Rachel E Lucas

US Patent:

20190183310, Jun 20, 2019

Filed:

Dec 15, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/844437

Inventors:

- Newark CA, US
Rachel Lucas - Hayward CA, US
Charles Albert Pitzer - Fremont CA, US
Griswald Brooks - Fremont CA, US
Kingman Yee - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

A47L 11/40
H04N 5/247
H04N 5/225
G06T 5/00
G06T 11/60
G05D 1/02
H04N 5/232
H04N 5/235
G06T 7/70

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for a robot (e.g., cleaning robot) to produce a bird's eye view (planar) map by transforming from a robot camera view and stitching together images tagged by location. The planar map can then be presented on a user interface as a floorplan, showing the location of objects (such as rugs). A camera is mounted in the cleaning robot sufficiently high in the cleaning robot housing to provide an angled view downward at a floor. The camera's field of view is captured as an image, and a portion or segment of that image is cropped. The cropped segment is transformed from the camera perspective to a planar view (before or after cropping), and is combined with other images to form a map of a floorplan.

US Patent:

20190029486, Jan 31, 2019

Filed:

Jul 19, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/040449

Inventors:

- Newark CA, US
Rachel LUCAS - Hayward CA, US
Kingman YEE - San Jose CA, US
Thomas BONIA - Belmont CA, US

International Classification:

A47L 9/28
A47L 11/40

Abstract:

This disclosure describes various methods and apparatus for detecting and characterizing debris pickup during a cleaning operation. A debris detection sensor is described capable of counting the number of particles retrieved by a robotic vacuum during the cleaning operation and associating particles identified with particular areas. The location information can be obtained using various sensors on-board the robotic vacuum. In some embodiments, a cleaning operation can be rerouted when senor readings from the debris detection sensor deviate from historical sensor readings by a predetermined amount.

US Patent:

20190018420, Jan 17, 2019

Filed:

Jul 11, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/647012

Inventors:

- Newark CA, US
Rachel LUCAS - Hayward CA, US
Sarath SUVARNA - Fremont CA, US

International Classification:

G05D 1/02
B25J 11/00
A47L 9/28
A47L 9/04
A47L 5/22

Abstract:

The present disclosure describes techniques for a robotic cleaning device to determine a plan to clean an environment based on types of surfaces in the environment. The plan can include a route to take in the environment and/or one or more configurations to apply to the robotic cleaning device during the route. Determining the plan can include inserting detected surface types into an environmental map of the environment. The environmental map can then be used on future routes such that the robotic cleaning device can know a surface type of a surface before the robotic cleaning device reaches the surface. In some examples, a type of a surface of the environment can be detected by the robotic cleaning device based on optical polarization of light.

US Patent:

20180348783, Dec 6, 2018

Filed:

May 31, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/610401

Inventors:

- Newark CA, US
Griswald Brooks - Fremont CA, US
Jose Capriles - Foster City CA, US
Rachel Lucas - Hayward CA, US
Kingman Yee - Newark CA, US

International Classification:

G05D 1/02
G06K 9/00
G06T 7/11
H04N 5/38
A47L 9/04
A47L 9/28
A47L 9/14
A47L 9/00

Abstract:

Embodiments provide methods and apparatus for asynchronously classifying images provided by a robot. In a reconnaissance/exploratory or first cleaning pass, unidentified objects are avoided. Images of the object are uploaded over the Internet to a remote object detection and classification system, and the location is indicated by the cleaning robot. When the remote system subsequently returns an object identification or classification, the object can be indicated as something to be avoided, or the cleaning robot can return to the location and clean over the object if it is determined not to be a hazard. In one embodiment, the object is passed over at reduced speed or with a cleaning brush turned off.