Method of controlling a robotic floor cleaning machine

Abstract

A method of controlling a robotic floor cleaning machine includes driving, by an operator, the robotic floor cleaning machine along a transport path and a cleaning path. The transport path defines a path for transport of the robotic floor cleaning machine without active cleaning and the cleaning path defines a path for a cleaning operation. The method further includes recording the transport path and the cleaning path driven by the operator; defining, in a controller of the robotic floor cleaning machine, a route comprising the recorded transport path and the recorded cleaning path, and defining the cleaning operation. The robotic floor cleaning machine executes the defined route and the cleaning operation.

The claimed invention is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling a robotic floor cleaning machine, the method comprising:
 driving, by an operator, the robotic floor cleaning machine along a transport path and a cleaning path, wherein the transport path defines a path for transport of the robotic floor cleaning machine without active cleaning and the cleaning path defines a path for a cleaning operation;   recording the transport path and the cleaning path driven by the operator;   defining, with a controller of the robotic floor cleaning machine, the cleaning operation and a route comprising the recorded transport path and the recorded cleaning path; and   executing, with the robotic floor cleaning machine, the defined route and the cleaning operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning path comprises a fill-in cleaning path defining a perimeter of an area to be cleaned. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises generating, with the controller, a map of the area to be cleaned within the perimeter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the route comprises programming the route into the controller by selecting:
 one or more transport paths;   one or more cleaning paths; and   a sequential order of the one or more transport paths and the one or more cleaning paths.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each transport path of the one or more transport paths and each cleaning path of the one or more cleaning paths includes an estimated associated battery power usage, an estimated associated operation time, and an estimated associated cleaning liquid volume usage. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the route is defined based on a current battery power available for operation of the robotic floor cleaning machine and on an estimated battery power usage associated with the selected one or more cleaning paths and the one or more transport paths of the defined route. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the route is defined based on a current volume of cleaning liquid available on the robotic floor cleaning machine and on an estimated cleaning liquid volume usage associated with the selected one or more recorded cleaning paths. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning operation comprises spraying, sweeping, scrubbing, double-scrub actions, vacuuming, corralling, wiping, sucking, polishing, changing in a scrub pressure, changing a concentration of a detergent, changing a speed of the robotic floor cleaning machine, or changing a flow rate of a cleaning fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, with a sensor of the robotic floor cleaning machine, a location of an object within the area to be cleaned; and   plotting the location of the object relative to a location of the robotic floor cleaning machine in the mapped area based on positional data of the robotic floor cleaning machine.   
     
     
         10 . A robotic floor cleaning machine comprising:
 a recorded transport path stored in a controller, the recorded transport path defining a path for transport of the robotic floor cleaning machine without active cleaning;   a recorded cleaning path stored in the controller, the recorded cleaning path defining a path for a cleaning operation;   a graphical user interface configured to allow an operator to select the recorded cleaning path, the cleaning operation, or a combination thereof; and   wherein the controller is configured to:
 define a route comprising the recorded transport path, the recorded cleaning path, or a combination thereof; and 
 execute the defined route and the cleaning operation. 
   
     
     
         11 . The robotic floor cleaning machine of  claim 10 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to allow the operator to select one or more recorded transport paths, one or more recorded cleaning paths, and a sequential order of the one or more recorded transport paths and the one or more recorded cleaning paths, and wherein the controller is configured to define the route based on a starting location of the robotic floor cleaning machine, of the one or more recorded transport paths, of the one or more recorded cleaning paths, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The robotic floor cleaning machine of  claim 10 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to allow the operator to select one or more recorded transport paths, one or more recorded cleaning paths, and a sequential order of the one or more recorded transport paths and the one or more recorded cleaning paths, and wherein the controller is configured to define the route based on at least one of:
 a current battery power available for operation of the robotic floor cleaning machine and on an estimated battery power usage associated with the selected one or more recorded cleaning paths and the one or more recorded transport paths of the defined route; and   a current volume of cleaning liquid available on the robotic floor cleaning machine and on an estimated cleaning liquid volume usage associated with the selected one or more recorded cleaning paths.