Method for operating an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot and lawn mowing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10888046-B2
Application number	US-201816003694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2018
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A method for operating an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable, includes the steps of: receiving a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter, and automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter,
automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction; and
obtaining a future lawn height of the lawn based on the environmental condition describing parameter using a lawn growth model, wherein
the step of automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction further comprises:
automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the obtained future lawn height.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the environmental condition describing parameter comprises a meteorological parameter.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein
the meteorological parameter comprises one or more of:
an air temperature, an air humidity, a dew point, an air pressure, an air density, an air composition, a wind direction, a wind velocity, a type of precipitation, an amount of precipitation, a cloudiness, a visibility, a global radiation, an albedo and/or a season of the year.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
receiving a past value of the environmental condition describing parameter and/or a present value of the environmental condition describing parameter, wherein
the step of automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction further comprises:
automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received past value and/or of the received present value.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
identifying a present lawn height of the lawn; and
obtaining the future lawn height of the lawn using a lawn growth model based on the identified present lawn height.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
outputting the adjusted cutting height of the cutting tool and/or the environmental condition describing parameter.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
processing the adjusted cutting height of the cutting tool.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
mowing the lawn using the autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having its cutting tool adjusted in cutting height.

9. A method for operating an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter,
automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction, and
predefining an average lawn height of the lawn, wherein
the step of automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction further comprises:
automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the predefined average lawn height.

10. A lawn mowing system comprising:
a receiver unit, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter,
an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable,
a height adjusting device, wherein the height adjusting device is configured to cooperate with the receiver unit and to automatically adjust the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction, and
a computing unit, wherein
the computing unit is configured to obtain a future lawn height of the lawn based on the environmental condition describing parameter using a lawn growth model, and
the height adjusting device is configured to automatically adjust the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the obtained future lawn height.

11. The lawn mowing system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an output device, wherein the output device is configured to output the adjusted cutting height of the cutting tool and/or the environmental condition describing parameter.

12. The lawn mowing system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an input device, wherein the input device is configured to process the adjusted cutting height of the cutting tool.

13. The lawn mowing system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the receiver unit has an interface for connecting the receiver unit to a network.

14. The lawn mowing system according to claim 10 , wherein
the cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable in a range from 0 to 50 cm.

15. The lawn mowing systems according to claim 14 , wherein
the cutting height is adjustable to 15 cm.

16. A lawn mowing system comprising:
a receiver unit, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter,
an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable,
a height adjusting device, wherein the height adjusting device is configured to cooperate with the receiver unit and to automatically adjust the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction, and
an input device, wherein
the input device is configured to predefine an average lawn height of the lawn, and
the height adjusting device is configured to automatically adjust the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the predefined average lawn height.

Assignees

• Stihl Ag & Co Kg Andreas

Inventors

• Gorenflo Ernst
• Ritzer Peter

Classifications

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01D34/74

  Cutting-height adjustment · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01D34/78

  electric · CPC title