Identification And Localization Of A Base Station Of An Autonomous Mobile Robot

Abstract

In the following, a system having an autonomous mobile robot and a base station for the robot is described. In accordance with one example, the robot comprises a navigation module with a navigation sensor for detecting geometric features of objects in the environment of the robot. The base station has at least one geometric feature which can be detected by the robot by means of the navigation sensor. The robot includes a robot controller that is coupled with the navigation module, the robot controller being configured to identify and/or localize the base station and/or to determine a docking position of the robot based on the at least one geometric feature of the base station.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for the automatic docking of an autonomous mobile robot onto a base station, the method comprising:
 detecting or determining a position of the base station using a navigation module of the robot;   localizing obstacles with the navigation module of the robot, wherein the robot includes a navigation sensor;   testing whether robot access to the base station is impaired by detected obstacles.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the testing is performed when a new task starts, the robot leaves the base station, or the position of the base station is detected. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising informing a user, via a user interface, that the testing has revealed that robot access to the base station is impaired. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the testing whether robot access to the base station is impaired only takes place in a certain area around the base station. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 if the testing reveals that robot access to the base station is impaired, assessing the impairment caused by the obstacles in accordance with specifiable criteria; and   informing the user, via the user interface, of the assessment.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 if the testing reveals that robot access to the base station is impaired, assessing the impairment caused by the obstacles based on pre-definable criteria; and   depending on the assessment, informing the user, via the user interface, of the assessment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 assessing characteristics of a floor in accordance with a specifiable criterion;   informing the user, via the user interface, that the characteristics of the floor does not meet the specifiable criterion.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 providing a user interface message directly at the robot via a display, audio signal, or voice output, or at an external device connected to the robot via a communication interface.   
     
     
         9 . A method for an autonomous mobile robot, comprising the following:
 detecting geometric features of objects in an environment of the robot using a navigation module of the robot which has an electronic map;   testing whether the detected geometric features include a geometric feature that is linked with a base station; and   if one of the detected geometric features is a geometric feature linked with the base station, calculating a current position of the base station based on the geometric feature that is linked with the base station and storing the position of the base station in the electronic map.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 verifying whether the base station is actually present at positions of base stations previously stored in the map.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining a distance between the current position of the base station and the position of the base station stored in the map;   updating the position of the base station stored in the map by the current position of the base station if the distance does not exceed a specified threshold value.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein when the verification of the position of the base station is negative, the respective previous old position in the map is deleted. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the user is informed about changes in the map regarding the position of the base station via a user interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the user is enabled to send feedback to the robot when the user has made changes in an operational area that affect base station accessibility. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing a self-localization by the robot using as a localization hypothesis a position of the base state stored in the map at a beginning of robot deployment.