Robotic mowing of separated lawn areas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538702-B2
Application number	US-201414579080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A method of mowing multiple areas includes training the robotic mower to move across a space separating at least two areas, and initiating a mowing operation. Training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas includes moving the robotic mower to a traversal launch point of a first of the areas, storing data indicative of location of the traversal launch point, moving the robotic mower to a traversal landing point of a second of the areas, and storing data indicative of location of the traversal landing point. The mowing operation causes the robotic mower to autonomously and in sequence mow the first of the areas, move to the traversal launch point, move from the traversal launch point across the space to the traversal landing point, and then mow the second of the areas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of mowing at least two areas separated by a space, the method comprising:
training a robotic mower to mow at least a first area and a second area, the first area separated from the second area by the space, including moving the robotic mower about the first and second areas while storing data indicative of a location of boundaries of each area relative to boundary markers;
storing data indicative of a traversal route between the first area and the second area;
storing data indicative of a bypass route that provides a path for the robotic mower to follow to traverse the first area; and then
initiating a mowing operation causing the robotic mower to autonomously and in sequence:
disable a mowing function;
traverse the first area by following the bypass route without mowing the first area;
move from the first area to the second area across the space separating the first area from the second area by following the traversal route between the first area and the second area without mowing the traversal route;
activate the mowing function; and
mow the second area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to
traverse the first area by following the bypass route at a first drive speed; and
mow the second area at a second drive speed,
wherein the first drive speed is greater than the second drive speed.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the data indicative of the bypass route by computing a shortest route between the first area and the second area.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of the traversal route comprises a traversal launch point and a traversal landing point, the traversal launch point being on a boundary of the first area, and the traversal landing point being on a boundary of the second area.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to move in a straight line from the traversal launch point to the traversal landing point.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to:
conclude the mowing operation after mowing the second area without mowing the first area.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to:
return to a charging dock after mowing the second area without mowing the first area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to:
traverse the first area by moving from a charging dock along the bypass route without mowing the first area.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to:
disable the mowing function after mowing the second area;
move across another space separating the second area from a third area; and
mow the third area.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bypass route comprises a bypass launch point and a bypass landing point, and initiating the mowing operation further comprises causing the robotic mower to move along the bypass route from the bypass launch point to the bypass landing point.

11. A robotic mower, comprising:
a wheeled chassis;
a motorized grass cutter carried by the wheeled chassis; and
a controller carried by the chassis and configured to:
(i) store data indicative of a location of boundaries of each of at least two areas to be mowed, wherein the at least two areas are separated by a space;
(ii) store data indicative of a traversal route across the space;
(iii) store data indicative of a bypass route that provides a path for the robotic mower to follow to traverse a first of the areas;
(iv) control the robotic mower to perform a mowing operation in which the robotic mower autonomously and in sequence:
disables the grass cutter;
traverses the first of the areas by following the bypass route without mowing the first of the areas;
moves from the first of the areas to a second of the areas across the space by following the traversal route between the first of the areas and the second of the areas without mowing the traversal route;
activate the grass cutter; and
mows the second of the areas.

12. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein, during the mowing operation, the robotic mower autonomously and in sequence:
traverses the first of the areas by following the bypass route at a first drive speed; and
mows the second of the areas at a second drive speed,
wherein the first drive speed is greater than the second drive speed.

13. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the data indicative of the bypass route by computing a shortest route between the first of the areas and the second of the areas.

14. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein the data indicative of the traversal route comprises a traversal launch point and a traversal landing point, the traversal launch point being on a boundary of the first of the areas, and the traversal landing point being on a boundary of the second of the areas.

15. The robotic mower of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to move the robotic mower in a straight line from the traversal launch point to the traversal landing point.

16. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic mower such that the robotic mower concludes the mowing operation after mowing the second of the areas without mowing the first of the areas.

17. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic mower such that the robotic mower moves to a charging dock after mowing the second of the areas without mowing the first of the areas.

18. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic mower such that the robotic mower traverses the first of the areas by moving from a charging dock along the bypass route without mowing the first of the areas.

19. The robotic mower of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the robotic mower such that the robotic mower:
disables the grass cutter after mowing the second of the areas;
moves across another space separating the second of the areas from a third of the areas to be mowed;
activates the grass cutter; and
mows the third of the areas to be mowed.

20. The mower of claim 11 , wherein the bypass route comprises a bypass launch point and a bypass landing point, and the controller is configured to control the robotic mower such that the robotic mower moves along the bypass route from the bypass launch point to the bypass landing point.

21. The robotic mower of claim 11 , further comprising a radiation detector to detect a location of a boundary marker, wherein the controller is configured to store the data indicative of the location of the boundaries of each of the at least two areas to be mowed relative to the location of the boundary marker.

22. The robotic mower of claim 21 , further comprising a radiation source to emit a signal toward the boundary marker, wherein the radiation detector is configured to detect a response signal from the boundary marker, the response signal being indicative of the location of the boundary marker.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Balutis Paul
• Beaulieu Andrew
• Yamauchi Brian

Classifications

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B25J9/1674

  characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title