IP Verse

Pool Cleaning System And Method To Automatically Clean Surfaces Of A Pool Using Images From A Camera

Patent No. US11262766 (titled "Pool Cleaning System And Method To Automatically Clean Surfaces Of A Pool Using Images From A Camera") was filed by Zodiac Pool Systems Llc on Jan 7, 2021.

What is this patent about?

’766 is related to the field of robotic pool cleaners. Traditional pool cleaning involves manual scrubbing or automated cleaners that operate without real-time feedback on cleanliness. These methods can be inefficient, missing spots or over-cleaning areas unnecessarily. The patent addresses the need for a more intelligent and efficient pool cleaning system.

The underlying idea behind ’766 is to use visual feedback to guide a self-propelled pool cleaner. A camera mounted on the cleaner captures images of the pool floor. These images are then processed to determine the cleanliness of the surface. Based on this information, the cleaner's movement is controlled to target areas that need more cleaning, ensuring comprehensive coverage and avoiding redundant passes.

The claims of ’766 focus on a self-propelled pool cleaner equipped with a camera and a controller. The controller, located on the cleaner itself, analyzes the camera's images of the pool surface. Based on this analysis, the controller generates control signals that direct the cleaner to move towards or away from specific areas, effectively targeting and cleaning debris.

In practice, the pool cleaner moves around the pool, and the camera continuously feeds images to the onboard controller. The controller uses image processing techniques to assess the cleanliness of the area the cleaner has traversed. If the controller detects remaining debris or unsatisfactory cleaning, it adjusts the cleaner's trajectory to revisit and re-clean those specific spots. This closed-loop feedback system ensures that all areas of the pool are adequately cleaned.

This approach differs significantly from prior art cleaners that rely on pre-programmed patterns or random movements. By using real-time visual data , the ’766 cleaner can adapt to varying levels of dirt and debris across the pool surface. The addition of a chemical dispenser, as described in some claims, further enhances the cleaning process by allowing targeted application of cleaning agents to particularly dirty areas.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2010s when ’766 was filed, automated systems were increasingly incorporating image capture and processing for control purposes, at a time when embedded processing power was sufficient to perform real-time analysis of visual data. At that time, systems commonly relied on pre-programmed routines or basic sensor feedback, but integrating camera-based feedback for adaptive control was becoming more feasible, although hardware or software constraints made complex image analysis and responsive motor control non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the claims because the prior art, whether taken individually or in combination, did not disclose a pool cleaner with a controller positioned on or in the body of the cleaner, in electronic communication with a camera, and configured to generate a control signal based on the captured image to cause movement of the body within the swimming pool to clean the submerged surface.

Claims

This patent contains 5 claims, all of which are independent (claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). The independent claims are directed to a self-propelled pool cleaner with a camera and controller for navigating the pool. There are no dependent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
At least one camera
(Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5)		“The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of a pool cleaning system for cleaning debris from a submerged surface of a swimming pool comprising: a self-propelled pool cleaner having rotatably-mounted supports for supporting and guiding the cleaner on the pool surface; a filter configured to retain the debris collected from the submerged surface of the swimming pool; an electric motor for enabling the rotation of the rotatably-mounted supports on the pool surface; at least one camera to capture imagery of the pool surface; a controller, in electronic communication with the at least one camera, to determine a cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface on which the cleaner has passed based on the camera imagery and generate a control signal to direct movement of the cleaner based on the cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface; and a portable electronic device is configured to present a graphic on a display, the graphic depicting the submerged surface of the pool and those portions of the surface that remain uncleaned as the cleaner traverses the pool surface.”One or more cameras used to capture images of the submerged surface of the swimming pool.
Control signal to cause movement
(Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5)		“The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of a pool cleaning system for cleaning debris from a submerged surface of a swimming pool comprising: a self-propelled pool cleaner having rotatably-mounted supports for supporting and guiding the cleaner on the pool surface; a filter configured to retain the debris collected from the submerged surface of the swimming pool; an electric motor for enabling the rotation of the rotatably-mounted supports on the pool surface; at least one camera to capture imagery of the pool surface; a controller, in electronic communication with the at least one camera, to determine a cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface on which the cleaner has passed based on the camera imagery and generate a control signal to direct movement of the cleaner based on the cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface; and a portable electronic device is configured to present a graphic on a display, the graphic depicting the submerged surface of the pool and those portions of the surface that remain uncleaned as the cleaner traverses the pool surface.”A signal generated by the controller that directs the movement of the pool cleaner's body within the swimming pool.
Means for moving the vehicle body
(Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5)		“The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of a pool cleaning system for cleaning debris from a submerged surface of a swimming pool comprising: a self-propelled pool cleaner having rotatably-mounted supports for supporting and guiding the cleaner on the pool surface; a filter configured to retain the debris collected from the submerged surface of the swimming pool; an electric motor for enabling the rotation of the rotatably-mounted supports on the pool surface; at least one camera to capture imagery of the pool surface; a controller, in electronic communication with the at least one camera, to determine a cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface on which the cleaner has passed based on the camera imagery and generate a control signal to direct movement of the cleaner based on the cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface; and a portable electronic device is configured to present a graphic on a display, the graphic depicting the submerged surface of the pool and those portions of the surface that remain uncleaned as the cleaner traverses the pool surface.”Any component or assembly that enables the pool cleaner's body to move within the swimming pool.
Self-propelled pool cleaner
(Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5)		“The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of a pool cleaning system for cleaning debris from a submerged surface of a swimming pool comprising: a self-propelled pool cleaner having rotatably-mounted supports for supporting and guiding the cleaner on the pool surface; a filter configured to retain the debris collected from the submerged surface of the swimming pool; an electric motor for enabling the rotation of the rotatably-mounted supports on the pool surface; at least one camera to capture imagery of the pool surface; a controller, in electronic communication with the at least one camera, to determine a cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface on which the cleaner has passed based on the camera imagery and generate a control signal to direct movement of the cleaner based on the cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface; and a portable electronic device is configured to present a graphic on a display, the graphic depicting the submerged surface of the pool and those portions of the surface that remain uncleaned as the cleaner traverses the pool surface.”A device capable of autonomously moving within a swimming pool to remove debris from submerged surfaces.
Submerged surface
(Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5)		“The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of a pool cleaning system for cleaning debris from a submerged surface of a swimming pool comprising: a self-propelled pool cleaner having rotatably-mounted supports for supporting and guiding the cleaner on the pool surface; a filter configured to retain the debris collected from the submerged surface of the swimming pool; an electric motor for enabling the rotation of the rotatably-mounted supports on the pool surface; at least one camera to capture imagery of the pool surface; a controller, in electronic communication with the at least one camera, to determine a cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface on which the cleaner has passed based on the camera imagery and generate a control signal to direct movement of the cleaner based on the cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface; and a portable electronic device is configured to present a graphic on a display, the graphic depicting the submerged surface of the pool and those portions of the surface that remain uncleaned as the cleaner traverses the pool surface.”The underwater surfaces of a swimming pool that the cleaner is designed to clean.

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US11262766

ZODIAC POOL SYSTEMS LLC
Application Number
US17143624
Filing Date
Jan 7, 2021
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Jul 10, 2032
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents