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    9 views11 pages

    WO2014039076A1

    Uploaded by

    atharva deshpande

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    < RS x = a 2 § + S & (64) Tile: ROBOTIC ROOM SANITIZER 9 S (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER TH (19) World Intellectual Property Orgai International Bureau 2 E PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date 13 March 2014 (13.03.2014) WIPO| PCT Ce ee (61) International Patent Clasifeaton: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every AGIL920(2006.01) ABIL 9/16 (2006.01) kind of national protection available: AE, AG, AL, AM, ay rene AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, QI) International Application Nember: 08 BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, eee DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, (22) tnteroat og Date: HN, HR, HU, 1D, IL, INS, 3P, KE, KG, KN, KP, KR, 6 Sepember 2013 (06.09.2013) KZ, LA, LC, LK. LR, LS, ET, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, 25) Filing Language English OM, PA, PE, PG, Pl, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, 26) Pabicaton Langue: lish SC, SD, SE, SG, SK. SL. SM, ST, SV. SY, TH, 1, TM, Spee eeee Cu TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, (20) Priority Data w. 6V69TAEE 6 September 2012(06.09.2012) US (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated for every (71) Applicant; ANGELINI PHARMA, INC. [US/US]; $322 Kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, ll, Helgerman Court, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877 (US) GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, canoe a perneanaae sek Bay UG. ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, (Ties Louii, KY-245 (US). MISHIKIN, Gary Joe TMD, Eufonam (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH. CY..CZ, DE. BK, $322 Helgerman Cour, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877 FE, ES. FLFR GB, GR, HR, HU IBIS, I. LT, LU, LV, (US). * MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, ‘TR), OAPI (BE. BI, CF. CG, Cl, CM, GA, GN, GQ. GW, (74) Agents: FINKELSTEIN, Jay et al; Browly and Nei- KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TB, TG) ‘mat, PLLC, 16: NaW, Sle 100, Washing” pang ton, Distrit of Columbia 20006 (US), with international search report (Art. 21(3)) (SP) Absteact: A robotic applicance for sanitizing or disinfecting a room area, having: an autonomous mobile platform that ean travel over a floor surface; UV sanitizing or disinfecting lamps, ora spray system, carried by the platform; and an eletrical power source camied by the platform, WO 2014039076 PCT/US2013/000205, TITLE OF THE INVENTION ROBOTIC ROOM SANITIZER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relat Ss to the use of UV light and/or disinfectant or cleaning sprays to sanitize, or disinfect, rooms. The use of UV light for room and surface disinfection is already known in the art. Contamination level reductions will vary with the type of UV light utilized and exposure times Several room sanitizing units have already appeared on the market. Examples of such devices are the Tru-D, Surfacide™, and Artz (Automatically Reliably Targeting Zero) by American Ultraviolet Co., Inc. of Lebanon, ‘IN. Each of these devices uses UV-C lamps to accomplish the sanitization task. Timers and sensors to prevent human. exposure to UV and to determine that the right dose of UV has been applied are also incorporated into these types of devices. All existing UV room sanitization systems on the market have one important shortcoming. If the UV light does not reach any surface to be disinfected in the room because of shadowing effects caused by, for example, furniture, that surface won't be treated and consequently won't be sanitized 2s needed. [BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves this problem by providing a system that utilizes e robotic platform, which may be based on an appliance such as the iRobot Create®, marketed by the iRobot company of Bedford, MA, to move through the room while avoiding obstacles. The platform may also be based on similar WO 2014039076 a PCT/US2013/000205, ly available. Examples of these systems that are current. systems include the iRobot Roomba®, iRobot Ava® and the Bilibot. The Roomba® is 2 commercially available automated vacuum cleaner, the Ava® is @ commeréially available mobile robot platform and the Bilibot is an open source robotic x hobbyists that combines the iRobot Create® @ Kinect® and a robotic arm. At least these systems, such as the Ava®, are capable of holding up to 150 lbs, without affecting mobility. According to the invention, UV lamps, for example UV-C lamps, are mounted on top of the platform, on @ tower. The lamps preferably extend vertically above the platform. Light coming from the lamps is able to reach surfaces that would be masked by objects if the UV lamps were stationary, or were moved, €.9., manually, only to @ few arbitrarily selected locations. Navigation in the room to avoid obstacles can be achieved es of sensors such as, but not limited to, with different ty ultrasonic distance sensors, color tracking devices that will follow pre-determined paths on the floor of the room, infrared beams, and/or sensors provided on multi-sensor platforms, such as the Microsoft® Kinect®. Alternatively, @ wire or guide can be laid on the floor and used to direct the device along a particular track and/or to prevent the device from running out of bounds” into furniture or other fixtures in the room. The appliance according to the present invention may include: 1) a number of high output UV lamps that are mounted on a tower and that can be elevated while navigating through the room, 2) 2 DC to AC conv: er to pow the lamps battety source, 3) 2 system to automatically shut of. lamps, and possibly deactivate the appliance, when the prescribed dose of UV has been delivered, 4) optionally, = 2 WO 2014039076 PCT/US2013/000205, spraying system to deliver certain disinfectants or cleaners less connection to to enhance the room sanitization, 5) @ w @ centralized remote location to emit 2 signal indicating that 2 certain room has been treated, and 6) @ robotic platform that will carry the above components and ellow the tower to be eely through the room. The appliance may be associated with motion or door sensors located to monitor the entrance-to tl @ room and that may communicate wirelessly with the appliance to shut the appliance down whenever somebody enters the room. Such @ system will reduce the energy needed by the lamps because the distance between the lamps and the surfaces to be zed will be reduced. The number of lamps needed will duced. Thus unit and the cost also be own! ship will be lower. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is @ block diagram of a system according to the present invention FIG. 2 is @ pictorial perspective view showing the structure of an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The appliance according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes 2 compui or microprocessor 2 containing, in @ conventional manner, memories storing firmware and software for controlling movement of the appliance and operation of high output UV lamp assemblies 6. Computer 2 can be programmed to automatically shut off the lamps, and possibly deactivate WO 2014039076 PCT/US2013/000205, the appliance, when the prescribed dose of UV has b: delivered The appliance further includes a battery ¢ that supplies Power to computer 2 and to the UV lamps, as well as other components to be described below. Operating power is supplied from battery 4 to the lamps of assemblies 6 via 2 DC/AC converter 8. The appliance further includes two drive motors 10, each ve wheel 12. Drive motors 10 coupled to rotate a. respective are powered from battery 4 and controlled by signals computer 2. The appliance will typically be provided least one further wheel, which need not be driven or steerable, but which can be supported in order to pivot freely about @ vertical axis. Steering is accomplished by separately controlling the rotation of each of wheels 12 ‘The appliance aiso includes a wireless transceiver 16, connected to computer 2, for wireless communication with « centralized remote location to emit signals that can identify the location of the appliance and indicate that 2 certain. room has been treated Optionally, the appliance is provided with a spraying system 14 to deliver certain disinfectants or cleaners to enhance room sanitization. The appliance further includes sensors 18 connected to computer 2 Zor guiding and controlling movement of the appliance according to known techniques. These sensors may be of the types described earlier herein FIG. 2 is a pictorial v; showing the structure of an exemplary robotic appliance according to the invention. This orted on at least three wheels, two of which are wheels 12 of FIG. 1, and carries all of the other components shown in FIG. 1. The appliance includes 2 robotic 4 WO 2014039076 PCT/US2013/000205, platform that will carry the above components and allow the tower to be moved freely throughout 2 room. Each of the UV lamp assemblies includes two elongated UV lamps mounted on the platform and extending vertically upwardly efrom. Each assémbly may be provided with two lamps, @ lo which has its lower end fastened to the one to converter & and an the platform and is electrically connec! upper one of which is e. first lamp or directly to converter 8. The upper lamp of each assembly is coupled to a drive motor that can raise and lower the upper lamp while it is being guided by a rack and pinion arrangement At the center of the appliance is @ cylindrical aluminum reflector that helps to direct light from the lamps outwardly into the ar: s to be disinfected According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the UV equipment can be eliminated and the platform may be provided with only computer 2, spraying system 14 and auxiliary components needed to guide the appliance to locations where a disinfecting or cleaning solution is to be sprayed. For example, a room to be treated could be provided with visually or electromagnetically detectable markers that can be detected by sensors on the platform to direct the platgorm, under control of the computer, to each location to be sprayed. By spraying only locations in a room, this arrangement minimizes the amount of solution that must be sprayed in order to ectively perform the desired treatmen WO 2014039076 PCT/US2013/000205, CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. & robotic appliance for use in sanitizing and/or disinfecting = room area, comprising an autonomous mobile platform equipped to travel in @ manner to cover the room a over a floor si c a@ plurality of UV lamps carried by said platform and oriented vertically; and an electrical power source carried by said platform and coni ted to supply operating power to said lamps 2. A robotic appliance for use in sanitizing and/or disinfecting a room area, comprising: an autonomous mobile platform equipped to travel over a floor surface in 2 manner to cover the room area; a spray system carried by said platform to spray a disinfecting or cleaning solution in the room area; an electrical power source carried by said platform and connected to supply operating power to said platform and said spray system; ané a control system coupled to said spray system to cause solution to be sprayed at selected locations in the WO 2014/039076 UV LAMP ASSEMBLIES 2 SENSORS. a COMPUTER OR up 8 ~] pcvac CONV PCT/US2013/000205 WIRELESS 18 TRANSCEIVER CI] i116 SPRAYING | > _—s SYSTEM. 4 zs 14 I~ fea DRIVE DRIVE MOTORS DRIVE WHEEL WHEEL FIG. 1 sozono/eLozsa/Ld SLOGEOIFLOZ OM. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT/US2013/000205 A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER AG1L,9/20(2006.01)i, A61L 9/16(2006.01)i According to International Patent Classification (PC) oF to both national classification and IPC B.__ FIELDS SEARCHED “Minimam documentation searched (classification 3 stem followed by classification symbols) AGIL 9/20; A47L 11/40; AGIL 2/10; FIGL 17/06; AGIL 2/00; AGIL 2402; HOIL 21/00; AGIL 9/16 Korean utility models and applications for uilty models Japanese utility models and applications for utility models ‘Documentation searched oiher than minimum documentalion 1o The extent that Such documents are included inthe Fields searched Electronic database consuled during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, searcl tens used) ‘eKOMPASS(K IPO intemal) & Keywords: sanitizing, disinfecting, autonon us mobile platform, UV lamp, spray ssem DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category*| Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, ofthe relevant passag Relevant to claim No, x TKR 20-0380225 YI (SON) 23 March 2005 1 See claim 1, page 2 and figure 2 y 2 y US 7790477 B2 (LIANG et al.) 7 Septenber 2010, 2 See abstract and elains 1, 9. 4 US 2008-0056033 41 (MOORE et al.) 6 Narch 2008 12 See abstract and claims 1-2 4 US 2012-0217415 A1 (HORMBLY) 30 August 2012 re See abstract and claim 1 4 US 2008-0206002 41 (CRAPSER et al.) 28 August 2008 12 See abstract and elaim 1 4 FO 2005-D11755. A2 (TENNANT COMPANY) 10 February 2005 1 See abstract and claims 1-4, Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C. x) se pac ity ames, ‘Special categories of ced documents cumet defining the general tat ofthe at whichis nt considered to be of paula relevance ‘ales aplication or patcat but published on o fer the international fling date

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