Controlling robotic lawnmowers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018332765-A1
Application number	US-201816037090-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Nov 22, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of mowing with an autonomous robot lawnmower includes traversing a mowable area with the autonomous robot lawnmower carrying a cutter and a vegetation characteristic sensor. The vegetation characteristic sensor is configured to generate sensor data in response to detecting a vegetation characteristic of the mowable area. The vegetation characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a moisture content, a grass height, and a color. The method includes storing position-referenced data representing the vegetation characteristic detected across the mowable area. The position-referenced data is based at least in part on the sensor data and position data. The method includes sending data to a remote device to cause the remote device to display a map including information based on the position-referenced data.

First claim

1 - 16 . (canceled)

17 . A method of mowing with an autonomous robot lawnmower, the method comprising
receiving information about a fluctuating weather condition related to a mowable area; adjusting a mowing schedule based on the information about the fluctuating weather condition; and controlling the autonomous robot lawnmower to mow the mowable area based on the mowing schedule.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises information about a weather forecast at the mowable area, and adjusting the mowing schedule comprises adjusting the mowing schedule based on an expected rainfall at the mowable area.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a vegetation characteristic of the mowable area based on sensor data from a vegetation characteristic sensor on the autonomous robot lawnmower, the vegetation characteristic sensor being configured to generate the sensor data in response to detecting the vegetation characteristic, the vegetation characteristic being selected from the group consisting of a moisture content, a grass height, and a color,
wherein adjusting the mowing schedule further comprises adjusting the mowing schedule based on the fluctuating weather condition and the determined vegetation characteristic.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a level of power expended to drive a cutter of the autonomous robotic lawnmower,
wherein adjusting the mowing schedule comprises adjusting the mowing schedule based on the fluctuating weather condition and the determined level of power expended to drive the cutter of the autonomous robotic lawnmower.

21 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising, prior to adjusting the mowing schedule:
waiting for a prompt from a remote user device before adjusting the mowing schedule.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising transmitting the information about the fluctuating weather condition to the remote user device, wherein waiting for the prompt from the remote user device before adjusting the mowing schedule comprises waiting for the prompt after transmitting the information about the fluctuating weather condition to the remote user device.

23 . The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises receiving the information about the fluctuating weather condition from a remote computing system via a wireless receiver of the autonomous robotic lawnmower.

24 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises a temperature, an amount of precipitation, or a humidity.

25 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises a forecasted weather condition.

26 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises a past precipitation event, and adjusting the mowing schedule based on the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises increasing a frequency of mowing operations.

27 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises a forecasted precipitation event, and adjusting the mowing schedule based on the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises adjusting the mowing schedule such that the autonomous robotic lawnmower does not execute a mowing operation during the forecasted precipitation event.

28 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising before adjusting the mowing schedule, transmitting data to a remote user device to cause the remote user device to display information indicative of a recommendation to adjust the mowing schedule,
wherein adjusting the mowing schedule comprises receiving, from the remote user device, a user confirmation to adjust the mowing schedule.

29 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises an emergency condition, and adjusting the mowing schedule based on the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises adjusting the mowing schedule such that the autonomous robotic lawnmower does not execute a mowing operation during the emergency condition.

30 . A method of controlling an autonomous robotic lawnmower to mow a mowable area, the method comprising:
presenting, by a user device, a recommended mowing schedule for the autonomous robotic lawnmower, the recommended mowing schedule selected based on information about a fluctuating weather condition; and receiving, by the user device, a user confirmation of the recommended mowing schedule; and transmitting, by the user device, data to cause a mowing schedule for the autonomous robotic lawnmower to be adjusted in accordance with the recommended mowing schedule such that the autonomous robotic lawnmower is controlled based on the recommended mowing schedule.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein:
the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises information about a weather forecast at the mowable area, and the method further comprises presenting, by the user device, information indicative of the weather forecast, the information indicative of the weather forecast being indicative of an expected rainfall for the mowable area.

32 . The method of claim 30 , further comprising presenting, by the user device, information indicative of the fluctuating weather condition.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises a temperature, an amount of precipitation, or a humidity.

34 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the fluctuating weather condition comprises a forecasted weather condition.

35 . An autonomous robotic lawnmower comprising:
a drive system operable to navigate the autonomous robotic lawnmower across a mowable area; electronic memory; and a controller configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising
storing, in the electronic memory, a mowing schedule adjusted based on information about a fluctuating weather condition, and
performing one or more mowing operations to mow the mowable area in accordance with the mowing schedule.

36 . The autonomous robot lawnmower of claim 35 , wherein:
the information about the fluctuating weather condition comprises information about a weather forecast at the mowable area, and adjusting the mowing schedule comprises adjusting the mowing schedule based on an expected rainfall at the mowable area.

37 . The autonomous robot lawnmower of claim 35 , wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower further comprises a vegetation characteristic sensor configured to generate sensor data indicative of a vegetation characteristic being selected from the group consisting of a moisture content, a grass height, and a color,
wherein adjusting the mowing schedule further comprises adjusting the mowing schedule based on the fluctuating weather condition and the vegetation characteristic.

38 . The autonomous robot lawnmower of claim 35 , wherein the operations further comprise waiting for a prompt from a remote user device before adjusting the mowing schedule.

39 . The autonomous robot lawnmower of claim 38 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the information about the fluctuating weather condition to the remote user device, wherein waiting for the prompt from the remote user device before adjusting the mowing schedule comprises waiting for the prompt after transmitting the information about the fluctuating weather condition to

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Doughty Brian
• Beaulieu Andrew
• Yamauchi Brian
• Likhite Alex
• Steltz Erik

Classifications

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01G25/09

  Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• G05D2201/0208

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0044

  by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps (maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005) · CPC title