Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A riding lawn care vehicle may include a battery power source, an electric drive motor, at least one blade drive motor, a current sensor, and a controller. The electric drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The electric drive motor may be operably coupled to wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle. The at least one blade drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The at least one blade drive motor may be operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle. The current sensor may be disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source. The controller may receive total current data from the current sensor and provide feedback to an operator of the riding lawn care vehicle based on the total current data.

Abstract: The method is for making an electric motor more efficient by iteratively changing when a processor sends activation signals to transistors to minimize a current required to rotate a rotor at a constant rotational speed. The method is also for changing a rotational direction of the rotor by switching the order in which activation signals are sent to the transistors.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The method is for making a brushless direct-current (DC) motor quieter. A predetermined high frequency pulse width modulated (PWM) signal is generated. The PWM signal is sent to a first filter. The first filter truncates the PWM signal to provide the PWM signal with a rise time. The rise time allows transistors connected thereto to open smoothly. A second filter is provided that has a non-polarized capacitor. In a coil switching process, the non-polarized capacitor operates as a voltage or current absorption circuit between driving transistors. The coil switching process creates transient energy of voltage transients. The non-polarized capacitor absorbs the transient energy.

Abstract: A riding lawn care vehicle may include a battery power source, an electric drive motor, at least one blade drive motor, a current sensor, and a drive controller. The electric drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The electric drive motor may be operably coupled to a wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle. The at least one blade drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The at least one blade drive motor may be operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle. The current sensor may be disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source. The drive controller may receive total current data from the current sensor and provide a drive control signal related to operation of the electric drive motor based on the total current data.

Abstract: A battery charging system may include one or more battery packs each of which includes control circuitry and a switching assembly, and a charger including a power section and a charge controller. The charge controller and/or the control circuitry may be configured to direct operation of the switching assembly to control charging of the one or more battery packs.

Abstract: A battery pack may include a plurality of battery cells, a cell retainer and a heat exchanger assembly. The cell retainer may define a plurality of cell reception slots configured to retain respective ones of the battery cells. The cell retainer may define an enclosure that fixes the battery cells and is not penetrated by any cooling apparatus. The cell retainer may be in thermal communication with the battery cells to transfer heat away from the battery cells. The heat exchanger assembly may be in thermal communication with the cell retainer and external to the cell retainer to at least passively transfer heat away from the cell retainer while the battery pack is operated in a discharge mode. The cell retainer may include a thermally conductive material capable of transferring heat to the heat exchanger assembly and also storing at least some of the heat.

Abstract: The method is for making a brushless direct-current (DC) motor quieter. A predetermined high frequency pulse width modulated (PWM) signal is generated. The PWM signal is sent to a first filter. The first filter truncates the PWM signal to provide the PWM signal with a rise time. The rise time allows transistors connected thereto to open smoothly. A second filter is provided that has a non-polarized capacitor. In a coil switching process, the non-polarized capacitor operates as a voltage or current absorption circuit between driving transistors. The coil switching process creates transient energy of voltage transients. The non-polarized capacitor absorbs the transient energy.

Abstract: A riding lawn care vehicle may include a battery power source, an electric drive motor, at least one blade drive motor, a current sensor, and a controller. The electric drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The electric drive motor may be operably coupled to wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle. The at least one blade drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The at least one blade drive motor may be operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle. The current sensor may be disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source. The controller may receive total current data from the current sensor and provide feedback to an operator of the riding lawn care vehicle based on the total current data.

Abstract: A riding lawn care vehicle may include a battery power source, an electric drive motor, at least one blade drive motor, a current sensor, and a drive controller. The electric drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The electric drive motor may be operably coupled to a wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle to provide drive power for the riding lawn care vehicle. The at least one blade drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The at least one blade drive motor may be operably coupled to at least one cutting blade of the riding lawn care vehicle. The current sensor may be disposed to monitor total current drawn from the battery power source. The drive controller may receive total current data from the current sensor and provide a drive control signal related to operation of the electric drive motor based on the total current data.

Abstract: The hydraulic cylinder or shock absorber arrangement has a cylinder unit limiting an inner space in which a medium in the form of a gas or a liquid is intended to be placed. A forwardly and backwardly movable piston unit is placed such that it can slide within the space that is defined by the piston into a first chamber and a second chamber. An inlet/outlet is defined in the respective chambers of the cylinder unit for the addition to and removal of medium from the chambers together with devices that co-acts in order to determine the relative position of the piston within the cylinder unit.

Abstract: The hydraulic cylinder or shock absorber arrangement has a cylinder unit limiting an inner space in which a medium in the form of a gas or a liquid is intended to be placed. A forwardly and backwardly movable piston unit is placed such that it can slide within the space that is defined by the piston into a first chamber and a second chamber. An inlet/outlet is defined in the respective chambers of the cylinder unit for the addition to and removal of medium from the chambers together with devices that co-acts in order to determine the relative position of the piston within the cylinder unit.

Abstract: The hydraulic cylinder or shock absorber arrangement has a cylinder unit limiting an inner space in which a medium in the form of a gas or a liquid is intended to be placed. A forwardly and backwardly movable piston unit is placed such that it can slide within the space that is defined by the piston into a first chamber and a second chamber. An inlet/outlet is defined in the respective chambers of the cylinder unit for the addition to and removal of medium from the chambers together with devices that co-acts in order to determine the relative position of the piston within the cylinder unit.

Abstract: The hydraulic cylinder or shock absorber arrangement has a cylinder unit limiting an inner space in which a medium in the form of a gas or a liquid is intended to be placed. A forwardly and backwardly movable piston unit is placed such that it can slide within the space that is defined by the piston into a first chamber and a second chamber. An inlet/outlet is defined in the respective chambers of the cylinder unit for the addition to and removal of medium from the chambers together with devices that co-acts in order to determine the relative position of the piston within the cylinder unit.

Abstract: The hydraulic cylinder or shock absorber arrangement has a cylinder unit limiting an inner space in which a medium in the form of a gas or a liquid is intended to be placed. A forwardly and backwardly movable piston unit is placed such that it can slide within the space that is defined by the piston into a first chamber and a second chamber. An inlet/outlet is defined in the respective chambers of the cylinder unit for the addition to and removal of medium from the chambers together with devices which co-act in order to determine the relative position of the piston within the cylinder unit, an active first part of which is attached to the cylinder unit and arranged stretching into a recess that is arranged in the piston unit.