Autonomous floor cleaning system

Abstract

A floor cleaning system includes multiple autonomous floor cleaners or robots. The robots are configured to share a mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system. A first robot carries the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system, and a second robot receives information from the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system of the first robot. The system can include at least one dry vacuuming robot and at least one deep cleaning robot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous floor cleaning system, comprising:
 a first floor cleaning robot, comprising:
 a drive system for autonomously moving the first floor cleaning robot over a surface to be cleaned; 
 a stain sensing system for detecting a stain; and 
 a beacon deployment system for selectively deploying a beacon at a location of the stain; 
   a second floor cleaning robot, comprising:
 a controller for controlling operation of the second floor cleaning robot; and 
 a drive system for autonomously moving the second floor cleaning robot over the surface to be cleaned based on inputs from the controller; and 
   wherein the first floor cleaning robot is configured to detect the stain via the stain sensing system and deploy the beacon at the location of the stain and the beacon is operably coupled to the controller such that the beacon guides the second floor cleaning robot to the location of the stain.   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein the stain sensing system includes a stain sensor that is any one of a color spectrum image sensor, a light reader, and IR dirt sensor, an odor sensor, or a wet mess sensor to detect a size, shape, or type of stain. 
     
     
         3 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein the beacon comprises a radio-frequency identification tag. 
     
     
         4 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 3  wherein the second floor cleaning robot comprises a radio-frequency identification reader for reading and interpreting a signal from the radio-frequency identification tag on the beacon to guide the second floor cleaning robot to the location of the stain. 
     
     
         5 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 3  wherein the first floor cleaning robot comprises a radio-frequency identification reader for reading and interpreting signal from the radio-frequency identification tag on the beacon and the first floor cleaning robot guides the second floor cleaning robot to the location of the stain. 
     
     
         6 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein the beacon deployment system stores one or more beacons on the first floor cleaning robot. 
     
     
         7 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 6  wherein the beacon deployment system comprises a beacon retainer to secure and selectively release a beacon. 
     
     
         8 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 7  wherein the beacon retainer further comprises a hook configured to catch a slot on the beacon and an actuator configured to selectively push the beacon off the hook. 
     
     
         9 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 7  wherein the beacon retainer further comprises a clamp configured to selectively retain the beacon. 
     
     
         10 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 7  wherein the beacon retainer further comprises electromagnets configured to selectively reverse polarity of magnets on the beacon to repel the beacon. 
     
     
         11 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein the first floor cleaning robot instructs the second floor cleaning robot to perform a cycle of operation to clean the stain. 
     
     
         12 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 11  wherein the first floor cleaning robot and the second floor cleaning robot each include a wireless radio and the first floor cleaning robot communicates instructions to the second floor cleaning robot to perform the cycle of operation to clean the stain via the wireless radios. 
     
     
         13 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 11  wherein the first floor cleaning robot uses information from the stain sensing system to determine a type of stain and a floor surface type to determine a cleaning cycle appropriate for the stain. 
     
     
         14 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein the first floor cleaning robot is configured to detect, locate and deploy a set of beacons for multiple stains. 
     
     
         15 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 14  wherein the second floor cleaning robot treats each stain in sequential order when the first floor cleaning robot is not in operation. 
     
     
         16 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein one of the first floor cleaning robot or the second floor cleaning robot further comprises a beacon retainer configured to retrieve the beacon from the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         17 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 1  wherein the first floor cleaning robot is a dry cleaning robot and the second floor cleaning robot is a wet cleaning robot. 
     
     
         18 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 17  wherein the dry cleaning robot further comprises a suction nozzle, a working air path, and a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating a working air stream through the working air path. 
     
     
         19 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 17  wherein the wet cleaning robot further comprises a fluid delivery system adapted to store a cleaning fluid and deliver the cleaning fluid to the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         20 . The autonomous floor cleaning system of  claim 19  wherein the wet cleaning robot further comprises a fluid recovery system for removing the cleaning fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and storing the recovered cleaning fluid and the debris.