Mapping interface for mobile robots

Abstract

A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot includes presenting, on a display of a handheld computing device, a graphical representation of a map including a plurality of selectable rooms, presenting, on the display, at least one selectable graphical divider representing boundaries of at least one of the plurality of selectable rooms, the at least one selectable graphical divider being adjustable to change at least one of the boundaries of the plurality of selectable rooms, receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing a selection of an individual selectable graphical divider, receiving input, at the handheld computing device, representing at least one adjustment to the individual selectable graphical divider, the at least one adjustment including at least one of moving, rotating, or deleting the individual selectable graphical divider, and presenting, on the display, a graphical representation of a map wherein the individual selectable graphical divider is adjusted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous mobile robot, comprising:
 a drive system configured to move the autonomous mobile robot about an environment; and   a controller circuit configured to:
 receive, from a mobile device operable by a user, data representing operations to be performed in one or more areas in the environment, the one or more areas having boundaries graphically represented on the mobile device by at least one selectable graphical divider on a map of the environment; and 
 control the autonomous mobile robot to perform the operations in the one or more areas in the environment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is configured to:
 receive a user adjustment to the at least one selectable graphical divider to update the boundaries of the one or more areas; and   control the autonomous mobile robot to clean the one or more areas in accordance with the updated boundaries.   
     
     
         3 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 2 , wherein the user adjustment includes moving, rotating, positioning, or deleting the at least one selectable graphical divider. 
     
     
         4 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more areas include one or more selectable rooms having boundaries graphically represented by the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map of the environment; and   the controller circuit is configured to receive a user selection from the one or more selectable rooms, and to control the autonomous mobile robot to clean the one or more selectable rooms in accordance with the user selection.   
     
     
         5 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 4 , wherein the controller circuit is configured to receive a cleaning schedule for cleaning the one or more selectable rooms at respective desired times, and to control the autonomous mobile robot to clean the one or more selectable rooms in accordance with the cleaning schedule. 
     
     
         6 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one selectable graphical divider includes a graphical representation of a center point thereof that is operable to be positioned in an open area or an area containing a moveable object in the environment. 
     
     
         7 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is configured to receive an indication of improper positioning of the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map based on a location of a center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider. 
     
     
         8 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 7 , wherein the indication of improper positioning includes the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider being positioned outside of an open area on the map. 
     
     
         9 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 7 , wherein the indication of improper positioning includes the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider being positioned on a graphical representation of an immoveable object on the map. 
     
     
         10 . The autonomous mobile robot of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one selectable graphical divider includes a first portion within an open area on the map, and a second portion extending beyond the open area or intersecting with a graphical representation of an immoveable object in the open area, the first portion being presented in a different color or render than the second portion. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile robot system, comprising:
 an autonomous mobile robot; and   a mobile device configured to communicate with the autonomous mobile robot, the mobile device comprising:
 a user interface including a user input device and a display; and 
 a processor configured to:
 present on the display a map of an environment and at least one selectable graphical divider; 
 based on a user input for selecting and adjusting the at least one selectable graphical divider via the user input device, update boundaries of one or more areas in the environment; and 
 present on the display a graphical representation of the one or more areas with the boundaries represented by the at least one selectable graphical divider; 
 
   wherein the autonomous mobile robot is configured to perform operations in the one or more areas in accordance with the updated boundaries.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile robot system of  claim 11 , wherein the user input for adjusting the at least one selectable graphical divider includes at least one of moving, rotating, positioning, or deleting the at least one selectable graphical divider. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile robot system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the one or more areas include one or more selectable rooms having boundaries graphically represented by the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map of the environment;   the processor of the mobile device is configured to receive a user selection from the one or more selectable rooms; and   the autonomous mobile robot is configured to clean the one or more selectable rooms in accordance with the user selection.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile robot system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to receive a use input for naming the one or more selectable rooms. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile robot system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor of the mobile device is configured to:
 present on the display a graphical representation of a center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider; and   receive the user input for positioning the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider in an open area or an area containing a moveable object in the environment.   
     
     
         16 . The mobile robot system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one selectable graphical divider is configured to snap to an angular increment based on a rotation of the at least one selectable graphical divider about a center point thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile robot system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor of the mobile device is configured to present an alert indicating an improper positioning of the at least one selectable graphical divider on the map based on a location of a center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile robot system of  claim 17 , wherein the alert is presented in response to a user input for positioning the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider outside of an open area on the map. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile robot system of  claim 17 , wherein the alert is presented in response to a user input for positioning the center point of the at least one selectable graphical divider on a representation of an immoveable object on the map. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile robot system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the at least one selectable graphical divider includes a first portion within an open area in the environment, and a second portion extending beyond the open area or intersecting with a graphical representation of an immoveable object in the open area; and   the processor of the mobile device is configured to present the first portion on the display in a different color or render than the second portion.