Robotic mower boundary coverage system

• US 8,352,113 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Johnson, David A., Dickson, Monte A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US12/845,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 701/26, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/50, 700/245, 700/253, 700/258, 318/568.12, 318/568.13, 318/568.16, 318/568.23, 901/1
• US Class Current: 701/26
• 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 1/0265 using buried wires

Abstract

A robotic mower boundary coverage system includes a vehicle control unit on the robotic mower commanding a traction drive system to drive the robotic mower at a specified yaw angle with respect to a boundary wire, and a boundary sensor on the robotic mower signaling the distance between the boundary wire and the vehicle control unit. The vehicle control unit alternates commands to direct the traction drive system toward and away from the boundary wire based on the distance of the robotic mower to the boundary wire.

Claims

1. A robotic mower boundary coverage system, comprising:

a vehicle control unit on the robotic mower commanding a traction drive system to drive the robotic mower at a specified yaw angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees or greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees adjacent a boundary wire; and

a plurality of boundary wire sensors on the robotic mower each detecting a waveform from the boundary wire and providing a signal to the vehicle control unit to indicate distances between the boundary wire and the plurality of boundary wire sensors;

the vehicle control unit determining a heading and an orientation angle of the robotic mower with respect to the boundary wire using trigonometric relationships of a difference of the indicated distances from the plurality of boundary wire sensors and a known distance between the plurality of boundary wire sensors, and providing commands to direct the traction drive system to drive the robotic mower toward the boundary wire if the difference of the indicated distances is greater than a threshold difference in relation to the boundary wire at the specified yaw angle and away from the boundary wire if the difference of the indicated distances is less than the threshold difference in relation to the boundary wire at the specified yaw angle.

2. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 1 wherein the specified yaw angle is 45 degrees.

3. A robotic mower boundary coverage system, comprising:

a vehicle control unit on the robotic mower commanding a traction drive system to drive the robotic mower at a specified difference in distances with respect to a boundary wire;

a first boundary wire sensor and a second boundary wire sensor on the robotic mower each detecting a waveform from a boundary wire and providing a signal to a vehicle control unit to indicate distances between the boundary wire sensors and the boundary wire, wherein an actual difference in distances is calculated after comparing the indicated distances between the boundary wire sensors and the boundary wire;

the vehicle control unit determining a heading and an orientation angle of the robotic mower with respect to the boundary wire using trigonometric relationships of the actual difference in distances and a known distance between the first and second boundary wire sensors, and commanding the traction drive system to turn the robotic mower at a specified angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees or greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees adjacent the boundary wire based on the difference between the specified difference in distances and the actual difference in distances; and

based on the difference between the specified difference in distances and the actual difference in distances from at least one previous boundary wire sensor signal.

4. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle control unit commands the traction drive system to turn the robotic mower at a reduced angle from the specified angle if the difference between the specified difference in distances and the actual difference in distances is reduced.

5. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 3 wherein the vehicle control unit commands the traction drive system to drive the robotic mower straight ahead if the difference between the specified difference in distances and the actual difference in distances is under a threshold difference.

6. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 3 wherein the traction drive system includes a left wheel motor and right wheel motor.

7. A robotic mower boundary coverage system, comprising:

a pair of boundary wire sensors on a robotic mower each detecting a waveform from a boundary wire and providing a signal to a vehicle control unit to indicate distances between the pair of boundary wire sensors and the boundary wire, wherein a difference in distances is calculated after comparing the indicated distances between the pair of boundary wire sensors;

the vehicle control unit determining a heading and an orientation angle of the robotic mower with respect to the boundary wire using trigonometric relationships of the difference in distances between the pair of boundary wire sensors and a known distance between the pair of boundary wire sensors, and commanding a traction drive system to orient and drive the robotic mower to mow in a pattern within a specified orientation angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees or greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees adjacent the boundary wire, including alternating travel of the robotic mower toward the boundary wire and away from the boundary wire.

8. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 7 wherein the vehicle control unit commands the robotic mower to travel away from the boundary wire when the difference in distances between the pair of boundary wire sensors is within a minimum threshold difference.

9. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 7 wherein the vehicle control unit commands the robotic mower to travel toward the boundary wire when the difference in distances between the pair of boundary wire sensors is within a maximum threshold difference.

10. The robotic mower boundary coverage system of claim 7 wherein the vehicle control unit selects boundary coverage if boundary coverage was not executed in a specified preceding time period.