US 12,727,530 B2Granted

Environment maintenance system and weeder robot

AssigneePixart Imaging Inc.

InventorsYen-Min Chang, Shih-Feng Chen, Han-Lin Chiang

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Abstract

A weeder robot includes a movable carrier and a blade module assembled to the movable carrier. The movable carrier includes a map creating module and a control module that is electrically coupled to the blade module and the map creating module. The map creating module includes an infrared unit and a vision sensing unit. The infrared unit can emit and receive an infrared light. The vision sensing unit can obtain an image information in a non-contact manner. The movable carrier can be used to move in a court, so that the map creating module can generate a three-dimensional (3D) court map through cooperation between the infrared unit and the vision sensing unit. When the weeder robot performs a maintenance process, the control module drives the blade module to weed a portion of a lawn higher than a predetermined height according to the 3D court map.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An environment maintenance system for being applied to a building and a court that is located around the building, the environment maintenance system comprising:

a charging station;
a blade module disposed in and charged from the charging station;
and
a movable carrier capable of having the blade module assembled thereon from the charging station, so as to jointly define as a weeder robot, wherein the movable carrier includes:
a control module electrically coupled to the blade module;
and
a map creating module electrically coupled to the control module and including:
an infrared unit configured to emit infrared light in a predetermined area and configured to receive the infrared light reflected from the predetermined area;
and
a vision sensing unit configured to obtain an image information in a non-contact manner, wherein the map creating module is capable of determining a topography of environment and heights of objects in the predetermined area through a cooperation between the infrared light received by the infrared unit and the image information obtained by the vision sensing unit;
wherein, when the movable carrier is moved in the court according to a predetermined schedule, the map creating module is configured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) court map corresponding to the court through the cooperation between the infrared unit and the vision sensing unit;
wherein, when the weeder robot performs a maintenance process in the court according to the predetermined schedule, the control module is configured to drive the blade module to weed a portion of a lawn higher than a predetermined height according to the 3D court map;
wherein the blade module includes a plurality of blades located at different heights, and the control module is configured to select one of the blades to perform the maintenance process according to the predetermined height.

10 more elements

A weeder robot, comprising:

a movable carrier including:
a control module;
and
a map creating module electrically coupled to the control module and including:
an infrared unit configured to emit infrared light in a predetermined area and configured to receive the infrared light reflected from the predetermined area;
and
a vision sensing unit configured to obtain an image information in a non-contact manner, wherein the map creating module is capable of determining a topography of environment and heights of objects in the predetermined area through a cooperation between the infrared light received by the infrared unit and the image information obtained by the vision sensing unit;
wherein, when the movable carrier is moved in a court according to a predetermined schedule, the map creating module is configured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) court map corresponding to the court through the cooperation between the infrared unit and the vision sensing unit;
and
a blade module assembled to the movable carrier and electrically coupled to the control module;
wherein, when the weeder robot performs a maintenance process in the court according to the predetermined schedule, the control module is configured to drive the blade module to weed a portion of a lawn higher than a predetermined height according to the 3D court map;
wherein the blade module includes a plurality of blades located at different heights, and the control module is configured to select one of the blades to perform the maintenance process according to the predetermined height.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/219,757Filed 10 Jul 2023
Published: US 2025/0017138 A116 Jan 2025
Granted: 8 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

A01D 34/008
Control or measuring arrangements: for automated or remotely controlled operation
A01D 34/78
Driving mechanisms for the cutters: electric
A47L 9/2805
Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means:…
A47L 9/2842
Characterised by the parts which are controlled: suction motors or blowers