Programmable lawn mower

• US 7,103,457 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dean Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dean Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Dean, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/603,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/1, 701/36, 701/50, 701/200, 701/224, 701/25, 731/78.R, 700/245, 700/90, 700/113, 318/568.12, 318/58, 900/1, 56/101
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/07 Remote control implement

Abstract

A robotic apparatus for traversing a selected area autonomously that senses orientation relative to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field or other “environmental” signals. The robotic apparatus is provided in two models, a master that can record directive and compass or “environmental signal” readings to provide at least one command recorded on a machine-readable medium representing an instruction for traversing an area of interest, and a slave that lacks the recording capability. Both master and slave models can replay recorded commands, and compare the expected orientation from the command with an actual orientation sensed during autonomous operation. If an error exceeding a predetermined value is observed, a corrective action is taken. The robotic apparatus is able to utilize a tool to perform a task at one or more locations, such as cutting, shoveling and digging. In one embodiment, the robotic apparatus is a lawn mower.

Claims

1. A programmable robotic apparatus, comprising:

a drive system comprising a plurality of independently operable treads;

a control module in electrical communication with said drive system, said control module configured to command the operation of each tread;

a memory module in electrical communication with said control module, said memory module configured to store and retrieve information;

an electronic compass module that responds only to magnetic fields, said electronic compass module in electrical communication with said control module, wherein said electronic compass module is configured to discern an orientation relative to the magnetic field of the planet Earth based on an analysis of at least one directional component of said magnetic field; and

an environmental signal detection module in electrical communication with said control module, wherein said environmental signal detection module is configured to detect an environmental signal of terrestrial origin that is provided for purposes of communication and to discern at least one of a location and an orientation of said programmable robotic apparatus.

2. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is configured to operate autonomously based at least in part on information stored in said memory module.

3. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tool configured to perform a mechanical operation.

4. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 3, wherein said tool configured to perform a mechanical operation is selected from the group consisting of a cutting tool, a shoveling tool, and a vacuuming tool.

5. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 3, wherein said programmable robotic apparatus is a programmable lawn mower.

6. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory module is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, a hard disc, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW disc, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, and a flash memory.

7. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said environmental signal detection module is configured to discern at least one of a location and an orientation relative to at least one of a cellular telephone communication antenna, a radio broadcast antenna, and a television broadcast antenna.

8. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a command receiver module in electrical communication with said control module.

9. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 8, wherein said command receiver module is configured to receive signals from a portable transmitter.

10. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 8, wherein said command receiver module is configured to receive signals comprising directives.

11. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one command recorded on a machine-readable medium, said at least one command representing an instruction for traversing an area of interest, said programmable robotic apparatus being adapted to autonomously traverse an area of interest by the performance of the steps of:

operating said programmable robotic apparatus according to said at least one command recorded on said machine-readable medium;

discerning an orientation of said programmable robotic apparatus;

comparing said orientation of said programmable robotic apparatus to a direction recorded in said at least one command to determine an error signal; and

in the event that said error signal exceeds a predetermined value, commanding said programmable robotic apparatus to take a corrective action;

whereby said programmable robotic apparatus autonomously traverses said area of interest.

12. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 11, further adapted to performed iteratively during a period of operation of said programmable robotic apparatus the steps of discerning an orientation, comparing said orientation, and in the event that said error signal exceeds a predetermined value, commanding said programmable robotic apparatus to take a corrective action.

13. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 11, further adapted to perform an operation with a mechanical tool attached to said programmable robotic apparatus.

14. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 13, wherein said programmable robotic apparatus is configured to stand in one location during said operation with said mechanical tool.

15. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, configured to record at least one command on a machine-readable medium, the at least one command representing an instruction for traversing an area of interest, wherein the recording of said at least one command is accomplished by performing the steps of:

operating said programmable robotic apparatus under external control, the programmable robotic apparatus receiving directives from an external source and traversing an area of interest;

taking readings from a environmental signal detection module of said programmable robotic apparatus; and

recording said directives and readings on a machine-readable medium for later recovery.

16. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 15, wherein said directives are recorded in the format in which said directives are received.

17. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 15, wherein said directives are recorded in a different format from the format in which said directives are received.

18. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer program recorded on a machine-readable medium, said computer program comprising:

a supervisory module that controls the autonomous operation of the programmable robotic apparatus of claim 1 and that, as required, receives information recorded on a machine-readable medium;

an orientation receiver module that derives orientation information from a environmental signal detection module of said programmable robotic apparatus, and

a computation module that computes an error signal based at least in part on orientation information derived from said environmental signal detection module and information recorded on said machine-readable medium.

19. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

an instruction receiver module that receives directives from an external source regarding operation of said programmable robotic apparatus.

20. The programmable robotic apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

an error correction module that, in the event that said error signal exceeds a predetermined value, computes an error correction to be provided as a corrective action command to said programmable robotic apparatus.