Robot Confinement
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous coverage robot system includes an active boundary responder comprising a wire powered with a modulated current placed along a perimeter of a property, at least one passive boundary responder placed on a property interior circumscribed by the active boundary responder, and an autonomous coverage robot. The robot includes a drive system carried by a body and configured to maneuver the robot across the property interior. The robot includes a signal emitter emitting a signal, where the passive boundary responder is responsive to the signal and a boundary responder detection system carried by the body. The boundary responder detector is configured to redirect the robot both in response to the responder detection system detecting an active boundary responder and in response to detecting a passive boundary responder.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. A method of cutting grass with an autonomous robot lawnmower, the method comprising:
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placing a series of responders defining a path between two zones to be cut; placing one or more markers defining at least a portion of a perimeter of a first of the two zones; and activating an autonomous robot lawnmower to cut grass of a second of the two zones; wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to; follow the path defined by the responders to cross an area separating the two zones and corresponding to a region to not be cut, thereby moving autonomously from the second zone to the first zone; once in the first zone, confirm that the robot lawnmower is positioned within the perimeter by sensing one or more of the markers; and
thenupon confirming that the robot lawnmower is positioned within the perimeter, cut grass within the first zone. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A robot lawnmower comprising
a body; -
a drive system carried by the body and configured to propel the robot lawnmower across grass; a grass cutter carried by the body and positioned to engage grass across which the robot lawnmower is propelled; and a controller carried by the body and configured to control the drive system to maneuver the robot lawnmower according to a sequence of behaviors while the robot lawnmower cuts grass, including following a perimeter of an area to be mowed; and sequentially following parallel, adjacent paths across the area to be mowed; wherein the robot lawnmower also comprises a sensor responsive to deviation from an intended path, the controller configured to maneuver the robot lawnmower to sequentially follow the parallel, adjacent paths in response to input from the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification