Remote control and remote control method for lawn mowing robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a remote control and remote control method for a lawn mower robot, relating to the technical field of robot remote control. The remote control includes: a transmitter, a receiver, a wireless communication module, a host computer, and a controller; the wireless communication module includes a wireless transmitter unit located at the transmitter and a wireless receiver unit located at the receiver, for implementing signal communication; the transmitter is used to issue remote control commands; the receiver is mounted on the lawn mower robot; the receiver is used to receive and display the remote control commands sent by the transmitter; the remote control commands are transmitted to the controller; the controller is used to receive the remote control commands transmitted by the receiver and control the operation of the lawn mower robot according to the remote control commands; the host computer is used to monitor the control status of the lawn mower robot. The present invention realizes wireless control of the lawn mower robot without redesigning the serial port of the existing lawn mower robot controller, and realizes a modular design with different functions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot remote control, and in particular to a remote control and a remote control method of a lawn mowing robot. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Robots are increasingly being used in various fields due to their high efficiency and low cost. Lawn mowing, with its labor-intensive and repetitive nature, is also being gradually replaced by robots. Lawn mowing robots require real-time control of their movements during operation. Current lawn mowing robots require a wired connection between the debugging equipment and the robot during debugging, requiring constant attention to the cable's length and safety, which restricts the robot's movement. The connection plugs between the debugging equipment and the robot are also prone to poor contact during multiple plug-ins, affecting the stability and reliability of the system. Lawn mowing robots are often used in public green spaces and agricultural production, where the workspaces are large and the environments are diverse. The normal operation and debugging of robots using wired connections can be very troublesome for workers.

[0004] The existing wireless control technology solution is to use a wireless receiving control circuit to directly control the motor, which is not conducive to modular design and cannot achieve information transmission with the same protocol for multiple different types of devices or remote control of multiple lawn mowing robots with a single remote control. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote control and remote control method for a lawn mower robot, which realizes wireless remote control through two modules, a transmitting end and a receiving end. Both modules have independent microprocessors and are connected to the controller of the controlled lawn mower robot through the receiving end to realize wireless control of the lawn mower robot. There is no need to redesign the serial port of the existing lawn mower robot controller, and a modular design with different functions is realized.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides a remote controller for a lawn mowing robot, comprising:

[0008] A transmitting end, a receiving end, a wireless communication module, a host computer and a controller; the wireless communication module includes a wireless transmitting unit located at the transmitting end and a wireless receiving unit located at the receiving end, which are used to realize signal communication; the transmitting end is used to issue remote control instructions; the remote control instructions include switch control, mode selection, direction selection and speed control; the receiving end is installed on the lawn mowing robot; the receiving end is used to receive the remote control instructions sent by the transmitting end and display them; transmit the remote control instructions to the controller; the controller is used to receive the remote control instructions transmitted by the receiving end, and control the operation of the lawn mowing robot according to the remote control instructions; the host computer is used to monitor the control status of the lawn mowing robot.

[0009] Furthermore, the wireless communication module utilizes a multi-channel redundant design to achieve wireless communication through a 485 bus and a serial port.

[0010] Furthermore, the wireless communication module adopts wireless communication, specifically 433MHZ frequency band radio frequency communication or Bluetooth communication.

[0011] Furthermore, the wireless transmission protocol of the wireless communication module is the Modbus communication protocol, which adopts the method of verification code and user address code to formulate the wireless communication protocol, and uses the address code to prevent mutual interference between transmitting ends.

[0012] Furthermore, the controller controls the operation of the mowing robot by controlling the drive motor, steering motor and hydraulic pressure.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmitting end includes a remote control housing and an operation panel; the operation panel is provided with buttons, a rocker and a knob, and the remote control housing is provided with indicator lights and several interfaces.

[0014] Furthermore, the remote control housing includes a wireless transmitting module interface, a wireless receiving module interface and a charging interface.

[0015] Furthermore, the button is the interface of the remote control switch command, which is used to generate remote control commands for mode adjustment, power-on self-test and return to zero operation of the lawn mower robot; the joystick is used to generate remote control commands for steering and walking of the lawn mower robot; the knob is used to generate remote control commands for running speed control of the lawn mower robot and mowing disc speed control.

[0016] Furthermore, the transmitting end also includes a transmitting end microprocessor for switch quantity acquisition, analog quantity acquisition, wireless transmission and reception, serial port output and 485 bus output.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention provides a remote control method for a lawn mowing robot, comprising the following steps:

[0018] Initialize the remote control and check whether the communication is normal. If the communication is normal, pair the transmitter and receiver.

[0019] According to the mowing task, the transmitter generates a remote control command, and the transmitter transmits the remote control command to the receiver via wireless communication;

[0020] The receiving end receives the remote control command and sends it to the controller, which controls the mowing robot to perform the mowing task according to the remote control command.

[0021] One or more of the above technical solutions have the following beneficial effects:

[0022] The present invention discloses a remote control and remote control method for a lawn mower robot. Through wireless communication, the system eliminates the adverse effects of cables, reduces the need for manual cable plugging and unplugging, and reduces the risk of poor contact. This increases the operator's workspace and reduces the workload of debugging in large areas or complex terrain.

[0023] In order to address the defects of the existing technology in which the wireless receiving unit directly controls the motor, such as being unfavorable for modular design, being unable to realize information transmission with the same protocol for multiple different types of devices, and being unable to control multiple lawn mower robots with a single remote control, by setting up independent receiving and transmitting ends, the scope of use of the lawn mower robot is maximized, and the safety and convenience of the system are improved.

[0024] Advantages of additional aspects of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the remote control of the lawn mowing robot in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of component wiring in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the transmitting end in embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the receiving end structure in embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Among them, 1. Remote control start button, 2. Forward indicator light, 3. Forward and reverse control joystick, 4. Reverse indicator light, 5. Movement speed adjustment button, 6. Mowing disc start and stop button, 7. Motor start brake button, 8. Spindle speed control knob, 9. Working mode adjustment button, 10. Return to zero button, 11. Standby button, 12. Left and right turn control joystick, 13. Right turn indicator light, 14. Start power indicator light, 15. Left turn indicator light, 16. Receiver power / communication indicator light, 17. Function indicator light, 18. Emergency stop / fault indicator light. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs.

[0032] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "include" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or their combinations;

[0033] Example 1:

[0034] The first embodiment of the present invention provides a remote controller for a lawn mowing robot. Figure 1 As shown, it includes a transmitter, a receiver, a wireless communication module, a host computer and a controller.

[0035] The wireless communication module includes a wireless transmitter at the transmitter end and a wireless receiver at the receiver end, enabling signal communication. The module includes wireless transmission control methods and wireless transmission protocols, and features multi-channel redundant transmission to ensure communication reliability. Wireless communication is achieved via a 485 bus and serial port. Wireless transmission control methods include 433MHz radio frequency, Bluetooth, and wireless local area network.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, the wireless communication module uses wireless communication, specifically 433 MHz frequency band radio frequency communication or Bluetooth communication, to achieve long-distance wireless transmission between the remote control and the robot. When both the wireless transmitting unit and the wireless receiving unit have signals, the data of the 433 MHz frequency band radio frequency communication module is used.

[0037] In a specific embodiment, the wireless transmission protocol of the wireless communication module is the Modbus communication protocol, and the wireless communication protocol is formulated in the form of a check code and a user address code. The address code is used to prevent mutual interference between transmitters and ensure the reliability of communication between the receiving end and the transmitting end.

[0038] In actual applications, it is inevitable that the transmitter and receiver of the remote control need to be replaced to control different lawn mower robots. This embodiment uses NFC pairing, and the verification code or address code is pre-written into the microprocessors of the transmitter and receiver. When pairing is required, the NFC reader / writer module is brought close to the paired module to complete the quick pairing.

[0039] Hardware circuits are set in both the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter also includes a transmitter microprocessor for switch quantity (button) acquisition, analog quantity (joystick, knob, speed) acquisition, wireless transmission and reception, serial port output and 485 bus output.

[0040] The receiving end also includes a receiving end microprocessor, which is used to receive remote control commands and process them for display. The main chip of the transmitting and receiving end microprocessor adopts Arduino microcontroller, and adopts modularization concept to gradually realize the functions of each module.

[0041] In a specific embodiment, Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the transmitter circuit consists of an AVR microcontroller minimum system circuit, a lithium battery power conversion circuit, an analog quantity acquisition circuit, a switch quantity acquisition circuit, an isolated input and output circuit, and a radio frequency communication module circuit.

[0042] The receiving end is composed of AVR single-chip minimum system circuit, lithium battery power conversion circuit, analog quantity acquisition circuit, switch quantity acquisition circuit, isolated input and output circuit, radio frequency communication module circuit and 485 industrial bus circuit.

[0043] The above circuit is used to realize remote control of the lawn mower robot. Among them, the circuits in the AVR microcontroller minimum system circuit include microcontroller peripheral circuits, clock circuits, and reset circuits. The circuit connection method is conventional in the field and will not be repeated here.

[0044] The lithium battery conversion circuit uses lithium batteries to power the transmitter and receiver main chips, other hardware circuits, and input / output devices. To extend the remote control's battery life, this embodiment uses a solar panel in addition to lithium batteries to charge the batteries when there is sunlight.

[0045] The analog acquisition circuit is connected to the isolated input and output circuit to input the analog signals of the joystick and knob to the transmitter, and transmit the user's operation command information to the lawn mowing robot.

[0046] The switch quantity acquisition circuit is connected to the isolation input and output circuit, inputting digital signals of buttons and switches etc. to the transmitting end and the receiving end and outputting digital signals to the LED light at the same time.

[0047] The RF communication module circuit is used to implement 433MHz RF communication or Bluetooth communication. The RF communication module circuit is connected to the serial port of the AVR microcontroller minimum system, sending the signal from the transmitter to the wireless receiving serial port of the receiver through wireless serial communication.

[0048] The 485 bus interface circuit is connected to the serial port of the AVR microcontroller minimum system, enabling the host computer to monitor the remote control's reception status and transmit received control commands to the lawn mower controller. This system features stable operation and high communication rates, enabling efficient transmission of analog and switching values ​​between the robot's wireless receiving module and the controller. It also enables the host computer to monitor the robot's operating status. The transmission protocol uses Modbus.

[0049] One end of the isolated input / output circuit is connected to the input / output port of the AVR microcontroller minimum system, and the other end is connected to the digital and analog input / output terminals. This circuit converts the input and output signals of the AVR microcontroller minimum system circuit into standard signals. The isolated input / output circuit primarily consists of existing IO isolation modules, which convert signals into standard signals, reduce external interference, and enhance signal reliability.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, the transmitter includes a remote control housing and an operating panel. The operating panel is equipped with buttons, a joystick, and a knob, which serve as the gateway for communication between the remote control and the outside world. The remote control housing is equipped with indicator lights and several interfaces. The remote control housing includes interfaces for a wireless transmitter module, a wireless receiver module, and a charging port. The charging port is connected to a power source via a lithium battery conversion circuit, and the remote control is charged through the charging port. The buttons serve as the interface for the remote control's switch commands, generating remote control commands for mode adjustment, power-on self-test, and zero return operations for the mower robot. The joystick is used to generate remote control commands for steering and moving the mower robot. The knob is used to generate remote control commands for speed control and the mowing disc speed control, enabling analog input. The transmitter is used to issue remote control commands through the operating panel. These commands include switch control, mode selection, direction selection, and speed control. Wireless transmission between the mower robot and the wireless communication module of the remote control is accomplished via serial communication. Information transmission between the transmitter, receiver, controller, and host computer utilizes the Modbus protocol over the 485 bus.

[0051] like Figure 3As shown, the buttons, joysticks, and knobs specifically include: a remote control start button 1, used to generate a start command to activate the remote control; a forward indicator light 1, used to provide a forward direction; when it is on, it indicates a forward direction has been generated; a forward / reverse control joystick 3, used to generate a forward or reverse direction command to control the forward or reverse movement of the mowing robot; a reverse indicator light 4, used to provide a reverse direction; when it is on, it indicates a reverse direction has been generated; a movement speed adjustment button 5, used to generate a speed adjustment command to control the movement speed of the mowing robot; a mowing disc start / stop button 6, used to generate a mowing disc start / stop command to control the start or stop of the mowing disc; a motor start / brake button 7, used to generate a motor start / brake command to control the start or brake of the motor; a spindle speed control knob 8, used to generate a speed remote control command to control the motor spindle speed. Since the remote control in this embodiment is used for a mowing robot with a single main motor, driving can be achieved by controlling the motor spindle speed; and an operating mode adjustment button 9, used to generate an operating mode adjustment command to adjust the operating mode, where operating modes include operating mode and debugging mode. The return-to-zero button 10 is used to generate a return-to-zero command, returning the remote control to zero. The standby button 11 and the left-right turn control stick 12 are used to generate steering commands, controlling the robot mower to turn left or right. The right-turn indicator light 13 is used to indicate a right turn; when it illuminates, it indicates a right-turn command has been generated. The power-on indicator light 14 is used to indicate a start; when it illuminates, it indicates the remote control is powered on. The left-turn indicator light 15 is used to indicate a left turn; when it illuminates, it indicates a left-turn command has been generated.

[0052] The receiving end is installed on the lawn mowing robot; the receiving end is used to receive the remote control instructions sent by the transmitting end and display them, such as Figure 4 As shown; transmit the remote control command to the controller.

[0053] The power / communication indicator light 16 indicates power and communication status. When it's solid, it indicates power is present but communication is not; when it flashes, it indicates successful communication and operation is possible. The function indicator light 17 indicates function status. When it's solid, it indicates operation; when it flashes, it indicates non-operation. The emergency stop / fault indicator light 18 indicates emergency stops and faults. It's off during normal operation; when it's solid, it indicates a fault; and when it flashes, it indicates an emergency stop.

[0054] The controller is used to receive the remote control instructions transmitted by the receiving end and control the operation of the lawn mowing robot according to the remote control instructions.

[0055] In a specific embodiment, the controller controls the operation of the mowing robot by controlling the drive motor, the steering motor and the hydraulic pressure.

[0056] The host computer monitors the robot's control status. Specifically, it checks whether the remote controller's receiver is successfully receiving control signals from the transmitter. The host computer is connected to the remote controller's receiver using the Modbus communication protocol. PC-based debugging software collects all digital and analog signals from the transmitter to monitor control status.

[0057] The user inputs remote control commands into the transmitter microprocessor by pressing buttons on the remote control housing. The transmitter microprocessor transmits these commands to the robot's wireless receiver via a wireless transmitter unit. Meanwhile, LED indicators on the transmitter's operating panel display the command output status, while LEDs on the receiver's panel indicate the robot's status. The robot receives these commands via the wireless receiver unit, processes and displays them in the receiver microprocessor, which then sends them to the robot controller. These commands are transmitted using the Modbus communication protocol. The controller, acting as a Modbus slave, receives these commands and passes them on to the actuators to control the robot's operation. During device commissioning, the host computer can also monitor the robot's operating status via the Modbus communication protocol to complete the commissioning.

[0058] Before commissioning the robot mower, first ensure that the transmitter and receiver are communicating properly. If not, pairing the two will be impossible. Once communication is established, operate the transmitter's speed control buttons, mowing disc start / stop buttons, motor start / brake buttons, and spindle speed control knob to verify the robot's proper function and adjust them to the desired work area. Once commissioning is complete, operate the joystick to remotely control the robot.

[0059] It should be noted that the wireless transmission method of the present invention uses 433 MHz radio frequency communication and Bluetooth communication, but other wireless transmission methods can also be used. The processor of the present invention uses an Arduino single-chip microcomputer, but other microprocessors such as STM32 single-chip microcomputers, 51 single-chip microcomputers, and PLCs can also be used instead. The wireless receiving terminal of the present invention uses the Modbus protocol of the 485 industrial bus and the robot controller for data transmission, but other communication protocols can also be used instead.

[0060] Example 2:

[0061] A second embodiment of the present invention provides a remote control method for the lawn mowing robot remote control according to the first embodiment, comprising the following steps:

[0062] Initialize the remote control and check whether the communication is normal. If the communication is normal, pair the transmitter and receiver.

[0063] According to the mowing task, the transmitter generates a remote control command, and the transmitter transmits the remote control command to the receiver via wireless communication;

[0064] The receiving end receives the remote control command and sends it to the controller, which controls the mowing robot to perform the mowing task according to the remote control command.

[0065] The steps involved in the above embodiment 2 correspond to those in the method embodiment 1. For the specific implementation method, please refer to the relevant description part of embodiment 1.

[0066] Although the above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without any creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A remote controller for a lawn mowing robot, characterized in that: include: A transmitting end, a receiving end, a wireless communication module, a host computer and a controller; the wireless communication module includes a wireless transmitting unit located at the transmitting end and a wireless receiving unit located at the receiving end, which are used to realize signal communication; the wireless communication module includes a wireless transmission control method and a wireless transmission protocol, and designs multi-channel redundant transmission to ensure communication reliability, and realizes wireless communication through a 485 bus and a serial port; the wireless transmission protocol of the wireless communication module is the Modbus communication protocol, and the wireless communication protocol is formulated by using a check code and a user address code, and the address code is used to prevent mutual interference between transmitting ends; The transmitting end is used to issue remote control instructions; the remote control instructions include switch control, mode selection, direction selection and speed control; the receiving end is installed on the lawn mower robot; the receiving end is used to receive the remote control instructions sent by the transmitting end and display them; the receiving end also includes a receiving end microprocessor, which adopts the NFC pairing method to write the verification code or address code into the transmitting end and the receiving end microprocessor in advance. When pairing is required, the NFC reading and writing module is placed close to the paired module to complete the quick pairing; the remote control instructions are transmitted to the controller; the controller is used to receive the remote control instructions transmitted by the receiving end, and control the operation of the lawn mower robot according to the remote control instructions; the host computer is used to monitor the control status of the lawn mower robot.

2. The remote controller of the lawn mower robot according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless communication module adopts wireless communication, specifically 433 MHz frequency band radio frequency communication or Bluetooth communication.

3. The remote controller for the lawn mower robot according to claim 1, wherein: The controller controls the operation of the mowing robot by controlling the drive motor, steering motor and hydraulic pressure.

4. The remote controller for the lawn mower robot according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitting end includes a remote control shell and an operation panel; the operation panel is provided with buttons, a rocker and a knob, and the remote control shell is provided with indicator lights and several interfaces.

5. The remote controller for the lawn mower robot according to claim 4, wherein: The remote control housing includes a wireless transmitting module interface, a wireless receiving module interface and a charging interface.

6. The remote controller for the lawn mower robot according to claim 4, wherein: The buttons are the interface for the remote control's switch commands, and are used to generate remote control commands for the robot mower's mode adjustment, power-on self-test, and return to zero operation; the joystick is used to generate remote control commands for the robot mower's steering and walking; and the knob is used to generate remote control commands for the robot mower's running speed control and mowing disc speed control.

7. The remote controller for the lawn mower robot according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitting end also includes a transmitting end microprocessor for switch quantity acquisition, analog quantity acquisition, wireless transmission and reception, serial port output and 485 bus output.

8. A remote control method for a lawn mowing robot, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Initialize the remote control and check whether the communication is normal. If the communication is normal, pair the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter generates remote control commands based on the mowing task, and the transmitter transmits the remote control commands to the receiver via wireless communication. The wireless communication module includes a wireless transmission control method and a wireless transmission protocol, and is designed with multi-channel redundant transmission to ensure communication reliability. Wireless communication is achieved through a 485 bus and a serial port. The wireless transmission protocol of the wireless communication module is the Modbus communication protocol, and the wireless communication protocol is formulated using a check code and a user address code. The address code is used to prevent mutual interference between transmitters. After receiving the remote control command, the receiving end sends it to the controller, and the controller controls the lawn mowing robot to perform the mowing task according to the remote control command; the receiving end also includes a receiving end microprocessor, and adopts the NFC pairing method to write the verification code or address code into the transmitting end and the receiving end microprocessor in advance. When pairing is required, the NFC reading and writing module can be placed close to the paired module to complete the quick pairing.

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