Controlling robotic lawnmowers

• US 10,034,421 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Doughty, Brian, Beaulieu, Andrew, Yamauchi, Brian, Likhite, Alec, Steltz, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US14/808,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20170020064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/09 Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 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 Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

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.

Claims

1. A method of mowing with an autonomous robot lawnmower, the method comprising:

traversing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, a mowable area such that a vegetation characteristic sensor carried by the autonomous robot lawnmower generates sensor data indicative of a grass height of vegetation of the mowable area;

storing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower in electronic memory of the autonomous robot lawnmower, position-referenced data representing the grass height detected across the mowable area, the position-referenced data being based at least in part on the sensor data and position data indicative of positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower; and

transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to a remote device to cause the remote device to display

a map comprising a representation of the mowable area color-coded based on the position-referenced data, and

a recommendation based on the position-referenced data and selected from the group consisting of a recommendation to water one or more portions of the mowable area and a recommendation to modify a mowing frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display an adjusted mowing schedule generated based on the position-referenced data and based on a current mowing schedule; and

receiving, by the autonomous robot lawnmower from the remote device, a confirmation of the adjusted mowing schedule.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while traversing the mowable area, sensing, by an obstacle detection sensor of the autonomous robot lawnmower, an obstacle encountered by the autonomous robot lawnmower; and

transmitting data to cause the remote device to provide a user an alert in response to a difference between the stored position-referenced data and previously stored position-referenced data, the difference being indicative of a presence of the obstacle on the mowable area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the alert communicates a recommendation to move the sensed obstacle away from the mowable area.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

mowing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, the mowable area in a first mowing operation in which the obstacle is sensed, and

mowing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, the mowable area in a second mowing operation after the first mowing operation and absent communication of an alert to the user indicative of a presence of the sensed obstacle, wherein the obstacle is sensed during the second mowing operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein traversing the mowable area is performed on one date, and the method further comprises mowing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, the mowable area based on the position-referenced data on another date.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display a grass health score of the mowable area, the grass health score being calculated based on the position-referenced data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the data to cause the remote device to display the grass health score comprises transmitting the data to cause the remote device to display a comparison between the grass health score for the mowable area and other grass health scores for other mowable areas.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the grass health score is calculated based on comparing the position-referenced data to baseline data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein traversing the mowable area comprises traversing the mowable area while collecting the position data based on signals emitted by beacons located proximate the mowable area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the mowable area is indicative of variation in the grass height detected at different locations across the mowable area.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the autonomous robot lawnmower to an automated irrigation system, one or more instructions to adjust, based on the sensor data, a frequency of watering the mowable area by the automated irrigation system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the vegetation characteristic sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

14. A method of mowing with an autonomous robot lawnmower, the method comprising:

traversing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, a mowable area such that a vegetation characteristic sensor carried by the autonomous robot lawnmower generates sensor data indicative of a vegetation characteristic of the mowable area, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower encounters an obstacle during the traversing;

storing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower in electronic memory of the autonomous robot lawnmower, position-referenced data representing the vegetation characteristic detected across the mowable area, the position-referenced data being based at least in part on the sensor data and position data indicative of positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower; and

transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to a remote device to cause the remote device to provide a user alert in response to a difference between the stored position-referenced data and previously stored position-referenced data, the difference being indicative of a presence of the obstacle in the mowable area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitted data cause the remote device to display the user alert and a recommendation to examine a portion of the mowable area for obstacles.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the difference is indicative of an absence of the position-referenced data for a portion of the mowable area at which the obstacle is located.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user alert communicates a recommendation to move the obstacle away from the mowable area.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

mowing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, the mowable area in a first mowing operation in which the obstacle is encountered, and

mowing, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, the mowable area in a second mowing operation after the first mowing operation and absent communication of an alert indicative of the presence of the obstacle, wherein the obstacle is encountered during the second mowing operation.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display

a map of the mowable area comprising information indicative of the position-referenced data, and

an indication on the map representing a location of the obstacle in the mowable area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the vegetation characteristic comprises a color of vegetation of the mowable area,

the map comprises a representation of the mowable area color-coded based on the color of the vegetation, and

the method further comprises transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display a recommendation based on the color of the vegetation, the recommendation selected from the group consisting of a recommendation to water one or more portions of the mowable area and a recommendation to modify a mowing frequency.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the vegetation characteristic comprises a grass height of vegetation of the mowable area,

the map comprises a representation of the mowable area color-coded based on the grass height of the vegetation, and

the method further comprises transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display a recommendation based on the grass height of the vegetation, the recommendation selected from the group consisting of a recommendation to water one or more portions of the mowable area and a recommendation to modify a mowing frequency.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the vegetation characteristic comprises a moisture content,

the map comprises a representation of the mowable area color-coded based on the moisture content, and

the method further comprises transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display a recommendation based on the moisture content, the recommendation selected from the group consisting of a recommendation to water one or more portions of the mowable area and a recommendation to modify a mowing frequency.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the vegetation characteristic sensor comprises a sensor to monitor power expended to drive a cutter of the autonomous robot lawnmower.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting, by the autonomous robot lawnmower, data to cause the remote device to display a recommendation based on the monitored power, the recommendation selected from the group consisting of a recommendation to replace blades of the cutter and a recommendation to modify a mowing frequency.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the vegetation characteristic sensor includes an optical sensor.

26. A method comprising:

receiving, by a remote server, position-referenced data representing a vegetation characteristic detected across a mowable area, the position-referenced data being based at least in part on sensor data indicative of the vegetation characteristic and position data indicative of positions of an autonomous robot lawnmower that traverses the mowable area such that a vegetation characteristic sensor carried by the autonomous robot lawnmower generates the sensor data indicative of the vegetation characteristic of the mowable area;

calculating, by the remote server, a grass health score for the mowable area based on the position-referenced data;

calculating, by the remote server, other grass health scores for other mowable areas; and

transmitting, by the remote server, data to cause a remote device to provide an indication to a user of the grass health score and a comparison between the calculated grass health score for the mowable area and the other grass health scores for other mowable areas.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein calculating the grass health score further comprises calculating the grass health score based on a grass height of vegetation of the mowable area.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein calculating the grass health score further comprises calculating the grass health score based on a color of vegetation of the mowable area.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein calculating the grass health score further comprises calculating the grass health score based on a moisture content of vegetation of the mowable area.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting data to cause the remote device to display a visual representation of the grass health score and the comparison.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the visual representation comprises a graph indicative of the grass health score and the other grass health scores.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein calculating the grass health score comprises calculating the grass health score based on a geographic location of the mowable area and geographic locations of the other mowable areas.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein calculating the grass health score comprises calculating the grass health score based on comparing the position-referenced data representing the vegetation characteristic to baseline data.