Programmable lawn mower

• US 6,009,358 A
• Filed: 06/25/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas G. Xydis, Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Thomas G. Xydis
• Inventors: Angott, Paul G., Xydis, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US08/881,980
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/28, 180/168, 180/169, 180/6.5, 56/10.5, 56/13.3, 340/825.22, 340/936
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A programmable lawn mower assembly (10) including a carriage (12) supporting a mower central processing unit (CPU) (24) for controlling the drive motors (18) to control the direction of movement of the carriage (12). The assembly (10) includes first and second locating transmitters to be disposed on posts in spaced positions about the lawn with each locating transmitter simultaneously transmitting a radio frequency signal which travels at a first velocity and an audio signal which travels at a second velocity slower than said first velocity. A carriage receiver (50, 52) is disposed on the carriage (12) for receiving the radio and audio signals from the locating transmitters and for providing signals to the CPU (24) for determining the position of the carriage (12) relative to the locating transmitters by measuring the time between said radio and audio signals from each locating transmitter. The CPU (24) includes a sequence code circuit (57) for transmitting coded signals from the carriage transmitter (54) to the locating transmitters and each locating transmitter includes a code circuit (58) for receiving and identifying the its coded signal and for directing the locating transmitter to simultaneously send the first and second signals in response to the coded signal, each locating transmitter having its own coded signal. The system also includes wake-up circuits and acknowledgment circuits.

Claims

1. A programmable utility vehicle assembly 10 comprising;

a carriage 12 for moving over a plot,

a device 14 supported by said carriage 12 for performing a task over the plot,

a power unit 16 and 18 for driving said carriage 12 over the plot,

a vehicle central processing unit (CPU) 24 for controlling the power unit (16 and

     18) to control the direction of movement of the carriage 12,

said assembly 10 characterized by a locating transceiver to be disposed on the plot,

a carriage transceiver (50,

     52) on said carriage 12,

one of said locating transceiver and said a carriage transceiver (50,

     52) simultaneously transmitting a first signal which travels at a first velocity and a second signal which travels at a second velocity slower than said first velocity and the other of said locating transceiver and said a carriage transceiver (50,

     52) for determining the position of the carriage 12 relative to said locating transceiver by measuring the time between said first and second signals.

2. A method of programming a vehicle central processing unit (CPU) 24 on a utility vehicle having a power unit 16 and 18 for driving and directing the vehicle over a plot in response to instructions from the CPU 24, said method comprising the steps of;

placing a locating transceiver in the plot;

placing a carriage transceiver on the carriage 12;

said method characterized by simultaneously transmitting and receiving a first signal which travels at a first velocity and a second signal which travels at a second velocity slower than the first velocity between the transceivers,

and determining in the CPU 24 the position of the carriage 12 relative to the locating transceiver by measuring the time of arrival between the first and second signals from to establish the distance between the locating transceiver and the carriage transceiver.

3. A method of programming a vehicle central processing unit (CPU) 24 on a utility vehicle having a power unit 16 and 18 for driving and directing the vehicle over a plot in response to instructions from the CPU 24, said method comprising the steps of;

placing at least first and second locating transmitters in spaced positions about the plot;

placing a carriage receiver on the carriage 12;

said method characterized by simultaneously transmitting from each locating transmitter a first signal which travels at a first velocity and a second signal which travels at a second velocity slower than the first velocity,

receiving the first and second signals at the carriage receiver 50 and 52,

sending signals from the carriage receiver to the CPU 24 in response to receiving the first and second signals from each locating transmitter;

and determining in the CPU 24 the position of the carriage 12 relative to the locating transmitters by measuring the time between the first and second signals from each locating transmitter to establish the distance to each locating transmitter.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 including transmitting a wake-up code from the carriage transmitter 54 and supplying sufficient power to each locating transmitter for transmitting the signals in response to the wake-up code.

5. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the receiving of the first and second signals at the carriage receiver 50 and 52 is further defined as receiving the first and second signals at spaced positions on the carriage 12 and differentiating the time between the arrival of each signal at said spaced positions to angularly position the carriage 12 relative to each of the locating transmitters.

6. A method as set forth in claim 3 including sensing the presence of moisture and overriding the memorized route and directing the carriage 12 to follow an alternate route in response to a predetermined amount of moisture.

7. A method as set forth in claim 3 including programming the CPU 24 with an ancillary function to operate an accessory at a predetermined position in the memorized route.

8. A method as set forth in claim 3 further defined as transmitting the first signal as a radio frequency signal.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 further defined as transmitting the second signal as an audio signal.

10. A method as set forth in claim 3 further defined as transmitting first and second coded signals from the carriage transmitter 54 to the locating transmitters, receiving and identifying the first coded signal at the first locating transmitter and sending the first and second signals from the first locating transmitter in response to the first coded signal, and receiving and identifying the second coded signal at the second locating transmitter and sending the first and second signals from the second locating transmitter in response to the second coded signal.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 further defined as transmitting a first acknowledgment signal from the first locating transmitter in response to the first coded signal and receiving the first acknowledgment signal at the carriage receiver 50 and 52 to advise the carriage receiver 50 and 52 to expect the first and second signals from the first locating transmitter, transmitting a second acknowledgment signal from the second locating transmitter in response to the second coded signal and receiving the second acknowledgment signal at the carriage receiver 50 and 52 to advise the CPU 24 to expect the first and second signals from the second locating transmitter.

12. A method as set forth in claim 3 including steering the carriage 12 over the lawn, memorizing the route in the CPU 24 and repeatedly moving the carriage 12 over the lawn in response to the CPU 24 following the memorized route.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 including setting predetermined times in the CPU 24 for the carriage 12 to automatically follow the memorized route.

14. A method as set forth in claim 12 including continually comparing the actual position to the memorized position and continually correcting the direction of movement of the carriage 12 to follow the memorized route.

15. A programmable utility vehicle assembly 10 comprising;

a carriage 12 for moving over a plot,

a device 14 supported by said carriage 12 for performing a task over the plot,

a power unit 16 and 18 for driving said carriage 12 over the plot,

a vehicle central processing unit (CPU) 24 for controlling the power unit (16 and

     18) to control the direction of movement of the carriage 12,

said assembly 10 characterized by first and second locating transmitters to be disposed in spaced positions about the plot with each locating transmitter simultaneously transmitting a first signal which travels at a first velocity and a second signal which travels at a second velocity slower than said first velocity, and

a carriage receiver (50,

     52) on said carriage 12 for receiving said first and second signals from said locating transmitters and for providing signals to said CPU 24 for determining the position of the carriage 12 relative to said locating transmitters by measuring the time between said first and second signals from each locating transmitter.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said CPU 24 includes a tamper circuit 76 for detecting prohibited positions of said carriage 12 and for operating said carriage 12 in accordance with a predetermined program.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein each locating transmitter includes a wake-up circuit 44 for supplying sufficient power for transmitting said first and second signals, and said CPU 24 includes a wake-up code circuit 68 for transmitting a wake-up code to said wake-up circuit 44.

18. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said carriage receiver 50 and 52 includes two pick-ups 78 spaced from one another on said carriage 12 for receiving the second signal at spaced positions on the carriage 12 to allow said CPU 24 to differentiate the time between the arrival of the second signal at said spaced positions to angularly position the carriage 12 relative to each of the locating transmitters.

19. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 including a moisture sensor 72 for sensing the presence of a predetermined amount of moisture and directing the carriage 12 to follow an alternate route.

20. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said carriage 12 includes an accessory and said CPU 24 includes an ancillary circuit 86 to operate said accessory at a predetermined position.

21. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first signal is further defined as a radio frequency signal.

22. An assembly as set forth in claim 21 wherein said second signal is further defined as an audio signal.

23. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 including a carriage transmitter 54 on said carriage 13, said CPU 24 including a sequence code circuit 57 for transmitting first and second coded signals from said carriage transmitter 54 to the locating transmitters, a first code circuit 58 on said first locating transmitter for receiving and identifying the first coded signal at the first locating transmitter and for directing said first locating transmitter to simultaneously send the first and second signals from said first locating transmitter in response to the first coded signal, and a second code circuit on said second locating transmitter for receiving and identifying the second coded signal at the second locating transmitter and for directing said second locating transmitter to simultaneously send the first and second signals from said second locating transmitter in response to the second coded signal.

24. An assembly as set forth in claim 23 wherein said first locating transmitter includes a first acknowledgment circuit 59 for transmitting a first acknowledgment signal from said first locating transmitter in response to the first coded signal, said CPU 24 including a timing circuit 60 for receiving the first acknowledgment signal from the carriage receiver (50 and 52) to advise the CPU 24 to expect the first and second signals from the first locating transmitter within a predetermined time period, said second locating transmitter includes a second acknowledgment circuit for transmitting a second acknowledgment signal from said second locating transmitter in response to the second coded signal, and said timing circuit 60 receives the second acknowledgment signal from the carriage receiver (50 and 52) to advise the CPU 24 to expect the first and second signals from the second locating transmitter within a predetermined time period.

25. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 including a steering device 26 attached to said carriage 12, said steering device 26 including a serial number and connector 32 for sending the serial number to said CPU 24 to allow said CPU 24 to be programmed.

26. An assembly as set forth in claim 25 wherein said steering device 26 includes a programming pad 30 connected to said CPU 24 for programming said CPU 24.

27. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 including a steering device 26 attached to said carriage 12 for steering said carriage 12 over a route, said CPU 24 including a memory circuit 70 for memorizing the route in the CPU 24 and repeatedly moving the carriage 12 over the lawn in response to the CPU 24 following the memorized route.

28. An assembly as set forth in claim 27 wherein said CPU 24 includes a scheduling circuit 74 for storing predetermined times in the CPU 24 for the carriage 12 to automatically follow the memorized route.

29. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first signal is further defined as a radio frequency signal and said carriage receiver includes an antenna 48 for receiving said radio frequency signal.

30. An assembly as set forth in claim 29 wherein said second signal is further defined as an acoustical signal and said carriage receiver includes a microphone 78 for receiving said acoustical signal.

31. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein each locating transmitter includes a battery circuit 42 for supplying battery power, a wake-up circuit 44 for initiating the supply of power from said battery circuit 42 in response to a wake-up code to initiate the transmission of said first and second signals, and said CPU 24 including a wake-up code circuit 68 for transmitting said wake-up code to said wake-up circuit 44.

32. An assembly as set forth in claim 21 including a battery power supply (66) on said carriage 12 for supplying electrical power to said CPU 24.

33. An assembly as set forth in claim 32 including a storage dock 62 for said carriage 12 including a battery recharging circuit 64 for recharging said battery power supply 66 when said carriage 12 is in said storage dock 62.