Mower Path Angle Selection for Better Border Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mowers often leave significant areas uncut around the border of a mowed area due to the need to turn and make additional passes, especially when cutting paths with parallel lines.

Innovation Solution

A method for selecting angles that align with the boundary of the mowing area, using boundary segment vectors and dot products to determine a best aligned angle for parallel lines, minimizing uncut grass by optimizing path planning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the mower traverses a path with parallel lines at fixed angles, then the mowing path is simple to plan and execute, but significant grass remains uncut around the border area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of path planningVSAvoidmowing coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the angular parameter of the parallel lines from fixed standard angles to variable angles that are dynamically adjusted to align with the boundary geometry. By calculating the angle between boundary segments and the parallel lines, and adjusting the line angles accordingly, the system maximizes border coverage while maintaining the efficiency of parallel line mowing patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the mower makes additional passes along the border to fully cut the field, then complete mowing coverage is achieved, but the mowing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemowing coverageVSAvoidmowing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculation of the optimal angle alignment between parallel lines and boundary segments before executing the mowing path. By pre-computing the angle that maximizes border coverage and incorporating this into the path planning, the system eliminates the need for additional corrective passes, saving time while ensuring complete coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the parallel lines are oriented perpendicular to the boundary, then the mowing pattern is simple and systematic, but the amount of uncut grass around irregular borders increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemowing pattern simplicityVSAvoidboundary alignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by allowing the angle of parallel lines to vary depending on the local boundary geometry. Instead of using a uniform angle throughout the entire field, the system calculates and applies different angles in different segments of the field based on the orientation of boundary segments, thereby optimizing coverage at each location while maintaining overall pattern coherence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12535833B2Angle selection for mower path planning

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 FIREFLY AUTOMATIX

AI summary

Techniques are provided for selecting one or more angles for parallel lines of a path a mower will traverse while cutting an area. Each angle can be selected based on its alignment with the boundary of the area to thereby minimize the amount of grass that will remain uncut when the mower traverses a path that includes parallel lines at the selected angle.