Robotic mower launch point system

• US 8,549,826 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Kraft, Justin A., Kane, Roger, Thompson, Jeffrey S., da Rocha, Francisco O., Waldvogel, Mark W., Dickson, Monte A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US13/189,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20130025248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 56/102.R, 56/102.A, 701 23- 28, 180/168, 318/568.12, 318/587, 153/19, 700/245
• US Class Current: 56/10.2A
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires

Abstract

A robotic mower launch point system includes a user interface for an operator to enter a plurality of launch point locations, durations and frequencies, and a vehicle control unit that stores the locations, durations and frequencies, determines a sequence of launches based on the launch point frequencies, and commands the robotic mower to exit a charging station and follow a boundary wire to each launch point in the sequence where the robotic mower mows for that launch point'"'"'s duration before returning to the charging station. The vehicle control determines the sequence based on the frequency of each launch point relative to a total of the launch point frequencies.

Claims

1. A robotic mower launch point system, comprising:

a user interface for an operator to enter a plurality of launch point locations, durations and frequencies where a robotic mower will start mowing a specified area; and

a vehicle control unit on the robotic mower storing the plurality of launch point locations, durations and frequencies, determining a sequence of launches based on the launch point frequencies, and commanding the robotic mower to exit a charging station and follow a boundary wire to each launch point location in the sequence where the robotic mower mows for that launch point'"'"'s duration before returning to the charging station.

2. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle control unit determines the sequence of launches based on the frequency of each launch point relative to a total of the launch point frequencies.

3. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 1 wherein the user interface displays a graphic representation of the frequency for each launch point.

4. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 1 wherein the sequence of launches includes a total number of launches exceeding the total number of different launch points with at least one of the launch points scheduled more than once in the sequence.

5. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle control unit commands the robotic mower to execute a clean-up pass along the boundary wire before at least one of the launches.

6. A robotic mower launch point system, comprising:

a robotic mower having a user interface for entering a location, frequency and duration for each of a plurality of launch points where the robotic mower will start mowing in a specified area;

an electronic vehicle control unit communicating with the user interface and sequencing the launch points based on the frequency for each of the launch points;

the electronic vehicle control unit directing the robotic mower to exit a charging station, follow a boundary wire to each launch point in the sequence, and mow for the duration of the launch point location; and

the electronic vehicle control unit directing the robotic mower to return to the charging station after mowing for the duration of each launch point in the sequence until the end of the sequence.

7. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 6 wherein the robotic mower user interface is for selecting a frequency of clean-up passes, including the clean-up passes in the sequence based on the clean-up pass frequency, and the electronic vehicle control unit directs the robotic mower to exit the charging station and mow along the boundary wire time the in the sequence based on the clean-up pass frequency, and exiting the charging clean-up pass is in the sequence.

8. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 6 wherein the electronic vehicle control unit divides the total number of launch points into subgroups, and defines the sequence of launch points by allocating each launch point into subgroups frequency.

9. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 6 wherein the user interface displays sequence of launches.

10. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 6 wherein the user interface displays frequency of each launch point, the total of the frequencies being 100%.

11. A robotic mower launch point system, comprising:

a vehicle control unit commanding a robotic mower traction drive system to travel along an outer boundary wire to a plurality of different launch points where the robotic mower will start mowing in a specified area in a sequence dependent on an operator-specified frequency for each launch point and includes at least one launch point for a plurality of non-consecutive launches during the sequence;

a user interface on which the operator enters a location and a frequency for each launch point, and the user interface displays the location and frequency of each launch point.

12. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 11 wherein the vehicle control unit commands the robotic mower traction drive system to travel and mow along the outer boundary wire for a clean-up pass before at least one of the launches in the sequence.

13. The robotic mower launch point system of claim 12 wherein the user interface allows the operator to enter a frequency of clean-up passes.