Green area maintenance system and method for identifying at least a section of a boundary edge of an area to be treated

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973168-B2
Application number	US-201816003732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2018
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A green area maintenance system includes an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot having a treatment tool and a cutting tool differing from the treatment tool. The robot and the cutting tool are configured to allow fixing of the cutting tool to the robot. The system includes a user control device, and has an autonomous operation mode and a cutting operation mode. In the autonomous operation mode the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot with its treatment tool operates autonomously and the cutting tool is set out of operation, and in the cutting operation mode the cutting tool is fixed to the green area maintenance robot and operable. The robot with its treatment tool and cutting tool are controlled by a user via the user control device, and an operation mode switching device for switching between the autonomous operation mode and the cutting operation mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A green area maintenance system, comprising:
an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot having a treatment tool,
a cutting tool differing from the treatment tool,
wherein the green area maintenance robot and the cutting tool are configured to allow fixing of the cutting tool to the green area maintenance robot,
a user control device,
an autonomous operation mode and a cutting operation mode, wherein in the autonomous operation mode the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot with its treatment tool operates autonomously and the cutting tool is set out of operation, and wherein in the cutting operation mode the cutting tool is fixed to the green area maintenance robot and operable, and the green area maintenance robot with its treatment tool and the cutting tool are controlled by a user via the user control device, and
an operation mode switching device for switching between the autonomous operation mode and the cutting operation mode,
wherein the green area maintenance system includes a cutting tool attachment part, wherein the cutting tool attachment part comprises the cutting tool, and
wherein the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot and the cutting tool attachment part are configured to allow removable fixing of the cutting tool attachment part on the green area maintenance robot,
wherein the operation mode switching device is configured to:
(i) detect fixation of the cutting tool attachment part on the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot and to switch the green area maintenance system over to the cutting operation mode, and/or
(ii) to detect a removal of the cutting tool attachment part from the green area maintenance robot and to switch the green area maintenance system over to the autonomous operation mode.

2. The green area maintenance system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cutting tool comprises at least one cutting element and the green area maintenance system is configured such that the cutting tool in the cutting operation mode is controllable such that a maximum kinetic energy of the cutting element is greater than 10 Joules.

3. The green area maintenance system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cutting tool comprises one or more of: a mowing line, a plastic knife, a metallic knife, or a metallic cutting blade having at least one cutting edge and/or having at least one cutting tooth.

4. The green area maintenance system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot is a lawn mower robot and the treatment tool is a lawn mower tool.

5. The green area maintenance system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot has an open protective housing with a lateral rim,
wherein the treatment tool defines a treatment zone and is arranged within the protective housing such that the treatment zone is located in a safety zone of the protective housing, wherein the safety zone has a safety distance to the lateral rim.

6. The green area maintenance system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the cutting tool defines a cutting zone, and
wherein, in the cutting operation mode, the cutting tool is fixed to the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot such that the cutting zone is located at least partially beyond the safety zone.

7. The green area maintenance system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the user control device comprises a wired remote control, wherein the wired remote control is configured for wired control connection to the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot and/or to the cutting tool, and/or
wherein the user control device comprises a wireless remote control transmitter, and wherein the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot and/or the cutting tool comprises a wireless remote control receiver, wherein the remote control transmitter and the remote control receiver are configured for wireless control connection.

8. The green area maintenance system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the wired remote control is movable between a control position and a storage position, wherein the operation mode switching device is configured to detect the control position and to switch the green area maintenance system over to the cutting operation mode, and/or to detect the storage position and to switch the green area maintenance system over to the autonomous operation mode, and/or
wherein the operation mode switching device is configured to detect an interruption of the wireless control connection and to switch the green area maintenance system over to the autonomous operation mode.

9. The green area maintenance system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the green area maintenance system includes a position determination device for determining of position coordinates, wherein the position determination device is fixed to the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot and/or to the cutting tool, and
wherein the green area maintenance system includes a position recording device, wherein the position recording device is configured to record a sequence of position coordinates of a boundary edge of an area to be treated, while the green area maintenance robot and the cutting tool fixed to the green area maintenance robot in the cutting operation mode are controlled along the boundary edge.

10. The green area maintenance system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot comprises the position determination device and the green area maintenance system includes a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control movement of the green area maintenance robot in the autonomous operation mode on the area to be treated as a function of the recorded sequence of position coordinates of the boundary edge such that the green area maintenance robot remains on the area to be treated.

11. The green area maintenance system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the position determination device comprises a satellite position determination receiver for determining the position coordinates, and/or
wherein the position determination device comprises a local positioning system device for determining the position coordinates.

Assignees

• Stihl Ag & Co Kg Andreas

Inventors

• Hans Matthias
• Heinzelmann Georg
• Oesterle Markus
• Totschnig Andreas

Classifications

• A01D34/412

  having rotating cutters · CPC title

• A01D34/006

  Control or measuring arrangements · CPC title

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01D43/16

  with lawn edgers · CPC title

• A01D34/416

  Flexible line cutters · CPC title