System comprising a first ground processing device and a second ground processing device and method for operating such a system

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing soil processing systems lack efficient integration of manually guided and automatically operated devices to define and respect 'no-go' areas within an environment, leading to inefficient operation and potential conflicts between the two types of devices.

Innovation Solution

The system allows the second automatically operated soil processing device to receive and analyze movement path information from a manually guided first device, using this data to define and avoid 'no-go' areas, which are areas not traversed by the first device, enabling the second device to autonomously adjust its path and operation based on user intentions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the second automatically operated soil processing device traverses the entire environment to ensure complete coverage, then the area coverage is improved, but the device may enter areas that are not intended for processing (no-go areas), leading to inefficient operation and potential conflicts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearea coverageVSAvoidoperational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by having the manually guided first device explore and map the environment before the automatic second device operates. The first device traverses the environment, identifies no-go areas, and creates a map that the second device uses to plan its path, preventing unnecessary traversal of forbidden areas beforehand

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by transmitting the map created by the first device to the second device. The second device receives information about no-go areas and uses this feedback to adjust its navigation and avoid areas that should not be processed, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining area coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the manually guided first device is used to define no-go areas through user interaction, then the adaptability to user intentions is improved, but the time required for environment mapping increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser intention recognitionVSAvoidmapping time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies self-service by enabling the first device to autonomously explore and map the environment without continuous user intervention. The device independently identifies no-go areas and creates a comprehensive map, reducing the time users need to spend manually defining boundaries while still capturing user intentions through the device's autonomous operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the second device operates autonomously without integrated information from the first device, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device cannot recognize user-defined boundaries, leading to potential conflicts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous operationVSAvoidcompliance with boundaries
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses an intermediary approach by introducing a communication and data transmission mechanism between the first and second devices. The map and no-go area information serve as an intermediary that bridges the autonomous operation capability of the second device with the user-defined boundaries established by the first device, ensuring both ease of operation and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3683645B1System comprising a first ground processing device and a second ground processing device and method for operating such a system
Publication Date: 2021.11.10 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3683645B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3683645B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3683645B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a system with a first soil cultivation device (1) and a second soil cultivation device (2), wherein the second soil cultivation device (2) is configured to orient and locate itself within an environment using an environment map (9).To further develop such a system advantageously, it is proposed that the first tillage implement (1) is configured to detect a movement path (3) of the first tillage implement (1) during its movement and to transmit information about the detected movement path (3) to the second tillage implement (2), wherein the second tillage implement (2) has a control and evaluation unit (8) configured to analyze the received information and, based on the movement path (3) detected by the first tillage implement (1) and/or a sub-area (11, 12) of the environment not traversed by the movement path (3), to enter a no-go area (15) into the environment map (9), which the second tillage implement (2) is not allowed to enter.