Autonomous working system, an autonomous vehicle and a turning method thereof

• US 9,983,586 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Positec Power Tools Company Limited (Positec Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Positec Power Tools Company Limited (Positec Group Limited)
• Inventors: Borinato, Gianni
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, DAVID P
• Application Number:
  US14/114,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20140058611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is an autonomous vehicle (1), which comprises an housing (21), an driving module mounted on the housing (21), an borderline detecting module mounted on the housing for detecting the distance between the autonomous vehicle (1) and the borderline (3), an energy module mounted on the housing for providing energy for the autonomous vehicle, and an control module electrically connected with the driving module and the borderline detecting module. The control module controls the driving module to perform steering based on the signal representing the angle relationship between the autonomous vehicle (1) and the borderline (3) transmitted from the borderline detecting module, so that the axis (33) of the autonomous vehicle (1) always forms an acute angle or an right angle with one side of the borderline (3) while steering is completed, but another side of the borderline (3) forms an acute angle or an right angle with the core axis (33) of the autonomous vehicle (1) when the turning begins. The turning has directivity, so that the autonomous vehicle more easily goes out from the narrow area and the efficiency of area covering is higher; moving is kept during the turning, so that the energy is saved, and the working efficiency is improved.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle, for moving and working in a working scope determined by a limit, comprising:

a housing having a longitudinal central axis;

a driving module mounted in said housing for driving and turning said autonomous vehicle, wherein said driving module comprises two driving wheels and two driving motors for driving the two driving wheels to move;

at least two border sensors for detecting a location relationship between said autonomous vehicle and said limit, wherein said at least two border sensors are respectively located on a left side and a right side of said central axis;

a battery for providing energy for said autonomous vehicle; and

a controller electrically connected with said driving module and said at least two border sensors, wherein said controller receives a signal from at least one of said at least two border sensors when one of said border sensors is outside of said limit;

wherein said autonomous vehicle makes a turn away from the limit after the controller receives the signal, wherein during the turn the two driving motors rotate the driving wheels at different speeds or in different directions; and

wherein said controller determines an angle of the turn based on which border sensor the controller receives said signal from, the angle is determined so that if said central axis of said autonomous vehicle forms an obtuse angle with said limit when at the location relationship, then the autonomous vehicle turns towards the obtuse angle.

2. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the turn is less than 180 degrees, and greater than or equal to 90 degrees.

3. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said border sensors are arranged symmetrically with respect to said central axis and located on a front portion of said housing.

4. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said location relationship is the angle between said central axis and any side of said limit.

5. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 4, wherein when one of said border sensors at one side sends a signal to said controller representing that it is out of the limit firstly, the controller determines that said limit located at said one side of said central axis forms an acute angle with said central axis.

6. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said autonomous vehicle is a robot mower and further comprises a cutting assembly below said housing and a cutting motor for driving the cutting assembly.

7. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said autonomous vehicle keeps moving towards the limit and reaching a predetermined location relationship prior to said turn being completed.

8. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said autonomous vehicle moves for a distance along said limit after said turn begins and before said turn is completed.

9. An autonomous working system, comprising:

a limit for determining a working scope of said autonomous working system, wherein said autonomous working system further comprises an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1.

10. An autonomous working system according to claim 9, wherein said limit comprises a border line signal generator and a border line in connection with the border line signal generator, said border line signal generator sends periodical current signals to said border line.