Detection of and response to obstructions within a cleaning channel of an autonomous vacuum system

Abstract

Disclosed is an autonomous vacuum system that detects and responds to obstructions in a cleaning channel of the vacuum. Pressure sensors repeatedly measure pressure at different points in the cleaning channel, and the autonomous vacuum system analyzes the pressure measurements to determine whether an obstruction is likely present. Such a determination may be made based on, e.g., computed pressure differentials across the pressure sensors, and/or pressures of individual pressures sensors. The autonomous vacuum system can respond to the detection of an obstruction by, for example, performing a change in vacuum speed, such as ramping up to or near a maximum speed, and then decreasing again to a more normal speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous vacuum system comprising:
 a cleaning head;   a chassis having a waste container;   a channel between the cleaning head and the chassis for conducting air, the channel comprising:
 a first pressure sensor measuring pressure at a first location of the channel; and 
 a second pressure sensor measuring pressure at a second location of the channel; and 
   a controller device including a memory comprising stored instructions configured to detect and respond to an obstruction within the channel, the stored instructions comprising instructions that when executed cause the controller device to:
 compute a pressure differential between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor; 
 determine, using the computed pressure differential, that the channel contains an obstruction; and 
 execute a remedial action in response to the determining. 
   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to execute the remedial action comprise instructions to execute a purge procedure. 
     
     
         3 . The autonomous vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to execute the purge procedure further comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller device to:
 increase a speed of the vacuum to a top speed;   reduce the speed of the vacuum following a smooth spline to a normal speed;   re-compute the pressure differential; and   execute repeatedly the instructions to increase, reduce, and re-compute if the re-computed pressure differential is above a threshold.   
     
     
         4 . The autonomous vacuum system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions to execute the remedial action comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller device to provide a notification to a user of the autonomous vacuum system if the obstruction persists after executing repeatedly the increase, reduce, and re-compute. 
     
     
         5 . The autonomous vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the channel contains the obstruction additionally comprises instructions that when executed cause the controller device to determine that a reading of at least one of the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is above a threshold pressure value. 
     
     
         6 . A method implemented by an autonomous vacuum system, the method comprising:
 computing a pressure differential between a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor located within a channel between a cleaning head of the autonomous vacuum system and a chassis of the autonomous vacuum system, wherein the first pressure sensor measures pressure at a first location of the channel, and the second pressure sensor measures pressure at a second location of the channel;   determining, using the computed pressure differential, that the channel contains an obstruction; and   executing a remedial action in response to the determining.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the remedial action comprises a purge procedure to eliminate the obstruction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the purge procedure comprises:
 increasing a speed of the vacuum to a top speed;   reducing the speed of the vacuum following a smooth spline to a normal speed;   re-computing the pressure differential; and   repeatedly performing the increasing, reducing, and re-computing responsive to the re-computed pressure differential remaining above a threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the remedial action comprises providing a notification to a user of the autonomous vacuum system, responsive to determining that the obstruction persists after repeatedly performing the increasing, reducing, and re-computing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining that the channel contains an obstruction additionally comprises determining that a reading of at least one of the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is above a threshold pressure value. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor of an autonomous vacuum system cause the computer processor to:
 compute a pressure differential between a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor located within a channel between a cleaning head of the autonomous vacuum system and a chassis of the autonomous vacuum system, wherein the first pressure sensor measures pressure at a first location of the channel, and the second pressure sensor measures pressure at a second location of the channel;   determine, using the computed pressure differential, that the channel contains an obstruction; and   execute a remedial action in response to the determining.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions to execute the remedial action comprise a purge procedure. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions to execute the purge procedure comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer processor to:
 increase a speed of the vacuum to a top speed;   reduce the speed of the vacuum following a smooth spline to a normal speed;   re-compute the pressure differential; and   execute repeatedly the instructions to increase, reduce, and re-compute if the re-computed pressure differential is above a threshold.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions to execute the remedial action comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer processor to provide a notification to a user of the autonomous vacuum system if the obstruction persists after executing repeatedly the increase, reduce, and re-compute. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the channel contains an obstruction additionally comprises instructions that when executed cause the controller device to determine that a reading of at least one of the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor is above a threshold pressure value.