Autonomous lawn mower and a system for navigating thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12156494-B2
Application number	US-201817269511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

A system and method for an autonomous lawn mower comprising a mower body having at least one motor arranged to drive a cutting blade and to propel the mower body on an operating surface via a wheel arrangement, wherein the mower body includes a navigation system arranged to assist a controller to control the operation of the mower body within a predefined operating area, wherein the mower body further includes a signal detecting module arranged to detect a signal representative of a navigational marker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An autonomous lawn mower comprising:
a mower body having at least one motor arranged to drive a cutting blade and to propel the mower body on an operating surface via a wheel arrangement, wherein the mower body includes a navigation system arranged to assist a controller to control an operation of the mower within a predefined operating area, and wherein the mower body further includes an actuator for terminating the operation of the mower and, in response to the termination of the operation of the mower, releasing a portion of the mower body from a closed position at which a user control interface is covered to an opened position at which the user control interface is exposed.

2. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 1 , wherein the mower body further includes a signal detecting module arranged to detect a signal representative of a navigational marker, and wherein the navigational marker includes a location of an obstacle or boundary.

3. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 2 , wherein the navigation system determines a position of the mower body within the predefined operating area based on the location of the obstacle or boundary.

4. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 2 , further including a signal generating module arranged to generate the signal in the form of a signal loop.

5. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 4 , wherein the signal detecting module includes a sensor arranged to detect a magnitude of the signal loop.

6. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 5 , wherein the signal generating module generates a first signal loop within the predefined operating area whereby a position of the mower body relative to the predefined operating area is determined by the controller based on the magnitude of the first signal loop detected by the sensor.

7. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 6 , wherein the first signal loop is emitted about a boundary of the predefined operating area.

8. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 6 , wherein the signal generating module is positioned on a detachable docking module that detachably receives the mower body.

9. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 8 , wherein the detachable docking module generates a second signal loop within a predefined docking area about the detachable docking module whereby the position of the mower body relative to the detachable docking module within the predefined docking area is determined by the controller based on a magnitude of the second signal loop detected by the sensor.

10. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 9 , wherein the first and second signal loops are time shifted pulses with a same frequency.

11. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 9 , wherein the sensor receives a pulse of the first and second signal loops when the mower body is at a position inside the predefined operating area and the predefined docking area.

12. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 11 , wherein the controller identifies the first and second signal loops individually based on a time shift between the pulse of the first signal loop and a pulse of the second signal loop.

13. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 9 , wherein the first signal loop includes a bidirectional current pulse.

14. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 9 , wherein the sensor receives only the pulse of the first signal loop when the mower body is at a position inside the predefined operating area and outside the predefined docking area.

15. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 9 , wherein the sensor detects opposite polarities of the first signal loop when the mower body is positioned at a position inside the predefined operating area and a position outside the predefined operating area respectively.

16. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 15 , wherein the sensor detects a first polarity of the first signal loop when the mower body is at a position inside the predefined operating area.

17. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 16 , wherein the sensor detects a second, opposite polarity of the first signal loop when the mower body is at a position outside the predefined operating area.

18. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 9 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, whereby the controller terminates a movement of the mower body upon all of the plurality of sensors becoming sandwiched between the first and second signal loops.

19. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 8 , wherein the detachable docking module is configured to provide battery charging to the mower body.

20. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 19 , wherein the detachable docking module includes a rotatable member arranged to contact the mower body with a predefined vertical offset relative to the detachable docking module for battery charging.

21. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 20 , wherein the detachable docking module comprises a pair of resilient structures that act against opposite sides of the rotatable member to maintain an orientation of the rotatable member.

22. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 20 , wherein the rotatable member comprises a protective gasket for sealing between the rotatable member and the mower body and for flexible rotation of the rotatable member.

23. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is arranged to actuate a micro switch for releasing the portion of the mower body from the closed position.

24. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is in communication with a magnetic sensor arranged to sense the movement of the portion of the mower body between the closed position and the opened position.

25. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 1 , wherein the mower body further includes a cutter module arranged to trim one or more edges of the predefined operating area.

26. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 25 , wherein the cutting module includes at least two cutting bars movable in a reciprocating manner.

27. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 25 , wherein the cutting module is placed at a position underneath the mower body and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the mower body.

28. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 1 , wherein the mower body further includes a height adjustment system arranged to assist the controller to restrict an operation of the cutting blade within a predefined operating height.

29. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 28 , wherein the height adjustment system includes one or more sensors arranged to detect a presence of the cutting blade at a predetermined vertical position.

30. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 29 , wherein the height adjustment system is arranged to communicate with the controller for terminating the operation of the cutting blade upon the cutting blade reaching the predetermined vertical position.

31. The autonomous lawn mower of claim 1 , wherein the navigation system further includes an odometry module arranged to track a movement of the mower body on the operating surface.

32. An autonomous lawn mower comprising a mower body including an actuator for terminating an operation of the autonomous lawn mower and, in response to the termination of the autonomous lawn mower operation, releasing a portion of the mower body from a closed position at which a user control interface is covered to an opened position at which the user control interface is exposed.

33. The autonomous la

Assignees

• Techtronic Cordless Gp

Inventors

• Vines Brian
• Zhang Xing
• Montgomery Benjamin Edgar
• Hassan Syed Kashif

Classifications

• G05D1/247

  using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons · CPC title

• G05D1/648

  Performing a task within a working area or space, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• G05D1/661

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

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01D34/84

  for edges of lawns or fields, e.g. for mowing close to trees or walls ({for embankments A01D34/86 takes precedence;} edge trimmers A01G3/00) · CPC title