AUTONOMOUS WORKING SYSTEM, AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND A TURNING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140058611A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Positec Power Tools Company Limited (Positec Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Positec Power Tools Company Limited (Positec Group Limited)
• Inventors: Borinato, Gianni
• Granted Patent: US 9,983,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is an autonomous vehicle (1), which comprises an housing (21), an driving module mounted on the housing (21), an borderline detecting module mounted on the housing for detecting the distance between the autonomous vehicle (1) and the borderline (3), an energy module mounted on the housing for providing energy for the autonomous vehicle, and an control module electrically connected with the driving module and the borderline detecting module. The control module controls the driving module to perform steering based on the signal representing the angle relationship between the autonomous vehicle (1) and the borderline (3) transmitted from the borderline detecting module, so that the axis (33) of the autonomous vehicle (1) always forms an acute angle or an right angle with one side of the borderline (3) while steering is completed, but another side of the borderline (3) forms an acute angle or an right angle with the core axis (33) of the autonomous vehicle (1) when the turning begins. The turning has directivity, so that the autonomous vehicle more easily goes out from the narrow area and the efficiency of area covering is higher; moving is kept during the turning, so that the energy is saved, and the working efficiency is improved.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle, for moving and working in a working scope determined by a limit, comprising

a housing having a longitudinal central axis;

a driving module for driving said autonomous vehicle to move and to make a turn being mounted in said housing, said driving module comprises a wheel set and a driving motor for driving the wheel set to move;

a limit detecting module for detecting a location relationship between said autonomous vehicle and said limit being mounted in said housing;

an energy module for providing energy for said autonomous vehicle being mounted in the housing; and

a control module electrically connected with said driving module and said limit detecting module;

said autonomous vehicle makes a turn to leave away the limit after driving to the limit and reaching a predetermined location relationship, where the limit is divided into one side and another side by the central axis, wherein

said control module controls said driving module to perform a turning operation according to a signal representing said angle relationship between said autonomous vehicle and said limit, said signal being transmitted from said limit detecting module, so that said central axis of said autonomous vehicle always forms an acute angle or a right angle with said one side of said limit when said turning operation is completed, said another side of said limit forms an acute angle or a right angle with said central axis of said autonomous vehicle when said turning operation starts.

2. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said driving module drives said autonomous vehicle to make a turn towards a direction where the acute angle or a right angle between said central axis and said limit is reduced.

3. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the turning angle is less than 180 degrees, and greater than or equal to 90 degrees.

4. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said limit detecting module comprises border sensing elements respectively located on two sides of said central axis.

5. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said border sensing elements are arranged symmetrically with respect to said central axis, and located on the front portion of said housing.

6. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined location relationship is that one of said border sensing elements reaches a predetermined distance from the limit, or that one of said border sensing elements is outside of said limit, or that one of said border sensing elements is outside of said limit.

8. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said angle relationship is that the angle between said central axis and any side of said limit starting from the intersection point of said central axis and said limit is a right angle or an acute angle or an obtuse angle.

9. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said limit detecting module comprises border sensing elements respectively located on the two sides of said central axis of said housing, when one of said border sensing elements at one side sends a signal to said control module represent that it reaches a predetermined distance from said limit firstly, said control module determines that said limit located at said one side of said central axis forms an acute angle with said central axis.

10. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said limit detecting module comprises border sensing elements respectively located on two sides of said central axis of said housing, when one of said border sensing elements at one side sends a signal to said control module represent that it is out of the limit firstly, the control module determines that said limit located at said one side of said central axis forms an acute angle with said central axis.

14. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said autonomous vehicle is a robot mower and it further comprises a cutting assembly below said housing and a cutting motor for driving the cutting assembly.

15. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said autonomous vehicle keeps moving from its moving towards the limit and reaching the predetermined location relationship to said turn being completed.

16. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said autonomous vehicle moves for a distance along said limit after said turn begins and before said turn is completed.

17. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a limit for determining a working scope of said autonomous working system, wherein said autonomous working system further comprises an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1.

18. An automatic working system according to claim 17, wherein said limit comprises a border line signal generating element and a border line in connection with the border line signal generating element, said border line signal generating element sends periodical current signals to said border line.

23. A turning method of an autonomous vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said predetermined distance is between 20 cm and 100 cm.

7. (canceled)

11-13. -13. (canceled)

19. A turning method of an autonomous vehicle, said autonomous vehicle is used for moving and working in a working scope determined by a limit, wherein said turning method comprises the following steps:

said autonomous vehicle moving towards said limit;

said autonomous vehicle detecting a location relationship with said limit;

when reaching a predetermined location relationship with said limit, said autonomous vehicle detects an angle relationship with said limit, wherein

said limit is divided into two sides by an intersection point of a central axis of said autonomous vehicle and said limit;

said autonomous vehicle makes a turn to move away from said limit so that said central axis of the autonomous vehicle forms an acute angle or a right angle with one side of the border line while said turn is completed, but the other side of said limit forms an acute angle or a right angle with said axis of the autonomous vehicle when said turn begins.

20. A turning method of an autonomous vehicle according to claim 19, wherein said autonomous vehicle makes a turn towards a direction which an acute angle or right angle between said central axis and said limit is reduced.

22. A turning method of an autonomous vehicle according to claim 19, wherein said autonomous vehicle moves by a predetermined time or a predetermined distance along said limit after said turn begins and before said turn is completed.

24. A turning method of an autonomous vehicle according to claim 19,

wherein said autonomous vehicle has border sensing elements respectively on the two sides of said central axis, said predetermined location relationship is that one of said border sensing elements reaches a predetermined distance from said limit, said step sensing the angle relationship between said autonomous vehicle and said limit further comprises following steps:

said border sensing element on one side of said autonomous vehicle sends a collision signal to a control module of said autonomous vehicle after sensing that it reaches said predetermined distance;

said border sensing element on the other side of said autonomous vehicle sends a collision signal to said control module of said autonomous vehicle after sensing that it reaches said predetermined distance;

said control module judges that the side on which said border sensing element senses that it reaches said predetermined distance first forms an acute angle with said limit.

25. A turning method of an autonomous vehicle according to claim 19,

wherein said autonomous vehicle has border sensing elements respectively on the two sides of said central axis, said predetermined location relationship is that one of said border sensing elements is outside of said limit, said step sensing the angle relationship between said autonomous vehicle and said limit further comprises following steps:

said border sensing element on one side of said autonomous vehicle sends a collision signal to a control module of said autonomous vehicle when sensing that it is outside of said limit;

said border sensing element on the other side of the autonomous vehicle sends a collision signal to said control module of said autonomous vehicle when sensing that it is outside of said limit;

said control module judges that the side on which said border sensing element senses that it is outside of said limit first forms an acute angle with said limit.

21. (canceled)

26-32. -32. (canceled)