Mobile cleaning robot

Abstract

A mobile cleaning robot may include a body movable within an environment and a debris bin located at least partially within the body. The robot may include a cleaning assembly connected to the main body, wherein the cleaning assembly includes a first debris port connected to the debris bin and a second debris port connected to the debris bin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous mobile robots include autonomous cleaning robots that can autonomously perform cleaning tasks in an environment such as a home. Many types of cleaning robots are autonomous to some extent and in different ways. The autonomy of the mobile cleaning robot can be achieved by using a controller and multiple sensors mounted on the robot. In some examples, the robot can include equipment for autonomously improving cleaning performance in the environment. Utility Model Content

[0003] When a mobile cleaning robot (e.g., an autonomous mobile cleaning robot) traverses an environment, the robot can perform cleaning operations, such as vacuuming or mopping operations. During the cleaning operation, the robot can operate a vacuum system, such as a blower (e.g., an impeller and a motor) and a cleaning assembly (e.g., one or more rollers), to extract debris from the environment. However, because the floor surfaces and debris types of the environments may be different, the vacuuming efficiency may vary between different environments or between different rooms of a given environment.

[0004] The apparatus, systems, and methods of the present application can help address these issues by providing a variable debris port that can be user-adjustable or automatically adjustable (e.g., by a controller of the robot) to improve the robot's vacuuming efficiency based on floor type. For example, the robot can include multiple suction ports that can be used during vacuuming operations in an environment. The robot can adjust the suction or debris port (e.g., automatically) between rooms and environments based on user input or based on floor type to help improve cleaning efficiency.

[0005] For example, a mobile cleaning robot may include a body movable within an environment and a debris bin at least partially located within the body. The robot may include a cleaning assembly connected to the body, wherein the cleaning assembly includes a first debris port connected to the debris bin and a second debris port connected to the debris bin.

[0006] In another example, a method of operating a mobile cleaning robot may include determining a floor type of a floor surface of an environment, determining a location of the mobile cleaning robot within the environment, and adjusting a first debris port and a second debris port of a cleaning assembly of the mobile cleaning robot.

[0007] The above discussion is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter of this patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the present disclosure. The following description is included to provide further information about this patent application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the same reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. Similar numbers with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various embodiments discussed in this document by way of example and not limitation.

[0009] Figure 1 A plan view of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0010] Figure 2A A bottom view of the mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0011] Figure 2B A perspective view of a mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 Shows the mobile cleaning robot passing through Figure 2A A cross-sectional view taken along the indicated line 3-3.

[0013] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a communication network in which a mobile cleaning robot operates and data transmission in the network is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 A side perspective view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0015] Fig. 6A A bottom perspective view of the mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0016] Figure 6B A bottom view of the mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0017] Figure 7 A side cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0018] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0019] Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot is shown.

[0020] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0021] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0022] Fig.12 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0023] Fig.13A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0024] Fig.14A A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0025] Fig. 14B A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0026] Fig.15 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0027] Fig.16 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot in an environment is shown.

[0028] Fig.17 A block diagram illustrating an example of a machine upon which one or more embodiments may be implemented is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Figure 1 A plan view of a mobile cleaning robot 100 in an environment 40 according to at least one example of the present disclosure is shown. The environment 40 can be a residence, such as a home or an apartment, and can include rooms 42a-42e. Obstacles such as a bed 44, a table 46, and an isolator 48 can be located in the room 42 of the environment. Each room 42a-42e can have a floor surface 50a-50e, respectively. Some rooms, such as room 42d, can include carpets, such as carpet 52. The floor surface 50 can be one or more types of flooring, such as hardwood, ceramic, low pile carpet, medium pile carpet, long (or high) pile carpet, stone, etc.

[0030] The mobile cleaning robot 100 can be operated, for example, by a user 60 to autonomously clean the environment 40 in a room-by-room manner. In some examples, the robot 100 can clean the floor surface 50a of a room (e.g., room 42a) before moving to the next room (e.g., room 42d) to clean the surface of room 42d. Different rooms can have different types of floor surfaces. For example, room 42e (which can be a kitchen) can have a hard floor surface, such as wood or tile, and room 42a (which can be a bedroom) can have a carpet surface, such as a mid-pile carpet. Other rooms, such as room 42d (which can be a dining room) can include multiple surfaces, with carpet 52 located in room 42d.

[0031] During cleaning or travel operations, the robot 100 can use data collected from various sensors (e.g., optical sensors) and calculations (e.g., odometers and obstacle detection) to develop a map of the environment 40. Once the map is created, the user 60 can define rooms or areas (e.g., room 42) within the map. The map can be presented to the user 60 on a user interface such as a mobile device, where the user 60 can, for example, direct or change cleaning preferences.

[0032] Additionally, during operation, the robot 100 can detect the surface type within each room 42, which surface type can be stored in the robot or another device. The robot 100 can update the map (or data associated therewith) to include or take into account the surface type of the floor surfaces 50a-50e of each corresponding room 42 of the environment. In some examples, the map can be updated to display different surface types, such as different surface types within each room 42.

[0033] In some examples, the user 60 may define a behavior control zone 54 using, for example, the methods and systems described herein. In response to the user 60 defining the behavior control zone 54, the robot 100 may move toward the behavior control zone 54 to confirm the selection. After confirmation, autonomous operation of the robot 100 may be initiated. In autonomous operation, the robot 100 may initiate a behavior in response to being in or near the behavior control zone 54. For example, the user 60 may define an area of ​​the environment 40 that is prone to soiling as a behavior control zone 54. In response, the robot 100 may initiate a concentrated cleaning behavior in which the robot 100 performs concentrated cleaning of a portion of the floor surface 50d in the behavior control zone 54.

[0034] Parts of a robot

[0035] Figure 2A A bottom view of the mobile cleaning robot 100 is shown. Figure 2B A bottom view of the mobile cleaning robot 100 is shown. Figure 3 The mobile cleaning robot 100 is shown passing through Figure 2A A cross-sectional view taken along the indicated line 3-3. Figure 3 Also shown are orientations indicating bottom, top, front, and back. Figure 2A-3 .

[0036] The cleaning robot 100 may be an autonomous cleaning robot that may autonomously traverse the floor surface 50 while ingesting debris 75 from different portions of the floor surface 50. Figure 2A and Figure 3As shown, the robot 100 may include a main body 202 that can move on the floor surface 50. The main body 202 may include a plurality of connection structures on which the movable parts of the cleaning robot 100 are mounted. The connection structure may include, for example, a housing covering the internal parts of the cleaning robot 100, a chassis, and a buffer 238, to which the drive wheels 210a and 210b and the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b (of the cleaning assembly 204) are mounted. The buffer 238 can be detachably fixed to the main body 202 and can be moved relative to the main body 202 when mounted to the main body 202. In some examples, the buffer 238 forms a part of the main body 202.

[0037] like Figure 2A As shown, the body 202 includes a front portion 202a having a substantially semicircular shape and a rear portion 202b having a substantially semicircular shape. In other examples, these portions may have other shapes. Figure 2A As shown, the robot 100 may include a drive system including actuators 208a and 208b, such as motors. The actuators 208a and 208b may be mounted in the body 202 and may be operably connected to drive wheels 210a and 210b, which may be rotatably mounted to the body 202. The drive wheels 210a and 210b may support the body 202 above the floor surface 50. When driven, the actuators 208a and 208b may rotate the drive wheels 210a and 210b to enable the robot 100 to move autonomously on the floor surface 50.

[0038] The controller (or processor) 212 can be located in the housing and can be a programmable controller, such as a single-board or multi-board computer, a direct digital controller (DDC), a programmable logic controller (PLC), etc. In other examples, the controller 212 can be any computing device, such as a handheld computer, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or any other computing device including a processor, a memory, and a communication capability. The memory 213 can be one or more types of memory, such as volatile or non-volatile memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, and other storage devices and media. The memory 213 can be located in the body 200, connected to the controller 212 and accessible by the controller 212.

[0039] The controller 212 can operate the actuators 208a and 208b to autonomously navigate the robot 100 around the floor surface 50 during the cleaning operation. The actuators 208a and 208b are operable to drive the robot 100 in a forward driving direction, a rearward direction, and to turn the robot 100. The robot 100 can include casters 211 that support the body 202 above the floor surface 50. The casters 211 can support the rear 202b of the body 202 above the floor surface 50, and the drive wheels 210a and 210b support the front 202a of the body 202 above the floor surface 50.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, the vacuum assembly 218 can be at least partially located within the body 202 of the robot 100, such as in the rear portion 202b of the body 202. The controller 212 can operate the vacuum assembly 218 to generate an airflow that flows through the air gap near the cleaning roller 205, flows through the body 202, and flows out of the body 202. The vacuum assembly 218 can include, for example, an impeller that generates an airflow when rotated. When rotating, the airflow and the cleaning roller 205 can cooperate to ingest the debris 75 into the suction duct 348 of the robot 100. The suction duct 348 can extend downward to the bottom or near the bottom of the body 202 and can be at least partially defined by the cleaning assembly 204.

[0041] The suction conduit 348 can be connected to the cleaning head 204 or cleaning assembly and can be connected to the cleaning bin 322. The cleaning bin 322 can be mounted in the main body 202 and can contain debris 75 ingested by the robot 100. A filter can be located in the main body 202, which can separate the debris 75 from the airflow before the airflow 220 enters the vacuum assembly 218 and is exhausted from the main body 202. In this regard, the debris 75 can be captured in the cleaning bin 322 and the filter before the airflow 220 is exhausted from the main body 202.

[0042] The cleaning rollers 205a and 205b can be operably connected to one or more actuators 214a and 214b, such as motors, respectively. The cleaning head 204 and the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b can be positioned in front of the cleaning box 322. The cleaning rollers 205a and 205b can be mounted to the housing 224 of the cleaning head 204 and, for example, indirectly or directly mounted to the body 202 of the robot 100. Specifically, the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b can be mounted to the underside of the body 202 so that when the underside faces the floor surface 50, the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b engage the debris 75 on the floor surface 50 during the cleaning operation.

[0043] The housing 224 of the cleaning head 204 may be mounted to the main body 202 of the robot 100. In this regard, the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b may also be mounted to the main body 202 of the robot 100, for example, indirectly mounted to the main body 202 via the housing 224. Alternatively or additionally, the cleaning head 204 may be a removable component of the robot 100, wherein the housing 224 with the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b mounted therein is removably mounted to the main body 202 of the robot 100. The housing 224 and the cleaning rollers 205a and 205b may be removed from the main body 202 as a unit, such that the cleaning head 205 may be easily interchanged with a replacement cleaning head.

[0044] The side brush 242 can be connected to the underside of the robot 100 and can be connected to a motor 244 that is operable to rotate the side brush 242 relative to the body 202 of the robot 100. The side brush 242 can be configured to engage debris to move the debris toward the cleaning assembly 205 or away from the edge of the environment 40. The motor 244 configured to drive the side brush 242 can communicate with the controller 212. The brush 242 can be a side brush that is offset laterally from the center of the robot 100, such that the brush 242 can extend beyond the periphery of the body 202 of the robot 100. Similarly, the brush 242 can also be offset forward from the center of the robot 100, such that the brush 242 also extends beyond the bumper 238.

[0045] The robot 100 may also include a sensor system having one or more electrical sensors. The sensor system may generate a signal indicating the current position of the robot 100 and may generate a signal indicating the position of the robot 100 as the robot 100 travels along the floor surface 50.

[0046] For example, cliff sensor 234 (such as Figure 2A The cliff sensors 234 may be located along the bottom of the body 200. Each cliff sensor 234 may be an optical sensor that may be configured to detect the presence of an object below the optical sensor, such as the floor surface 50. The cliff sensors 234 may be connected to the controller 212.

[0047] Collision sensors 239a and 139b (collision sensors 239) may be coupled to the body 202 and may be engaged with or configured to interact with the bumper 238. The collision sensors 239 may include broken beam sensors, Hall effect sensors, capacitive sensors, switches, or other sensors that may detect contact between the robot 100 (i.e., the bumper 238) and an object in the environment 40. The collision sensors 239 may communicate with the controller 212.

[0048] The image capture device 240 may be a camera connected to the body 202 and may extend at least partially through the bumper 238 of the robot 100, such as through an opening 243 of the bumper 238. The image capture device 240 may be a camera, such as a front-facing camera, configured to generate signals based on images of the environment 40 of the robot 100 as the robot 100 moves around the floor surface 50. The image capture device 240 may transmit the signals to the controller 212 for use in navigation and cleaning procedures.

[0049] Obstacle following sensor 241 (such as Figure 2B The robot 100 may include an optical sensor facing outward from the bumper 238 that may be configured to detect the presence of an object adjacent to a side of the body 202. The obstacle following sensor 241 may emit a light beam horizontally in a direction perpendicular (or nearly perpendicular) to the forward driving direction of the robot 100. The optical emitter may emit a light beam outward from the robot 100, for example, outward in a horizontal direction, and the optical detector detects reflections of the light beam reflected from objects near the robot 100. The robot 100 may determine the time of flight of the light beam (e.g., using the controller 212) to determine the distance between the optical detector and the object, and thus determine the distance between the robot 100 and the object.

[0050] The robot 100 may also optionally include one or more dust sensors 245 connected to the body 202 and in communication with the controller 212. The dust sensor 245 may be a microphone, a piezoelectric sensor, an optical sensor, etc., located in or near the flow path of debris, such as near the opening of the cleaning roller 205 or in one or more conduits within the body 202. This can allow the dust sensor 245 to detect how much dust is ingested by the vacuum assembly 218 (e.g., via the suction device 204) at any time during the cleaning task. Because the robot 100 can know its location, the robot 100 can record or note which areas or rooms of the map are dirtier or where more dust is collected. As discussed further below, this information can be used in a variety of ways.

[0051] Robot Operation

[0052] In some exemplary operations, the robot 100 may be propelled in a forward drive direction or a reverse drive direction. The robot 100 may also be propelled so that the robot 100 turns in place or turns while moving in a forward drive direction or a reverse drive direction.

[0053] When the controller 212 causes the robot 100 to perform a task, the controller 212 may operate the motor 208 to drive the drive wheel 210 and propel the robot 100 along the floor surface 50. In addition, the controller 212 may operate the motor 214 to cause the rollers 205a and 205b to rotate, may operate the motor 244 to cause the brush 242 to rotate, and may operate the motor of the vacuum system 218 to generate airflow. The controller 212 may also execute software stored on the memory 213 to cause the robot 100 to perform various navigation and cleaning behaviors by operating various motors or components of the robot 100.

[0054] Various sensors of the robot 100 may be used to help the robot navigate and clean within the environment 40. For example, the cliff sensor 234 may detect obstacles such as drops and cliffs below the portion of the robot 100 where the cliff sensor 234 is located. The cliff sensor 234 may transmit a signal to the controller 212 so that the controller 212 may redirect the robot 100 based on the signal from the cliff sensor 234.

[0055] In some examples, the collision sensor 239a can be used to detect movement of the bumper 238 along the fore-aft axis of the robot 100. The collision sensor 239b can also be used to detect movement of the bumper 238 along one or more sides of the robot 100. The collision sensor 239 can transmit a signal to the controller 212 so that the controller 212 can re-orient the robot 100 based on the signal from the collision sensor 239.

[0056] In some examples, the obstacle following sensor 241 can detect detectable objects, including obstacles such as furniture, walls, people, and other objects in the environment of the robot 100. In some embodiments, the sensor system can include obstacle following sensors along the side surfaces, and the obstacle following sensors can detect whether there are objects adjacent to the side surfaces. One or more obstacle following sensors 241 can also act as obstacle detection sensors, similar to the proximity sensors described herein.

[0057] The robot 100 may also include sensors for tracking the distance traveled by the robot 100. For example, the sensor system may include an encoder associated with the motor 208 of the drive wheel 210, and the encoder may track the distance the robot 100 has traveled. In some embodiments, the sensor may include an optical sensor facing downward toward the floor surface. The optical sensor may be positioned to direct light to the floor surface 50 through the bottom surface of the robot 100. The optical sensor may detect reflections of the light and may detect the distance traveled by the robot 100 based on changes in floor features as the robot 100 travels along the floor surface 50.

[0058] The image capture device 240 may be configured to generate signals based on images of the environment 40 of the robot 100 as the robot 100 moves about the floor surface 50. The image capture device 240 may transmit such signals to the controller 212. The image capture device 240 may capture images of wall surfaces of the environment so that features corresponding to objects on the wall surfaces may be used for positioning.

[0059] The controller 212 may use data collected by the sensors of the sensor system during a mission to control the navigation behavior of the robot 100. For example, the controller 212 may use sensor data collected by the robot 100's obstacle detection sensors (cliff sensors 234, collision sensors 239, and image capture devices 240) to enable the robot 100 to avoid obstacles within the robot 100's environment during a mission.

[0060] The sensor data may also be used by the controller 212 for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques, in which the controller 212 extracts or interprets environmental features represented by the sensor data and constructs a map of the floor surface 50 of the environment. The sensor data collected by the image capture device 240 may be used for techniques such as vision-based SLAM (VSLAM), in which the controller 212 extracts visual features corresponding to objects in the environment 40 and uses these visual features to construct a map. When the controller 212 guides the robot 100 around the floor surface 50 during a mission, the controller 212 may use SLAM techniques to determine the location of the robot 100 within the map by detecting features represented in the collected sensor data and comparing the features with previously stored features. The map formed by the sensor data may indicate the locations of traversable and non-traversable spaces within the environment. For example, the location of obstacles may be indicated on the map as non-traversable spaces, while the location of open floor spaces may be indicated on the map as traversable spaces.

[0061] Sensor data collected by any sensor may be stored in the memory 213. In addition, other data generated for SLAM technology, including mapping data that forms a map, may be stored in the memory 213. Such data generated during a mission may include persistent data generated during a mission and usable during a later mission. In addition to storing software for causing the robot 100 to perform its behaviors, the memory 213 may store data generated by the processing of sensor data for access by the controller 212. For example, a map may be a map that can be used and updated by the controller 212 of the robot 100 from one mission to another to navigate the robot 100 around the floor surface 50.

[0062] The persistent data, including the persistent map, helps enable the robot 100 to effectively clean the floor surface 50. For example, the map enables the controller 212 to guide the robot 100 to open floor spaces and avoid non-traversable spaces. In addition, for subsequent missions, the controller 212 can use the map to optimize the path taken during the mission to help plan the robot 100's navigation through the environment 40.

[0063] Network Example

[0064] Figure 4 4 is a schematic diagram showing, by way of example and not limitation, a communication network 400 capable of networking between a mobile robot 100 and one or more other devices, such as a mobile device 404, a cloud computing system 406, or another autonomous robot 408 separate from the mobile robot 100. Using the communication network 410, the robot 100, the mobile device 404, the robot 408, and the cloud computing system 406 can communicate with each other to send and receive data to each other. In some examples, the robot 100, the robot 408, or both the robot 100 and the robot 408 communicate with the mobile device 404 through the cloud computing system 406. Alternatively or additionally, the robot 100, the robot 408, or both the robot 100 and the robot 408 communicate directly with the mobile device 404. Various types and combinations of wireless networks (e.g., Bluetooth, radio frequency, optical-based, etc.) and network architectures (e.g., mesh networks) can be employed by the communication network 410.

[0065] In some examples, mobile device 404 can be a remote device that can be linked to cloud computing system 406 and can enable a user to provide input. Mobile device 404 can include user input elements, such as one or more of a touch screen display, buttons, microphone, mouse, keyboard, or other device that responds to user-provided input. Mobile device 404 can also include immersive media (e.g., virtual reality) with which a user can interact to provide input. In these examples, mobile device 404 can be a virtual reality headset or a head-mounted display.

[0066] The user may provide input corresponding to a command to the mobile robot 100. In this case, the mobile device 404 may transmit a signal to the cloud computing system 406 to cause the cloud computing system 406 to transmit a command signal to the mobile robot 100. In some embodiments, the mobile device 404 may present an augmented reality image. In some embodiments, the mobile device 404 may be a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computing device, or other mobile device.

[0067] According to some examples discussed herein, the mobile device 404 may include a user interface configured to display a map of the robot environment. A robot path such as that identified by a coverage planner may also be displayed on the map. The interface may receive user instructions to modify the environment map, such as by adding, removing, or otherwise modifying prohibited areas in the environment; adding, removing, or otherwise modifying concentrated cleaning areas in the environment (e.g., areas that require repeated cleaning); limiting the robot's traversal direction or traversal mode in a portion of the environment; or adding or changing a cleaning level, etc.

[0068] In some examples, communication network 410 may include additional nodes. For example, a node of communication network 410 may include additional robots. In addition, a node of communication network 410 may include network-connected devices that can generate information about environment 40. Such network-connected devices may include one or more sensors, such as acoustic sensors, image capture systems, or other sensors that generate signals to detect characteristics of environment 40 from which features can be extracted. Network-connected devices may also include home cameras, smart sensors, and the like.

[0069] In the communication network 410, the wireless link can utilize various communication schemes, protocols, etc., such as Bluetooth class, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth low energy (also known as BLE), 802.15.4, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), infrared channels, satellite bands, etc. In some examples, the wireless link may include any cellular network standard for communication between mobile devices, including but not limited to standards that comply with 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, etc. If a network standard is used, these network standards are qualified as, for example, one or more generations of mobile telecommunication standards by meeting specifications or standards such as those maintained by the International Telecommunication Union. For example, the 4G standard may correspond to the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification. Examples of cellular network standards include AMPS, GSM, GPRS, UMTS, LTE, LTE Advanced, Mobile WiMAX, and WiMAX-Advanced. Cellular network standards may use various channel access methods, such as FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, or SDMA.

[0070] Example of suction guide

[0071] Figure 5 A side perspective view of a cleaning assembly 504 of a mobile cleaning robot 500 is shown. The cleaning assembly 504 can be similar to the cleaning assembly 204 described above. The cleaning assembly 504 can include features for adjusting one or more suction guides of the mobile cleaning robot 500. Any cleaning assembly of any robot discussed above or below can include features of the cleaning assembly 504 or the mobile cleaning robot 500. Figure 5 Front and rear orientation indicators are also shown.

[0072] The cleaning assembly 504 may include a support or housing 550 including a first portion 550a and a second portion 550b. The housing 550 may be sized and shaped to support one or more cleaning rollers 552 therein. The one or more cleaning rollers 552 may be similar to the cleaning rollers 205 discussed above. The one or more cleaning rollers 552 may optionally include bristles or fletches 554. The bristles may be fibers or a section of material, such as a brush. The fletches may be blades or elongated members made of a flexible material such as rubber or silicone. The cleaning assembly 504 may also include a roller 556, which may optionally be a passive roller engaged with the bristles 554 of the roller 552.

[0073] The support 550 can define a roller housing 558 that is configured to at least partially surround and optionally engage one or more cleaning rollers 552. The roller housing 558 can be open toward the bottom to define a first debris port 560, for example to allow the bristles 554 to engage a floor surface of the environment and allow debris to be collected into a first debris chamber 562, which can be connected to a vacuum assembly (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) of the mobile cleaning robot 500. The rear of the roller housing 558 can be connected to the first debris chamber 562.

[0074] The housing 550 may also define or include a second debris port 564 that is open to the bottom of the cleaning assembly 504 of the mobile cleaning robot 500. The second debris port 564 may be arranged in parallel flow relative to the first debris port 560. Optionally, the second debris port 564 may be located behind the first debris port 560 and may be separated by a lip 566 of the roller housing 558. The second debris port 564 may be configured to extract debris from the environment. Optionally, the second debris port 564 may form a relatively small opening that may create or generate a relatively high suction force (lower pressure) to improve the extraction of relatively small or fine debris from the environment. Because the first debris port 560 is relatively large and includes one or more cleaning rollers 552, the first debris port 560 may more effectively capture or ingest large debris.

[0075] The rear or upper portion of the second debris port 564 can be connected to a second debris chamber 568, which can be separated from the first debris chamber by a wall 570. The rear of the first debris chamber 562 can be connected to a vacuum system, and the rear of the second debris chamber 568 can also be connected to a vacuum system. Optionally, the second portion 550b can include a valve 572 that can be moved between an open position and a closed position to selectively direct flow through one or more of the first debris port 560 and the second debris port 564, such as opening and closing at least one of the first debris port 560 and the second debris port 564.

[0076] The wall 570, which may be a partition or dividing wall, may optionally include an opening 574 or passageway between the first debris chamber 562 and the second debris chamber 568. The second portion 550b may also include a door 576 configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein when the door is in the open position, the opening 574 is opened to connect the first debris chamber 562 to the second debris chamber 568. When the door 576 is in the closed position, the opening 574 may be closed or sealed such that the first debris chamber 562 is separated or isolated from the second debris chamber 568. Optionally, the door 576 may be configured to move from the closed position to the open position when the door 576 is exposed to a suction pressure (e.g., from a suction station) that is higher than a normal operating suction pressure (e.g., from a vacuum system of the mobile cleaning robot 500).

[0077] In some examples of operation, the cleaning assembly 504 can be operated in two or more modes, for example, by a controller (e.g., controller 212). In one mode, the controller can operate the valve 572 to send flow (e.g., from the vacuum assembly 218) through the first debris chamber 562 and the first debris port 560 to capture debris from the environment, which can be assisted by one or more cleaning rollers 552 and rollers 556. In another mode, the controller can operate the valve 572 to send flow (e.g., from the vacuum assembly 218) through the second debris chamber 568 and the second debris port 564 to capture debris from the environment. Alternatively, the controller can operate the valve 572 to send flow through the first debris port 560 and the second debris port 564.

[0078] Optionally, the controller may operate the valve 572 to control flow through the first debris port 560 or the second debris port 564 based on the type of debris detected in the environment, such as using an image capture device (e.g., the image capture device 240). For example, when large debris is detected, the controller may operate the valve 572 to send flow through the first debris port 560. When fine debris is detected, the controller may operate the valve 572 to send flow through the second debris port 564.

[0079] Optionally, roller 556 can help operate roller 552 as a pump (such that roller 552 replenishes air flow through the system). Roller 556 can squeeze air out of roller 552 so that the air is then compressed and forced up to first debris port 560 and into first debris chamber 562. Optionally, exhaust air (or regeneration (regeneration) air) can be exhausted through second debris port 564, as discussed in further embodiments below.

[0080] Fig. 6A A bottom perspective view of the mobile cleaning robot 600 is shown. Figure 6B A bottom view of the mobile cleaning robot 600 is shown. Fig. 6A and 6B The mobile cleaning robot 600 can be similar to the robots discussed above; the mobile cleaning robot 600 can include a laterally outward debris port, for example, which can be optionally used to collect debris along an edge. Any robot discussed above or below can include features of the mobile cleaning robot 600.

[0081] More specifically, the mobile cleaning robot 600 can include a body 602, which can be similar to the body 202 discussed above, but can have a different shape, such as a relatively flat front bumper. The mobile cleaning robot 600 can support a cleaning assembly 604, which can be similar to the cleaning assembly discussed above in that the cleaning assembly 604 can define an opening, which can be a first debris port 662.

[0082] The cleaning assembly 604 may include a roller 605 therein that is configured to rotate to facilitate ingestion of debris. As discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 388,302 filed on July 31, 2021 to Amaral et al. (which application is incorporated herein by reference), the cleaning assembly 604 may optionally include a dustpan 678 that may engage with the roller 605 to facilitate extraction of debris.

[0083] The body 602 may include a bottom 680, which may be, for example, a bottom slide or a bottom cover. The bottom 680 may at least partially define a first debris port 662, and may at least partially define second debris ports 664a and 664b (collectively referred to as second debris ports 664). The second debris port 664 may be located on a lateral side (e.g., left and right sides) of the robot, such as a lateral exterior of the roller 605. The second debris port 664 may be in line with the first debris port 662, or may be located in front of or behind the first debris port 662. The second debris port 664 may be positioned relative to the body 602 so that the second debris port 664 is close to a lateral edge or side of the mobile cleaning robot 600. This may allow the second debris port 664 to pick up debris (optionally, fine debris) along an edge within the environment, such as along a wall or substrate.

[0084] Optionally, one or more second debris ports 664 can be exhaust ports configured to exhaust air from a vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218). The mobile cleaning robot 600 can use the exhaust ports to move trapped debris that cannot be reached by, for example, the first debris port 662 or the side brush. Any debris port discussed herein can be configured to exhaust air therethrough.

[0085] The body 602 may also include a valve 682 located within the body 602. The valve 682 may be in communication with a controller (e.g., the controller 212) and may be operated by the controller to control the flow of air from its vacuum system (e.g., the vacuum assembly 218) to the first debris port 662 or the second debris port 664. Optionally, the roller 605 may continue to rotate to extract debris through the first debris port 662 while air is directed through the second debris port 664, such as by using the mechanical force of the roller 605 and the dustpan 678.

[0086] Figure 7 A side cross-sectional view of a portion of a mobile cleaning robot 700 is shown. The mobile cleaning robot 700 can be similar to the robots discussed above; the mobile cleaning robot 700 can include a retractable arm that includes one or more debris ports. Any robot discussed above or below can include features of the mobile cleaning robot 700.

[0087] The mobile cleaning robot 700 may include a cleaning assembly 704, which includes a roller 705 at least partially located within a housing 758 of the cleaning assembly 704. The housing 758 may be at least partially open to form a first debris port 762, which is configured to be oriented toward a floor surface 50 of the environment. The roller 705 may be rotatable within the housing 758 and relative to the housing 758. The housing 758 may be connected to a vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) of the mobile cleaning robot 700. When the roller 705 rotates within the housing 758, the roller 705 may engage the floor surface 50 and extract debris from the floor surface 50 through the first debris port 762 into a debris box (e.g., cleaning box 322).

[0088] The mobile cleaning robot 700 may also include an arm assembly 778 including an arm 780 and an actuator assembly 782. The actuator assembly 782 may be operable (e.g., by a controller (e.g., controller 212)) to move the arm 780 between a retracted position (indicated by arm 780a) and an extended position (indicated by arm 780b) relative to the body of the mobile cleaning robot 700. Alternatively, the actuator assembly 782 may be a passive assembly, such as one that includes one or more biasing elements (e.g., springs) to bias the arm 780 and the second debris port 764 toward the roller 705 to allow the arm 780 to move rearward (e.g., retract the arm 780), such as when the arm 780 engages an obstacle such as a carpet or a threshold.

[0089] The arm 780 can include a second debris port 764 and a slide rail 784. The slide rail 784 can include bristles or can be a low friction pad (e.g., nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene), and can be configured to engage the floor surface 50 to support the arm 780. For example, when the arm 780 is in a retracted position (as shown by slide rail 784a), the slide rail 784 can be above the floor surface 50, and when the arm 780 is in an extended position (as shown by slide rail 784b), the slide rail 784 can engage the floor surface 50.

[0090] The second debris port 764 can be one or more holes or ports extending at least partially through the arm 780. The second debris port 764 can be connected to the vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) of the mobile cleaning robot 700. When the arm 780b is in the extended position, the second debris port 764b can be positioned close to the floor surface 50 so that when the arm 780 is in the extended position, the second debris port 764 terminates closer to the cleaning assembly (e.g., roller 705) than when the arm 780 is in the retracted position. This can help the second debris port 764 extract debris from the floor surface 50. Because the second debris port 764 is relatively small (compared to the first debris port 762), the second debris port 764 can collect small or fine debris more effectively than the first debris port 762.

[0091] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of an arm 880 of a mobile cleaning robot is shown. Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of an arm 980 of a mobile cleaning robot is shown. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Front and rear orientation indicators are also shown. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 .

[0092] Arms 880 and 980 may be similar to arm 780 discussed above; arms 880 and 980 may include tails or flexible members for agitating or moving carpet fibers to improve debris extraction. Alternatively, the tails may be rigid. Any robot discussed above or below may include features of arm 880 or 980 such that the arm may work with a primary or first debris port. Alternatively, an arm may define only a debris port (or there may be multiple arms defining multiple debris ports).

[0093] The arm 880 may include a shaft 886 and a fin 888 connected to the shaft 886, wherein the shaft 886 and the fin 888 may together define a second debris port 864 extending at least partially therethrough. As discussed in further detail below, the fin 888 may include a tip 890 that may engage carpet fibers. The second debris port 864 may extend through the fin 888 and may curve or sweep from front to back as the second debris port 864 extends from the shaft 886 to an opening 892 near the tip 890 of the fin 888.

[0094] The arm 980 may be configured similarly to the arm 880 such that the arm 980 may include a shaft 986 and a fin 988 defining the second debris port 964. The fin 988 may include a tip 990 and may include an opening 992 of the second debris port proximate the tip 990.

[0095] The tail 888 can define a width W1 (e.g., from front to back), which can be relatively smaller than the width W2 of the tail 988 of the arm 980. Different widths can accommodate debris ports of different shapes. For example, the second debris port 964 can sweep farther backward than the second debris port 864. The shape of the second debris port 864 can enable the arm 880 to better extract debris from between the fibers of a carpet with a lower pile. Conversely, the larger width W2 of the second debris port 964 and its larger curvature can enable the arm 980 to better extract debris from between the fibers of a carpet with a higher pile. The larger width can also allow the tail 988 to float or pass over a carpet with a higher pile, while the smaller width can help the tail 888 penetrate a carpet with a lower pile. The width of either arm can be optimized for extracting debris of any fiber length or pile height.

[0096] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of an arm 1080 of a mobile cleaning robot engaging an environmental surface 50 is shown. The surface may include carpet fibers 51. Arm 1080 may be similar to arm 880 or arm 980; Fig.10 shows how such an arm operates.

[0097] As the robot (e.g., any of the robots discussed herein) moves forward across the floor surface 50, the tail 1088 can engage the fibers 51. The tip 1090 of the tail 1088 can move the fibers 51 forward, creating gaps G between the fibers 51. Because the opening 1092 is located near the tip 1090, when the fiber 51 is pushed forward by the tip 1090, the opening 1092 can align with the gap G to allow the debris to be extracted through the opening 1092 and into the second suction port 1064 of the robot. In this way, the arm 1080 (or arm 880 or 980) can be used to extract debris between the fibers 51 embedded in the floor surface 50.

[0098] Optionally, any of the arms 880, 980 or 1080 may be connected to a roller, as described below with reference to Fig.16 discussed.

[0099] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1104 of a mobile cleaning robot 1100 in an environment is shown. The cleaning assembly 1104 can be similar to the cleaning assemblies discussed above; the cleaning assembly 1104 can include a regeneration air exhaust port. Any robot discussed above or below can include features of the mobile cleaning robot 1100.

[0100] More specifically, the cleaning assembly 1104 can include a roller 1105 within a roller housing 1158. The roller 1105 can include radially extending tail wings 1152 that can engage the floor surface 50. Similar to the other embodiments discussed above, the cleaning assembly 1104 can include a first debris port 1162 connected to the suction conduit 1148 for extracting debris from the floor surface 50.

[0101] The cleaning assembly 1104 may also include an exhaust port 1194 located at or near the rear of the first debris port 1162. The exhaust port 1194 may be connected to a vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) of the mobile cleaning robot 1100 and may be configured to receive exhaust air therefrom. The exhaust port 1194 may be configured to discharge exhaust air from the vacuum system to the rear of the first debris port 1162. The exhaust air may be discharged at a velocity that is configured to help guide debris, such as debris that has moved or may move through the first debris port 1162, forward toward the first debris port 1162, helping to improve the overall cleaning efficiency of the cleaning assembly 1104 and the mobile cleaning robot 1100.

[0102] Fig.12 A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1204 of a mobile cleaning robot 1200 in an environment is shown. The cleaning assembly 1204 can be similar to the cleaning assembly discussed above; the cleaning assembly 1204 can include a regeneration air discharge port and a roller configured to generate suction. Any robot discussed above or below can include features of the mobile cleaning robot 1200.

[0103] More specifically, the cleaning assembly 1204 may include a roller 1205 at least partially located within and rotatable within a roller housing 1258. The cleaning assembly 1204 may also include a roller 1256, which may be connected to and rotatable relative to the roller housing 1258. For example, the roller 1205 may rotate in a first direction R1, and the roller 1256 may rotate in a second direction R2, such that the roller 1256 may rotate in a direction opposite to the roller 1205.

[0104] Fig.12 Also shown is an exhaust port 1294 which may be configured to vent toward the rear of the roller 1205 and the debris port 1262 , similar to the exhaust port 1194 described above. Fig.12It is further shown that the roller 1205 can include a plurality of tail wings 1252 (e.g., 1252a and 1252b). The tail wings 1252 can extend radially outward from the core 1296 of the roller 1205. Optionally, the tail wings 1252 can be configured to flex relative to the core 1296. For example, when the tail 1252b passes the roller 1256, the tail 1252b can flex or bend, causing air or debris between the tail 1252b and the tail 1252c to be extracted into the suction conduit 1248. When the tail 1252b extends through the roller 1256, the tail 1252b can help to create a vacuum at the entrance of the debris port 1262 to help suck in additional debris, thereby helping to improve the cleaning efficiency of the roller 1205.

[0105] Fig.13 A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1304 of a mobile cleaning robot 1300 in an environment is shown. The cleaning assembly 1304 can be similar to the cleaning assembly discussed above; the cleaning assembly 1304 can include an exhaust air discharge port on one side of the roller and a suction port on the opposite side of the roller. Any robot discussed above or below can include the features of the mobile cleaning robot 1300.

[0106] The cleaning assembly 1304 can include a roller 1305 at least partially located and rotatable within a roller housing 1358. The roller 1305 can include one or more tail wings or bristles 1352 configured to engage a floor surface to help extract debris from the floor surface and into a debris port 1362 of the cleaning assembly 1304 and into the suction conduit 1348.

[0107] The cleaning assembly 1304 may also include an exhaust port 1398 connected to an upper portion of the housing 1358, which may be configured to exhaust exhaust air (e.g., from a vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) of the robot 1300) near an upper portion of the roller 1305. The roller 1305 may optionally be a spiral roller such that the tail 1352 may extend around the periphery of the roller 1305 as the tail 1352 extends axially along the roller 1305.

[0108] Optionally, the cleaning assembly 1304 can include a rod 1399 (e.g., a beater rod) connected to the roller housing 1358. The rod 1399 can be located in the housing 1358 and between the exhaust port 1398 and the debris port 1362. The rod 1399 can be configured to engage the bristles 1352 of the roller 1305 to help limit the detour of air from the exhaust port 1398 to the debris port 1362 (e.g., limit short circulation) and help force the air around the front of the roller 1305. Forcing the air to flow around the top and front of the roller 1305 helps increase the ingestion of debris through the debris port 1362, thereby helping to improve the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning assembly 1304. The rod 1399 can also help separate debris from the bristles 1352 so that the debris can be ingested through the debris port 1362.

[0109] Fig.14A A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1404 of a mobile cleaning robot 1400 is shown in an environment. Fig. 14B A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1404 of a mobile cleaning robot 1400 is shown in an environment. Fig.14A and 14B The cleaning assembly 1404 can be similar to the cleaning assemblies discussed above; the cleaning assembly 1404 can include a valve connected to the cleaning assembly near the debris port, where the valve can be moved based on the type of floor surface that the robot 1400 is traversing. Any robot discussed above or below can include the features of the mobile cleaning robot 1400.

[0110] The cleaning assembly 1404 may include a roller 1405 at least partially located and rotatable within a roller housing 1458. The roller 1405 may include one or more tail wings or bristles 1452 configured to engage a floor surface to help extract debris from the floor surface and into a first debris port 1462 of the cleaning assembly 1404 and into the suction conduit 1448.

[0111] The cleaning assembly 1404 may include a valve 1451. The valve 1451 may include a body 1453 and a pivot 1455 connected to a portion 1457 of the body 1402 of the mobile cleaning robot 1400. The valve 1451 may be rotatable, movable, or pivotable about the pivot 1455 relative to the portion 1457 and the body 1402, particularly relative to the second debris port 1464. The valve 1451 may be connected to the portion 1457 near the rear of the roller 1405 or the rear of the first debris port 1462.

[0112] In the first position, such as Fig.14AAs shown, the valve body 1453 can be tilted or moved to open the gap G1 at the rear position of the valve 1451 to expose the first debris port 1462 to the rear of the valve 1451. Fig. 14B As shown, the valve body 1453 can be tilted or moved (or not moved - that is, the valve 1451 can be biased to or normally in Fig. 14B position) to open the gap G2 at the front position of the valve 1451 to expose the first debris port 1462 to the front of the valve 1451.

[0113] In operation, when the valve body 1453 engages the carpet fibers, the valve body 1453 can be tilted to agitate or move the fibers to create gaps in the fibers. The tilt of the body 1453 can be limited by contact between the valve body 1453 and the body 1402 of the mobile cleaning robot 1400. The gap G1 can be configured (e.g., sized or shaped) to align with the gaps in the fibers to extract debris therefrom.

[0114] When valve 1451 is in Fig. 14B When in the position shown, the second debris port 1464 can provide additional suction adjacent to the first debris port 1462 to help limit debris from bypassing the cleaning assembly 1404. In this way, the valve 1451 can help improve the cleaning efficiency or effectiveness of various types of floors.

[0115] Optionally, valve 1451 may include a biasing element (e.g., a spring) to bias valve 1451 to Fig.14A This allows the rear edge to sink into the soft carpet. Fig. 14B As shown, when on a hard floor, the engagement between the floor surface 50 and the valve body 1453 can cause the valve body 1453 to be forced into Fig. 14B This can allow valve 1451 to automatically adjust to the floor type without additional actuation.

[0116] Optionally, valve 1451 may be controllable by a controller (eg, controller 212) and an actuator connected thereto, such that as mobile cleaning robot 1400 moves in an environment, the controller may move valve 1451 based on a detected floor type.

[0117] Fig.15 A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1504 of a mobile cleaning robot 1500 in an environment is shown. The cleaning assembly 1504 can be similar to the cleaning assembly discussed above; the cleaning assembly 1504 can include a smaller roller at the rear of the cleaning assembly to aid in extracting debris. Any robot discussed above or below can include features of the mobile cleaning robot 1500.

[0118] The cleaning assembly 1504 may include a roller 1505 at least partially located and rotatable within a roller housing 1558. The roller 1505 may include one or more tail wings or bristles 1552 configured to engage a floor surface to help extract debris from the floor surface and into a first debris port 1562 of the cleaning assembly 1504 and into the suction conduit 1548.

[0119] The cleaning assembly 1504 may also include a roller 1556 connected to the housing 1502 near the rear of the roller 1505. The roller 1556 may be configured to rotate therein to ingest debris from the floor surface 50 through the opening 1561 and into the second debris port 1564. Optionally, the roller 1556 may be configured to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the roller 1505 to help move debris (e.g., large debris) that may pass through the roller 1505 back to the roller 1505 and into the first debris port 1562.

[0120] The cleaning assembly 1504 may also include an exhaust port 1598 that may be connected to the exhaust port of a vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) within the housing 1502 of the mobile cleaning robot 1500. The exhaust port 1598 may be configured to direct exhaust air to flow over the top and front of the roller 1556 and out the exhaust opening 1563, which may further help move debris that may have passed over the roller 1505 back toward the roller 1505 and into the first debris port 1562, thereby further helping to improve the cleaning efficiency or effectiveness of the mobile cleaning robot 1500. Air moving through the exhaust opening 1563 may also help prevent debris from bypassing the top of the roller 1556.

[0121] Optionally, air can be injected at opening 1561 to help direct debris back to roller 1505. Optionally, air can be injected at top 1565 of roller 1505, for example to help separate debris from bristles 1552 and help create additional suction or power through second debris port 1564.

[0122] Fig.16 A cross-sectional view of a cleaning assembly 1604 of a mobile cleaning robot 1600 in an environment is shown. The cleaning assembly 1604 can be similar to the cleaning assembly discussed above; the cleaning assembly 1604 can include a roller configured to exhaust exhaust air to help extract debris from the environment. Any robot discussed above or below can include features of the mobile cleaning robot 1600.

[0123] The cleaning assembly 1604 may include a roller 1605 at least partially located and rotatable within a roller housing 1658. The roller 1605 may include one or more tail wings or bristles 1652 configured to engage a floor surface to help extract debris from the floor surface and into a debris port 1662 of the cleaning assembly 1604 and into the suction conduit 1648.

[0124] Roller 1605 may include a drum 1665 defining one or more holes 1667 extending therethrough. Drum 1665 may be connected to bristles 1652 and may rotate therewith. Roller 1605 may also include an internal cavity 1669, which may be at least partially defined by drum 1665 and may extend along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of roller 1605. Holes 1667 may extend from cavity 1669 to the exterior of drum 1665.

[0125] Roller 1605 may also include a wall 1671 within drum 1665. Wall 1671 may be fixed relative to body 1602 of mobile cleaning robot 1600 and relative to rotating drum 1665. Wall 1671 may also include an opening 1673 that faces the front of robot 1600 and is closed to the rear of the robot. Internal cavity 1669 may be connected to an exhaust port of a vacuum system (e.g., vacuum assembly 218) within housing 1602 of mobile cleaning robot 1600 to receive exhaust flow therefrom for discharge through hole 1667.

[0126] In operation, when the cleaning assembly 1604 is in a cleaning mode, the roller 1605 can rotate relative to the cleaning assembly 1604 and the exhaust air can be delivered to the internal cavity 1669. The exhaust air can be discharged from the internal cavity 1669 through the hole 1667 and discharged from the top and front of the roller 1605 along at least a portion of the axial length of the roller 1605. Optionally, the exhaust air can be passed through one or more bristles 1652 (or reference 1654). Figure 8-10 The tail wing in question) emissions.

[0127] Because wall 1671 is near the rear of roller 1605, exhaust air is restricted from exiting the holes in the rear of roller 1605 despite the rotation of roller 1605. Directionally controlled exhaust air can help unclog roller 1605 and can help create additional debris collection through debris port 1662 and into suction conduit 1648.

[0128] Fig.17A block diagram of an example machine 1700 is shown, on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein may be performed. As described herein, the example may include logic or multiple components or mechanisms in the machine 1700, or may be operated by them. A circuit (e.g., a processing circuit) is a collection of circuits implemented in a tangible entity of the machine 1700 including hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuit components may change over time. A circuit includes components that can perform specified operations alone or in combination when in operation. In an example, the hardware of the circuit may be designed to perform a specific operation (e.g., hardwired) invariably. In an example, the hardware of the circuit may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) that include physically modified machine-readable media (e.g., magnetic, electrical, movable placement of constant mass particles, etc.) to encode instructions for specific operations. In the process of connecting physical components, the basic electrical properties of the hardware components are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor, and vice versa. The instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or loading mechanism) to create a component of a circuit in hardware via a variable connection to perform a portion of a specific operation when in operation. Accordingly, in an example, when the device is operating, the machine-readable medium element is part of the circuit or is communicatively connected to other components of the circuit. In an example, any physical component can be used in more than one component of more than one circuit. For example, in operation, an execution unit can be used in a first loop of a first circuit at one point in time and reused by a second loop in the first circuit, or reused by a third loop in the second circuit at a different time. Additional examples of these components of machine 1700 are as follows.

[0129] In alternative embodiments, machine 1700 can operate as a stand-alone device, or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, machine 1700 can operate with the capabilities of a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In an example, machine 1700 can act as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Machine 1700 can be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a network appliance, a network router, a switch or a bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or other) specifying the actions to be taken by the machine. In addition, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be understood to include any machine collection that executes a set (or multiple sets) of instructions individually or jointly to perform any one or more methods discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), and other computer cluster configurations.

[0130] The machine (e.g., computer system) 1700 may include a hardware processor 1702 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 1704, a static memory (e.g., memory or storage for firmware, microcode, basic input and output (BIOS), a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), etc.) 1706, and a mass storage 1708 (e.g., a hard drive, a tape drive, a flash memory, or other block device), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnect (e.g., a bus) 1730. The machine 1700 may also include a display unit 1710, an alphanumeric input device 1712 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 1714 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 1710, the input device 1712, and the UI navigation device 1714 may be a touch screen display. The machine 1700 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 1708, a signal generating device 1718 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 1720, and one or more sensors 1716, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. The machine 1700 may include an output controller 1728, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB)), parallel or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., printers, card readers, etc.).

[0131] The registers of the processor 1702, main memory 1704, static memory 1706, or mass storage 1708 may be or include a machine-readable medium 1722 on which one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1724 (e.g., software) are stored, which embody or are utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. During execution of the instructions 1724 by the machine 1700, the instructions 1724 may also reside, in whole or in part, within any register of the processor 1702, main memory 1704, static memory 1706, or mass storage 1708. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 1702, main memory 1704, static memory 1706, or mass storage 1708 may constitute the machine-readable medium 1722. Although the machine-readable medium 1722 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 1724.

[0132] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions executed by the machine 1700 and causing the machine 1700 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or any medium capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory, optical media, magnetic media, and signals (e.g., radio frequency signals, other photon-based signals, sound signals, etc.). In an example, a non-transitory machine-readable medium includes a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles with a constant (e.g., stationary) mass, and is therefore a combination of matter. Accordingly, a non-transitory machine-readable medium is a machine-readable medium that does not include a temporarily propagated signal. Specific examples of non-transitory machine-readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0133] The instructions 1724 may also be sent or received over a communication network 1726 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 1720 using any of a variety of transmission protocols (e.g., frame relay, Internet Protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone (POTS) network, and a wireless data network (e.g., a wireless network known as a wireless network). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards, known as The IEEE 802.16 family of standards), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, and the like. In an example, the network interface device 1720 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 1726. In an example, the network interface device 1720 may include multiple antennas to wirelessly communicate using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technologies. The term "transmission medium" should be understood to include any intangible medium that can store, encode, or carry instructions executed by the machine 1700, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media to facilitate the communication of such software. Transmission media are machine-readable media.

[0134] Notes and Examples

[0135] The following non-limiting examples describe in detail certain aspects of the subject matter to address challenges and provide the benefits discussed herein, among other things.

[0136] Example 1 is a mobile cleaning robot comprising: a body movable within an environment; a debris box at least partially located within the body; and a cleaning component connected to the body, the cleaning component comprising: a first debris port connected to the debris box; and a second debris port connected to the debris box.

[0137] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 optionally includes a valve movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close at least one of the first debris port and the second debris port.

[0138] In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 optionally includes wherein the first debris port is connected to a cleaning head of the mobile cleaning robot and the second debris port extends through a lower portion of the body laterally outward of the cleaning head.

[0139] In Example 4, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 2-3 can optionally include wherein the valve is located rearward of the first debris port.

[0140] In Example 5, the subject matter of Example 4 can optionally include, wherein the valve is configured to engage a floor surface to move the valve to the open position.

[0141] In Example 6, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 2-5 optionally includes a vacuum system independently connected to the second debris port.

[0142] In Example 7, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-6 optionally includes an arm connected to the body and movable relative to the body between an extended position and a retracted position, the second debris port extending at least partially through the arm.

[0143] In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 7 can optionally include wherein when the arm is in the extended position, the second debris port terminates closer to the cleaning assembly than when the arm is in the retracted position.

[0144] In Example 9, the subject matter of Example 8 optionally includes wherein the movable arm includes a fin extending from a shaft of the arm, and wherein the second debris port extends at least partially through the fin.

[0145] In Example 10, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-9 optionally includes a first debris chamber connected to the first debris port and to the debris box; a second debris chamber connected to the second debris port and to the debris box; and a partition separating the first debris chamber and the second debris chamber.

[0146] In Example 11, the subject matter of Example 10 optionally includes a door in the bulkhead, the door movable between an open position and a closed position, the door connecting the first debris chamber to the second debris chamber when the door is in the open position.

[0147] In Example 12, the subject matter of Example 11 optionally includes, wherein the door is configured to move from the closed position to the open position when exposed to an evacuation suction pressure that is higher than a normal operating suction pressure.

[0148] In Example 13, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-12 optionally includes wherein the cleaning assembly includes a roller rotatable to extract debris from the floor surface and into at least one of the first debris port or the second debris port, and wherein the exhaust port extends at least partially through the roller.

[0149] In Example 14, the subject matter of Example 13 optionally includes wherein the roller includes a fin extending radially from a core of the roller, the exhaust port extending at least partially through the fin.

[0150] Example 15 is a method of operating a mobile cleaning robot, the method comprising: determining a floor type of a floor surface of an environment; determining a position of the mobile cleaning robot within the environment; and adjusting a first debris port and a second debris port of a cleaning assembly of the mobile cleaning robot.

[0151] In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 15 can optionally include detecting debris on a floor surface of the environment; determining a debris type of the detected debris; and adjusting at least one of the first debris port and the second debris port based on the debris type.

[0152] In Example 17, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 15-16 optionally includes wherein regulating at least one of the first debris port and the second debris port includes operating a valve between an open position and a closed position to open and close at least one of the first debris port and the second debris port.

[0153] In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 can optionally include wherein the valve is coupled after the first debris port.

[0154] In Example 19, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 4-18 optionally includes wherein the valve is configured to engage a floor surface to move the valve between the open position and the closed position.

[0155] In Example 20, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 15-19 optionally includes moving an arm coupled to the robot body relative to the robot body between an extended position and a retracted position, the second debris port extending at least partially through the arm.

[0156] In Example 21, the subject matter of Example 20 can optionally include wherein when the arm is in the extended position, the second debris port terminates closer to the cleaning assembly than when the arm is in the retracted position.

[0157] Example 22 is a non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions for operating a mobile cleaning robot, which, when executed by the machine, causes the machine to: detect debris on a floor surface of an environment; determine a debris type of the detected debris; and adjust at least one of a first debris port and a second debris port based on the debris type.

[0158] In Example 23, the apparatus or method of any one or any combination of Examples 1-22 may optionally be configured such that all of the elements or options described may be used or selected therefrom.

[0159] The above detailed description includes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. By way of illustration, the accompanying drawings show specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be implemented. These embodiments are also referred to as "examples" in this article. Such examples may include elements other than the elements shown or described. However, the inventors also consider examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. In addition, with respect to a specific example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein, the inventors also consider examples of any combination or arrangement of those elements (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described.

[0160] In the event of an inconsistent usage between this document and any document incorporated by reference, the usage in this document controls. In this document, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein." Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, systems, devices, articles, compositions, preparations, or processes that include elements in addition to those listed after such terms in a claim are still considered to fall within the scope of the claim.

[0161] In this document, as is common in patent documents, the terms "a" and "an" are used to include one or more than one, independent of any other instance or usage of "at least one" or "one or more". In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive "or", so that "A or B" includes "A but not B", "B but not A", and "A and B", unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain English equivalents of the corresponding terms "comprising" and "wherein". In addition, "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, systems, devices, articles, compositions, preparations, or processes that include elements in addition to those listed after such terms in a claim are still considered to fall within the scope of the claim. In addition, in the following claims, the terms "first", "second", and "third", etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0162] The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the above examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. For example, after reading the above description, a person of ordinary skill in the art may use other embodiments. The abstract is provided to comply with the requirements of 37C.FR1.72 (b) to allow readers to quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. Submitting it is based on the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the above detailed description, various features may be combined together to simplify the present disclosure. This should not be interpreted as unclaimed public features being necessary for any claim. On the contrary, the subject matter of the present disclosure may be less than all the features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the following claims are thus incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, each claim being independently a separate embodiment, and it is expected that such embodiments may be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the full scope of the appended claims and the equivalents of these claims.

Claims

1. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: A subject, which is able to move within the environment; a debris box at least partially located within the body; A cleaning assembly is connected to the main body, the cleaning assembly comprising: a first debris port connected to the debris box; and a second debris port connected to the debris box; and An arm is connected to the body and is movable relative to the body between an extended position and a retracted position, the second debris port extending at least partially through the arm.

2. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further including: A valve is movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close at least one of the first debris port and the second debris port.

3. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first debris port is connected to a cleaning head of the mobile cleaning robot, and the second debris port extends through a lower portion of the body laterally outward of the cleaning head.

4. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The valve is located rearward of the first debris port.

5. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The valve is configured to engage a floor surface to move the valve to an open position.

6. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: Further including: A vacuum system is independently connected to the second debris port.

7. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the arm is in the extended position, the second debris port terminates closer to the cleaning assembly than when the arm is in the retracted position.

8. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The arm includes a fin extending from a shaft of the arm, and wherein the second debris port extends at least partially through the fin.

9. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fin is engageable with a floor surface of the environment to extract debris from the floor surface via the fin and through the second debris port.

Images