Virtual Stay-Out Area Mapping for Robotic Work Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic work tool systems face challenges in efficiently and accurately defining stay-out areas within a work area, which are regions that the robotic tool should avoid, often requiring significant user intervention and time.
Innovation Solution
A robotic work tool system that utilizes a boundary definition unit with a position unit and controller to define stay-out areas by centering them at an offset from the unit's position, triggered by a stay-out area definition signal, allowing for quick and precise definition without needing to traverse the entire area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If boundary wires are manually set up to define work areas and stay-out areas, then the robotic work tool can accurately identify boundaries using magnetic field sensing, but the installation process becomes very time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical boundary wire system with a satellite-based positioning system. Instead of using physical wires that generate magnetic fields, the robotic work tool uses satellite navigation signals to determine its position and identify boundaries through coordinate data, eliminating the need for manual wire installation while maintaining boundary detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the boundary information through satellite positioning coordinates rather than using physical boundary wires. The boundary definition is captured as positional data from satellite navigation, which the controller then uses to establish virtual boundaries, replacing the physical wire representation with a digital coordinate-based representation
2Loss of time
If the robotic work tool uses satellite navigation and virtual boundaries to define work areas, then installation time is reduced, but it becomes difficult to accurately define and exclude specific stay-out areas within the work area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the robotic work tool to automatically define stay-out areas by itself without requiring manual intervention. The controller monitors the tool's own position via satellite navigation and automatically identifies and excludes areas where the tool should not operate, based on pre-programmed criteria or automatic detection, making the system self-configuring for stay-out area definition
3Measurement precision
If multiple stay-out areas are defined one by one manually within a work area, then each area can be accurately positioned, but the overall setup process becomes extremely time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-defining multiple stay-out area boundaries using satellite positioning coordinates before the robotic work tool begins operation. The controller stores multiple boundary coordinate sets in advance, allowing the tool to automatically recognize and avoid all predefined stay-out areas without requiring sequential manual configuration during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple individual stay-out area definitions into a unified coordinate-based boundary system. Instead of treating each stay-out area as a separate manual configuration task, the system combines all boundaries into a single set of positional data that the controller processes collectively, enabling simultaneous management of multiple excluded areas
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables fast and accurate definition of stay-out areas, reducing installation time and ensuring precise boundary setting for robotic tools to operate within designated work areas while avoiding excluded regions.
Implementation Method 1
The boundary definition unit comprises at least one position unit configured to receive satellite navigation signals
Implementation Method 2
The least one controller is further configured to define the stay-out area as an area centered at an offset from the received position data
Data Source
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AI summary
A robotic work tool system (200) for defining a stay-out area (120) within a work area (150). The stay-out area (120) is an area which is to be excluded from the work area (150) in which a robotic work tool (100) is subsequently intended to operate. The robotic work tool system (200) comprises a boundary definition unit (130) comprising at least one position unit (175) configured to receive position data and at least one controller (110, 210). The controller (110,210) is configured to receive a stay-out area definition trigger signal, which indicates that the boundary definition unit (130) has approached the stay-out area to be defined. The controller (110,210) is further configured to receive, based on the received signal, position data indicating the present position of the boundary definition unit (130) from the position unit (175). The controller (110,210) is further configured to define the stay-out area (120) as an area centered at an offset from the received position data.