Riding type mower

Abstract

The invention discloses a riding type lawn mower. The riding type mower comprises a manned position, a driving device and a driving device, a host; a cutting assembly; a walking wheel assembly; a walking motor; the operation assembly can be operated by a user to control the riding type mower; the sensor assembly is configured to obtain positioning information of the riding type mower; the control module is electrically connected with the walking motor, the operation assembly and the sensor assembly; the riding type mower has a manual mode and an autonomous mode, and the control module is configured to send a control instruction according to a signal from the operation assembly in the manual mode so as to control the walking motor; in the autonomous mode, a control instruction is sent according to positioning information from the sensor assembly to control the walking motor; and prompting the user to switch between the autonomous mode and the manual mode based on the quality of the positioning information. According to the scheme, under the condition that the advantage of saving time and manpower in automatic mowing is fully played, relevant risks such as out-of-bound risks are effectively avoided, and the safety of the riding type mower is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of outdoor power equipment technology, specifically to a ride-on lawnmower. Background Technology

[0002] Thanks to technological advancements and increased public awareness of environmental protection, outdoor power equipment such as ride-on lawnmowers are becoming increasingly widely used. Taking ride-on lawnmowers as an example, they can move and mow within a designated work area. The work area can be defined by virtual or physical boundaries; ride-on lawnmowers and similar equipment should not stray beyond these boundaries. Furthermore, when mowing, they must avoid various moving and static obstacles and be aware of special terrain features such as cliffs and steep slopes. In short, different sites have their own unique environments, and the factors related to the movement and mowing of ride-on lawnmowers are extremely complex.

[0003] This section provides background information related to this application, which is not necessarily prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of this application is to solve or at least alleviate some or all of the aforementioned problems. Therefore, one object of this application is to provide a rideable lawnmower.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A ride-on lawnmower includes: a passenger seat configured to carry a user; a main unit supporting the passenger seat; a cutting assembly including a cutting element, the cutting assembly being mounted to the main unit; a wheel assembly configured to drive the ride-on lawnmower; a drive motor configured to drive the wheel assembly; an operating component for user operation to control the ride-on lawnmower; a sensor assembly configured to acquire positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower; and a control module electrically connected to the drive motor, the operating component, and the sensor assembly. The ride-on lawnmower has a manual mode and an autonomous mode. The control module is configured to issue control commands to control the drive motor based on signals from the operating component in manual mode; and to issue control commands to control the drive motor based on positioning information from the sensor assembly in autonomous mode. The control module is further configured to prompt the user to switch between autonomous and manual modes based on the quality of the positioning information.

[0007] In some embodiments, the ride-on lawnmower also includes a memory configured to store a map of the ride-on lawnmower’s working area, the map carrying location information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the map is a raster map composed of multiple grids, and the raster accuracy of the raster map is determined based on the memory capacity and / or the operating speed of the control module.

[0009] In some embodiments, the quality of the location information is positively correlated with the positioning accuracy of the current location of the riding lawnmower.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sensor assembly includes one or more of an RTK assembly, a vision sensor, and a radar sensor.

[0011] In some embodiments, positioning accuracy includes RTK positioning accuracy.

[0012] In some embodiments, the quality of the positioning information is the automated score of each grid cell in the grid map; the control module is further configured to determine the automated score of each grid cell based on multiple factors including the positioning mode identifier bit, positioning standard deviation, and accuracy attenuation factor of RTK positioning.

[0013] In some embodiments, the quality of the location information is the automation score of each grid in the grid map; the control module is configured to prompt the user to switch to autonomous mode when the automation score of the grid corresponding to the current location information exceeds a preset threshold and the riding lawnmower is in manual mode; and / or, prompt the user to switch to manual mode when the automation score of the grid corresponding to the current location information is lower than a preset threshold and the riding lawnmower is in autonomous mode.

[0014] In some embodiments, the quality of the location information is the automation score of each grid in the grid map; the control module is further configured to connect and mark grids with automation scores exceeding a preset threshold as automatic mowing areas, and / or connect and mark grids with automation scores not exceeding the preset threshold as manual mowing areas; and prompt the user to switch between autonomous mode and manual mode based on the area type to which the current location information belongs.

[0015] A rideable lawnmower includes: a passenger seat configured to carry a user; a main unit supporting the passenger seat; a cutting assembly including a mowing element, the cutting assembly being mounted to the main unit; a wheel assembly configured to drive the rideable lawnmower; a drive motor configured to drive the wheel assembly; an operating component for user operation to control the rideable lawnmower; a sensor assembly configured to acquire positioning information of the rideable lawnmower; a memory configured to store a map of the working area of ​​the rideable lawnmower; and a control module electrically connected to the drive motor, the operating component, and the sensor assembly. The rideable lawnmower has a manual mode and an autonomous mode. The control module is configured to: in manual mode, issue control commands to control the drive motor based on signals from the operating component; and in autonomous mode, issue control commands to control the drive motor based on positioning information from the sensor assembly. The map is a grid map, each grid cell of the grid map having an automation score. The control module is further configured to: connect and mark grid cells with automation scores exceeding a preset threshold as automatic mowing areas; and allow the rideable lawnmower to enter autonomous mode within automatic mowing areas.

[0016] In some embodiments, the riding mower also includes an autonomous operation button. When the autonomous operation button is activated and the riding mower is within the automatic mowing area, the control module controls the riding mower to enter autonomous mode.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control module prevents the ride-on lawnmower from entering autonomous mode when the ride-on lawnmower is located in a non-automatic mowing area.

[0018] In some embodiments, the operating components include one or more of a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and control lever. In response to the operation of any one of the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, or control lever, the control module controls the riding lawnmower to switch to manual mode.

[0019] In some embodiments, after the ride-on lawnmower arrives at an unfamiliar work area, it walks in manual mode within the work area to obtain the automation score of each grid in the work area. Based on the automation score, the automatic mowing area is connected and marked and stored with the grid map. After arriving at the work area again, the ride-on lawnmower controls the switching between autonomous mode and manual mode based on the automatic mowing area in the stored grid map.

[0020] In some embodiments, after the ride-on lawnmower returns to the work area, the currently stored grid map is updated based on the automation scores of each grid in the work area newly acquired during this work.

[0021] In some embodiments, after the ride-on lawnmower arrives at an unfamiliar work area, it walks within the work area in manual mode to obtain boundary information and / or restricted area information of the work area and stores it with the grid map.

[0022] The advantage of this application lies in its ability to reasonably determine the timing and location for switching between manual and automatic mowing modes based on the quality of positioning information. This maximizes the time-saving and labor-saving advantages of automatic mowing by riding lawnmowers while effectively avoiding risks such as going out of bounds or falling, thus improving the safety of riding lawnmowers and balancing efficiency, performance, and safety. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a ride-on lawnmower as one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a ride-on lawnmower as another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the RTK component in the ride-on lawnmower shown.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the electrical control of a ride-on lawnmower as one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the working area of ​​a ride-on lawnmower as one embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the working area for mowing grass in the work area of ​​a ride-on lawnmower.

[0029] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A grid map showing the working area of ​​the ride-on lawnmower;

[0030] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The diagram shown illustrates the division of manual and automatic lawn mowing areas in the grid map.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for dividing a manual region and an automatic region as an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Caption:

[0033] 100. Ride-on lawnmower; 200. Power supply unit; 300. Base station;

[0034] 110. Main unit; 120. Personnel carrier; 130. Operating components; 140. Lawn mowing components; 151. Walking wheel components; 152. Walking motor; 160. Sensor components; 170. Control module;

[0035] 131. Steering wheel; 132. Accelerator pedal / brake pedal; 133. Control lever;

[0036] 161. RTK components; 1611. Satellite receiving antenna; 1612. Radio station;

[0037] 171. Controller; 172. Memory;

[0038] 400. Grid map; 410. Grid; 421. Automatic mowing area; 422. Manual mowing area. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Before explaining any implementation of this application in detail, it should be understood that this application is not limited to its application to the structural details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the above drawings.

[0040] In this application, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0041] In this application, the term "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "and / or" relationship.

[0042] In this application, the terms "connection," "combination," "coupling," and "installation" can refer to direct connection, combination, coupling, or installation, or indirect connection, combination, coupling, or installation. For example, a direct connection refers to two parts or components being connected together without the need for an intermediary, while an indirect connection refers to two parts or components each being connected to at least one intermediary, with the connection achieved through the intermediary. Furthermore, "connection" and "coupling" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, but can also include electrical connections or couplings.

[0043] In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that relative terms (e.g., “about,” “approximately,” “basically,” etc.) used in conjunction with quantities or conditions are to include the values ​​and have the meaning indicated by the context. For example, such relative terms include at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of a particular value, tolerances associated with the particular value due to manufacturing, assembly, use, etc. Such terms should also be considered as disclosing a range defined by the absolute values ​​of the two endpoints. Relative terms may refer to a certain percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) of the indicated value. Numerical values ​​not using relative terms should also be disclosed as specific values ​​with tolerances. Furthermore, “basically” when expressing relative angular relationships (e.g., substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular) may refer to a certain degree (e.g., 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or more) added to or subtracted from the indicated angle.

[0044] In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that the function performed by a component can be performed by one component, multiple components, one part, or multiple parts. Similarly, the function performed by a part can also be performed by one part, one component, or a combination of multiple parts.

[0045] In this application, the directional terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used to describe the orientation and positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the context, it should be understood that when an element is mentioned as being connected "upper" or "lower" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower," or indirectly connected through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that directional terms such as upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side not only represent positive orientation but can also be understood as lateral orientation. For example, "below" can include directly below, lower left, lower right, lower front, and lower rear.

[0046] In this application, the terms "controller," "processor," "central processing unit," "CPU," and "MCU" are used interchangeably. When using the unit "controller," "processor," "central processing unit," "CPU," or "MCU" to perform a specific function, unless otherwise stated, these functions may be performed by a single or multiple of the aforementioned units.

[0047] In this application, the terms "device," "module," or "unit" are used to describe devices that can be implemented in hardware or software to perform a specific function.

[0048] In this application, the terms “calculation,” “judgment,” “control,” “determine,” “identify,” etc., refer to the operation and process of a computer system or similar electronic computing device (e.g., controller, processor, etc.).

[0049] The technical solutions proposed in this application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0050] Driven by technological advancements, evolving concepts, and supportive policies, outdoor power equipment such as ride-on lawnmowers is finding increasingly widespread application. Beyond traditional home use, it is now also being adapted for commercial applications. Users can rent ride-on lawnmowers and similar equipment from rental companies and use them on their own property. These commercial devices may need to operate in different locations and are likely to return to the same sites after a period of time.

[0051] To meet users' ever-increasing demands for product experience and effectiveness, improving the automation and intelligence of equipment is a mainstream development trend. As mentioned earlier, ideally, riding lawnmowers and other similar equipment should be able to move around the site and complete the mowing without human guidance. During this process, the riding lawnmower's path should not pose any safety risks, and the mowing effect should be accurate and aesthetically pleasing.

[0052] However, the above-mentioned ideas are very difficult to achieve with the current level of technology. This application proposes a compromise solution for riding-type lawn mowers that combines manual and automatic mowing, and reasonably determines when and where manual or automatic mowing can be performed, so that the riding-type lawn mower proposed in this application can achieve the best in terms of work efficiency, work effect, and work accuracy from a comprehensive perspective.

[0053] refer to Figures 1 to 4This application illustrates a ride-on lawnmower 100 as one embodiment of the present application. The ride-on lawnmower 100 includes a main unit 110, a passenger seat 120, and an operating component 130. The main unit 110 constitutes the main body of the ride-on lawnmower 100, including components such as a frame. The main unit 110 can contact or connect to other components to provide support, protection, or restraint. The passenger seat 120 can carry a user, allowing the user to sit or stand. In some embodiments, the passenger seat 120 can be a seat; in others, it can be a standing platform. The operating component 130 is operated by the user to control the ride-on lawnmower 100. For example, it may include various walking-related controls, various mowing-related controls, and other multi-functional controls. In some embodiments, the operating component 130 may include switches such as buttons to enable or disable various functions. The aforementioned passenger seat 120 and operating components 130 can be supported or connected to the main unit 110. For example, the seat can be mounted on a plane of the frame, and left and right operating levers can be connected to the frame on both sides of the seat. In some embodiments, the operating components 130 of the ride-on lawnmower 100 may include one or more of a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and operating levers. These are driving-related operating components in the ride-on lawnmower 100. Specifically, the user operates the steering wheel to adjust the direction and presses the accelerator or brake pedal to accelerate or decelerate. Alternatively, pushing the left or right operating lever alone can also adjust the direction. Pushing both the left and right operating levers simultaneously allows for straight-line movement, and the walking speed can be determined by the depth of the operating lever push.

[0054] In addition to the main unit 110, the passenger seat 120, and the operating components 130, the ride-on lawnmower 100 also includes a cutting assembly 140, a wheel assembly 151, and a motor 152. The cutting assembly 140 is the component that actually performs the mowing operation, including cutting elements such as blades. During the cutting operation, the blades can be driven to rotate at high speed on a plane to cut vegetation. In some embodiments, the cutting elements are mounted on the chassis of the main unit 110, and a mowing space can be formed below the frame for assembling the cutting elements. In some embodiments, the cutting elements are detachably connected to the main unit 110 and come in various types, allowing users to replace them with suitable cutting elements depending on the specific vegetation conditions of the site. In some embodiments, the cutting assembly 140 may include a working motor that drives the cutting elements. The wheel assembly 151 enables the entire vehicle to move and may include multiple wheels, typically arranged symmetrically on both sides of the main unit 110. The walking motor 152 can drive the walking wheel assembly 151 to move. In some embodiments, the cutting assembly 140 is also driven by the walking motor 152. Specifically, the riding lawnmower 100 can cut grass while walking. When driven by the same motor, the isolation between walking and cutting functions can be achieved by a clutch or the like.

[0055] In addition, the aforementioned ride-on lawnmower 100 also includes a sensor assembly 160 and a control module 170. The sensor assembly 160 may involve various types of sensors, including but not limited to one or more of RTK components, radar sensors, vision sensors, and motion sensors. The sensor assembly 160 is capable of locating the current position of the ride-on lawnmower 100 and providing corresponding location information, including but not limited to [specific examples]. The control module 170 is the core control unit of the ride-on lawnmower 100 and may include controllers 171 such as MCUs and MPUs, as well as related peripheral circuitry. The control module 170 is electrically connected to the aforementioned walking motor 152, operating component 130, and sensor assembly 160. Of course, it is not excluded that the control module 170 may also be communicatively connected to some of the operating components 130 or sensor assembly 160.

[0056] The ride-on lawnmower 100 may also include a power supply unit 200, which includes an energy storage device capable of supplying power to all or some of the lawnmower's components requiring electricity, including the sensor assembly 160, control module 170, and drive motor described above. This power supply unit 200 is typically detachable from the main unit 110. In some embodiments, the power supply unit 200 includes one or more battery packs; in some embodiments, at least some of these battery packs are detachable from the main unit 110; and in some embodiments, the detachable battery packs can be used to power other power tools. When multiple battery packs are used, the rated capacity and / or nominal voltage of the battery packs may be the same or different.

[0057] In this application, the ride-on lawnmower 100 has a manual mode and an autonomous mode. In manual mode, the ride-on lawnmower 100 is driven by the user to walk and mow the lawn on the site. Specifically, the user can sit or stand in the equipment's passenger seat 120 and use the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, or control lever to work on the site. In some embodiments, when the ride-on lawnmower 100 is in manual mode, the control module 170 mainly issues control commands based on signals from the operating component 130 to control the walking motor 152. Specifically, the control module 170 can receive operation signals from the operating component 130 and issue corresponding control commands. These control commands can be steering commands issued in response to the operation of the steering wheel or control lever, acceleration / deceleration commands issued in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, or control lever, or start or stop commands issued in response to the operation of the power button. These control commands can control the operation of the travel motor 152 and thus affect the movement of the lawnmower. For example, they can change the duty cycle of the drive signal or the stator current to adjust the motor speed and thus the travel speed of the equipment, or control the differential speed of the two motors to control the steering and steering angle of the equipment. In addition, the control commands issued by the controller 171 can also be mowing commands or mowing stop commands issued in response to the operation of the mowing function key, as well as other function commands. Of course, even in manual mode, the control module 170 can receive positioning information and other environmental data from the sensor component 160 to provide relevant references for the user of the riding lawnmower 100 or to conduct safety monitoring of the equipment.

[0058] In autonomous mode, the ride-on lawnmower 100 does not require user operation and moves and mows the lawn on its own within the designated area. Specifically, the control module 170 can access the current positioning information of the device via the sensor component 160 and, based on this information, autonomously determine the next actions such as walking, obstacle avoidance, returning, and mowing. For example, it can move in a bow-like pattern while avoiding obstacles. The user can sit or stand in the passenger seat 120 of the ride-on lawnmower 100 without using the operating component 130, or the user can temporarily not be in the passenger seat 120. Of course, even in autonomous mode, the control module 170 can receive signals from the operating component 130 and issue corresponding control commands. This can involve mode switching as discussed later, as well as the execution of other manual-related functions.

[0059] Understandably, in manual mode, the rider-mounted lawnmower 100 is in control of the user, resulting in excellent mowing performance that meets user expectations and allows for flexible handling of complex terrain conditions, offering high safety. However, it requires manual labor, leading to lower efficiency and higher costs. In autonomous mode, the rider-mounted lawnmower 100 is in control of the machine, with the quality of mowing performance and the risk of going out of bounds depending on the terrain. While it saves time and effort, it cannot fully guarantee mowing results or walking safety.

[0060] In one alternative implementation, the control module 170 is configured to prompt the user to switch between autonomous and manual modes based on the quality of the location information. Continuing from the preceding text, the location information is provided in real-time by the sensor assembly 160 of the ride-on lawnmower 100. By evaluating the quality of this location information, the user can be prompted appropriately to switch from manual mode to the efficient autonomous mode when the current location information provided by the sensor assembly 160 is of high quality, or to switch from autonomous mode to the safe manual mode when the current location information quality is low.

[0061] In some embodiments, the quality of the aforementioned positioning information may have been pre-assessed by the riding lawnmower 100. When the device moves, it can utilize the pre-assessed quality of the positioning information corresponding to its current location to determine whether a mode switch prompt needs to be given to the user. While the positioning information is provided in real-time by the sensor assembly 160 as the lawnmower moves, the device can pre-divide the current working area into grids and assess the quality of the positioning information within each grid. The quality of the positioning information during subsequent movement is then determined by the quality of the positioning information within the grid to which the positioning information belongs. Alternatively, the device can pre-assess the positioning information quality of multiple markers within the current working area. The quality of the positioning information during subsequent movement is then determined by the positioning information quality of the marker closest to the current positioning information. The arrangement of multiple markers within the working area can be regular or irregular; for example, it can be adaptively adjusted in density. In other embodiments, the quality of the positioning information can also be evaluated in real time. That is, the quality of the positioning information can be evaluated in advance by the lawnmower. However, this reduces the space that can be planned in advance for the lawnmower in terms of walking control, and the amount of computation that the control module 170 needs to perform will also increase.

[0062] Understandably, in this implementation, the higher the quality of the positioning information, the higher the feasibility of performing automatic lawn mowing near that location. Specifically, the higher the quality of the positioning information, the more accurate the device positioning and path control near that location, and the lower the risk of going out of bounds.

[0063] First, the methods for representing and acquiring location information quality will be explained. Following on from the previous text, refer to... Figures 4 to 8 In some embodiments, the aforementioned ride-on lawnmower 100 further includes a memory 172, which can store a map of the working area to be worked by the ride-on lawnmower 100. The map can carry the quality of the location information within the working area, thereby enabling the ride-on lawnmower 100 to read the quality corresponding to the location information stored locally based on the location information. In some embodiments, such as the map and location information quality, can also be stored in a non-local manner. For example, the ride-on lawnmower 100 can also be configured with relevant communication components to access remote servers or other devices to obtain the aforementioned data.

[0064] In some embodiments, the quality of location information can be characterized numerically; for example, an automation score can be used. Following the preceding text, in some embodiments, the quality of location information is characterized on a grid-by-grid basis, and the quality of location information can be stored along with the map in the memory 172 of the ride-on lawnmower 100. Therefore, the ride-on lawnmower 100 can evaluate the quality of location information for each grid in the grid map of the work area. After obtaining the automation score for the location information of each grid, the grid map carrying the automation scores for the location information of each grid can be stored in the memory 172. Of course, in addition to carrying the automation scores for the location information of each grid, the grid map of the work area may also include information such as terrain and obstacles within the work area.

[0065] In some embodiments, the control module 170 has a preset threshold. If the automation score corresponding to the current location information exceeds the preset threshold, it is determined that the ride-on lawnmower 100 can be in autonomous mode and perform automatic mowing, and the user can be prompted to switch to or remain in autonomous mode. If the automation score corresponding to the current location information is lower than the preset threshold, it is determined that the ride-on lawnmower 100 should be in manual mode and perform manual mowing, and the user can be prompted to switch to or remain in manual mode.

[0066] In some embodiments, the grid size of the raster map used by the ride-on lawnmower 100 can be determined by the operating speed of the control module 170 and / or the capacity of the memory 172. It is understood that the faster the controller 171 operates and the stronger its computing power, and the larger the storage capacity of the memory 172, the smaller the grid size of the raster map used by the lawnmower can be, i.e., the higher the accuracy of the raster map. This affects both the selection of the grid size when creating a raster map for the same lawnmower and the issue of transferring raster maps between different lawnmowers in some commercial scenarios. In some embodiments, adapted to the operating speed of the controller 171 and / or the capacity of the memory 172 of the current ride-on lawnmower 100, when the accuracy of the original grid map needs to be reduced, the grid size of the new grid map used is enlarged, and the automation score of the new grid's positioning information can be taken as the average of the automation scores of the positioning information of the multiple original grids covered by the new grid; conversely, when the accuracy of the original grid map needs to be improved, the grid size of the new grid map used is reduced, and the automation score of the new grid's positioning information can be taken as the automation score of the positioning information of the original grid to which the new grid is located. The scoring system allows a single ride-on lawnmower 100 to perform a location information quality assessment on a work area. The resulting grid map can be reused and meets the performance requirements of other ride-on lawnmowers 100 when they arrive at the work area. This is particularly suitable for the commercial scenarios described above. For example, in a cluster of ride-on lawnmowers 100, several ride-on lawnmowers 100 serve the same work area in succession. The grid map created by the first lawnmower to arrive can be reused among multiple devices and can be adjusted to improve grid accuracy based on the performance of each machine.

[0067] The following explains the quality assessment of location information. Following on from the previous section, the key factor affecting the feasibility of automatic mowing by the ride-on lawnmower 100 lies in the accuracy of the location information. In some embodiments, the quality of the location information is positively correlated with its accuracy, and the equipment will primarily assess the quality of the location information based on its accuracy. It is important to note that the ride-on lawnmower 100 is affected to varying degrees by factors such as building obstruction and magnetic field interference when moving to different locations, and the types of influencing factors involved or emphasized by different positioning methods are not entirely the same.

[0068] In some embodiments, the ride-on lawnmower 100 may employ RTK positioning technology, and its sensor assembly 160 includes an RTK component. When employing RTK positioning technology, the ride-on lawnmower 100, in coordination with a base station and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) system such as BeiDou, GPS, GLONASS, or Galileo, determines the current location of the ride-on lawnmower 100. Specifically, the RTK component may include a first communication module, such as a satellite receiving antenna, for interacting with the GNSS; a second communication module, such as a radio, for interacting with the base station; and a calculation unit for calculating the location of the device. The RTK component will use the positioning deviation of the GNSS for the known location of the base station to correct the current positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower 100 by the GNSS. The specific technical principles can be found in relevant materials and will not be elaborated here.

[0069] Following on from the previous text, such as Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the quality assessment of positioning information within the current working area by the ride-on lawnmower 100 can be based on RTK positioning accuracy. That is, the positioning information is the RTK positioning result, and the quality of the positioning information is positively correlated with the RTK positioning accuracy of the obtained RTK positioning result. For example, the ride-on lawnmower 100 uses a grid map of the working area to perform navigation and mowing decisions. The RTK positioning accuracy within each grid cell can be characterized by the RTK positioning accuracy at a certain location point within that grid cell or by the calculated value of the RTK positioning accuracy at multiple location points. For example, the quality of positioning information within a grid cell can be determined by the RTK positioning accuracy at the grid vertex or grid center point. The level of RTK positioning accuracy at different locations within the working area may be related to various factors such as building obstruction, terrain influence, electromagnetic interference, and the distance from the base station at that point.

[0070] In some embodiments, the quality of positioning information within the working area is characterized by an automated score for the positioning information. When evaluating the quality of positioning information based on RTK positioning accuracy, the automated score for the positioning information can be calculated using one or more of the following parameters related to RTK positioning accuracy, which can be obtained together with the RTK component when providing RTK positioning results:

[0071] (1) The positioning mode identifier can characterize the type of solution obtained when solving coordinates using differential positioning, including fixed solution, floating-point solution, single-point solution, etc. Their solution accuracy is from high to low. The positioning mode identifier can be used to filter and / or initially score the RTK positioning results. In some embodiments, the riding lawnmower 100 only obtains the automation score for the RTK positioning results that belong to the fixed solution.

[0072] (2) The standard deviation (Std) reflects the error level of the solution obtained when solving coordinates using differential positioning. It is negatively correlated with the quality of positioning information; the smaller the Std, the higher the RTK positioning accuracy. For example, for a solution coordinate, Std can be the radius of the circle centered on that solution coordinate where the riding lawnmower 100 may actually be located. In some embodiments, Std may include one or more of the following: horizontal position accuracy, elevation accuracy, three-dimensional positioning accuracy, and clock error accuracy.

[0073] (3) The Dilution of Precision (DoP) is related to the distribution of each satellite in the GNSS within the current field of view of the riding lawnmower 100. It reflects the amplification effect of the geometry formed by the device and GNSS on the positioning error. It can be a scaling factor, which is negatively correlated with the quality of positioning information. The smaller the value, the more robust the geometry, and the smaller the DoP, the higher the RTK positioning accuracy. In some embodiments, the Dilution of Precision includes one or more of the following: Geometric Precision Dilution (GDoP), Horizontal Precision Dilution (HDoP), Vertical Precision Dilution (VDoP), and Temporal Precision Dilution (TDoP).

[0074] In some embodiments, the automated score of the positioning information can be obtained by weighted summation of the above-mentioned multiple parameters, and the weights of each parameter can be different. It is understood that the above-mentioned parameters are representative RTK positioning accuracy-related parameters, but the RTK positioning accuracy-related parameters that can be used to calculate the automated score of the positioning information in this application are not limited to these. For example, the parameters may also involve coordinate system transformation accuracy, etc., and the weights of each parameter can be adaptively adjusted.

[0075] In some embodiments, the ride-on lawnmower 100 may also employ positioning technologies other than RTK positioning, such as radar or image positioning technologies, and its sensor assembly 160 may include radar sensors, vision sensors, etc. The quality of the positioning information described above, i.e., the automated score of the positioning information, is positively correlated with the positioning accuracy of radar positioning and / or image positioning. In some embodiments, parameters related to radar positioning accuracy that can be used to calculate the automated score include echo signal-to-noise ratio, atmospheric dielectric constant, etc. In some embodiments, parameters related to image positioning accuracy that can be used to calculate the automated score include resolution, etc. In some embodiments, parameters related to positioning accuracy that can be used to calculate the automated score also include relative pose error, absolute trajectory error, etc.

[0076] Preferably, the automated score of the positioning information within each grid cell of the grid map used by the ride-on lawnmower 100 can be calculated primarily based on RTK positioning accuracy, supplemented by other positioning accuracies. This amplifies the advantages of RTK positioning accuracy and compensates for the potential inaccuracies of different positioning technologies in different scenarios, resulting in a more valuable positioning information quality score across the entire area. For example, using parameter weighted summation, the total proportion of RTK positioning accuracy-related parameters in the automated score is adjustable. For instance, it can be changed depending on the adaptability of the work site to different positioning technologies. In some embodiments, this proportion ranges from 40% to 80%. The individual proportions of the multiple RTK positioning accuracy-related parameters can be further subdivided, and the proportions of other positioning accuracy parameters besides RTK positioning accuracy can also be further subdivided when combining more than two types of positioning technologies.

[0077] In some embodiments, the automated score of the location information may not be based solely on the location accuracy calculation. For example, the environmental complexity or hazard level of a grid or a small area of ​​multiple grids centered on a grid may be evaluated and added to the calculation of the grid automated score. The environmental complexity and hazard level may be determined based on the number of obstacles in and around the grid, the type of obstacles, specific road conditions, etc.

[0078] Following on from the previous text, such as Figures 4 to 8 As shown, in one alternative implementation, the control module 170 is configured to divide the grid map of the work area into regions based on the automation scores of each grid cell in the grid map, connecting and marking grid cells with automation scores exceeding a preset threshold as automatically mowing areas, and / or connecting and marking grid cells with automation scores not exceeding the preset threshold as manually mowing areas. Specifically, multiple adjacent grid cells with the same score level should be connected to form the same region. In some embodiments, the grid map of the work area may not necessarily be divided into one automatically mowing area and one manually mowing area, and the number of automatically mowing areas or manually mowing areas contained in the grid map may also be multiple. In some embodiments, after marking the automatically mowing areas or manually mowing areas, the remaining grid cells can be directly connected and marked as another type of region.

[0079] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8As shown, the control module 170 is configured to prompt the user to switch between the autonomous mode and the manual mode based on the division of the automatic mowing area and the manual mowing area. Similar to the aforementioned implementation, the ride-on lawnmower 100 can call up and provide mode switching prompts to the user based on a map of the current working area. The difference is that in this implementation, the grid map has been divided into two types of areas, making data transmission and control judgment more efficient and convenient. Based on the current location of the ride-on lawnmower 100, that is, based on the current positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower 100, and the type of area to which the location point / positioning information belongs, the control module 170 can determine whether it is necessary to prompt the user to switch modes and which mode should be prompted to switch to. Specifically, if the ride-on lawnmower 100 is currently in the automatic mowing area and in manual mode, it can prompt the user to switch to autonomous mode, and / or, if it is currently in the manual mowing area and in autonomous mode, it can prompt the user to switch to manual mode.

[0080] In some embodiments, the ride-on lawnmower 100 has an autonomous operation button. The ride-on lawnmower 100 can be in manual mode by default. In response to the activation of the autonomous operation button, the ride-on lawnmower 100 can switch to autonomous mode and perform automatic mowing. Of course, the components operated by the user to switch between manual and autonomous modes are not limited to the above-mentioned button. For example, levers, voice control, IoT, etc. can also be used to perform mode switching.

[0081] In some embodiments, the control module 170 is configured to manage the switching between autonomous and manual modes of the ride-on lawnmower 100 based on the division between the automatic mowing area and the manual mowing area. Specifically, it may allow the ride-on lawnmower 100 to enter autonomous mode for automatic mowing within the automatic mowing area, and / or may restrict the ride-on lawnmower 100 from entering autonomous mode for automatic mowing within the manual mowing area. Following the foregoing, in some embodiments, in response to the activation of components such as the autonomous operation button to indicate that the ride-on lawnmower 100 is in autonomous mode, the control module 170, after confirming that the ride-on lawnmower 100 is currently in the automatic mowing area, may control the ride-on lawnmower 100 to enter autonomous mode and perform automatic mowing. However, if the autonomous operation button is activated but the control module 170 confirms that the ride-on lawnmower 100 is currently in the manual mowing area, then automatic mowing may not be permitted at this time. In some embodiments, even without an autonomous operation button, the control module 170 may control the ride-on lawnmower 100 to enter autonomous mode and perform automatic mowing in response to recognizing that the current positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower 100 is located in the automatic mowing area, and / or, in response to recognizing that the current positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower 100 is located in the manual mowing area, control the ride-on lawnmower 100 to enter manual mode and perform manual mowing. That is, the ride-on lawnmower 100 automatically performs mode switching after crossing the boundary between the automatic mowing area and the manual mowing area.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the riding lawnmower 100 is in the automatic mowing area and in autonomous mode, the control module 170 responds to signals emitted by the operation of driving-related operating components 130 such as the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and control lever described above, and can control the riding lawnmower 100 to switch to manual mode, thereby promptly returning control of the riding lawnmower 100 to the user in some emergency situations.

[0083] The following section supplements the technical solutions for location information quality assessment and manual / automatic mowing area division of the ride-on lawnmower 100 described above, using a commercial scenario. Once a ride-on lawnmower 100 has created a map for a work area, when it returns to that work area, it can access the existing map and utilize the location information quality and / or area division within it to perform a hybrid manual and automatic mowing operation. This map can be stored locally or accessed remotely. Similarly, once any ride-on lawnmower 100 in a cluster has created a map for a work area, when other ride-on lawnmowers 100 in the cluster return to that work area, they can access the existing map and utilize the location information quality and / or area division within it to perform a hybrid manual and automatic mowing operation. This map can be accessed remotely or further stored locally. Map access may involve grid scaling issues, as detailed above.

[0084] Considering that even within the same work area, the environment is not static, the map created upon initial arrival may become invalid in future use, necessitating updates to the location information quality, area divisions, and other content in the original map. In some embodiments, the automated location scoring and map area division can be manually triggered. For example, after observing significant changes in the environment, the user can manually trigger the ride-on lawnmower 100 to rebuild a map containing new automated scores and / or area divisions. Alternatively, the automated location scoring and map area division can be triggered automatically by the machine. For instance, the ride-on lawnmower 100 can determine the time interval between the creation / update time of the currently used map and the current work time, and rebuild a new map if a long time has passed. It can also use the similarity of currently collected environmental images to determine whether it is necessary to rebuild a new map. In some embodiments, the location information automation score and map region division are updated synchronously. For example, when the same ride-on lawnmower 100 or other ride-on lawnmowers 100 in a cluster of 100 reach a certain work area again, it can re-acquire the automation score of the location information in each grid during this mowing operation. Furthermore, it can change the region type of the grid and adjust the boundary between manual and automatic mowing areas when the relationship between the grid automation score and a preset threshold changes. The aforementioned location information automation score and map region division are updated synchronously in real time. In other embodiments, the location information automation score and map region division are updated asynchronously. For example, the location information automation score can be updated instantly as described above, while the map region division can be updated after each work session or periodically.

[0085] In addition, some additional information regarding (grid) map creation is needed. When the ride-on lawnmower 100 first arrives at an unfamiliar work site, to build a map, it needs to clearly define the boundaries of the work area to be mowed. These boundaries can be physical or virtual, and the boundary information is stored with the map to control the ride-on lawnmower 100 from going outside the boundaries when using the map. In some embodiments, the ride-on lawnmower 100 can operate in manual mode and walk along physical / virtual boundary lines. During this movement, the aforementioned RTK components and other sensor components 160 will provide boundary information, specifically the positioning information of multiple boundary points on the boundary line. In some embodiments, the boundary information of the current work area of ​​the ride-on lawnmower 100 can be obtained from external devices via IoT. For example, a user can use a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or other external device and select the work area or outline the boundary lines of the work area in an application running on it, obtaining the boundary information through coordinate transformation and other means. In addition to boundary information, the location information of obstacles, restricted areas, and other areas that the equipment should avoid also needs to be marked when building the map. In some embodiments, when the ride-on lawnmower 100 first arrives at an unfamiliar work site, it can operate in manual mode and walk around the restricted area to acquire restricted area information from the sensor component 160 during the walk; alternatively, it can acquire restricted area information via IoT. It should be noted that the aforementioned restricted area information should be the positioning information of a closed-loop area to prevent the ride-on lawnmower 100 from entering the restricted area through gaps. Similarly, the aforementioned boundary information and / or restricted area information is also updatable after initial creation.

[0086] It is understood that the various technical solutions of the ride-on lawnmower 100 proposed in this application can also be applied to other outdoor power equipment without conflict. In some embodiments, the above embodiments can also be applied to lawnmower robots, snowplows, or all-terrain vehicles, etc.

[0087] Correspondingly, this application also proposes a method for dividing a map into manually operated and automatically operated regions. This method may include the following steps:

[0088] S910 divides the map of the work area into grids and obtains the automated score of each grid.

[0089] S920 connects and marks grids with automation scores exceeding a preset threshold as automatic regions, and / or connects and marks grids with automation scores below a preset threshold as manual regions.

[0090] In one optional implementation, the automated score for obtaining each grid cell in the map, as described in S910, can be calculated based on positioning accuracy such as RTK positioning accuracy, radar positioning accuracy, and image positioning accuracy within each grid cell. The weight of RTK positioning accuracy in the grid automation score is adjustable; in some embodiments, its weight ranges from 40% to 80%. In some embodiments, after dividing the aforementioned automated and manual areas in S920, the method further includes S930, which manages the switching between automated and manual operations based on the divided automated and manual areas. Other related implementation methods can be referred to the preceding text and will not be repeated here.

[0091] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments do not limit this application in any way, and all technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A ride-on lawnmower, comprising: The passenger seat is configured to carry users. The host unit supports the manned position; A cutting assembly, including a mowing element, is mounted to the main unit; The walking wheel assembly is configured to drive the ride-on lawnmower. A walking motor, configured to drive the walking wheel assembly; An operating component that can be operated by the user to control the ride-on lawnmower; A sensor assembly configured to acquire the positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower; The control module is electrically connected to the walking motor, the operating components, and the sensor components; The ride-on lawnmower has a manual mode and an autonomous mode. The control module is configured to issue control commands to control the walking motor based on signals from the operating components in the manual mode; and to issue control commands to control the walking motor based on the positioning information from the sensor components in the autonomous mode. The control module is further configured to prompt the user to switch between the autonomous mode and the manual mode based on the quality of the positioning information.

2. The riding lawnmower according to claim 1, wherein, The ride-on lawnmower also includes a memory configured to store a map of the work area of ​​the ride-on lawnmower, the map carrying the quality of the location information.

3. The riding lawnmower according to claim 2, wherein, The map is a grid map composed of multiple grids, and the grid accuracy of the grid map is determined based on the capacity of the memory and / or the operating speed of the control module.

4. The riding lawnmower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The quality of the positioning information is positively correlated with the positioning accuracy of the current location of the riding lawnmower.

5. The riding lawnmower according to claim 4, wherein, The sensor assembly includes one or more of the following: RTK assembly, vision sensor, and radar sensor.

6. The riding lawnmower according to claim 4, wherein, The positioning accuracy includes RTK positioning accuracy.

7. The riding lawnmower according to claim 6, wherein, The quality of the positioning information is the automated score of each grid cell in the grid map; the control module is further configured to determine the automated score of each grid cell based on multiple factors including the positioning mode identifier bit, positioning standard deviation, and accuracy attenuation factor of RTK positioning.

8. The riding lawnmower according to claim 4, wherein, The quality of the location information is the automation score of each grid in the grid map; the control module is configured to prompt the user to switch to the autonomous mode when the automation score of the grid corresponding to the current location information exceeds a preset threshold and the riding lawnmower is in manual mode. And / or, if the automation score of the grid corresponding to the current location information is lower than a preset threshold and the riding lawnmower is in autonomous mode, the user is prompted to switch to the manual mode.

9. The riding lawnmower according to claim 4, wherein, The quality of the location information is the automation score of each grid in the grid map; the control module is further configured to connect and mark the grids whose automation scores exceed a preset threshold as automatic mowing areas, and / or connect and mark the grids whose automation scores do not exceed the preset threshold as manual mowing areas. And based on the region type to which the current location information belongs, prompt the user to switch between the autonomous mode and the manual mode.

10. A rideable lawnmower, comprising: The passenger seat is configured to carry users. The host unit supports the manned position; A cutting assembly, including a mowing element, is mounted to the main unit; The walking wheel assembly is configured to drive the ride-on lawnmower. A walking motor, configured to drive the walking wheel assembly; An operating component that can be operated by the user to control the ride-on lawnmower; A sensor assembly configured to acquire the positioning information of the ride-on lawnmower; A memory configured to store a map of the working area of ​​the ride-on lawnmower; The control module is electrically connected to the walking motor, the operating components, and the sensor components; The ride-on lawnmower has a manual mode and an autonomous mode. The control module is configured to: in the manual mode, issue control commands based on signals from the operating components to control the walking motor; and in the autonomous mode, issue control commands based on the positioning information from the sensor components to control the walking motor. The map is a grid map, and each grid cell of the grid map has an automation score. The control module is further configured to connect and mark grid cells whose automation scores exceed a preset threshold as automatic mowing areas. And, allows the ride-on lawnmower to enter the autonomous mode within the automatic mowing area.

11. The riding lawnmower according to claim 10, wherein, The ride-on lawnmower also includes an autonomous operation button. When the autonomous operation button is activated and the ride-on lawnmower is located within the automatic mowing area, the control module controls the ride-on lawnmower to enter the autonomous mode.

12. The riding lawnmower according to claim 10, wherein, The control module prevents the ride-on lawnmower from entering the autonomous mode when it is located in a non-automatic mowing area.

13. The riding lawnmower according to claim 10, wherein, The operating components include one or more of a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and control lever. In response to the operation of any one of the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and control lever, the control module controls the riding lawnmower to switch to the manual mode.

14. The riding lawnmower according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein, After the ride-on lawnmower arrives at an unfamiliar work area, it travels within the work area in manual mode to obtain the automation score of each grid within the work area. Based on the automation score, it connects and marks the automatically mowing area and stores it with the grid map. After arriving at the work area again, the ride-on lawnmower controls the switching between the autonomous mode and the manual mode based on the automatically mowing area in the stored grid map.

15. The riding lawnmower according to claim 14, wherein, After the ride-on lawnmower returns to the work area, it updates the currently stored grid map based on the automation scores of each grid in the work area newly acquired during this work.

16. The riding lawnmower according to claim 14, wherein, After the ride-on lawnmower arrives at an unfamiliar work area, it moves within the work area in manual mode to obtain boundary information and / or restricted area information of the work area and stores it with the grid map.

Images