JP2016207158A - Autonomous work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce unevenness in work frequency in two work areas being interposed by a narrow path.SOLUTION: A lawn mower robot (1) in the embodiment, has a first travel mode (a) in which the lawn mower robot starts a travel in an arbitrary direction while avoiding an area wire (50), and a second travel mode (b) in which the lawn mower robot travels along the area wire (50) and when a preset mile stone event occurs appears in a direction within a loop enclosed by the area wire (50).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an autonomous work vehicle that performs autonomous traveling and performs predetermined work.

  Conventionally, lawn mowing robots are known as autonomous working vehicles that perform autonomous traveling and perform predetermined work.

  A general lawn mowing robot has a signal source that is also used as a charging station, an area wire that is connected to the signal source and forms a loop surrounding a work area, and a robot body that autonomously moves within the loop of the area wire. Consists of.

  An AC current is applied to the area wire from the signal source, and the robot body receives a magnetic field signal generated by the AC current, and performs lawn mowing while running at random, for example, inside the loop without leaving the loop. To do.

  Consider a case where a lawn mowing robot is used as an autonomous work vehicle to mow two gardens (areas A and B) existing on a site as shown in FIG.

  The two gardens exist on both sides of the building on the site and are connected by a passage (area C).

  The width of the passage is at least wider than the lawn mowing robot can travel and smaller than the widths of the areas A and B.

  The reason why the width of the region C is narrow is that, other than the case where buildings exist on both sides of the region C, for example, a lawn such as concrete or brick cannot be laid as a region where it is not desired to enter the region connecting the two gardens. There is a case where there is a region (a region used for a garage or the like) (FIG. 9).

  For example, when the area where the lawn mowing robot 1 is difficult to invade is connected to the area targeted for lawn mowing, the following problems occur.

  As described above, the lawn mowing robot works by directing the inside of the loop of the area wire in a random direction. The lawn mowing robot 1 that works in a random direction in this way works in the area B beyond the area C because it is difficult to enter the area C when there is a narrow area C in a part of the work area. There is a problem that the frequency decreases.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 10, an automatic lawn mower 202 is provided from a work area (1) in the site (area where the station 208 exists) to the work area (2) through a route (P). A guide wire 206 is provided for guiding.

  This guide wire 206 is used to guide the automatic lawn mower 202 from the work area (1) to the work area (2) through the narrow path (P), resulting in the narrow width of the path (P). A reduction in work frequency in the work area (2) is suppressed.

US Published Patent Publication “2013/0030609” (published January 31, 2013)

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to lay both the region wire and the guide wire, and additional facilities and peripheral functions related to the laying of the guide wire are necessary.

  Furthermore, there are problems such as an increase in labor of a laying operator who lays a guide wire.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its purpose is to reduce the deviation of work frequency with respect to two work areas existing through an area where a lawn mowing robot is difficult to enter without laying a guide wire. An object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous work vehicle that can be reduced.

  In order to solve the above problems, an autonomous work vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention has a function of detecting a signal of an energizable wire that forms a loop connected to a signal source and traveling, and In an autonomous work vehicle having a function of starting and returning from the signal source connected to a wire and performing work in a work area including at least two areas defined in the loop of the wire, avoid the wire. A first traveling mode that starts traveling in any direction, and a second traveling mode that travels along the wire and travels in a direction inside the loop of the wire when a preset knot event occurs, It is characterized by having.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, without laying a guide wire, without laying a guide wire, the deviation of work frequency with respect to two work areas existing through an area where an autonomous traveling vehicle is difficult to enter is reduced. There is an effect that makes it possible.

It is a schematic block diagram of the lawnmower robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of the lawn mowing robot shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the whole work object area | region of the lawn mowing robot shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the work control process of the lawn mowing robot in the area | region shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the whole work object area | region of the lawnmower robot which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the whole work object area | region of the lawnmower robot which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the whole work object area | region of the lawnmower robot which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the whole work object area | region of the lawnmower robot which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. 5 is a diagram for explaining a region C. FIG. It is a figure which shows the whole work object area | region of the conventional lawn mowing robot.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In the present embodiment, an example in which the autonomous work vehicle of the present invention is applied to a lawn mowing robot will be described. The same applies to the following second to fifth embodiments.

(Configuration of lawn mowing robot 1)
The configuration of the lawn mowing robot 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the lawn mowing robot 1, and FIG. 3 shows the entire work target area (site 40) of the lawn mowing robot 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lawn mowing robot 1 includes (i) a main body base 10, (ii) a rear wheel driving mechanism 11, a front wheel 12 and a rear wheel 13 constituting a moving mechanism, (iii) a battery 14, and (iv). A control unit 16 (control device), (v) a drive mechanism 119, (vi) a body outer casing (also a bumper) 20, and (vii) a rotary plate 19 having a lawn mowing cutter 17, (viii) GPS signal reception Unit 22 (position information acquisition unit), magnetic sensor 23, camera 33, and the like.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 is moved by the electric power stored in the battery 14. Specifically, the rear wheel drive mechanism 11 uses the drive motor 18 (see FIG. 1) provided in the rear wheel drive mechanism 11 to convert the electric power stored in the battery 14 into motive power, To drive. The front wheel 12 is a free wheel. In FIG. 2, the drive motor 18 is not shown.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 includes a rotating plate 19 having a lawn mowing cutter 17 at the bottom of the main body base 10. The rotating plate 19 rotates when power is transmitted from the drive mechanism 119 via a rotating shaft, and cuts grass, grass, and the like.

  The operation (movement, start / stop of work, etc.) of the mowing robot 1 is controlled by the control unit 16. The contents of the control by the control unit 16 are preinstalled in the lawn mowing robot 1 as a program or the like. The control unit 16 (the travel control unit 161, the work control unit 162, the event monitoring unit 163, and the travel mode switching unit 164) sends a lawn mowing robot 1 to the lawn mowing robot 1 in the work area (work regions: regions A and B in FIG. 3). Have the mowing work done. In the present embodiment, the work area is defined by a region wire (wire) 50.

(Operation of lawn mowing robot 1)
An outline of the operation of the lawn mowing robot 1 will be described. As described above, the operation of the lawn mowing robot 1 is controlled by the control unit 16.

  FIG. 3 shows an overview of the work area defined by the area wire 50.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the area wire 50 is laid on the ground or the like in the site 40 so as to form one closed area.

  Further, the region wire 50 is electrically connected (can be energized) to a signal source (hereinafter referred to as a charging station) 60.

  The charging station 60 allows a signal (alternating current) to flow through the region wire 50 that is connected to different terminals at both ends.

  As a result, a magnetic field is generated around the region wire 50 by the alternating current flowing in the region wire 50.

  In FIG. 3, one charging station 60 is illustrated, but a plurality of stations including the charging station 60 may be installed.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 normally stands by at the charging station 60 before work.

  When the work instruction is given, the lawn mowing robot 1 first departs from the charging station 60.

  The lawnmower robot 1 that is running detects the alternating current flowing through the area wire 50 as a magnetic field change by the magnetic sensor 23.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 can determine whether its current position is inside or outside the loop of the area wire 50 based on the waveform (phase) of the magnetic field change detected by the magnetic sensor 23.

  It should be noted that the magnetic sensor 23 of the lawn mowing robot 1 can sense a change in magnetic field even if it is away from the area wire 50 (for example, 25 m or more) if the self-position is inside the loop of the area wire 50.

  Further, the magnetic sensor 23 can also detect that the magnetic field has been lost (a power failure has occurred).

  The lawn mowing robot 1 performs lawn mowing work while moving randomly inside the area formed by the area wire 50.

  When the lawnmower robot 1 encounters (closes to) the area wire 50 during work, the lawn mowing robot 1 changes its direction so as not to go outside the area wire 50.

  Therefore, the lawn mowing robot 1 performs lawn mowing work inside the work area.

  When the lawn mowing work is completed, the lawn mowing robot 1 stops the work and moves along the area wire 50 to return to the charging station 60.

  When a plurality of charging stations 60 are installed, the lawnmower robot 1 may return to the nearest charging station 60.

  In this configuration, when there are two or more lawn mowing robots 1, each lawn mowing robot 1 may return to a different charging station 60.

  Further, the lawnmower robot 1 may stop working and return to the station for maintenance.

  If the work has been completed before returning to the charging station 60, the lawnmower robot 1 waits at the charging station 60 until receiving an instruction to perform the next work.

  On the other hand, if the work has not been completed before returning to the charging station 60, the lawnmower robot 1 starts again from the charging station 60 in order to resume the work.

  At this time, the lawn mowing robot 1 departs from the charging station 60 in a random direction (however, so as not to go outside the area wire 50).

  When the lawn mowing robot 1 starts work from the area A in the site 40 shown in FIG. 3 and is in the random running mode, the area C is narrower than the area A (third area: passage) in the work area. If there is an area between the house and the warehouse, the probability of entering the area C is low. Area C (third area) is an area connecting area A (first area) and area B (second area), and at least lawn mowing robot 1 (autonomous work vehicle) is one area. This is an area that can travel from (for example, area A) to the other area (for example, area B). Here, the region C is a region where the lawn mowing robot 1 cannot work (a region where lawn mowing cannot be performed), for example, a region where a lawn such as concrete or brick cannot be laid (a region used for a garage), or a narrow width. There are passages. It is difficult for the lawn mowing robot 1 to enter such an area. In the present embodiment, a path is described as an example of the region C in which the lawn mowing robot 1 is difficult to enter. Similarly, other embodiments will be described by taking a passage as an example of the region C.

  As a result, the frequency of working the area B ahead of the narrow area C (B must naturally be mowered with the same frequency as A) decreases.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the lawn mowing robot 1 has two traveling modes (a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode).

  Here, the mowing work by the mowing robot 1 using the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode will be briefly described.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 performs lawn mowing in the area A of FIG. 3 in the first traveling mode. The lawn mowing robot 1 returns to the charging station 60 once when the lawn mowing work in the area A is completed. The work so far is the first work. That is, the first work is a work that starts in the first travel mode from the charging station 60 that is a signal source, and cuts the lawn in the area A only in the first travel mode.

  In addition to the first operation, the lawn mowing robot 1 starts from the charging station 60 in the second traveling mode, forcibly passes through the region C along the region wire 50, and moves into the region B. After that, the second operation for switching the second traveling mode to the first traveling mode and mowing the lawn in the region B can also be executed. The ratio at which the mowing robot 1 executes the first work and the second work can be set by the user.

  Here, the lawnmower robot 1 waiting at the charging station 60 determines whether to start in the first traveling mode or the second traveling mode according to a preset plan. The preset plan is switched to the second traveling mode when, for example, mowing the area A in the first traveling mode twice. That is, when the lawn mowing is performed twice in the area A, the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode may be switched so that the lawn mowing in the area B is performed once.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 is forced to start toward the region B along the region wire 50 until it passes through the region C of FIG. 3 by the second traveling mode switched during standby in the charging station 60. After reaching region B, the mode is switched from the second travel mode to the first travel mode (random travel mode). Note that the first driving mode is not limited to the random driving mode, but is a driving mode that repeats the method of working in one row from the corner and shifting to the next row when the vehicle comes to the end. Alternatively, other travel modes may be used.

  Here, the second driving mode detects a knot event when reaching the region B or when it completely enters the region B, and automatically switches to the random driving mode at that stage. Start mowing work.

  As described above, by appropriately switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode, it is possible to work in both regions A and B with a substantially equal (or desired) frequency.

  As described above, the lawn mowing robot 1 has the function of forcibly entering the area C and always reaching the area B in the second traveling mode, and therefore the work frequency in the area B does not decrease. can get.

  Switching between the first travel mode (FIG. 3 (a)) and the second travel mode (FIG. 3 (b)) can be performed in advance by a user or the like.

  The knot event is set by a physical quantity, a detectable index, and the like after starting from the charging station 60 as a signal source.

  Here, as a method of setting the plan, as described above, when the lawn mowing is performed twice in the area A, the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode are switched so that the lawn mowing is performed once in the area B. Although it is conceivable that the area A and the area B can be worked almost equally (or desired), the area A and the area B are arranged at a frequency ratio of 1: 1 in the case of being almost equal. If you want to work, you can plan that way. Alternatively, according to the user, when it is desired to work the area A and the area B at a desired frequency ratio, for example, a frequency ratio of 3: 2, it can be set as such.

  In the present embodiment, the point at which five minutes have elapsed after the lawnmower robot 1 departs from the charging station 60 in the second traveling mode will be described as a knot event occurrence point.

(Details of control unit 16)
Details of the control unit 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the control unit 16.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 16 includes a travel control unit 161, a work control unit 162, an event monitoring unit 163 (event occurrence detection unit), and a travel mode switching unit 164.

  The travel control unit 161 moves the lawn mowing robot 1 by driving a drive motor 18 provided in the rear wheel drive mechanism 11.

  The traveling control unit 161 detects the magnetic field generated around the area wire 50 using the magnetic sensor 23 while the lawnmower robot 1 is moved.

  When the lawn mowing robot 1 encounters (closes to) the area wire 50, the traveling control unit 161 changes the direction of the lawn mowing robot 1 by changing the rotation direction of the rear wheel 13.

  The travel control unit 161 moves the lawn mowing robot 1 and receives feedback of movement distance information (information indicating the distance the lawn mowing robot 1 has moved from the charging station 60) from the distance meter 31 of the lawn mowing robot 1.

  Then, traveling control unit 161 outputs the acquired travel distance information to event monitoring unit 163.

  In addition, the travel control unit 161 acquires charge amount information (information indicating the charge amount of the battery 14) from the battery 14.

  The travel control unit 161 causes the lawnmower robot 1 to travel according to the above-described two types of travel modes (first travel mode and second travel mode).

  Note that the travel mode is instructed from the travel mode switching unit 164. Details of the travel mode switching unit 164 will be described later.

  The work control unit 162 controls the operation of the rotating plate 19.

  The work control unit 162 according to the present embodiment controls a work procedure including starting the lawn mowing work and stopping the lawn mowing work.

  Control targets of the work control unit 162 include start / stop of the lawn mowing work of the lawn mowing robot 1.

  Specifically, the work control unit 162 starts the work of the lawn mowing robot 1 in accordance with an instruction from the event monitoring unit 163 or an instruction from the control unit 16.

  Specifically, the work control unit 162 rotates the rotating plate 19.

  On the other hand, the work control unit 162 acquires charge amount information (information indicating the charge amount of the battery 14) from the battery 14.

  Then, when the charge amount of the battery 14 becomes smaller than the threshold value, the work control unit 162 causes the lawn mowing robot 1 to stop the work.

  Specifically, the work control unit 162 controls the drive mechanism 119 to stop the rotation of the rotating plate 19 (and the cutter 17).

  The event monitoring unit 163 detects a knot event that occurs when the second running mode is being executed, and notifies the running mode switching unit 164 that a knot event has been detected.

  Here, the event monitoring unit 163 detects occurrence of a node event based on various information inside or outside the device.

  Detection of the occurrence of a node event by the event monitoring unit 163 is performed based on the determination condition for the occurrence of a node event stored in the storage unit 24 connected to the control unit 16. In other words, the event monitoring unit 163 determines that a joint event has occurred based on the determination condition for the joint event occurrence stored in the storage unit 24, detects the joint event occurrence, and notifies the traveling mode switching unit 164. Here, the milestone event may be set to occur when the travel distance, travel time, number of turns, etc. of the travel information acquired inside the lawn mowing robot 1 reaches a predetermined distance, time, number of times. Alternatively, it may be set so as to occur when it becomes the same as the image taken in front of the destination, or may be set so as to be generated according to other conditions.

  Hereinafter, switching of the driving mode using the milestone event will be described.

(Switch driving mode)
In the present embodiment, whether or not the traveling time of the lawn mowing robot 1 that has traveled after traveling from the charging station 60 and following the area wire 50 in the second traveling mode has passed is determined as a condition for determining the occurrence of the knot event. To do.

  That is, the time when 5 minutes have passed since the lawn mowing robot 1 departed from the charging station 60 shown in FIG. 3 is set in advance as the time when the knot event occurs, and in the figure, the point D corresponds to the time when the knot event occurs To do.

  Specifically, the event monitoring unit 163 reads the occurrence condition of the knot event stored in the storage unit 24, and travel information sent from the travel control unit 161 (the lawn mowing robot 1 after leaving the charging station 60). ) Is detected as the occurrence of a milestone event, and the detected signal is sent to the travel mode switching unit 164.

  When receiving the detection signal from the event monitoring unit 163, the travel mode switching unit 164 instructs the travel control unit 161 to switch from the second travel mode to the first travel mode.

  The traveling control unit 161 switches the traveling mode of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the second traveling mode to the first traveling mode based on the traveling mode switching instruction signal received from the traveling mode switching unit 164.

  That is, the lawnmower robot 1 is forced to follow the area wire 50 from the charging station 60 in the area A until it passes through the area C in the second traveling mode as shown in FIG. When the vehicle reaches the region B, it detects a knot event when it reaches the region B, and automatically switches to the first driving mode at that stage (point D when the knot event occurs). Start mowing work.

  As described above, in both the area A and the area B in the site 40, when the area wire 50 is encountered, the traveling is performed in the first traveling mode in which the lawn mowing work is performed inside the area wire 50 and randomly changed direction. Let

  Further, in order to perform the work in the area A and the area B at a predetermined frequency, in the first traveling mode ((a) in FIG. 3, that is, the work in the area A) when starting from the station 60. And the second traveling mode ((b) in FIG. 3 = that is, the mode in which the region wire 50 is forced to be directed to the region C in order to be directed to the region B), and these In order to be directed to the work in the first travel mode ((a) in FIG. 3, that is, work in the region A) and the second travel mode ((b) in FIG. , A mode in which the region wire 50 is traced and is forcibly directed to the region C) is assigned at a predetermined frequency planned by the user.

  Specifically, for work in the first travel mode ((a) in FIG. 3, that is, work in the region A), and in the second travel mode ((b) in FIG. 3 = work in the region B). For this purpose, a mode in which the region wire 50 is forced to be directed to the region C) is alternately performed. That is, a first work (a lawn mowing work in the region A in the present embodiment) that starts in the first travel mode from the charging station 60 that is a signal source and performs the work only in the first travel mode, and the charging station. The second operation (starting the lawn mowing operation in the region B in this embodiment) is started alternately, starting from 60 in the second travel mode and switching from the second travel mode to the first travel mode on the way. Run.

  In other words, if the ratio of the first work and the second work performed by the lawn mowing robot 1 is set to 1: 1, the lawn mowing is performed at a substantially equal frequency in both the area A and the area B in the site 40. It becomes possible to work.

  If the user wants to work the area A more frequently according to the user's request, a plan setting such as 3: 2 is possible. The frequency of this is properly used.

(Lawn mowing work)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of lawn mowing work. Here, an example will be described in which the lawn mowing robot 1 performs lawn mowing work in the order of the area A to the area B as the work area in the site 40 shown in FIG.

  First, the lawnmower robot 1 executes the first travel mode (S11).

  Specifically, the lawn mowing robot 1 performs the lawn mowing work in the area A while starting at the charging station 60 in the area A and running at random.

  Here, the lawn mowing robot 1 uses the work control unit 162 to run the lawn mowing robot 1 in accordance with a preset program and mows the area A.

  Then, when the work of the area A in the first travel mode is completed, it is determined whether or not the second travel mode is to be executed (S12). Here, the traveling control unit 161 makes the lawn mowing robot 1 stand by at the charging station 60, and according to a preset plan, the lawn mowing robot 1 next starts in the first traveling mode or in the second traveling mode. Determine if you are leaving. For example, if the preset frequency ratio of the work frequencies of the areas A and B is 1: 1, it may be determined whether or not the first travel mode is the first time, and the frequency ratio is 3: 2. If there is, it may be determined whether or not the first travel mode is the third time.

  If NO in S12, that is, if the conditions for executing the second travel mode are not met, the process proceeds to S11 and starts again in the first travel mode at the next planned scheduled date and time.

  If YES in S12, that is, if it matches the condition for executing the second travel mode, if it matches the preset plan, the vehicle starts in the second travel mode (S13). The lawnmower robot 1 starts from the charging station 60 in the second traveling mode, follows the area wire 50, and moves to the area C. The lawnmower robot 1 that has moved to the area C in this way further moves to the area B along the area wire 50.

  Subsequently, the event monitoring unit 163 includes a travel time that is included in the travel information sent from the travel control unit 161 after the lawn mowing robot 1 leaves the charging station 60 in the second travel mode for a predetermined time (this time). It is determined whether or not 5 minutes have passed (S14).

  In S14, the travel control unit 161 forces the lawn mowing robot 1 to pass through the area C along the area wire 50, and then the lawn mowing robot 1 travels for a predetermined time in the vicinity of the area B (YES). The event monitoring unit 163 detects a knot event and switches the running mode of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the second running mode to the first running mode (S15). Here, the lawnmower robot 1 that has switched to the first travel mode travels randomly in the region B.

  Here, the switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode can be performed in advance by a user or the like. Specifically, a setting in which the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode are switched by setting the lawn mowing work once every two times or once every three times or the like can be considered.

  Of course, the setting may be such that the work start in the first travel mode is continued twice, and the subsequent work is started twice in the second travel mode. The number of times of the first travel mode ((a) in FIG. 3) and the second travel mode ((b) in FIG. 3) is not necessarily 1: 1, and may be 2: 1 or the like. . It can be set appropriately according to site conditions, user requests, and the like.

  For example, 2: 1 is specifically the following case. Area A is a time when the lawn grows much in the sun and the lawn grows vigorously, and area B has a long time in the shade and the lawn grows slower than the area A. In such a case, for example, it is a method of working the area A on the first day, working the area B on the second day, and then working on the area A on the fourth day after 1 day depending on the growth situation. If this series of work is planned as one work cycle, the work frequency of the area A and the area B is 2: 1. That is, the number of times of the first travel mode (FIG. 3A) and the second travel mode (FIG. 3B) is 2: 1.

  As described above, the lawn mowing robot 1 has the function of forcibly entering the area C and always reaching the area B in the second traveling mode, and therefore the work frequency in the area B does not decrease. can get.

  In the present embodiment, the signal source = the charging station 60 has been described. However, the signal source and the charging station 60 may exist separately.

  Further, when setting the work frequency allocation to the areas A and B, the performance of the lawn mowing robot 1, the battery capacity mounted on the lawn mowing robot 1, the area of the lawn mowing target area, and the like may be taken into consideration. .

  Moreover, although this embodiment demonstrated the example which set the generation | occurrence | production condition of the joint event by the travel time of the mowing robot 1 which departed from the charging station 60, this invention is not limited to this. In the second embodiment, an example in which the occurrence of a knot event is set according to the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 will be described.

[Embodiment 2]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in that the condition for generating a knot event is set according to the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1.

  In the present embodiment, the distance traveled by the lawn mowing robot 1 is detected using the distance meter 31 shown in FIG.

  The distance meter 31 calculates a travel distance from the outer peripheral length of the rear wheel 13 and the rotation speed of the rear wheel 13 obtained from the drive motor 18 and sends the calculation result to the travel control unit 161 as travel distance information.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the entire work target area of the lawn mowing robot 1 according to the present embodiment, and the point E in the figure is a node event occurrence point.

  That is, the distance from the charging station 60 to the symbol E along the area wire 50 is the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 for detecting a knot event.

(Switch driving mode)
In the present embodiment, the occurrence of the knot event is assumed to be when the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 that has left the charging station 60 in the second travel mode has passed 70 m. Specifically, the event monitoring unit 163 monitors the travel distance after the lawnmower robot 1 departs from the charging station 60.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the travel control unit 161 determines whether or not to execute the second travel mode when the work in the region A by the first travel mode is completed, that is, the region Judging from the allocation of the work frequencies of A and B, and if it matches the preset plan, the lawn mowing robot 1 is departed from the charging station 60 in the second traveling mode and traces the area wire 50 to the area C. Move to.

  Thereafter, the event monitoring unit 163 determines whether or not the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 has become 70 m in the vicinity of the region B, and sets a point E when the travel distance has reached 70 m as a point where the milestone event has occurred.

  The monitoring of the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 by the event monitoring unit 163 is to monitor information by the distance meter 31 shown in FIG. 1, that is, travel distance information calculated from the number of rotations of the rear wheel 13. Other monitoring methods may be used.

  The event monitoring unit 163 detects the occurrence of a knot event from the traveling information (the traveling distance information of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the distance meter 31) sent from the traveling control unit 161, and detects the detected signal. This is sent to the travel mode switching unit 164.

  The distance is not limited to 70 m, and may be set to a distance at which the lawnmower robot 1 is predicted to reach the area B from the area A.

  When the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 has traveled 70 m, the event monitoring unit 163 transmits the occurrence of the knot event, the travel mode switching instruction, and the mowing work start instruction to the work control unit 162, the travel mode switching unit 164, and the like. I will tell you.

  When receiving the detection signal from the event monitoring unit 163, the travel mode switching unit 164 instructs the travel control unit 161 to switch from the second travel mode to the first travel mode.

  The traveling control unit 161 switches the traveling mode of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the second traveling mode to the first traveling mode based on the traveling mode switching instruction signal received from the traveling mode switching unit 164.

  That is, the lawn mowing robot 1 is forced to leave the charging station 60 in the area A until it finishes passing through the area C in the second traveling mode as shown in FIG. 50 is started toward the region B, and when reaching the region B, a node event is detected, and automatically switches to the first traveling mode at that stage (node event occurrence time E) Start mowing on the ground.

  In this manner, when the region wire 50 is encountered, by switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode that change the direction at random inside the region wire 50, as in the first embodiment, The lawn mowing work can be performed at substantially equal frequency in both the area A and the area B in the site 40.

  Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ratio between the first work and the second work to be performed by the lawn mowing robot 1 is determined in advance by a plan setting by a user or the like. As the method of setting the plan, as described above, the execution ratio of the first work and the second work is determined so that the mowing of the area B is performed once when the mowing of the area A is performed twice. It is possible. Due to the difference in size (working area) between the area A and the area B, the first work and the second work are about 3: 2 as a way of planning that can work the areas A and B almost equally. The frequency ratio may be set as follows. The ratio between the first work and the second work can be freely set by the user.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the occurrence condition of the knot event is set by the travel distance of the lawn mowing robot 1 (the travel distance after the lawn mowing robot 1 departs from the charging station 60 as a signal source) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  In the following third embodiment, an example in which the determination condition for the occurrence of a joint event is set by the number of turns of the lawn mowing robot 1 will be described.

[Embodiment 3]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention.

  For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The lawn mowing robot 1 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in that the condition for generating a knot event is set according to the number of turns of the lawn mowing robot 1.

  In the present embodiment, the number of turns of the lawn mowing robot 1 is counted using the turn counter 32 shown in FIG.

  Here, the turn of the lawn mowing robot 1 indicates the direction change of the lawn mowing robot 1. Therefore, the number of turns is the number of direction changes.

  The turn counter 32 detects the direction change of the lawn mowing robot 1 using, for example, an electronic compass, and sends the detected number of direction change to the event monitoring unit 163 as the number of turns.

(Switch driving mode)
The event monitoring unit 163 monitors the number of turns after the lawnmower robot 1 leaves the charging station 60.

  The monitoring of the number of turns of the lawn mowing robot 1 is performed by monitoring the number of turns by the turn counter 32 shown in FIG.

  Other monitoring methods may be used.

In FIG. 6, a point where the lawn mowing robot 1 turns to enter the region C from the region A starting from the charging station 60 along the region wire 50 in the second traveling mode is defined as 1 ^st turn.

Furthermore, mowing robot 1, the point at which turning to enter the region B from the region C along the region C to the region wires 50 and 2 ^nd turn.

Furthermore, mowing robot 1, the area B moves along the area wire 50, and 3 ^rd turn the point bend on the right side with respect to the direction of movement.

Furthermore, mowing robot 1, traveling in the area B to the right, moves along the area wire 50, while the 4 ^th turn the point bend on the right side of the moving direction, the completion of the 4 ^th turn Set F as the occurrence of a milestone event.

  When the number of turns of the lawn mowing robot 1 is detected as 4 times, the event monitoring unit 163 indicates that a knot event has occurred, a travel mode switching instruction, and a lawn mowing work start instruction, the work control unit 162, and the travel mode switching unit. 164 etc. are transmitted and instructed.

  When receiving the detection signal from the event monitoring unit 163, the travel mode switching unit 164 instructs the travel control unit 161 to switch from the second travel mode to the first travel mode.

  The traveling control unit 161 switches the traveling mode of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the second traveling mode to the first traveling mode based on the traveling mode switching instruction signal received from the traveling mode switching unit 164.

  That is, the lawn mowing robot 1 is forced to leave the charging station 60 in the area A until it has passed through the area C in the second traveling mode as shown in FIG. 50 is started toward the region B, and when reaching the region B, a node event is detected, and at that stage (node event occurrence time F), the mode is automatically switched to the first traveling mode. Start mowing on the ground.

  In this manner, when the region wire 50 is encountered, by switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode that change the direction at random inside the region wire 50, as in the first embodiment, The lawn mowing work can be performed at substantially equal frequency in both the area A and the area B in the site 40.

  In particular, in the area B ′ indicated by the dotted line in the area B, etc., lawn mowing robot 1 arrives in the vicinity where lawn mowing is thriving (due to the sun, etc.) and lawn mowing is particularly important. At this point, setting to switch to the random running mode and the lawn mowing mode facilitates the lawn mowing work in the region B ′. For example, after detecting the fourth turn, the vehicle travels in the second travel mode for a while, and switches from the second travel mode to the first travel mode at a position approaching the region B ′ by time measurement, distance measurement, or the like. It may be. This switching position may be specified by either the travel time or travel distance from the fourth turn detection position.

  About the angle setting of a turn (direction change), it sets suitably as follows.

  For example, there is a uniform site as shown in Fig. 6, and there are sites that have a complicated shape and need to consider various conditions such as planting of plants, so the direction of the 90 ° turn is changed. However, a turn of 45 ° or more may be set as the direction change condition.

  In this embodiment, a turn of 90 ° is set as a condition for direction change.

  In the turn counter 32, the angle is set as a condition for changing the direction of the turn using an electronic compass, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, the event monitoring unit 163 detects the case where the detected value by the acceleration sensor provided in the lawn mowing robot 1 is larger than a predetermined value as the direction change.

  Here, the predetermined value is set to a value of acceleration generated when the lawnmower robot 1 changes the direction by 90 °. Furthermore, the direction conversion condition may be set by another method.

  Further, the lawn mowing robot 1 is detected by using the GPS information receiving unit 22 and the map information stored in the storage unit 24 of the lawn mowing robot 1 to detect the position of the lawn mowing robot 1 on the map and tracking the detected position. The number of turns of 1 may be detected.

  In this manner, when the region wire 50 is encountered, by switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode that change the direction at random inside the region wire 50, as in the first embodiment, The lawn mowing work can be performed at substantially equal frequency in both the area A and the area B in the site 40.

  Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ratio between the first work and the second work to be performed by the lawn mowing robot 1 is determined in advance by a plan setting by a user or the like. As the method of setting the plan, as described above, the execution ratio of the first work and the second work is determined so that the mowing of the area B is performed once when the mowing of the area A is performed twice. It is possible. Due to the difference in size (working area) between the area A and the area B, the first work and the second work are about 3: 2 as a way of planning that can work the areas A and B almost equally. The frequency ratio may be set as follows. The ratio between the first work and the second work can be freely set by the user.

  In the first to third embodiments, an example in which the second travel mode can be switched by detecting a joint event has been described. However, in the following fourth embodiment, the day of the week for lawn mowing action is determined in the areas A and B. An example performed will be described.

[Embodiment 4]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention.

  For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The lawnmower robot 1 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first to third embodiments, and is different in that the lawn mowing work in the area A and the area B is changed depending on the day of the week.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode is not the number of times of lawn mowing work as in the first to third embodiments, but is switched in units of days of the week. This is different from the first to third embodiments.

  For example, on Mondays and Thursdays, the driving is started in the first driving mode shown in FIG. 7A and mowing is carried out. On Tuesday and Friday, the second driving mode shown in FIG. 7B is used. It is a setting that says that the lawn mowing work starts after the start of traveling.

  The day of the week and the switching interval can be set as appropriate. For example, it may be set whether to start running in the first running mode and perform lawn mowing on a specific day of the month, or to start running in the second running mode and perform mowing. For example, whether to start driving in the first driving mode and mow the lawn or to start driving in the second driving mode and mow the lawn is divided into even and odd days of the month, or 5 , 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 days and the remaining days.

  Moreover, the process for performing the second traveling mode and performing the lawn mowing work in the region B is the same as in the first to third embodiments.

  In FIG. 7, the occurrence point of the knot event is indicated by a symbol G.

  In other words, the condition for determining the occurrence of the knot event at the location indicated by the symbol G is the same as in the first to third embodiments.

  As described above, by performing the mowing work by changing the area for each day of the week, the mowing work can be performed at a substantially equal frequency in both the area A and the area B in the site 40.

[Embodiment 5]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention.

  For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The lawnmower robot 1 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and the determination condition for occurrence of a knot event is different from those of the other embodiments.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the milestone event in the second traveling mode is set not by moving conditions (time, distance, number of turns) from the charging station 60 but by detecting environmental information.

  Here, the environmental information includes, for example, an image in front of the lawn mowing robot 1 taken by the camera 33 shown in FIG.

  The event monitoring unit 163 sets the determination condition for occurrence of the knot event by an image obtained by photographing the front of the movement destination of the lawn mowing robot 1.

  The determination condition for the occurrence of the node event is also stored in the storage unit 24 as in the first to fourth embodiments.

  Therefore, the event monitoring unit 163 monitors the environmental conditions after the lawn mowing robot 1 departs from the charging station 60 in the second traveling mode, using the camera 33 or the like mounted on the lawn mowing robot 1, and sets or stores in advance. If the environment information (for example, the image of the area B) is compared with the camera monitoring information during traveling at a desired timing, and it is determined that the area B has been reached, the determined time is determined as the milestone event. Set to H when it occurred. Here, the determination that the region B has been reached is made when the image taken forward by the camera 33 is similar to the image taken in advance. In other words, the event monitoring unit 163 does not completely match an image captured by the camera 33 with the image captured in advance, but generally matches the image as a whole (the image determination threshold can be set as appropriate). It is determined that the region B has been reached.

  At this time, when the travel mode switching unit 164 receives the detection signal from the event monitoring unit 163, the travel mode switching unit 164 instructs the travel control unit 161 to switch from the second travel mode to the first travel mode.

  The traveling control unit 161 switches the traveling mode of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the second traveling mode to the first traveling mode based on the traveling mode switching instruction signal received from the traveling mode switching unit 164.

  In other words, the lawn mowing robot 1 is forced to leave the charging station 60 in the area A until it finishes passing through the area C in the second traveling mode as shown in FIG. 50 is started toward the region B, and when reaching the region B, a node event is detected, and automatically switches to the first traveling mode at that stage (node event occurrence time H). Start mowing on the ground.

  In this manner, when the region wire 50 is encountered, by switching between the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode that change the direction at random inside the region wire 50, as in the first embodiment, The lawn mowing work can be performed at substantially equal frequency in both the area A and the area B in the site 40.

  The image information used as the environmental condition may be a pattern image typified by a bar code or a QR code (registered trademark) in addition to a so-called natural image.

  In that case, the detector uses an optical scanner in addition to the camera.

  Further, instead of image information, a magnetic field, electric field strength, radio wave reception, and light reception can be similarly substituted.

  Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ratio between the first work and the second work to be performed by the lawn mowing robot 1 is determined in advance by a plan setting by a user or the like. As the method of setting the plan, as described above, the execution ratio of the first work and the second work is determined so that the mowing of the area B is performed once when the mowing of the area A is performed twice. It is possible. Due to the difference in size (working area) between the area A and the area B, the first work and the second work are about 3: 2 as a way of planning that can work the areas A and B almost equally. The frequency ratio may be set as follows. The ratio between the first work and the second work can be freely set by the user.

[Embodiment 6]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention.

  For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first to fifth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the region C that connects the region A and the region B region, which are work target regions, has been described assuming a passage between the building and the warehouse. In the present embodiment, FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, a region where a lawn such as concrete or brick cannot be laid, specifically, a narrow region formed in a region used for a garage or the like will be described as region C.

  Here, the area wire 50 exceeds the stop position of the vehicle 70 so that the lawn mowing robot 1 does not accidentally enter the area where the vehicle 70 stops while the area mowing robot 1 is working in the area A or the area B. 9, the vehicle 70 is laid so as to be located outside the wire loop. As a result, the lawn mowing robot 1 can be prevented from entering the stop area of the vehicle 70 from the area A to the area B, and as a result, the narrow area that connects both areas between the area A and the area B. C is formed.

  As a result, the region C shown in FIG. 9 is also a region that is difficult for the lawnmower robot 1 to enter, as in the first to fifth embodiments.

  Therefore, also in this embodiment, the work by the lawn mowing robot 1 is performed in the same manner as in the first to fifth embodiments. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the travel control unit 161 determines whether or not to execute the second travel mode when the work of the region A in the first travel mode is completed, that is, the region that is set in advance. Judging from the allocation of the work frequencies of A and B, and if it matches the preset plan, the lawn mowing robot 1 is departed from the charging station 60 in the second traveling mode and traces the area wire 50 to the area C. Move to.

  Subsequent event monitoring by the event monitoring unit 63 is the same as in the first to fifth embodiments.

  In the present embodiment, as an example, as in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment, the occurrence condition of the knot event is set by the traveling time of the lawn mowing robot 1 that leaves the charging station 60.

  That is, the time when 5 minutes have elapsed since the lawn mowing robot 1 departed from the charging station 60 shown in FIG. 9 is preset as the time point at which the knot event occurs, and in the figure, the point I corresponds to the time point at which the knot event occurs. To do.

  Specifically, the event monitoring unit 163 reads the occurrence condition of the knot event stored in the storage unit 24, and travel information sent from the travel control unit 161 (the lawn mowing robot 1 after leaving the charging station 60). ) Is detected as the occurrence of a milestone event, and the detected signal is sent to the travel mode switching unit 164.

  When receiving the detection signal from the event monitoring unit 163, the travel mode switching unit 164 instructs the travel control unit 161 to switch from the second travel mode to the first travel mode.

  The traveling control unit 161 switches the traveling mode of the lawn mowing robot 1 from the second traveling mode to the first traveling mode based on the traveling mode switching instruction signal received from the traveling mode switching unit 164.

  That is, the lawnmower robot 1 is forced to follow the area wire 50 from the charging station 60 in the area A until it has passed the area C, as shown in FIG. 9B. When the vehicle reaches the region B, it detects a node event when it reaches the region B, and automatically switches to the first driving mode at that stage (node event occurrence time I). Start mowing work.

  As described above, in the first to sixth embodiments, the lawn mowing robot 1 is described as an example of the autonomous work vehicle of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other than lawn mowing. The present invention can also be applied to an autonomous work robot that performs work such as cleaning, sowing, and wax application.

[Summary]
The autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 1 of the present invention travels by detecting a signal of an energizable wire (region wire 50) that forms a loop connected to a signal source (charging station 60). And has the function of starting and returning from the signal source (charging station 60) connected to the wire (region wire 50), and is defined in the loop of the wire (region wire 50). In an autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) that performs work in a work area (site 40) including at least two areas (areas A and B), start traveling in any direction avoiding the wire (area wire 50). The first travel mode to be performed and the wire (region wire 50) when traveling along the wire (region wire 50) and a preset knot event (D to I) occurs. It is characterized by having a second traveling mode for traveling in the direction of the inside of the loop, the.

  According to the above configuration, the first traveling mode is a traveling mode in which traveling is started in any direction while avoiding the wire, and therefore, the first traveling mode is suitable for the traveling mode in which normal work is performed in the work area.

  In addition, the second traveling mode is a traveling mode in which the vehicle travels along the wire and travels in the direction inside the loop of the wire when a preset knot event occurs. A forced traveling mode in which the autonomous work vehicle is traveling can be set.

  As a result, when it is necessary to move to another area through an area where the autonomous work vehicle is difficult to pass in the work area (an area with a low driving probability such as a narrow passage), the second driving mode Is valid.

  In addition, in the second travel mode, the forced travel mode by the wire is canceled when a joint event occurs, so if the point of passage through the difficult-to-pass area is the occurrence point of the joint event, the destination area You can perform another run, such as a random run, to perform the work.

  Therefore, if the two work areas are areas where it is difficult for an autonomous traveling vehicle to enter (for example, a narrow passage) or areas where it is not desired to enter the autonomous traveling vehicle (for example, if the autonomous traveling vehicle is a lawnmower robot) When the work area is connected in the first travel mode, the second travel mode is set to the other work area. By executing, it is possible to forcibly intrude an autonomous work vehicle into an area where it is difficult for an autonomous traveling vehicle to enter by a wire, and to perform the work in the other work area. It is possible to reduce the bias.

  In addition, since it is not necessary to lay a guide wire as in the prior art in order to move from one work area to the other work area, it is possible to save costs and labor for laying.

  The autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 2 of the present invention starts from the signal source (charging station 60) in the first traveling mode in the above aspect 1, and only in the first traveling mode. A first operation for performing work, and a second operation for starting from the signal source (charging station 60) in the second travel mode and switching from the second travel mode to the first travel mode on the way The ratio with the work is preferably set by the user.

  The autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the above-described aspect 1, wherein the work area includes a first area and a second area (areas A and B). When the region and the second region (regions A and B) are connected via a third region (region C) in which the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) can travel, one region (region A) It is preferable that the condition for generating the knot event is set so that the knot event occurs in the movement destination area (area B) when moving from the third area to the other area.

  According to the above configuration, since the knot event has occurred in the movement destination area, that is, the work target area, the work in the movement destination area can be reliably performed.

  An autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 4 of the present invention is the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) for the first region and the second region (regions A and B) according to aspect 1. It is preferable that each operation according to (1) is executed separately on a preset day.

  An autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 5 of the present invention is the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot) for the first region and the second region (regions A and B) according to aspect 4. Each operation according to 1) is preferably executed separately on a preset day of the week.

  In the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in the above aspect 4, each work by the autonomous work vehicle for the first region and the second region is an odd number. It is preferable to carry out by dividing into days and even days.

  According to the above configuration, the work for both areas can be reliably executed by dividing each area on the specified day, so two work areas (the first area and the second area). This makes it possible to reduce the bias in the work frequency.

  In the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 7 of the present invention, in the aspect 1, the knot event has reached a distance set in advance by the traveling distance of the autonomous work vehicle (turf mowing robot 1). Sometimes it is preferred to occur.

  In the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 8 of the present invention, in the aspect 1, the knot event has reached a preset time for the traveling time of the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1). Sometimes it is preferred to occur.

  In the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 9 of the present invention, in the aspect 1, the knot event has reached a preset number of turns of the autonomous work vehicle (turf mowing robot 1). Sometimes it is preferred to occur.

  According to the above configuration, the milestone event is generated by the travel information (travel distance, travel time, number of turns) acquired inside the autonomous work vehicle. Can be appropriately generated. For this reason, it becomes possible to reduce the deviation in the work frequency for the two work areas.

  In the autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 10 of the present invention, in the aspect 1, it is preferable that the knot event occurs when an image captured in front is similar to an image captured in advance.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to detect the occurrence of a knot event simply by photographing the front of the destination.

  For this reason, it is not necessary to set the occurrence of a knot event according to the shape and size of the work area such as the travel time, travel distance, and number of turns of the autonomous work vehicle.

The autonomous work vehicle (lawn mowing robot 1) according to aspect 11 of the present invention is the aspect 1, wherein the knot event is
(1) When the travel distance of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset distance,
(2) When the traveling time of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset time,
(3) When the number of turns of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset number of times,
(4) When the image taken in front is similar to the image taken in advance,
Preferably, this occurs when at least two of the four conditions are satisfied.

  As described above, by using a plurality of conditions, it is possible to appropriately detect the knot event.

  The control unit 16 of the lawn mowing robot 1 according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control is performed by operating the computer as each unit (software element) included in the control unit 16. A program of a control device that realizes the unit 16 by a computer and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an autonomous work vehicle that autonomously travels in a work area and performs work using a mounted work machine.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Robot 10 Main body base 11 Rear wheel drive mechanism 12 Front wheel 13 Rear wheel 14 Battery 16 Control part 17 Cutter 18 Drive motor 19 Rotating plate 22 GPS signal receiving part 23 Magnetic sensor 24 Storage part 31 Distance meter 32 Turn counter 33 Camera 40 Site 50 area wire (wire)
60 Charging station (signal source)
119 Drive mechanism 161 Travel control unit 162 Work control unit 163 Event monitoring unit 164 Travel mode switching unit

Claims (11)

A function of detecting and driving a signal of an energizable wire forming a loop connected to the signal source, and a function of starting and returning from the signal source connected to the wire, In an autonomous work vehicle that works in the work area defined in the loop,
A first traveling mode that starts traveling in any direction avoiding the wire;
A second traveling mode that travels along the wire and travels in a direction inside the loop of the wire when a preset knot event occurs;
An autonomous work vehicle characterized by comprising:   A first operation starting from the signal source in the first driving mode and performing work only in the first driving mode, and a second driving in the middle starting from the signal source in the second driving mode. 2. The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the second work for performing work by switching from the mode to the first travel mode is set by a user. When the work area is composed of a first area and a second area, and the first area and the second area are connected via a third area where the autonomous work vehicle can travel,
When moving from one area of the first area and the second area to the other area through the third area, the condition for generating the knot event is set so that the knot event occurs in the movement destination area The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle is an autonomous work vehicle.   4. The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 3, wherein each work by the autonomous work vehicle for the first region and the second region is performed separately on a preset day. 5. .   5. The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein each work by the autonomous work vehicle for the first region and the second region is executed separately on a preset day of the week. .   5. The autonomous type according to claim 4, wherein each work by the autonomous work vehicle with respect to the first area and the second area is performed on an odd day and an even day. Work vehicle.   The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the milestone event occurs when a travel distance of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset distance.   The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the milestone event occurs when the traveling time of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset time.   2. The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the knot event occurs when the number of turns of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset number.   2. The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the joint event occurs when an image captured in front is similar to an image captured in advance. The milestone event is
(1) When the travel distance of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset distance,
(2) When the traveling time of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset time,
(3) When the number of turns of the autonomous work vehicle reaches a preset number of times (4) When the image taken in front is similar to the image taken in advance,
The autonomous work vehicle according to claim 1, which occurs when at least two of the four conditions are satisfied.

Images