US 11,934,196 B1
Visual identifiers for docking and zoning an autonomous mower
Damon J. Hoyda, McCordsville, IN (US); Eric S. Phanco, Plainfield, IN (US); John Tyler Hibbard, Indianapolis, IN (US); and David H. Dunten, Whitestown, IN (US)
Assigned to Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership, Sullivan, IL (US)
Filed by Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership, Sullivan, IL (US)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/713,971.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/779,345, filed on Dec. 13, 2018.
Int. Cl. G05D 1/02 (2020.01); A01D 34/00 (2006.01); A01D 101/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0234 (2013.01) [A01D 34/008 (2013.01); G05D 1/0217 (2013.01); G05D 1/0225 (2013.01); G05D 1/0246 (2013.01); A01D 2101/00 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0208 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lawn mower system comprising:
a charging station comprising a visual identifier and a beacon emitter configured to emit a beacon; and
a lawn mower comprising:
a battery having a voltage level;
a blade system to rotate at least one blade;
a drive system having an output to effect movement of the lawn mower;
a beacon sensor configured to sense the beacon;
a vision assembly configured to intake images adjacent the lawn mower, extract image data from the images, process the image data, and communicate an image determination; and
a processor board connected to the blade system, the drive system, and the vision assembly, wherein the processor board is configured to:
receive the image determination from the vision assembly,
maintain the output of the drive system in response to the vision assembly determining that the image data represent a lawn;
change the output of the drive system to an obstacle-avoidance response in response to the vision assembly determining that the image data represent an obstacle;
enter a searching mode in response to sensing that the voltage level of the battery has reached a voltage threshold and in response to entering the searching mode:
initiate the beacon sensor to begin seeking the beacon emitted by the charging station to locate the charging station;
send a stoppage command to the blade system to stop rotation of the at least one blade while the charging station is being located;
send a slowdown command to the drive system to slow the output of the drive system to a reduced travel speed while the charging station is being located; and
in response to locating the charging station based on receipt of the beacon, turn toward the charging station and continue to travel at the reduced travel speed until the vision assembly determines that the image data represents the visual identifier of the charging station; and
subsequently execute a docking maneuver by overriding the obstacle-avoidance response of the drive system or shutting down the vision assembly upon the vision assembly determining that the image data represent the visual identifier.