Patents by Inventor Stefan Grufman
Stefan Grufman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10425488Abstract: A system may include sensor equipment, a local yard maintenance manager and a remote yard maintenance manager. The sensor equipment includes one or more sensors disposed on a parcel of land. The local yard maintenance manager may be disposed proximate to the parcel and configured to interface with the sensor equipment to monitor growing conditions on the parcel. The remote yard maintenance manager may be disposed remotely with respect to the parcel and configured to interface with the sensor equipment.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2015Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: HUSQVARNA ABInventors: Martin Larsén, Mikael Willgert, Anders Mattsson, Stefan Grufman, Åke Cederborn, Mikael Alexiusson, Lars Dernebo
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Patent number: 10338602Abstract: A method for recording data from at least one sensor of a robotic vehicle responsive to the robotic vehicle transiting a portion of a parcel and determining a confidence score associated with the recorded data for each of a plurality of potential detection events. The confidence score may correspond to a probability that the recorded data corresponds to an object or feature. The method may further include generating map data comprising one or more objects or features correlated to potential detection events based at least in part on the confidence score of the respective objects or features.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: HUSQVARNA ABInventors: Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred, Hans Forsberg
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Patent number: 10310510Abstract: A robotic vehicle may be configured to incorporate multiple sensors to make the robotic vehicle capable of detecting grass by measuring edge data and/or frequency data. In this regard, in some cases, the robotic vehicle may include an onboard positioning module, a detection module, and a mapping module that may work together to give the robotic vehicle a comprehensive understanding of its current location and of the features or objects located in its environment. Moreover, the robotic vehicle may include sensors that enable the modules to collect and process data that can be used to identify grass on a parcel on which the robotic vehicle operates.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2015Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: HUSQVARNA ABInventors: Björn Mannefred, Stefan Grufman, Anders Mattsson
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Publication number: 20190025847Abstract: A method of navigating a self-propelled robotic tool comprises transmitting a wireless signal (66) along a first signal path between the robotic tool (14) and a first wireless interface of a base station (16) remote from the robotic tool (14); transmitting a wireless signal (66) along a second signal path between the robotic tool (14) and a second wireless interface of the base station (16), said second wireless interface being spatially separated from the first wireless interface by a separation distance; upon receipt, comparing the signal transmitted along the first signal path with the signal transmitted along the second signal path to obtain a propagation time difference between the signal transmitted along the first signal path and the signal transmitted along the second signal path, said propagation time difference defining a path length difference between said first and second signal paths; and calculating, based on the separation distance and the path length difference, a value representative of a beaType: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2017Publication date: January 24, 2019Applicant: HUSQVARNA ABInventors: Björn Mannefred, Stefan Grufman
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Patent number: 10078336Abstract: A robotic work tool system (200) comprising a robotic work tool (100), said robotic work tool (100) comprising a position determining device (190) for determining a current position, such as through receiving satellite signals, and a navigation device (195) arranged to at least provide a compass heading, the robotic work tool (100) being configured to: determine a compass heading (CH) obtained through the navigation device (195); compare the compass heading to a true heading (TH) obtained through the position determining device (190); determine an error (e) between the true heading (TH) and the compass heading (CH); determine a robot position (XR; YR); and store the error (e) for said robot position (XR; YR) thereby generating a magnetic correction matrix.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: September 18, 2018Assignee: Husqvarna ABInventors: Peter Reigo, Stefan Grufman
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Publication number: 20180213731Abstract: Some example embodiments may provide a capability for intelligent control or management of a number of assets in connection with yard maintenance with the assistance or inclusion of a management unit having distributed properties. Thus, for example, sensor equipment and task performance equipment operation may be coordinated between local management and remote management entities for efficient monitoring and maintaining of lawn wellness.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2015Publication date: August 2, 2018Inventors: Tomas Wykman, Fredrik Edholm, Eric Lennings, Pär Christensson, Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred, Patrik Jägenstedt, Magnus Öhrlund, Olle Markusson
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Publication number: 20180103579Abstract: A robotic vehicle may include one or more functional components configured to execute a lawn care function, a sensor network comprising one or more sensors configured to detect conditions proximate to the robotic vehicle, an object detection module configured to 5 detect objects proximate to the robotic vehicle using contact-less detection, a positioning module configured to determine robotic vehicle position, and a mapping module configured to generate map data regarding a parcel on which the robotic vehicle operates.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2015Publication date: April 19, 2018Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred, Patrik Jägenstedt, Magnus Öhrlund, Johan Deimert
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Publication number: 20180038993Abstract: A robotic vehicle may be configured to incorporate multiple sensors to make the robotic vehicle capable of collecting, feeding, and uploading weather data into an aggregation agent to form a geospatial map or weather service. In this regard, in some cases, the robotic vehicle may include an onboard vehicle positioning module and sensor network to give the robotic vehicle a collective understanding of its environment, and enable it to autonomously collect and upload weather data to an aggregation agent for corresponding locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2015Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Patrik Jägenstedt, Tom Soberg, Magnus Öhrlund, Andreas Källming, Fredrik Kallström, Jonas Holgersson, Mattias Kamfors, Stefan Grufman
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Publication number: 20170372514Abstract: A robotic vehicle may be configured to incorporate multiple sensors to make the robotic vehicle capable of collecting and uploading image data over time into the cloud to generate interactive garden models. In this regard, in some cases, the robotic vehicle may include an onboard vehicle positioning module and sensor network that may work together to give the robotic vehicle a collective understanding of its environment, and enable it to autonomously collect and upload image data for corresponding locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2015Publication date: December 28, 2017Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred
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Publication number: 20170364088Abstract: A method for employing learnable boundary positions for bounding operation of a robotic vehicle may include detecting temporary indicia of a boundary on a parcel via at least one sensor of a robotic vehicle, generating coordinate or location based boundary information 5 based on the temporary indicia, and operating the robotic vehicle within the boundary based on the generated coordinate or location based boundary information.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2015Publication date: December 21, 2017Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Magnus Öhrlund, Mikael Willgert, Anders Mattsson
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Publication number: 20170364090Abstract: A method for recording data from at least one sensor of a robotic vehicle responsive to the robotic vehicle transiting a portion of a parcel and determining a confidence score associated with the recorded data for each of a plurality of potential detection events. The confidence score may correspond to a probability that the recorded data corresponds to an object or feature. The method may further include generating map data comprising one or more objects or features correlated to potential detection events based at least in part on the confidence score of the respective objects or features.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: December 21, 2017Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred, Hans Forsberg
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Publication number: 20170345210Abstract: A method for mapping and planning a parcel or garden may include receiving information indicative of position data of a robotic vehicle transiting a parcel and corresponding image data captured by the robotic vehicle at one or more locations on the parcel. The method may further include generating a base-map of the parcel based on the information received and providing a graphical representation of the parcel based on the base-map. The method may further include enabling an operator to generate a modified-map.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2015Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred, Mikael Willgert, Anders Mattsson, Peter Reigo
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Publication number: 20170344024Abstract: A robotic work tool (100) comprising an altitude sensor (185) for providing a current altitude reading (HRL) and a controller (110) configured to receive the current altitude reading (HRL) from the altitude sensor (185); determine an altitude (H) based on the current altitude reading (HRL); determine a current position; and generating a map indicating elevations by including the determined altitude (H) for the current position in the map. A robotic work tool system (200) comprising a robotic work tool (100) and a reference altitude sensor (285) for providing a reference altitude reading (HCS), wherein the robotic work tool (100) is further configured to receive the reference altitude reading (HCS) from the reference altitude sensor (285); and determine the altitude (H) based on the current altitude reading (HRL) and the reference altitude reading (HCS).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2015Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Björn Mannefred, Magnus Öhrlund
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Publication number: 20170344020Abstract: A robotic vehicle may be configured to incorporate multiple sensors to make the robotic vehicle capable of detecting grass by measuring edge data and/or frequency data. In this regard, in some cases, the robotic vehicle may include an onboard positioning module, a detection module, and a mapping module that may work together to give the robotic vehicle a comprehensive understanding of its current location and of the features or objects located in its environment. Moreover, the robotic vehicle may include sensors that enable the modules to collect and process data that can be used to identify grass on a parcel on which the robotic vehicle operates.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2015Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Björn MANNEFRED, Stefan GRUFMAN, Anders MATTSSON
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Publication number: 20170303466Abstract: A method for employing sensors of a robotic vehicle may include capturing a current image of a reference marker via a camera disposed on a robotic vehicle and comparing at least one property of the reference marker in the current image to a corresponding known 5 property. The method may further include determining a current lighting condition classification based on a result of the comparing, and making at least one adjustment to a sensor of a sensor network of the robotic vehicle based on the current lighting condition classification.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: October 26, 2017Inventors: Stefan Grufman, Johan Deimert
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Publication number: 20170251060Abstract: A system may include sensor equipment, a local yard maintenance manager and a remote yard maintenance manager. The sensor equipment includes one or more sensors disposed on a parcel of land. The local yard maintenance manager may be disposed proximate to the parcel and configured to interface with the sensor equipment to monitor growing conditions on the parcel. The remote yard maintenance manager may be disposed remotely with respect to the parcel and configured to interface with the sensor equipment.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2015Publication date: August 31, 2017Inventors: Martin Larsén, Mikael Willgert, Anders Mattsson, Stefan Grufman, Åke Cederborn, Mikael Alexiusson, Lars Dernebo
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Publication number: 20170127607Abstract: A method for creating a visualization of a parcel or garden may include receiving information indicative of position data of a robotic vehicle transiting a parcel and corresponding image data captured by the robotic vehicle at one or more locations on the parcel. The method may further include generating a model of the parcel based on the information received, providing a graphical representation of the parcel based on the model, and enabling an operator to interact with the graphical representation to view one or more content items associated with respective ones of the one or more locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2014Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Björn Mannefred, Stefan Grufman, Mikael Willgert
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Publication number: 20170108872Abstract: A method for robotic discovery and use of beacons for navigation may include performing a beacon position determination process with respect to at least one beacon usable for range determination by a robotic vehicle responsive to initiation of operation of the robotic vehicle. The method may further include determining a position of the at least one beacon based on the position determination process, and employing the position of the at least one beacon as determined for position information determination of the robotic vehicle during continued operation of the robotic vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2014Publication date: April 20, 2017Inventors: Björn Mannefred, Stefan Grufman, Johan Deimert
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Publication number: 20160334795Abstract: A robotic work tool system (200) comprising a robotic work tool (100), said robotic work tool (100) comprising a position determining device (190) for determining a current position, such as through receiving satellite signals, and a navigation device (195) arranged to at least provide a compass heading, the robotic work tool (100) being configured to: determine a compass heading (CH) obtained through the navigation device (195); compare the compass heading to a true heading (TH) obtained through the position determining device (190); determine an error (e) between the true heading (TH) and the compass heading (CH); determine a robot position (XR;YR); and store the error (e) for said robot position (XR;YR) thereby generating a magnetic correction matrix.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2013Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: Peter Reigo, Stefan Grufman
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Publication number: 20160198644Abstract: A system may include sensor equipment, task performance equipment, and a yard maintenance manager. The sensor equipment may include one or more sensors disposed on a parcel of land. The task performance equipment may be configured to perform a task on the parcel. The task may be associated with generating a result that is enabled to be monitored via the sensor equipment. The yard maintenance manager may be configured to interface with the sensor equipment and the task performance equipment to compare measured conditions with desirable conditions to direct operation of the task performance equipment.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2014Publication date: July 14, 2016Inventors: Peter Lameli, Patrik Jägenstedt, Mikael Alexiusson, Christoph Schiedt, Sven Wietelmann, Mikael Willgert, Stefan Grufman, Lars Dernebo, Martin Larsén, Anders Mattsson