IR Charging Dock Guidance for Collision-Free Cleaning Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cleaning robots lack an efficient method to navigate and dock with charging stations accurately, leading to potential collisions and inefficient charging processes.
Innovation Solution
A charging station equipped with an IR transmitter and controller that outputs IR light beams with specific boundaries, allowing a non-omni light detector on the cleaning robot to determine the charging station's location and orientation, guiding the robot to dock safely using encoded IR signals and directional adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional navigation methods are used for cleaning robots to locate charging stations, then the robot can operate autonomously, but the navigation accuracy is insufficient leading to collisions and inefficient docking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary infrared light beam system between the cleaning robot and charging station. The charging station emits infrared light beams that form visual boundaries, serving as a mediator that guides the robot's navigation and docking process, improving both accuracy and reliability without requiring complex sensor systems on the robot itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical navigation systems with optical-based infrared light beam guidance. Instead of relying on mechanical sensors and complex computational navigation, the system uses infrared light to create visual boundaries that directly guide the robot's movement, simplifying the system while improving docking precision
2Measurement precision
If the cleaning robot uses complex navigation systems to avoid collisions and dock accurately, then docking precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared light beam acts as an intermediary that carries navigation information from the charging station to the robot. This mediator provides precise docking guidance through simple optical signals (light beam boundaries) that the robot can detect and follow, achieving high precision without complex navigation hardware or software
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the navigation intelligence from the robot and places it in the charging station's infrared light system. The charging station emits structured light patterns that inherently encode directional and positional information, allowing the robot to navigate using simple light detection rather than complex onboard navigation systems
3Measurement precision
If the charging station emits continuous IR light beams for navigation guidance, then the robot can accurately locate and dock with the station, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic emission of infrared light beams instead of continuous emission. The charging station emits infrared light in periodic cycles, which is sufficient for the robot to detect and follow the light boundaries during its approach, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining navigation accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures that the infrared light emission is continuous during the robot's approach phase, maintaining navigation guidance without interruption. The periodic action is designed to cover the entire docking sequence, ensuring that useful navigation action continues throughout the critical approach and docking periods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise navigation and docking of the cleaning robot, reducing collisions and optimizing the charging process by using encoded IR signals to direct the robot along specific boundaries, ensuring safe and efficient charging.
Implementation Method 1
The IR transmitter outputs a first IR light beam, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary which is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning robot comprises a light detector to detect the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the invention provides a charging station for a cleaning robot. The charging station includes an IR transmitter and a controller. The IR transmitter outputs a first IR light beam, wherein the IR light beam includes a second boundary and a first boundary which is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary. The controller controls the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam. When the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam.