# US 7,610,738 B2 · Greens mower data display and controller > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,738 B2 - Document ID: US7610738B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/099,490 - Filed: 2008-04-08 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-02 - Assignees: Textron Inc. - Inventors: J. Shawn Daly; Carlos A. Bellot - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610738B2 ## CPC - A01D 34/62: Other details - A01D 34/006: {Control or measuring arrangements} - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING ## Abstract A turf maintenance vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a traction drive system structured and operable to provide movement of the vehicle across a ground surface, and an electric motor structured and operable to provide rotation of a cutting device that includes a plurality of cutting blades. The vehicle additionally includes a vehicle controller that is configured to receive a programmable vehicle clip rate data input and monitor a groundspeed of the vehicle and a rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. The controller is additionally configured to actively control the electric motor based on the monitored vehicle groundspeed to thereby actively control the rotational speed of the cutting device in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A turf maintenance vehicle, said vehicle comprising: a traction drive system structured and operable to provide movement of the vehicle across a ground surface; an electric motor structured and operable to provide rotation of a cutting device including a plurality of cutting blades; and a vehicle controller configured to: receive a programmable vehicle clip rate data input; monitor a groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; monitor a rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and actively control the electric motor based on the monitored vehicle groundspeed to actively control the rotational speed of the cutting device in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a current provided to the electric motor and disengage the electric motor from the cutting device when the controller senses an increase in the current indicative of a jam or overloading of the cutting device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a data display communicatively coupled to the vehicle controller and operable to actively display at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the data display is operable to actively display the at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface using multinational languages. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the data display is operable to actively display the at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface using multinational units of measure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the data display is operable to actively display the at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface using at least one of multinational languages and units of measure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the traction drive system is further structured and operable to provide a groundspeed signal to the vehicle controller indicative of the groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a lawn roller operably coupled to the traction drive system; and a speed sensor operably coupled to the lawn roller and operable to provide a groundspeed signal to the vehicle controller indicative of the groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is connectable to a master controller to receive the vehicle clip rate data input from the master controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to wirelessly communicate with a master controller to receive the vehicle clip rate data input from the master controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to: monitor at least one of a speed of a drive motor operably coupled to the traction drive system, a current draw of the electric motor and an overall system voltage as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and actively control the electric motor based on at least one of the monitored drive motor speed, the monitored electric motor current draw and the monitored overall system voltage to actively control the rotational speed of the cutting device in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to actively control at least one of the electrical motor and the traction drive system, based on the monitored rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface and at least one of: the monitored groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; the monitored drive motor speed as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; the monitored electric motor current draw as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and the monitored overall system voltage as the vehicle moves across the ground surface, to actively control the groundspeed of the vehicle in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 13 A turf maintenance vehicle, said vehicle comprising: a traction drive system structured and operable to provide movement of the vehicle across a ground surface; an electric motor structured and operable to provide rotation of a cutting device including a plurality of cutting blades; and a vehicle controller configured to: wirelessly communicate with a master controller to receive a programmable vehicle clip rate data input; monitor a groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; monitor a rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and actively control the electric motor based on the monitored vehicle groundspeed to actively control the rotational speed of the cutting device in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a current provided to the electric motor and disengage the electric motor from the cutting device when the controller senses an increase in the current indicative of a jam or overloading of the cutting device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle further comprises a data display communicatively coupled to the vehicle controller and operable to actively display at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the data display is operable to actively display the at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface using multinational languages. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the data display is operable to actively display the at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface using multinational units of measure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the traction drive system is further structured and operable to provide a groundspeed signal to the vehicle controller indicative of the groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, further comprising: a lawn roller operably coupled to the traction drive system; and a speed sensor operably coupled to the lawn roller and operable to provide a groundspeed signal to the vehicle controller indicative of the groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle controller is connectable to the master controller to receive the vehicle clip rate data input from the master controller. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to: monitor at least one of a speed of a drive motor operably coupled to the traction drive system, a current draw of the electric motor and an overall system voltage as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and actively control the electric motor based on at least one of the monitored drive motor speed, the monitored electric motor current draw and the monitored overall system voltage to actively control the rotational speed of the cutting device in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to actively control at least one of the drive motor and the traction drive system, based on the monitored rotational speed of the cutting device the vehicle moves across the ground surface and at least one of: the monitored groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; the monitored drive motor speed as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; the monitored electric motor current draw as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and the monitored overall system voltage as the vehicle moves across the ground surface, to actively control the groundspeed of the vehicle in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 23 A turf maintenance vehicle, said vehicle comprising: a drive motor operably coupled to a traction drive system structured and operable to provide movement of the vehicle across a ground surface; an electric motor structured and operable to provide rotation of a cutting device including a plurality of cutting blades; and a vehicle controller configured to: receive a programmable vehicle clip rate data input; monitor a speed of the drive motor as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; monitor a groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; monitor a rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and actively control at least one of the electric motor and the traction drive system, based on the monitored rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface and at least one of the monitored groundspeed and the monitored drive motor speed to actively control the groundspeed of the vehicle in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a current provided to the electric motor and disengage the electric motor from the cutting device when the controller senses an increase in the current indicative of a jam or overloading of the cutting device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the vehicle further comprises a data display communicatively coupled to the vehicle controller and operable to actively display at least one of the programmed clip rate, the vehicle ground speed, the cutting device rotational speed and the clip rate as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the traction drive system is further structured and operable to provide a groundspeed signal to the vehicle controller indicative of the groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, further comprising: a lawn roller operably coupled to the traction drive system; and a speed sensor operably coupled to the lawn roller and operable to provide a groundspeed signal to the vehicle controller indicative of the groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to wirelessly communicate with a master controller to receive the vehicle clip rate data input from the master controller. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to: monitor at least one of a current draw of the electric motor and an overall system voltage as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and actively control the at least one of the drive motor and the traction drive system based on the monitored rotational speed of the cutting device as the vehicle moves across the ground surface and at least one of the monitored electric motor current draw and the monitored overall system voltage to actively control the groundspeed of the vehicle in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The vehicle of claim 29, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to actively control the electric motor based at least one of: the monitored groundspeed of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; the monitored drive motor speed as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; the monitored electric motor current draw as the vehicle moves across the ground surface; and the monitored overall system voltage as the vehicle moves across the ground surface, to actively control the rotational speed of the cutting device in order to maintain the programmed clip rate of the vehicle as the vehicle moves across the ground surface.