Self-moving robot system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852735-B2
Application number	US-201715789397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A self-moving robot system may comprise a signal generating device configured to generate a preset signal; a signal detecting device, configured to detect the preset signal and generate a detection result; a signal line configured to radiate or/and receive the preset signal; and a control unit disposed on a self-moving robot, wherein the control unit receives the detection result and controls the self-moving robot to move according to the detection result; one end of the signal line is connected to the signal generating device or/and the signal detecting device; the signal line unidirectionally extends from the end, and the signal line does not constitute a circuitry loop. The system can realize judging a working area and/or guiding returning of the self-moving robot by a non-closed signal line, to thereby simplify arrangement of the border line or guide line, and improve the user experience.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-moving robot system, comprising:
a self-moving robot, automatically moving and automatically working in a working area;
a signal line, comprising an antenna, defining a border of the working area or/and defining a returning path of the self-moving robot;
a signal generating device, generating a preset signal suitable to be radiated to a free space in a radio wave manner,
a signal detecting device, detecting the preset signal existing in the free space in the radio wave manner, thereby generating a detection result; and
a control unit, disposed in the self-moving robot to receive the detection result and controlling the self-moving robot to move according to the detection result,
wherein the self-moving robot system is characterized in that one end of the signal line is connected to the signal generating device or/and the signal detecting device and the signal line is configured to radiate the preset signal to the free space in the radio wave manner or receive the preset signal existing in the free space in the radio wave manner; and
the signal line unidirectionally extends from the one end to constitute a circuitry open circuit.

2. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the preset signal comprises a modulated signal having a characteristic frequency and a carrier signal having a carrier frequency.

3. The self-moving robot system according to claim 2 , wherein the signal detecting comprises recognizing the modulated signal by the characteristic frequency.

4. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit judges a distance between the self-moving robot and the signal line according to the detection result.

5. The self-moving robot system according to claim 4 , wherein the self-moving robot has a working mode, and under the working mode, the control unit controls the distance between the self-moving robot and the signal line to be larger than or equal to a first preset distance, such that the self-moving robot automatically moves and automatically works at one side of the signal line.

6. The self-moving robot system according to claim 4 , wherein the self-moving robot has a returning mode, and under the returning mode, the control unit controls the distance between the self-moving robot and the signal line to be in a preset distance range, such that the self-moving robot is returned to a preset location along the signal line.

7. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the detection result comprises a signal intensity.

8. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein a range of the carrier frequency of the carrier signal is smaller than or equal to 10MHZ.

9. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein a range of the carrier frequency of the carrier signal is smaller than or equal to 2MHZ.

10. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein a range of the characteristic frequency of the modulated signal is from 100HZ to 500KHZ.

11. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein a range of the characteristic frequency of the modulated signal is from 100HZ to 50KHZ.

12. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein a waveform of the preset signal is trapezoidal wave, square wave, triangular wave or sawtooth wave.

13. The self-moving robot system according to claim 12 , wherein a range of rising edge time of the waveform of the preset signal is 100 ns-2000 ns.

14. The self-moving robot system according to claim 12 , wherein a range of rising edge time of the waveform of the preset signal is 500 ns-2000 ns.

15. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic frequency of the modulated signal comprises one fixed frequency or a plurality of fixed frequencies.

16. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving robot has a working mode, and under the working mode, the self-moving robot takes the signal line as a border line and automatically walks and works at one side of the signal line.

17. The self-moving robot system according to claim 16 , wherein under the working mode, the control unit controls the self-moving robot to move, such that the detection result is always smaller than or equal to a first preset threshold.

18. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving robot system also comprises a charging station, and the charging station is provided with or connected to the signal generating device or/and the signal detecting device.

19. The self-moving robot system according to claim 18 , wherein the self-moving robot has a returning mode, and under the returning mode, the self-moving robot takes the signal line as a guide line to return to the charging station along the signal line.

20. The self-moving robot system according to claim 19 , wherein under the returning mode, the control unit controls the self-moving robot to move, such that the detection result is always larger than or equal to a second preset threshold and smaller than or equal to a third preset threshold, wherein the third preset threshold is larger than the second preset threshold.

21. The self-moving robot system according to claim 19 , wherein the signal generating device is arranged on the charging station, the signal line is connected to the signal generating device, and the self-moving robot is provided with at least one signal detecting device.

22. The self-moving robot system according to claim 19 , wherein the self-moving robot is provided with at least two signal detecting devices, including a first signal detecting device and a second signal detecting device;
under the returning mode, after the detection results detected by the first signal detecting device and the second signal detecting device reaching a preset threshold, the control unit controls walking of the self-moving robot, such that an intensity difference between the detection results of the first signal detecting device and the second signal detecting device is in the range of a preset intensity threshold.

23. The self-moving robot system according to claim 18 , wherein the self-moving robot is provided with one signal generating device and one signal detecting device, which are of a first signal generating device and a second signal detecting device respectively; the charging station is provided with or connected to one signal detecting device and one signal generating device, which are of a first signal detecting device and a second signal generating device respectively; the first signal generating device and the second signal generating device have the modulated signals with different characteristics frequencies respectively; and the first signal detecting device and the second signal detecting device respectively recognize signals with different characteristic frequencies to generate the detection results of corresponding frequencies.

24. A self-moving robot system, comprising:
a self-moving robot, automatically moving and automatically working in a working area;
a signal line, comprising an antenna, defining a border of the working area or/and defining a returning path of the self-moving robot;
a radio signal generating device, generating a radio signal;
a radio signal detecting device, detecting the radio signal and obtaining a signal intensity value of a preset characteristic frequency,
the signal line comprising a start point and an e

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tan Yiyun
• Shao Yong
• Liu Fangshi
• Sun Gen
• Zhou Chang
• Mou Guoliang
• Xifeng Sun

Classifications

• G05D2107/23

  Gardens or lawns · CPC title

• G05D2105/15

  for harvesting, sowing or mowing in agriculture or forestry · CPC title

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2111/36

  generated or reflected by cables or wires carrying current, e.g. boundary wires or leaky feeder cables · CPC title

• G05D1/661

  Docking at a base station (delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667) · CPC title