Autonomous working device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9439348-B2
Application number	US-201214343409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2012
Priority date	Sep 9, 2011
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

An autonomous working device, in particular an autonomous lawn mower, comprising a computing unit. The autonomous working device is configured to cover a surface to be treated in strips. The computing unit is configured to adjust an overlap of the strips according to at least one parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An autonomous working device comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of wheels supporting the housing:
a drive motor operably connected to the plurality of wheels; and
a computing unit including (i) a memory having program instructions stored therein, (ii) at least one manual input for receiving manual inputs of at least one parameter from an operator, and (iii) a processor operably connected to the memory and configured to execute the program instructions to
determine an overlap of a plurality of strips along a surface to be processed autonomously by the autonomous working device based upon at least one parameter received by the manual input, and
control the autonomous working device to travel in the plurality of strips along the surface to be processed based on the determined overlap.

2. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap in a differentiated fashion for at least one of;
various partial regions of the surface to be processed; and
various strips of the plurality of strips.

3. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap based at least in part upon at least one strip length parameter.

4. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to:
determine a position of the autonomous working device within an outline map stored in the memory; and
calculate an intersection point of an expected strip direction with the outline map during determination of the overlap.

5. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap based at least in part upon at least one underlying surface parameter.

6. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
the computing unit includes at least one sensor operably connected to the processor, the at least one sensor configured to sense at least one sensor parameter; and
the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap of the plurality of strips based upon the at least one sensor parameter.

7. The autonomous working device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one parameter is a height of grass to be cut by the autonomous working device.

8. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one parameter comprises a desired result; and
the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap based at least in part upon the desired result.

9. The autonomous working device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises an overlap parameter, which has been input into the input unit for at least one of:
the surface to be processed;
various partial regions of the surface to be processed; and
conditions of the surface to be processed.

10. A method of controlling an autonomous working device, comprising:
manually inputting at least one overlap parameter into a manual input of the device, the at least one overlap parameter selected from a group of overlap parameters consisting of (i) a surface to be processed, (ii) various partial regions of the surface to be processed, and (iii) conditions of the surface to be processed;
determining with a processor of the device an overlap of a plurality of strips along the surface to be processed based upon the input at least one overlap parameter by executing with the processor program instructions stored in a memory, and
controlling the autonomous working device with the processor to travel in the plurality of strips along the surface to be processed based on the determined overlap.

11. An autonomous working device comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of wheels supporting the housing:
a drive motor operably connected to the plurality of wheels; and
a computing unit including (i) a memory having program instructions stored therein, and (ii) a processor operably connected to the memory and configured to execute the program instructions to
determine an overlap of a plurality of strips along a surface to be processed autonomously by the autonomous working device based upon a height of grass to be cut by the autonomous working device, and
control the autonomous working device to travel in the plurality of strips along the surface to be processed based on the determined overlap.

12. The autonomous working device of claim 11 , further comprising:
at least one sensor operably connected to the processor, the at least one sensor configured to sense the height of grass to be cut.

13. The autonomous working device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a manual input operably connected to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap based upon at least one manual input parameter input to the manual input by an operator.

14. The autonomous working device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one manual input parameter comprises a speed of the device.

15. The autonomous working device of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one manual input parameter comprises a desired result; and
the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap based at least in part upon the desired result.

16. The autonomous working device of claim 13 , wherein:
the manual input comprises a rocker switch moveable between a first position and a second position; and
the second position is associated with an energy saving mode.

17. The autonomous working device of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one manual input comprises an overlap parameter, which has been input into the input unit for at least one of:
the surface to be processed;
various partial regions of the surface to be processed; and
conditions of the surface to be processed.

18. The autonomous working device of claim 17 , further comprising:
at least one sensor operably connected to the processor, the at least one sensor configured to sense the height and density of grass to be cut, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap of the plurality of strips based upon the density of the grass to be cut.

19. The autonomous working device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to determine the overlap based upon a density of grass to be cut by the autonomous working device.

20. The autonomous working device of claim 19 , further comprising:
at least one sensor operably connected to the processor, the at least one sensor configured to sense the height and density of grass to be cut.

Assignees

• Biber Peter
• Petereit Steffen
• Koch Christoph
• Albert Amos
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Biber Peter
• Petereit Steffen
• Koch Christoph
• Albert Amos

Classifications

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• G05D1/0219

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title