US 11,989,021 B1
Method for overcoming obstructions of a robotic device
Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Henderson, NV (US); and Andrew Francis Fitzgerald, Burlington (CA)
Assigned to AI Incorporated, Toronto (CA)
Filed by Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Henderson, NV (US); and Andrew Francis Fitzgerald, Burlington (CA)
Filed on Dec. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/074,435.
Application 18/074,435 is a continuation of application No. 16/179,847, filed on Nov. 2, 2018, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/580,640, filed on Nov. 2, 2017.
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2006.01); A47L 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0088 (2013.01) [A47L 11/00 (2013.01); G05D 1/0219 (2013.01); G05D 1/0238 (2013.01); G05D 1/0274 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a robotic device, comprising:
capturing, with a camera disposed on the robotic device, a plurality of images of an environment of the robotic device, the plurality of images comprising obstructions encountered by the robotic device during a work session;
identifying, with a processor of the robotic device, an obstruction type of an obstruction captured in at least one image of the plurality of images based on a comparison between features of the obstruction and features of different possible obstruction types stored in a database; and
actuating, with the processor of the robotic device, the robotic device to clean according to a suggested schedule, wherein the processor only actuates the robotic device to clean according to the suggested schedule after user approval of the suggested schedule:
wherein:
the possible obstruction types comprise at least feces and cords;
the robotic device alters its navigation path to avoid the obstruction when the obstruction type is feces;
an application of a communication device paired with the robotic device is configured to:
notify a user of a location of the obstruction and the obstruction type when the obstruction type is either of feces and cords;
propose the suggested schedule for operating the robotic device comprising at least one day and time to a user; and
receive at least one input designating: a schedule of the robotic device and an approval of the suggested schedule; and
functions of the robotic device are altered based on the presence and the absence of the user.