Ground working system with at least one intensive zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11064652-B2
Application number	US-201816002964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A ground working system having at least one self-driving ground working device, wherein the ground working device has a drive, a control unit and an in-device battery for supplying energy to the ground working device. An operating region (A) determined by an edge boundary is provided for the ground working device, wherein the ground working device travels over an operating path (W) determined by the control unit within the operating region (A). In order to meet requirements for a differing working intensity of specific regions of an area, it is provided to predetermine at least one intensive limit, an intensive limit in each case demarcating an intensive region (B). The ground working device in an intensive mode works the intensive region (B) with preference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ground working system comprising:
at least one self-driving ground working device having a drive, a control unit and an in-device battery for supplying energy to said at least one self-driving ground working device, wherein an operating region (A) of said at least one self-driving ground working device is determined by an edge boundary;
said at least one self-driving ground working device being configured to travel along a traveling path (W) determined by said control unit within said operating region (A);
the ground working system having a predetermined intensive limit and said intensive limit demarcating an intensive region (B); and,
said at least one self-driving ground working device, in an intensive mode, being configured to work said intensive region (B) with preference, wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device is configured to store a completed working of said intensive region (B) in said at least one self-driving ground working device with a state variable, wherein the state variable is a set flag, which as a status indicator indicates whether working has been completed, wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device switches to the intensive mode in dependence on said state variable.

2. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device switches to the intensive mode when it passes over said intensive limit.

3. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device is controlled in the intensive mode in such a manner that said at least one self-driving ground working device operates within said intensive limit in said intensive region (B).

4. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said intensive region (B) lies within said operating region (A).

5. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device switches to the intensive mode when it passes over said intensive limit for a first time.

6. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said intensive mode of said at least one self-driving ground working device is ended after reaching a predetermined switch-off parameter.

7. The ground working system of claim 6 , wherein said switch-off parameter is at least one of a predetermined time period, a predetermined number of changes in direction of said at least one self-driving ground working device within said intensive region (B) and a predetermined distance of said traveling path (W) covered by said at least one self-driving ground working device within said intensive region (B).

8. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said state variable of said at least one self-driving ground working device is reset in dependence on selected operating variables of said at least one self-driving ground working device.

9. The ground working system of claim 8 , wherein said selected operating variables are formed by at least one of an operating time of said at least one self-driving ground working device, a distance of the traveling path (W) covered by said at least one self-driving ground working device, a number of changes in direction of said at least one self-driving ground working device and a number of times an intensive limit of said intensive region (B) is passed over by said at least one self-driving ground working device.

10. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said intensive limit is an electronically set, virtual limit.

11. The ground working system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a physically laid wire; and,
said intensive limit being formed by said physically laid wire.

12. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein:
said at least one self-driving ground working device has a first navigation unit configured to interact with said edge boundary of said operating region (A) and has at least one further navigation unit configured to interact with said intensive limit,
said control unit is a common device control unit; and,
said first navigation unit and said further navigation unit are connected to said common device control unit.

13. The ground working system of claim 1 further comprising a common navigation unit for said edge boundary and said intensive limit.

14. The ground working system of claim 1 further comprising:
a laid wire configured to have a wire signal transmitted thereon;
said at least one self-driving ground working device having a reception coil; and,
said wire signal being configured to induce a reception signal in said reception coil and said reception signal being used for controlling said at least one self-driving ground working device within the operating region (A).

15. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device is a self-driving lawnmower.

16. The ground working system of claim 15 further comprising:
a central control unit;
the ground working system including a plurality of said self-driving ground working devices;
wherein said plurality of self-driving ground working devices work said operating region (A) and said intensive region (B); and,
said central control unit is configured to manage said plurality of self-driving ground working devices.

17. The ground working system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one self-driving ground working device has a first navigation unit configured to interact with said edge boundary of said operating region (A) and has at least one further navigation unit configured to interact with said intensive limit.

18. The ground working system of claim 1 further comprising:
a laid wire; and,
said edge boundary of said operating region (A) being formed by said laid wire.

Assignees

• Stihl Ag & Co Kg Andreas

Inventors

• Matt Sebastian
• Zoettl Samuel

Classifications

• G05D1/2297

  positional data taught by the user, e.g. paths (G05D1/2295 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D1/248

  generated by satellites, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2107/23

  Gardens or lawns · CPC title

• G05D2105/15

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