Lawn and garden control module

Control apparatus for monitoring and controlling operation of a lawn mower, said lawn mower including a mowing blade and further including a first input switch that controls operation of a lawn mower source of power, said control apparatus comprising:

• a) a programmable controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower, said controller including i) a controller interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower and for controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower and ii) said controller further including a controller memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower;
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• b) said controller interface coupled to a plurality of input switches for monitoring a plurality of signals corresponding to status conditions of said plurality of input switches during operation of the lawn mower;
• c) said instructions including instructions for storing a number of switch actuations for one or more of said plurality of input switches in a non-volatile memory.

Control apparatus for monitoring and controlling operation of a lawn mower, said lawn mower including a mowing blade and further including a first input switch that controls operation of a lawn mower source of power, said control apparatus comprising:

• a) a programmable controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower, said controller including i) a controller interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower and for controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower and ii) said controller further including a controller memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower;
• b) said controller interface coupled to a plurality of input switches for monitoring a plurality of signals corresponding to status conditions of said plurality of input switches during operation of the lawn mower;
• and
• c) a connector for routing signals to the controller interface from switches supported by the lawn mower and further comprising a test circuit that can be coupled to the connector for communicating signals to and from the programmable controller.

Control apparatus for monitoring and controlling operation of a lawn mower, said lawn mower including a mowing blade and further including an ignition switch that controls operation of a lawn mower source of power that rotates said blade by coupling a battery signal through a lawn mower ignition system in response to user actuation of said ignition switch, said control apparatus comprising:

• a) a programmable controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower, said controller including i) a controller interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower and for controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower and ii) said controller further including a controller memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower;
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• b) a visual display coupled to the programmable controller for displaying an updated status of the mower wherein said instructions enable said controller to determine a status condition based on sensed inputs and to output a signal from the interface of said controller that updates the display based on said status condition;
• c) said controller interface including an input for monitoring battery voltage and updating the visual display based on a sensed battery voltage.

Control apparatus for monitoring and controlling operation of a lawn mower, said lawn mower including a mowing blade, a source of power for rotating the blade, and including an starter system having a battery that controls operation of said source of power, said control apparatus comprising:

• a) a programmable controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower, said controller including i) a controller interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower and for controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower and ii) said controller further including a controller memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower;
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• b) a visual display coupled to the programmable controller for displaying an updated status of the mower wherein said instructions enable said controller to determine a status condition based on sensed inputs and to update the display based on a sensed status condition;
• c) said controller interface including an input for determining if the source of power is activated and wherein said instructions place the programmable controller in a low power consumption mode to conserve battery life.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
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• g) a visual display coupled to the controller for displaying a status of the lawn mower or the garden tractor based on conditions sensed by inputs to the input and output interface;
• h) said controller including in said controller memory a specific message for display on the visual display at predetermined intervals during operation of said lawn mower.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
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• g) wherein the controller monitors speed of movement of the lawn mower or garden tractor and engine or motor speed and wherein the controller outputs a signal based on the combination of speed of movement and engine or motor speed.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the riding lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• g) wherein the lawn mower or garden tractor includes an internal combustion engine and wherein the programmable controller instructions inhibit operation of said lawn mower or garden tractor by shorting a connection across an engine magneto and additionally discontinues supply of fuel to said engine.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• g) wherein the lawn mower or garden tractor includes an internal combustion engine and wherein the programmable controller controls delivery of fuel to said engine by means of a fuel solenoid that opens and closes a fuel valve.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• g) wherein the control for selectively engaging the power take off comprises a clutch and wherein the programmable controller sends a signal to the control to disengage the clutch and confirms a status of the clutch based on a change of state of a signal for monitoring a status of the clutch.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor and a plurality of additional switches that control operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• and
• g) wherein the controller stores a count of switch actuations in a controller memory.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the riding lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor and a plurality of additional switches that control operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor, said plurality of switches including a power take off switch and a reverse switch;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off in response to actuation of the power take off switch;
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
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• g) said controller including instructions for monitoring simultaneous activation of the reverse and power take off switch and for deactivating the power take off if both the reverse and the power take off switch are actuated.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an internal combustion engine for rotating one or more wheels of the riding lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a clutch for selectively engaging the power take off;
• e) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• f) an ignition switch coupled to the controller that can be actuated by the operator to start the engine;
• g) a starter coupled to an output of the controller for starting the engine;
• h) a single pole switch coupled to the controller for controlling the clutch to selectively engage the power take off input and for monitoring an operator presence on said seat;
• and
• i) a single pole switch coupled to the controller for monitoring an operator presence within the operator zone;
• j) said controller monitoring the inputs to determine if a start signal is coupled to the controller from the ignition switch and a safety status of said single pole switches and in response thereto outputting a starter activation signal in response to said start signal to start the engine.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) wherein a location on the chassis defines an operator zone for an operator to occupy during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
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• g) an optical sensor mounted to the chassis for determining presence of an operator on the lawn mower or garden tractor and for communicating a signal indicating said presence to the controller;
• h) said instructions including instructions for disabling one or more functions of the lawn mower or garden tractor in the event a presence of an operator is not sensed by the optical sensor.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, a steering wheel for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining a location of an operator zone for an operator to occupy during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• and
• g) a sensor mounted to the chassis within reach of the operator for monitoring a presence of a magnetic object for resetting one or more memory locations of said controller in response to the operator moving an magnetic object into proximity to said sensor.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining a location on the chassis for an operator to occupy during operation of the riding lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor;
• e) a control for selectively engaging the power take off;
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a controller memory for storing data to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• g) a battery for providing power to said controller;
• and
• h) a wiring harness for coupling signals from the first switch and one or more other switches to said controller for conveying a status of the lawn mower or garden tractor to the controller, said wiring harness including a connector that can be disconnected to expose an I/O port of the controller to signals from an alternate source for adjusting data stored in said controller memory.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the riding lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) one or more lamps for illuminating a region of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• e) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor and a plurality of additional switches that control operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• g) wherein the controller maintains at least one lamp in an on condition subsequent to a shutting down of the engine or motor.

A lawn mower or garden tractor comprising:

• a) a chassis, wheels, apparatus for steering the lawn mower or garden tractor, and a power take off;
• b) said chassis defining an operator zone during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) an engine or motor for rotating one or more wheels of the riding lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) a first switch that can be actuated by the operator to activate the engine or motor and a plurality of additional switches that control operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• e) a battery and supported by said chassis;
• and
• f) a controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) an input and output interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor and ii) further including a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• g) wherein said controller is coupled to the battery to monitor battery voltage and further comprises an interface for coupling to a battery charger for routing battery charger signals to said battery in response to a sensed low battery voltage.

A process for controlling operation of a lawn mower or garden tractor having a control for engaging a power take off and an ignition system that controls running of an engine or motor, said process comprising:

• a) monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor by routing input signals representing a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor to a controller;
• b) saving one or more status indicating variables in a controller memory for use in implementing a control over operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) outputting control outputs from a controller interface that regulate operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor;
• d) determining a condition of the lawn mower or garden tractor based on sensed input signals and the one or more status indicating variables;
• and
• e) outputting a signal from the interface of said controller to a visual display at a specified time during operation of the lawn mower or garden tractor to display one or more messages stored in a memory of said controller.

Control apparatus for monitoring and controlling operation of a lawn mower or garden tractor, said lawn mower or garden tractor including a control for engaging a power take off from a source of power, said control apparatus comprising:

• a) a first input switch that controls operation of a source of power that selectively rotates the power take off,
• b) one or more additional input switches that control operation of said lawn mower or garden tractor;
• c) a programmable controller for monitoring a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor, said controller including i) a controller interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of said lawn mower or garden tractor and for controlling outputs that regulate operation of the lawn mower and garden tractor ii) said controller further including a controller memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the lawn mower;
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• d) interface circuitry for coupled status signals from at least one input switch to said controller, said interface circuitry providing a regulated current to an input switch terminal and monitoring a voltage drop across the input switch to determine its open or closed status.