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A robot navigation system includes a robot, a navigation beacon, and a cover structure. The robot includes a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver. The navigation beacon includes an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter

A robot navigation system includes a robot, a navigation beacon, and a cover structure. The robot includes a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver. The navigation beacon includes an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter. The cover structure is configured to block infrared transmissions between the at least one directional infrared emitter and the directional receiver while simultaneously permitting transmissions between the omni-directional infrared emitter and the omni-directional receiver. The cover structure may be made of a black silicone material.

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1. A cover structure configured to limit infrared transmission between a navigation beacon having at least two infrared emitters and a robot having at least two receivers, the structure comprising: a top portion defining an opening; anda wall portion having an upper periphery, a lower periphery, and

1. A cover structure configured to limit infrared transmission between a navigation beacon having at least two infrared emitters and a robot having at least two receivers, the structure comprising: a top portion defining an opening; anda wall portion having an upper periphery, a lower periphery, and a height extending between the upper and lower peripheries, the upper periphery of the wall portion adjoining a periphery of the top portion, the top and wall portions together defining a volume sized to receive at least a portion of a navigation beacon having a directional infrared emitter, the wall portion configured to block an infrared signal transmitted by the directional infrared emitter on the portion of the navigation beacon positionable within the volume;wherein the opening in the top portion is configured to fit around a base of an omni-directional infrared emitter of the navigation beacon, the omni-directional infrared emitter protruding from the opening such that the cover structure fails to impede transmission of a proximity signal field by the omni-directional infrared emitter; andwherein an interior of the wall portion comprises a plurality of ribs extending vertically along a length of the wall portion with respect to a surface supporting the cover structure and configured to align the wall portion relative to the omni-directional infrared emitter. 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a black silicone material. 3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the top portion and the wall portion are integrally formed. 4. The structure of claim 3, further comprising a bottom flange portion, the bottom flange portion extending from a bottom of the wall portion. 5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the interior of the wall portion includes button reliefs providing alignment between the opening and the omni-directional infrared emitter. 6. A robot navigation system, comprising: a robot comprising a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver;a navigation beacon comprising an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter; anda cover structure configured to block infrared transmissions between the at least one directional infrared emitter and the directional receiver while simultaneously permitting transmissions between the omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one of the omni-directional receiver and the at least one directional receiver, the cover structure comprising: a top portion defining an opening; anda wall portion having an upper periphery, a lower periphery, and a height extending between the upper and lower peripheries, the upper periphery of the wall portion adjoining a periphery of the top portion, the top and wall portions together defining a volume sized to receive at least a portion of the navigation beacon having the at least one directional infrared emitter, the wall portion configured to block an infrared signal transmitted by the at least one directional infrared emitter on the portion of the navigation beacon positionable within the volume;wherein the opening in the top portion is configured to fit around a base of the omni-directional infrared emitter of the navigation beacon, the omni-directional infrared emitter protruding from the opening such that the cover structure fails to impede transmission of a proximity signal field by the omni-directional infrared emitter; andwherein an interior of the wall portion comprises a plurality of ribs extending vertically along a length of the wall portion with respect to a surface supporting the cover structure and configured to align the wall portion relative to the omni-directional infrared emitter. 7. The navigation system of claim 6, wherein the cover structure is made from a black silicone material. 8. The navigation system of claim 6, further comprising a second navigation beacon, and wherein the cover structure does not impede infrared transmissions between a directional infrared emitter of the second navigational beacon and the at least one directional receiver of the robot. 9. The navigational system of claim 6, wherein the wall portion comprises a black silicone material. 10. The robot navigation system of claim 6, wherein the interior of the wall portion includes button reliefs providing alignment between the opening and the omni-directional infrared emitter. 11. A method of limiting infrared transmission between a navigation beacon having an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter and a robot having a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver, the method comprising: positioning a cover structure configured to block infrared transmissions between the at least one directional infrared emitter and at least one of the directional receiver and the omni-directional receiver, the cover structure comprising: a top portion defining an opening; anda wall portion having an upper periphery, a lower periphery, and a height extending between the upper and lower peripheries, the upper periphery of the wall portion adjoining a periphery of the top portion, the top and wall portions together defining a volume sized to receive at least a portion of the navigation beacon having the at least one directional infrared emitter, the wall portion configured to block an infrared signal transmitted by the at least one directional infrared emitter on the portion of the navigation beacon positionable within the volume;wherein the opening in the top portion is configured to fit around a base of the omni-directional infrared emitter of the navigation beacon, the omni-directional infrared emitter protruding from the opening such that the cover structure fails to impede transmission of a proximity signal field by the omni-directional infrared emitter; andwherein an interior of the wall portion comprises a plurality of ribs extending vertically along a length of the wall portion with respect to a surface supporting the cover structure and configured to align the wall portion relative to the omni-directional infrared emitter; andsubstantially simultaneously positioning the omni-directional infrared emitter outside of the cover structure to permit communication with the at least one receiver. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the cover structure includes positioning the wall portion of the cover structure around the portion of the navigational beacon including the at least one directional infrared emitter. 13. The method claim 12, wherein substantially simultaneously positioning the omni-directional infrared emitter outside of the cover structure includes passing the omni-directional infrared emitter through the opening in the top of the body portion of the cover structure. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the cover structure further includes using the plurality of ribs on the wall portion of the cover structure to position the wall portion of the cover structure relative to the at least one directional infrared emitter. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the cover structure further includes positioning an extended base portion of the cover structure on the surface supporting the cover structure and a base of the navigation beacon. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the cover structure further includes positioning a cover structure made of a black silicone material between the at least one directional infrared emitter and the at least one directional receiver. 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning the navigation beacon near an object to be avoided by the robot, such that the object is within a range of a signal emitted by the omni-directional infrared emitter of the navigation beacon. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the object to be avoided is a container. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the interior of the wall portion includes button reliefs providing alignment between the opening and the omni-directional infrared emitter.