Field of the invention

The invention relates to the processing of data from autonomous robots. More precisely, the invention relates to a device for processing data from autonomous robots being arranged to move on an area of interest and comprising a plurality of wheels each powered by an electric machine and at least one tool powered by an electric machine data. The invention also relates to a system and a method for processing such data.

Background of the invention

Methods for processing data from autonomous robots being arranged to move on an area of interest and comprising a plurality of wheels each powered by an electric machine and at least one tool powered by an electric machine data are known.

For example, the "Neato robots Botvac connected" are robot vacuum cleaners.

Processing the position of such a robot may be used to draw a map of a room which has been cleaned by the said robot. The position might be sent by an accelerometer module which is at the robot and processed by a processing unit.

However, such a map which shows the trajectory of the robot cannot be used to infer the amount of dirtiness of the room before the robots cleaning.

Object of the invention

An object of the invention is, in particular, to remedy all or part of the aforementioned disadvantages.

Summary of the invention

To this effect, the invention relates, according to a first aspect of the invention, to a device for analyzing data provided by a robot of at least one energy autonomous robot, the robot being arranged to move on an area of interest and comprising a plurality of wheels each powered by an electric machine and at least one tool powered by an electric machine, comprising:

- acquiring means associated to a machine of the said at least one electric machine, located at the said robot, for acquiring at least one item of information, corresponding to the power supply of the said machine;

- processing means configured for interpreting the said at least one acquired information.

According to this description, an energy autonomous robot is a robot which comprises a battery such that robot may be moved without being wired to a plug.

The area of interest may be a room of a home or a garden, for example.

The tool may be a camera module, a suction module of a vacuum cleaner or a cutting module, such as a grass mowing module.

By acquiring means, this description preferably relates to a sensor: photo or video, weather, GPS, gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer, IMU inertial unit, infrared rangefinder, voltmeter, ammeter, temperature robot, pressure sensor, microphone, capacitive contact.

the robot comprises means for transmitting data between the external sensor and the robot. By processing means, this description preferably relates to a processing unit, as a microprocessor.

A robot may comprise a device that is capable of receiving information from GPS satellites and then to calculate the device's geographical position, such as a GPS or GNSS module.

The processing means may associate a position of the robot and at least one item of information.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the processing means are configured for interpreting at least two items of information corresponding to the power supply of two of the at least one electric machine.

Preferably, each of the machine is associated to acquiring means for acquiring at least one item of information, corresponding to the power supply of said machine. According to an embodiment of the invention, the acquiring means are arranged to acquire the said at least one item of information at a frequency greater than 10 Hz.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the machine may comprise an asynchronous motor and the at least one item of information corresponds to the current absorbed by the said machine.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the machine comprises a stepper motor and the at least one item of information corresponds to the motor phase control signals.

On a first alternative of the invention, the processing means may be located at the robot.

On another alternative of the invention, the processing means may be located remotely from the robot and the said device further may comprise transmitting means for transmitting the said at least one information, from said robot to the said processing means.

According to a second aspect of the invention, it is provided a system comprising:

- a robot of at least one energy autonomous robot being arranged to move on an area of interest and comprising a plurality of wheels each powered by an electric machine and at least one tool powered by an electric machine,

- a device according to the first aspect of the invention, or one or several of its improvements.

Preferably, the at least one energy autonomous robot comprises a cutting module, the tool of the device being the said cutting module.

- According to a third aspect of the invention, it is provided a method for analyzing data provided by a robot of at least one energy autonomous robot, the robot being arranged to move on an area of interest and comprising a plurality of wheels each powered by an electric machine and at least one tool controlled by an electric machine, a step of acquiring, by acquiring means associated to a machine of the said at least one electric machine, located at the said robot, for acquiring at least one item of information, corresponding to the power supply of the said machine, a step of interpreting, by processing means, the said at least one acquired information.

The method may comprise a step of creating a map of the area of interest from the interpreted information and a position of the robot corresponding to the position of the robot on the area of interest where the at least one item of information has been acquired.

According to an embodiment of the method, the processing means may be remote from the robot, and the said method may further comprise a step of transmitting the said at least one information from the said robot to the said processing means.

Transmitting the said at least one information may be done by connecting the processing means of the robot to a device of transmission, such as a phone or such as a wireless emitter. The wireless emitter may be a Wifi emitter, a Bluetooth emitter, a BLE (for Bluetooth Low Energy) emitter or a Sigfox emitter, for example.

The robot may be equipped with a filtering module such that only significant changes of the said information are sent by the transmitting step. Significant change may be defined by using a threshold.

The robot may be equipped with storage means, such as an SSD card, to store the information before possibly filtering or transmitting it.

Before reaching the processing means, the information may be stored in a cloud server.

In an embodiment, the at least one energy autonomous robots are at least two energy-autonomous robots, and the method may comprise a step of determining a displacement strategy on the area of interest of the said at least two energy- autonomous robots.

The displacement strategy may be used to decrease the number of robots used to treat the area of interest.

Figures Many other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a device and system according a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a device and system according to a second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a method according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 4 is a schematic representation of two robots over an area of interest;

- Figure 5 is a schematic representation of four robots according to the invention;

- Figure 6 is a schematic representation of three robots according to the invention;

- Figure 7 is a schematic representation of six robots according to the invention.

Detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention

The embodiments described hereinafter being in no way limiting, it is possible in particular to consider variants of the invention comprising only a selection of characteristics described, subsequently isolated from the other characteristics described, if this selection of characteristics is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention from the state of the art. This selection comprises at least one characteristic, preferably functional without structural details, or with only a part of the structural details if this part only is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention from the prior art.

The same references are used for identical elements or elements achieving the same function in the different embodiments of the invention that will be described.

Figure 1 represents a schematic view of a device 1 for analyzing data provided by a robot 2. The robot 2 is arranged to move on an area of interest L (figure 4). The robot 2 comprises a plurality of two wheels 3, each powered by an electric machine 4. According to the embodiment represented on figure 1, the electric machines 4 are two asynchronous motors.

The robot 2 comprises a tool 5 powered by an electric machine 6. According to the embodiment represented on figure 1, the robot 2 comprises a cutting module.

The robot 2 comprises acquiring means 7 associated to a machine of the said at least one electric machine, the electric machine 6 according to the embodiment represented on figure 1.

The robot 2 also comprises a GPS receiver unit.

Acquiring means 7 are located at the robot 2, and are configured for acquiring at least one item of information, corresponding to the power supply of the machine associated to the acquiring means 7, the electric machine 6 according to the embodiment represented on figure 1.

In the embodiment represented on figure 1, the at least one item of information corresponds to the current absorbed by electric machine 6.

The acquiring means 7 are arranged to acquire the said at least one item of information at a frequency greater thanlO Hz.

Figure 1 also discloses processing means 8 configured for interpreting the at least one acquired information. The processing means 8 associate a position of the robot 2 and at the least one item of information.

The processing means 8 are located remotely from the robot 2. Figure 1 also discloses transmitting means 9 for transmitting the said at least one information, from robot 2 to the processing means 8. For example, transmitting means 9 may comprise an emitter at the robot side and a receiver at the processing means side.

Therefore, Figure 1 represents a device 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention wherein device 1 comprises the acquiring means 7, the transmitting means 9 and the processing means 8.

Figure 1 also discloses a system 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention, the system 10 comprising the robot 2 and the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention. In a second embodiment of a device according to the invention, only described with its differences with the first embodiment of the device according to the invention, the machine 6 may comprise a stepper motor and the at least one item of information corresponds to the motor phase control signals of the said stepper motor.

In a third embodiment of a device according to the invention, only described with its differences with the first or/and the second embodiments of the device according to the invention, the processing means 8 may be located at the robot 2.

In a fourth embodiment of a device according to the invention, only described with its differences with the first or/and the second or/and the third embodiments of the device according to the invention, the processing means are configured for interpreting at least two items of information corresponding to the power supply of two of the at least one electric machine.

In a fifth embodiment of a device according to the invention, only described with its differences with the first or/and the second or/and the third or/and the fourth embodiments of the device according to the invention, each of the machine is associated to acquiring means for acquiring at least one item of information, corresponding to the power supply of said machine.

Figure 2 discloses a second embodiment of a system 10' according to the invention.

The system 10' includes a first robot 2 which has been previously described.

The system 10' also includes a second robot 2', comprising the same components as the first robot 2, which are designated by the same number of the ones of the first robot two, by adding a prime symbol. For example, the acquiring means of the second robot 2' are numbered 7' on figure 2.

Also, processing means 8 are configured for interpreting the at least one acquired information by the acquiring means 7'. The processing means 8 are located remotely from the robot 2'. Figure 2 also discloses transmitting means 9' for transmitting the said at least one information, from robot 2' to the processing means 8. For example, transmitting means 9' may comprise an emitter at the robot side and a receiver at the processing means side. Therefore, Figure 2 represents a device according to a second embodiment of the invention wherein device 1 comprises the acquiring means 7 and 7', the transmitting means 9 and 9' and the processing means 8.

Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a method M according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Method M is a method for analyzing data provided by a robot, for example robot 2 of figure 2, of at least one energy autonomous robot, for example robots 2 and 2' of figure 2.

Method M comprises:

- a step El of acquiring, by acquiring means associated to a machine located at the robot, for acquiring at least one item of information, corresponding to the power supply of the said machine,

- a step E2 of interpreting, by processing means, the said at least one acquired information, and transmitting the said at least one information from the robot to the processing means,

- a step E3 of creating a map of the area of interest L (figure 4) from the interpreted information and a position of the robot corresponding to the position of the robot in the area of interest where the at least one item of information has been acquired.

The map may be used to deduce characteristics of the area of interest from the at least one item of information.

For example, when the robot is a mowing robot and when the at least one item of information is the power used by a cutting module of the mowing robot, and when the information is associated to the geographical position where the said power has been acquired, a map of the density of grass may be generated. The said map may be used to deduce characteristics of the area of interest.

As shown on figure 4, the method M may comprise a step of determining a displacement strategy T, on a processing means 80, of two robots 20 and 20.

The step of determining the displacement strategy may comprise the use of a map which has been created a method according to the invention. The goal is to maximize the size of the area that a group of robots, also called machines, can cover.

When they operate on the same area, the robots know the work which has already been done and the course of each other.

At a given moment, each machine has in memory all the working history of each machine working or having worked on the current zone. The future actions of robots knowing their next task or move must be written into the shared knowledge base.

Thanks to this common past / present / future memory, each robot can decide to work in a specific location knowing that no other robot, or himself, has ever been to this location and that no other robot has planned to go there immediately.

He can even optimize his travel route to avoid areas already worked by others or himself. The knowledge of the future displacement of each robot also makes it possible to avoid collisions between robots.

This knowledge base requires a means of communication between robots. Robots can communicate directly with each other or via an external platform.

Without an external platform, a connection mesh can then be established between each machine sharing its knowledge. A machine 100, 101, 102, 103, becomes a connection node. Each connection is bidirectional (Figure 5).

In the case of robots which can't directly communicate with each other, an external device 300 must act as a relay between the robots 100, 101 and allows a bidirectional connection between each robot and the external device.

The two diagrams can be combined according to the use case, a robot can communicate with another robot, which in turn exchanges with another robot through the external device to relay the connections.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous adjustments can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the various features, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in various combinations insofar as they are not incompatible or exclusive of one another. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.