleaning robot, the plunger may move in response to the expansion of the filter bag 106. In some embodiments, the sensor 126 is an ultrasonic sensor that is configured to emit an ultrasonic signal directed to the filter device 103 and receive reflections of the ultrasonic signal. The sensor 126 is configured to generate a general electrical signal indicating the distance of the filter device 103 relative to the sensor 126. In particular, the received reflected ultrasonic signal can indicate the distance of the filter device 103 relative to the sensor 126, which in turn can indicate the full state of the filter device 103.

[0132] User equipment is described herein in conjunction with certain systems and processes. The user equipment may vary depending on the implementation. For example, the user equipment may include a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, a smart watch, smart glasses, a tablet computer or other mobile user equipment), a desktop computer, a laptop computer or other user equipment. In addition, a user interface for an evacuation station 100 is described herein in conjunction with certain systems and processes. The user interface may vary depending on the implementation. In some embodiments, the user interface may correspond to a mobile device that communicates with the evacuation station 100, for example, a mobile device that communicates directly with the evacuation station 100 or with a remote server, and the remote server communicates with the evacuation station 100. In some embodiments, the user interface may include a touch screen, a button, a knob or other user input device on the evacuation station 100.

[0133] Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; Detecting sealing anomalies in an evacuation station based on the measured pressure value; and An indication of a detected sealing anomaly is generated.

2. The evacuation station according to claim 1, wherein: The seal anomaly includes the lid opening and exposing an interior of the evacuation station during the evacuation operation, and the controller is configured to generate an indication of the lid opening during the evacuation operation.

3. The evacuation station according to claim 1, wherein: The seal anomaly includes improper seating of the container within the evacuation station, and the controller is configured to generate an indication of improper seating of the container.

4. The evacuation station of claim 1, further comprising an indicator device configured to provide notification of the detected sealing anomaly to a user.

5. The evacuation station of claim 1, communicatively coupled to a mobile device, the mobile device configured to provide notification of the detected seal anomaly to a user.

6. The evacuation station according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor is configured to sense ambient air pressure in the evacuation station when the blower is not operating; and The controller is configured to determine a measured pressure value based on a difference between the sensed air pressure and the ambient air pressure during the evacuation operation.

7. The evacuation station according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to detect a sealing abnormality based on a comparison of the measured pressure value with a pressure range between an upper limit and a lower limit.

8. The evacuation station according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is configured to detect the presence of a sealing abnormality in response to the measured pressure value being lower than or not greater than a lower limit of the pressure range.

9. The evacuation station according to claim 8, wherein: The controller is configured to generate an indication that the evacuation operation was successful in response to the measured pressure value being within the pressure range.

10. The evacuation station according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is configured to determine the pressure range based at least on a cumulative number of evacuation operations initiated prior to the evacuation operation.

11. The evacuation station according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is constructed as follows: determining a predicted air pressure value in the tank based on one or more air pressure values ​​in the tank respectively sensed by the sensor during one or more previous evacuation operations prior to the evacuation operation; and A pressure range is determined based at least on the predicted air pressure value.

12. The evacuation station according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is constructed as follows: determining an uncertainty in one or more air pressure values ​​sensed during one or more prior evacuation operations; and The predicted air pressure value is further determined using the determined uncertainty.

13. The evacuation station according to claim 12, wherein: The controller is constructed as follows: determining an upper limit of the pressure range to be greater than the predicted air pressure value by a first amount proportional to the uncertainty; and The lower limit of the pressure range is determined to be less than the predicted air pressure value by a second amount proportional to the uncertainty.

14. A method of operating an evacuation station to collect debris from a cleaning robot interfaced with the evacuation station, the method comprising: initiating an evacuation operation using a blower, the evacuation operation comprising drawing air containing debris from the cleaning robot through an airflow path into a tank at the evacuation station; Use sensors to sense air pressure in tanks during evacuation operations; determining a measured pressure value in the tank based on the sensed air pressure; Detecting sealing anomalies in an evacuation station based on the measured pressure value; and An indication of the detected sealing anomaly is generated to a user.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The sealing anomaly includes one or more of: an improper seal between the evacuation station and the cleaning robot, a cover of the evacuation station opening and exposing the interior of the evacuation station during the evacuation operation, or an improper seating of a container inside the evacuation station.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing notification of the detected sealing anomaly to a user via an indicator device of the evacuation station or a mobile device in communication with the evacuation station.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising sensing ambient air pressure in the evacuation station, wherein determining the measured pressure value is based on a difference between the sensed air pressure during the evacuation operation and the ambient air pressure.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Detecting the sealing abnormality includes: comparing the measured pressure value to a pressure range between an upper limit and a lower limit; and In response to the measured pressure value being lower than or not greater than a lower limit of the pressure range, the presence of a sealing abnormality is determined.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising determining the pressure range based at least on a cumulative number of evacuation operations initiated prior to the evacuation operation.

20. The method according to claim 18, comprising: generating a predicted air pressure value in the tank based on one or more air pressure values ​​in the tank sensed by the sensor during corresponding one or more previous evacuation operations prior to the evacuation operation; and A pressure range is determined based at least on the predicted air pressure value.

21. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; detecting a blocking condition indicating the presence or absence of a blockage or obstruction within the evacuation station based on the measured pressure value; and The detected blocking status is provided to a user or a process.

22. The evacuation station according to claim 21, wherein: The controller is configured to detect a jam condition indicative of a jam or obstruction within the evacuation station in response to the measured pressure value exceeding a jam threshold pressure.

23. The evacuation station according to claim 21, wherein: The controller is configured to detect a blockage condition based on a comparison of the measured pressure value with a pressure range defined between an upper limit and a lower limit.

24. The evacuation station according to claim 23, wherein: The controller is configured to detect a blockage condition indicating a blockage or obstruction within the evacuation station in response to the measured pressure value exceeding an upper limit.

25. The evacuation station according to claim 21, wherein: In response to a detected blockage condition indicating a blockage or obstruction within the evacuation station, the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to the blower to perform a blockage clearing operation to clear the evacuation station.

26. The evacuation station according to claim 25, wherein: To perform a jam clearing operation, the blower is configured to adjust a power level and draw air from the canister at the adjusted power level for a specific duration.

27. The evacuation station according to claim 26, wherein: To adjust the power level, the blower is configured to perform one or more operations including ramping down the power level for a first duration, or ramping up the power level for a second duration.

28. The evacuation station according to claim 26, wherein: To adjust the power level, the blower is configured to ramp up the power level at a rate sufficient to generate significant urging force to facilitate clearing of the blockage.

29. The evacuation station according to claim 26, wherein: The controller is configured to initiate another evacuation operation at the adjusted power level after the jam clearing operation.

30. The evacuation station according to claim 25, wherein: The controller is configured to generate a control signal to initiate a jam clearing operation in response to a total number of evacuation attempts falling below an attempt count threshold.

31. The evacuation station according to claim 25, wherein: The controller is configured to generate the control signal to initiate the jam clearing operation in response to a duration of the evacuation operation being below a duration threshold.

32. The evacuation station of claim 25, wherein: The controller is also configured to generate a control signal to stop the evacuation operation and terminate the jam clearing operation in response to (i) a detected jam condition indicating the presence of a jam or obstruction and (ii) a total number of evacuation attempts or a duration of the evacuation operation reaching a corresponding attempt count threshold or duration threshold.

33. The evacuation station of claim 21, further comprising an indicator device configured to generate a notification to a user regarding one or more of a detected jam condition, a number of evacuation attempts, or information regarding a jam clearing operation.

34. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; detecting a full state of the container based at least on the measured pressure value; and Provide the detected full status to the user or process, Wherein, the controller is configured to detect (i) the full state of the container is full when the measured pressure value exceeds a full threshold pressure, and (ii) the full state of the container is not full when the measured pressure value is below the full threshold pressure.

35. The evacuation station according to claim 34, wherein: The controller is constructed as follows: determining a predicted pressure value in the tank during an evacuation operation prior to the evacuation operation based on a previously measured pressure in the tank sensed by a sensor during the evacuation operation; and A full threshold pressure is determined based at least on the predicted pressure value.

36. The evacuation station according to claim 35, wherein: The controller is configured to determine an uncertainty associated with the predicted pressure value and to determine the full threshold pressure further based on the uncertainty.

37. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; detecting a full state of the container based at least on the measured pressure value; and Provide the detected full status to the user or process, Wherein the controller is configured to determine a duration of the evacuation operation and detect that the full state of the container is full in response to the duration of the evacuation operation exceeding a duration threshold.

38. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; detecting a full state of the container based at least on the measured pressure value; and Provide the detected full status to the user or process, Wherein the controller is configured to determine a total number of evacuation attempts and detect that the full state of the container is full in response to the total number of evacuation attempts exceeding an attempt count threshold.

39. An evacuation station according to claim 38, wherein: The controller is configured to determine a total number of evacuation attempts in response to the presence of a jam or obstruction within the evacuation station.

40. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; detecting a full state of the container based at least on the measured pressure value; and Provide the detected full status to the user or process, Wherein, the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to terminate the evacuation operation in response to the full state of the container being underfull.

41. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a cover along the tank to removably cover the interior of the evacuation station; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; a sensor configured to sense air pressure in the tank; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; using air pressure sensed during the evacuation operation to determine a measured pressure value in the tank; detecting a full state of the container based at least on the measured pressure value; and Provide the detected full status to the user or process, Also included is an indicator device configured to provide notification to a user of one or more of a full status of the container, a duration of an evacuation operation, or a total number of evacuation attempts.

42. An evacuation station according to claim 41, wherein: The indicator device is configured to provide a suggestion to replace or clean the container in response to the full state of the container being full.

43. An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising: an air inlet configured to interface with the cleaning robot; a tank including a container in pneumatic communication with an air inlet via an air flow path; a blower in pneumatic communication with the tank, the blower being configured to draw air from the tank into the blower during an evacuation operation; one or more sensors configured to generate data indicative of air pressure in the tank during an evacuation operation; and A controller is constructed to: initiating an evacuation operation by controlling the blower to draw air containing debris from the cleaning robot through the air intake and the air flow path so that the container receives at least a portion of the drawn-in debris; determining (i) a measured pressure value based at least on the generated data indicative of the pressure of air in the tank, and determining (ii) a predicted pressure value based at least on a previously measured pressure in the tank; and Based on the measured pressure value and the predicted pressure value, a control signal is generated to the blower to stop the evacuation in response to a successful evacuation attempt.

44. An evacuation station according to claim 43, wherein: The controller is constructed as follows: using the predicted pressure value to determine a pressure range, the pressure range being bounded between an upper limit and a lower limit; and A successful evacuation attempt is determined when the measured pressure value is within the determined pressure range, and an unsuccessful evacuation attempt is determined when the measured pressure is outside the determined pressure range.

45. An evacuation station according to claim 44, wherein: The controller is configured to determine the pressure range based on at least a previously measured pressure in the tank, further using an uncertainty associated with the predicted pressure value.

46. ​​An evacuation station according to claim 45, wherein: To determine the pressure range, the controller is configured to determine that (i) an upper limit of the pressure range is greater than the predicted pressure value by a first amount proportional to the uncertainty, and (ii) a lower limit of the pressure range is less than the predicted pressure value by a second amount proportional to the uncertainty.

47. The evacuation station of claim 45, wherein: The controller is configured to determine the uncertainty or the predicted pressure value using a statistical model.

48. The evacuation station of claim 44, wherein: The controller is configured to determine the pressure range further using a plurality of previous evacuation operations prior to the evacuation operation.

49. The evacuation station of claim 44, wherein: The controller is constructed as follows: In response to a successful evacuation attempt, maintaining the power level of the blowers for a first duration and then ramping the power level down to substantially zero for a second duration; and In response to the evacuation attempt being unsuccessful, a notification is generated to a user that the evacuation attempt was unsuccessful.

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