US 12,271,207 B2
Method for controlling a plurality of robots for environment maintenance
Chien-Tung Chen, Taipei (TW); Chung-Hou Wu, Taipei (TW); Chao-Cheng Chen, Taipei (TW); Wen-Wei Chiang, Taipei (TW); and Yi-Jin Lin, Taipei (TW)
Assigned to URSrobot AI Inc., Taipei (TW)
Filed by URSrobot AI Inc., Taipei (TW)
Filed on Jul. 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/362,428.
Claims priority of application No. 111129193 (TW), filed on Aug. 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0045443 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/0287 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0219 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling a plurality of autonomous robots for performing environment maintenance operations, the method being implemented using a system that includes the plurality of autonomous robots, a user device, and a server that stores a lookup table therein and that is coupled to each of the plurality of autonomous robots and the user device, the lookup table including a plurality of routes associated with a plurality of to-be-maintained locations, respectively, the method comprising:
A) by the user device, generating a setup command, and transmitting the setup command to the server, the setup command indicating a selected location that is selected from among the to-be-maintained locations, a plurality of selected robots that are selected from among the autonomous robots, an available time slot, and a distribution mode signal, the distribution mode signal indicating whether the operations of the selected robots are to be controlled based on the available time slot or an inputted priority section within the selected location, an area of the inputted priority section being smaller than an area of the selected location;
B) determining, by the server based on the distribution mode signal, whether the operations of the selected robots are to be controlled based on the available time slot or an inputted priority section within the selected location;
C) in the case where the operations of the selected robots are to be controlled based on the available time slot, generating, by the server, a plurality of first sub-routes based on the selected location, associated information in the lookup table, a number of the selected robots, an expected movement speed of the autonomous robots, and a remaining time that is calculated based on the available time slot, a number of the first sub-routes equaling the number of the selected robots, and the first sub-routes being generated to be connected into an unbroken trail associated with one of the routes that is associated with the selected location;
after step C), transmitting the plurality of first sub-routes to the selected robots, respectively, so as to control each of the selected robots to move along the respective one of the first sub-routes;
D) in the case where the operations of the selected robots are to be controlled based on the inputted priority section, generating a plurality of second sub-routes based on the inputted priority section, the associated information in the lookup table, the number of the selected robots, the expected movement speed of the autonomous robots, and the remaining time, a number of the second sub-routes equaling the number of the selected robots, and the second sub-routes being generated to be connected into an unbroken trail associated with parts of the one of the routes that is associated with the selected location; and
after step D), transmitting the plurality of second sub-routes to the selected robots, respectively, so as to control each of the selected robots to move along the respective one of the second sub-routes.