Robotic mowing of separated lawn areas

• US 9,826,678 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Balutis, Paul C., Beaulieu, Andrew, Yamauchi, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/367,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0081 with master teach-in means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A method of mowing multiple areas includes training a robotic mower to mow at least two areas separated by a space, including moving the robotic mower about the areas while storing data indicative of location of boundaries of each area relative to boundary markers, training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas, and initiating a mowing operation. Training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas includes moving the robotic mower to a traversal launch point of a first of the areas and moving the robotic mower to a traversal landing point of a second of the areas. The mowing operation causes the robotic mower to move to the traversal launch point, move from the traversal launch point across the space to the traversal landing point, and then mow the second of the areas.

Claims

1. A method of mowing multiple areas, the method comprising:

training an autonomous lawnmowing robot to mow the multiple areas by generating data indicative of a first boundary of a first of the multiple areas and a second boundary of a second of the multiple areas;

training the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas by generating data indicative of a user-selected route through the first of the multiple areas;

transmitting the data indicative of the route and the data indicative of the first boundary and the second boundary to a mobile computing device to present a representation of the first boundary, the second boundary, and the route on a display of the mobile computing device; and

initiating a mowing operation in which the robot autonomously

disables a mowing function,

subsequent to disabling the mowing function, travels to the second of the multiple areas by following the route without mowing the first of the multiple areas, and

subsequent to traveling to the second of the multiple areas, activates the mowing function to mow the second of the multiple areas.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising training the robot to traverse a space by generating data indicative of a user-selected traversal route through the space, the space separating the first of the multiple areas and the second of the multiple areas,

wherein, during the mowing operation, the robot travels to the second of the multiple areas by following the traversal route through the space without mowing the space.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising training the robot to traverse the space by generating data indicative of one or more user-selected points of the traversal route through the space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the data indicative of the first boundary and the second boundary comprises

generating data indicative of the first boundary while the robot is manually navigated along the first boundary, and

generating data indicative of the second boundary while the robot is manually navigated along the second boundary; and

training the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas comprises

generating the data indicative of the route while the robot is manually navigated along the route.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the data indicative of the first boundary and the second boundary comprises

generating data indicative of the first boundary based on a user selection of the first boundary, and

generating data indicative of the second boundary based on a user selection of the second boundary.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising wirelessly receiving, from the mobile computing device, the user selection of the first boundary and the user selection of the second boundary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein training the robot to mow the multiple areas comprises receiving a user selection of a movement pattern to cover the first of the multiple areas and a user selection of a movement pattern to cover the second of the multiple areas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein training the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas comprises receiving data representing an automatically selected route through the first of the multiple areas before generating the data indicative of the route.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly receiving, from the mobile computing device, the user selection of the route, wherein the user selection of the route overrides an automatically selected route through the first of the multiple areas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

wirelessly receiving the user selection of the route comprises wirelessly receiving a plurality of user-selected points defining the route, the user-selected points including a launch point defining a start of the route and a landing point defining an end of the route, and

the data indicative of the route is generated based on the received user-selected points.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the launch point corresponds to a location of a charging dock operable to charge a power source of the robot.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein wirelessly receiving the user selection of the route comprises receiving a user instruction to store a current position of the robot.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein training the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas comprises generating the data indicative of the route through the first of the multiple areas while the robot is manually navigated along the route.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after transmitting the data indicative of the route and the data indicative of the first boundary and the second boundary to the mobile computing device:

receiving a user selection indicative of a modification to the route, and

modifying the data indicative of the route in response to receiving the user selection indicative of the modification.

14. A method of controlling an autonomous lawnmowing robot to mow multiple areas, the method comprising:

initiating a training mode in which a user navigates the robot along a first boundary of a first of the multiple areas and along a second boundary of a second of the multiple areas;

transmitting, to the robot, data indicative of a user-selected route through the first of the multiple areas to train the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas such that, during a mowing operation, the robot autonomously

disables a mowing function,

subsequent to disabling the mowing function, travels to the second of the multiple areas by following the route without mowing the first of the multiple areas, and

subsequent to traveling to the second of the multiple areas, activates the mowing function to mow the second of the multiple areas; and

presenting, on a display of a mobile computing device, a representation of the first boundary, the second boundary, and the route.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising wirelessly transmitting, to the robot, an instruction to initiate the mowing operation.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting, to the robot, data indicative of a user-selected traversal route through a space separating the first of the multiple areas and the second of the multiple areas,

wherein, during the mowing operation, the robot travels to the second of the multiple areas by following the traversal route through the space without mowing the space.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the data indicative of the route comprises transmitting a plurality of user-selected points defining the route, wherein the user-selected points include a launch point defining a start of the route and a landing point defining an end of the route.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising, after presenting the representation of the first boundary, the second boundary, and the route:

transmitting, to the robot, a user selection indicative of a modification to the route to modify the route through the first of the multiple areas.

18. A method of controlling an autonomous lawnmowing robot to mow multiple areas, the method comprising:

navigating the robot along a first boundary of a first of the multiple areas;

navigating the robot along a second boundary of a second of the multiple areas to train the robot to mow the multiple areas;

selecting a route through the first of the multiple areas to train the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas;

initiating presentation of a representation of the first boundary, the second boundary, and the route on a display of a mobile computing device; and

initiating a mowing operation in which the robot autonomously

disables a mowing function,

subsequent to disabling the mowing function, travels to the second of the multiple areas by following the route without mowing the first of the multiple areas, and

subsequent to traveling to the second of the multiple areas, activates the mowing function to mow the second of the multiple areas.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting a traversal route through a space separating the first of the multiple areas and the second of the multiple areas,

wherein, during the mowing operation, the robot travels to the second of the multiple areas by following the traversal route through the space without mowing the space.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the route comprises:

operating the mobile computing device to select a plurality of user-selected points defining the route, wherein the user-selected points include a launch point defining a start of the route and a landing point defining an end of the route, and

initiating transmission of the user-selected points to the robot to train the robot to traverse the first of the multiple areas.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after initiating presentation of the representation of the first boundary, the second boundary, and the route, initiating transmission of a user selection indicative of a modification to the route to modify the route through the first of the multiple areas.