US 12,443,180 B2
Robotic lawn mowers
Man Ho Choi, Kwai Chung (CN); Hei Man Lee, Kwai Chung (CN); and Shing Hin Li, Kwai Chung (CN)
Assigned to TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GP, Anderson, SC (US)
Filed by TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GP, Anderson, SC (US)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/984,048.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/278,079, filed on Nov. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0142590 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); A01D 34/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0027 (2013.01) [A01D 34/008 (2013.01); G05D 1/0022 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a mowing system, the method comprising:
mowing within a work area by a robotic lawn mower traveling along a work path, wherein the work area comprises a plurality of base stations each configured to charge the robotic lawn mower, wherein at least one of the base stations defines an area within a prescribed distance of the respective base station, and wherein the work path enters the area a plurality of discrete times during a single mowing operation;
determining an energy consumption of the robotic lawn mower associated with one or more previous or current mowing operations; and
determining when to initiate charging of the robotic lawn mower based on a current charge level, the determined energy consumption, a remaining un-mowed portion of the work path, and a current location of the robotic lawn mower at the area.