Removing debris from cleaning robots

Abstract

A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A robotic cleaner maintenance station, comprising:
 a station housing and a platform configured to support a robotic cleaner during servicing, the station housing defining an evacuation passageway exposed to the robotic cleaner for evacuating debris from the robotic cleaner during servicing;   a collection bin removably attached to the station housing, the collection bin being in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway;   a filter arranged to filter air passing from the collection bin to outside the maintenance station; and   a communication module that receives a wireless signal from a remotely operable user interface device comprising:
 an input control for receiving an operation command from a user for controlling the robotic maintenance station; and 
 an indicator for indicating a status of the robotic cleaner maintenance station. 
   
     
     
         28 . The robot cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , wherein the wireless signal comprises a modulated radio frequency signal or a modulated infrared signal. 
     
     
         29 . The robot cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , wherein the indicator comprises one or more of a station bin full indicator, a hardwood floor indicator, and a carpet indicator. 
     
     
         30 . The robot cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , wherein the input control comprises one or more of a room selection control, a return to station control, a pause cleaning control, a resume cleaning control, a zone of cleaning control, and a scheduling control. 
     
     
         31 . The robot cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , further comprising metal contacts that connect to contacts on the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner drives onto the maintenance station, wherein the communication module emits a command signal to the robotic cleaner to cease driving once the metal contacts connect to the contacts on the robotic cleaner. 
     
     
         32 . The robot cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , further comprising a lock assembly for engaging the robotic cleaner in place when the robotic cleaner has docked with the robotic cleaner maintenance station, wherein the robotic cleaner sends a command to the communication module to engage the robotic cleaner using the lock assembly. 
     
     
         33 . The robot cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , further comprising a controller for controlling evacuation of the robotic cleaner, wherein the controller is in communication with the communication module and sets an order of events for evacuating the robotic cleaner. 
     
     
         34 . The robotic cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , wherein the communication module emits a homing signal to guide the robotic cleaner to a platform of the robotic cleaner maintenance station. 
     
     
         35 . The robotic cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , wherein the remotely operable user interface device comprises a display. 
     
     
         36 . The robotic cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , further comprising a dock for receiving the remotely operable user interface device. 
     
     
         37 . The robotic cleaner maintenance station of  claim 27 , further comprising a track for guiding the robotic cleaner to a platform of the robotic cleaner maintenance station. 
     
     
         38 . A user interface device, comprising:
 a communication module that wirelessly communicates with a robot cleaner maintenance station so that the user interface device is remotely operable from the robot cleaner maintenance station;   an input control that receives an operation command from a user remotely controlling the robotic maintenance station; and   an indicator that indicates a status of the robotic cleaner maintenance station.   
     
     
         39 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the indicator indicates that the robotic cleaner maintenance station is powered on and a robot cleaner maintenance station collection bin is full. 
     
     
         40 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the indicator indicates that the robotic cleaner is self-adjusting to flooring surface demands. 
     
     
         41 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the operation command comprises a command that a robotic cleaner clean only a room in which the robotic cleaner maintenance station is located. 
     
     
         42 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the operation command comprises a command that a robotic cleaner clean only a room in which the robotic cleaner is located. 
     
     
         43 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the operation command comprises a command to a robotic cleaner associated with the robotic cleaner maintenance station to return to the robotic cleaner maintenance station from a remote location. 
     
     
         44 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the operation command comprises a command to a robotic cleaner associated with the robotic cleaner maintenance station to pause evacuation operations or resume evacuation operations. 
     
     
         45 . The user interface device of  claim 38 , wherein the operation command comprises setting a cleaning schedule for a robotic cleaner associated with the robotic cleaning maintenance station.