Granted Patent B2

US 11,109,528 · App. 16/061,752 · Granted Sep 7, 2021

Inventor: Benjamin Strang (Solingen, DE)

Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH

A01D34/008A47L9/2805A47L9/2852A47L2201/022A47L2201/04A47L2201/06

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A system for processing of a ground at least partially in an outdoor area, the system comprising:

a base station; and

a mobile robot unit;

wherein at least one detection means for detecting at least one environmental variable is provided,

wherein a control is provided, which influences the operating mode of the mobile robot unit according to a value of the at least one environmental variable detected by the at least one detection means and transmitted to the control from the at least one detection means,

wherein the at least one detection means are formed as part of a home weather station,

wherein the at least one detection means are formed as a sensor for the at least one environmental variable, and

wherein, when the mobile robot unit is in a covered spatial area and the control, based on the environmental variable, establishes that it is not suitable for the mobile robot unit to be used when a time control of the mobile robot unit initiates a new processing cycle of the mobile robot unit, the control causes an exit barrier of the covered spatial area to be in a closed state preventing the mobile robot unit from exiting the covered spatial area and the control transmits a signal that causes the mobile robot unit to remain in the covered spatial area.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one environmental variable is at least one of: temperature, precipitation, amount of precipitation, humidity, ground moisture, wind strength, and air pressure.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one detection means have a communication interface and are suitable for downloading weather data as the at least one environmental variable via the communication interface.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein part of a home network forms the control.

5. The system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control is designed to generate a terminating signal and

wherein the mobile robot unit is designed to terminate the processing of the ground in response to the terminating signal and to return to the base station.

6. The system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the control has a stored map,

wherein the map contains a virtual boundary between the covered spatial area and a non-covered spatial area, and

wherein the control enables or prevents crossing of the virtual boundary by the mobile robot unit according to the value of the at least one environmental variable detected by the at least one detection means.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing comprises one of removing contamination and cutting grass.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the exit barrier of the covered spatial area is arranged at the base station.

9. A method for controlling a mobile robot unit for processing of a ground at least partially in an outdoor area, the method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, and evaluating, by a control, at least one environmental variable transmitted to the control from the sensor; and

influencing, by the control, an operating mode of the mobile robot unit according to a value of the at least one environmental variable,

wherein the at least one environmental variable detected by the sensor for the at least one environmental variable which is part of a home weather station, and

wherein, when the mobile robot unit is in a covered spatial area and the control, based on the environmental variable, establishes that it is not suitable for the mobile robot unit to be used when a time control of the mobile robot unit initiates a new processing cycle of the mobile robot unit, the control causes an exit barrier of the covered spatial area to be in a closed state preventing the mobile robot unit from exiting the covered spatial area and the control transmits a signal that causes the mobile robot unit to remain in the covered spatial area.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising preventing the mobile robot unit from exiting the covered spatial area of a base station at a start of a processing of the ground.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising aborting a processing procedure; and

prompting the mobile robot unit to return to the covered spatial area of a base station.

12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising enabling or preventing a crossing of a virtual boundary between the covered spatial area and a non-covered area by the mobile robot unit according to the value of the at least one detected environmental variable.

13. A method for controlling a mobile robot unit for processing of a ground at least partially in an outdoor area, the method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, and evaluating, by a control, at least one environmental variable transmitted to the control from the sensor,

influencing, by the control, an operating mode of the mobile robot unit according to a value of the at least one detected environmental variable, and

enabling or preventing a crossing of a virtual boundary between a covered spatial area and a non-covered spatial area by the mobile robot unit according to the value of the at least one detected environmental variable, and

wherein, when the mobile robot unit is in the covered spatial area and the control, based on the environmental variable, establishes that it is not suitable for the mobile robot unit to be used when a time control of the mobile robot unit initiates a new processing cycle of the mobile robot unit, the control causes an exit barrier of the covered spatial area to be in a closed state preventing the mobile robot unit from exiting the covered spatial area and the control transmits a signal that causes the mobile robot unit to remain in the covered spatial area.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising preventing the mobile robot unit from exiting the covered spatial area of a base station at a start of a processing of the ground.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

aborting a processing procedure; and

prompting the mobile robot unit to return to the covered spatial area of a base station.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (12)

US 12,296,694 US 12,369,509 US 12,425,197 US 12,443,180 US 12,472,611 US 12,510,892 US 12,564,130 US 12,653,097 US 12,677,737 US 12,690,518 US 12,696,838 US 12,714,019