Navigational control system for a robotic device

Abstract

An autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a chassis, a drive system disposed on the chassis and operable to enable movement of the cleaning apparatus, and a controller in communication with the drive system. The controller includes a processor operable to control the drive system to steer movement of the cleaning apparatus. The autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning head system disposed on the chassis and a sensor system in communication with the controller. The sensor system includes a debris sensor for generating a debris signal, a bump sensor for generating a bump signal, and an obstacle following sensor disposed on a side of the autonomous cleaning apparatus for generating an obstacle signal. The processor executes a prioritized arbitration scheme to identify and implement one or more dominant behavioral modes based upon at least one signal received from the sensor system.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:
 a cleaning head operable to clean an area;   a drive system operable to move the robot about the area;   a sensor system comprising:
 a debris sensor for generating a debris signal, 
 an obstacle detection sensor for generating an obstacle detection signal, and 
 an obstacle following sensor disposed on a side of the autonomous cleaning robot for generating an obstacle following signal; and 
   a controller in communication with the sensor system, the controller configured to execute a prioritized arbitration scheme to initiate a plurality of behavioral modes based on at least one of the debris signal, the obstacle detection signal, or the obstacle following signal, wherein the plurality of behavioral modes comprises a spot cleaning mode initiated by the controller in response to the debris signal.   
     
     
         14 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to, in the spot cleaning mode, reduce a speed of the drive system or increase a cleaning power of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         15 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to, in the spot cleaning mode, operate the drive system to move the robot in a spiral pattern. 
     
     
         16 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to, in the spot cleaning mode, operate the drive system to move the robot in a spiral pattern in a first direction and then move the robot in a spiral pattern in a second direction in response to the obstacle detection signal. 
     
     
         17 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of behavioral modes comprises a coverage behavioral mode, an escape behavioral mode, and a safety behavioral mode, wherein the coverage behavioral mode comprises the spot cleaning mode. 
     
     
         18 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 17 , wherein the coverage behavioral mode further comprises an obstacle following behavioral mode and a room coverage behavioral mode. 
     
     
         19 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 17 , wherein the escape behavioral mode further comprises a turn behavioral mode, an edge behavioral mode, a wheel drop behavioral mode, and a slow behavioral mode. 
     
     
         20 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate at least one of the turn behavioral mode, the edge behavioral mode, the wheel drop behavioral mode, or the slow behavioral mode in response to the obstacle detection signal. 
     
     
         21 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the autonomous cleaning robot in a first behavioral mode of the plurality of behavioral modes until a transition condition is satisfied and to initiate a second behavioral mode of the plurality of behavioral modes in response to the transition condition being satisfied. 
     
     
         22 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 21 , wherein the transition condition corresponds to a signal generated by the sensor system. 
     
     
         23 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 21 , wherein the transition condition corresponds to an amount of time elapsed in the first behavioral mode. 
     
     
         24 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 21 , wherein the transition condition corresponds to a number of times a sensor of the sensor system is activated. 
     
     
         25 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 21 , wherein the transition condition corresponds to a distance travelled by the autonomous cleaning robot in the first behavioral mode. 
     
     
         26 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 21 , wherein a priority of the second behavioral mode is lower than a priority of the first behavioral mode. 
     
     
         27 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 13 , wherein the debris signal is indicative of a debris area, and the controller is configured to initiate the spot cleaning mode to steer the autonomous cleaning robot toward the debris area. 
     
     
         28 . An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:
 a drive system operable to enable movement of the robot;   a cleaning head system;   a sensor system comprising:
 a debris sensor for generating a debris signal, 
 an obstacle detection sensor for generating an obstacle detection signal, and 
 an obstacle following sensor disposed on a side of the autonomous cleaning robot for generating an obstacle following signal; and 
   a controller in communication with the sensor system, the controller configured to
 execute a prioritized arbitration scheme to select a spot cleaning mode from a plurality of behavioral modes in response to the debris signal, and 
 initiate the spot cleaning mode in response to the selection of the spot cleaning mode. 
   
     
     
         29 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 28 , wherein configurations of the controller to execute the prioritized arbitration scheme comprise configurations to select an obstacle following behavioral mode in response to the obstacle following signal,
 wherein the controller is configured to initiate the obstacle following behavioral mode in response to the selection of the obstacle following behavioral mode.   
     
     
         30 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 29 , wherein configurations of the controller to execute the prioritized arbitration scheme comprise configurations to select an escape behavioral mode in response to the obstacle detection signal,
 wherein the controller is configured to initiate the escape behavioral mode in response to the selection of the escape behavioral mode.   
     
     
         31 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 30 , wherein the escape behavioral mode further comprises a turn behavioral mode, an edge behavioral mode, a wheel drop behavioral mode, and a slow behavioral mode. 
     
     
         32 . The autonomous cleaning robot of  claim 28 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the autonomous cleaning robot in a first behavioral mode of the plurality of behavioral modes until a transition condition is satisfied and to initiate a second behavioral mode of the plurality of behavioral modes in response to the transition condition being satisfied.