Robotic working tool and work area boundary sensing method

#This application relates to robotic working tools and in particular to a robotic working tool, a robotic working tool system, a computer readable medium and a method for improved work area boundary sensing by a robotic working tool, such as a lawnmower.

#Automated or robotic power tools such as robotic lawnmowers are becoming increasingly more popular. In robotic working tool systems, such as robotic lawnmower systems, it is an important safety aspect that the robotic working tool 100 can always sense the control signal emitted through the boundary wire 250. This is to ensure that the robotic working tool 100 is made aware of whether the control signal is active or not, so that a cut or break in the boundary may resulting in a dead and non-functioning boundary wire no longer acting as a delimiter, can be detected before the robotic working tool crosses the boundary wire.

#By ensuring that the robotic working tool can always hear the control signal or rather pick up the magnetic field emitted by the control signal, the robotic working tool is also ensured to never cross a dead boundary wire, as it can stop its operation when the signal goes dead.

#The invention will be described in further detail under reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1A shows an example of a robotic lawnmower according to an embodiment of the teachings herein;

#FIG. 1B shows a schematic view of the components of an example of a robotic lawnmower according to an embodiment of the teachings herein;

#The disclosed embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

#It should be noted that even though the description given herein will be focused on robotic lawnmowers, the teachings herein may also be applied to robotic cleaners such as robotic vacuum cleaners and/or robotic floor cleaners, robotic ball collectors, robotic mine sweepers, robotic farming equipment, or other robotic working tools to be employed in a work area defined by a boundary wire.

#FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a robotic working tool 100, here exemplified by a robotic lawnmower 100, having a body comprising a cover 132 and a chassis 140 and a plurality of wheels 130 (only one shown). As can be seen, the robotic lawnmower 100 may comprise charging skids for contacting contact plates when docking into a charging station (not shown in FIG. 1A, but referenced 210 in FIG. 2) for receiving a charging current through, and possibly also for transferring information by means of electrical communication between the charging station and the robotic lawnmower 100.