US 12,487,601 B2
Robotic work tool system, and method for defining a working area perimeter
Daniel Wikestad, Hestra (SE); Ulf Ärlig, Bankeryd (SE); and Anton Mårtensson, Jönköping (SE)
Assigned to HUSQVARNA AB, Huskvarna (SE)
Appl. No. 17/782,798
Filed by HUSQVARNA AB, Huskvarna (SE)
PCT Filed Nov. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/082553
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/110415, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1951414-0 (SE), filed on Dec. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0015812 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/0221 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0219 (2013.01); G05D 1/0274 (2013.01); G05D 1/0278 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic lawnmower system for defining a working area perimeter surrounding a working area in which a robotic lawnmower is subsequently intended to operate, the robotic lawnmower system comprising:
a boundary definition unit comprising at least one position unit configured to receive position data;
at least one controller for controlling operation of the boundary definition unit, the at least one controller being configured to:
receive, from the at least one position unit, position data while the boundary definition unit is moved at least a portion of a lap around the working area to define a preliminary working area perimeter;
identify, based on the received position data, a geometry of the preliminary working area perimeter approximately corresponding to a predefined geometry; and
adjust a physical position of a boundary of the preliminary working area perimeter to define an adjusted working area perimeter, wherein adjusting the physical position of the boundary of the preliminary working area perimeter comprises adjusting the identified geometry of the preliminary working area perimeter to correspond to the predefined geometry in the adjusted working area perimeter,
wherein the at least one controller is configured to identify a geometry approximately corresponding to a predefined geometry by:
identifying, based on the received position data, a first substantially straight perimeter segment extending along a first axis;
identifying, based on the received position data, a second substantially straight perimeter segment extending along a second axis transversal to said first perimeter segment,
wherein the at least one controller is configured to adjust the identified geometry of the preliminary working area to define an adjusted working area perimeter by:
adjusting a corner portion at an intersection between said first and second axes to conform to the predefined geometry, and
wherein a radius of curvature of the corner portion is set automatically to connect a tangent of the curvature to where either of the first and the second substantially straight perimeter segment ends.