Abstract: A fleet management system is provided for outdoor power equipment and is, in some embodiments, configured to estimate operator performance and/or skill for a particular operator based at least partially on engine speed data sensed during the particular operator's use of one or more pieces of equipment. Embodiments of the invention also provide an apparatus configured to receive data comprising RPM values of a rotating component of a piece of outdoor power equipment sampled throughout a period of operation of the piece of outdoor power equipment, and further configured to generate a RPM histogram for a particular operator and/or for a particular piece of outdoor power equipment in order to use the RPM histogram to determine additional information about the particular operator, the particular piece of equipment, and/or the particular period of operation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a fleet management system that assists a fleet, such as a landscaping crew, forestry company, grounds care manager, or the like, with management and monitoring the fleet's collection of outdoor power equipment, like lawn mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, and/or the like, and the operators of the outdoor power equipment. In this regard, embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for automatically gathering data about one or more pieces of outdoor power equipment and one or more human operators of the equipment, processing the data into more useful data and data formats, and providing useful feedback, data, and tools to users of the system to assist with management of one or more fleets.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to an equipment data sensor arranged on a powered machine. The equipment data sensor includes a processing device coupled to one or more sensors for obtaining values of at least one parameter associated with running of the powered machine, a memory, and a short range transceiver configured for wireless short range communication arranged to receive short distance communication signals, wherein the processing device is configured to register, in the memory, one or more values of the at least one parameter and an associated operator identifier received over the short range transceiver.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a fleet management system that assists with management and monitoring fleets of powered machines and their operators, such as fleets engaged in landscaping, grounds care, and forestry service. In this regard, embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for automatically gathering data about one or more pieces of outdoor power equipment and one or more human operators of the equipment, processing the data into more useful data and data formats, and providing useful feedback, data, and tools to users of the system via, for example, a web portal that either assists users with management of a fleet of equipment and operators or provides useful information to owner-operators of outdoor power equipment about their performance and their machines.

Abstract: A method for automatically pairing one or more operators with one or more pieces of equipment where each of the one or more operators carries an identification unit having an identification code stored therein, and where each piece of equipment includes an equipment data sensor configured to wirelessly receive the identification code in any identification units within a particular range may include receiving a plurality of different identification codes in data received from a particular equipment data sensor where for each of the different identification codes the data comprises signal information about strength or frequency of the one or more wireless signals through which each identification code was received by the particular equipment data sensor, and determining an operator of the equipment associated with the particular equipment data sensor based at least in part on a comparison of the signal information associated with each identification code.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed a data communication system and method for a fleet management system configured to assist with monitoring and managing a fleet of one or more powered machines and one or more human operators.

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: Embodiments of the invention are directed a data communication system and method for a fleet management system configured to assist with monitoring and managing a fleet of one or more powered machines and one or more human operators.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to an equipment data sensor arranged on a powered machine. The equipment data sensor includes a processing device coupled to one or more sensors for obtaining values of at least one parameter associated with running of the powered machine, a memory, and a short range transceiver configured for wireless short range communication arranged to receive short distance communication signals, wherein the processing device is configured to register, in the memory, one or more values of the at least one parameter and an associated operator identifier received over the short range transceiver.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a fleet management system that assists a fleet, such as a landscaping crew, forestry company, grounds care manager, or the like, with management and monitoring the fleet's collection of outdoor power equipment, like lawn mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, and/or the like, and the operators of the outdoor power equipment. In this regard, embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for automatically gathering data about one or more pieces of outdoor power equipment and one or more human operators of the equipment, processing the data into more useful data and data formats, and providing useful feedback, data, and tools to users of the system to assist with management of one or more fleets.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a fleet management system that assists with management and monitoring fleets of powered machines and their operators, such as fleets engaged in landscaping, grounds care, and forestry service. In this regard, embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for automatically gathering data about one or more pieces of outdoor power equipment and one or more human operators of the equipment, processing the data into more useful data and data formats, and providing useful feedback, data, and tools to users of the system via, for example, a web portal that either assists users with management of a fleet of equipment and operators or provides useful information to owner-operators of outdoor power equipment about their performance and their machines.

Abstract: A fleet management system is provided for outdoor power equipment and is, in some embodiments, configured to estimate operator performance and/or skill for a particular operator based at least partially on engine speed data sensed during the particular operator's use of one or more pieces of equipment. Embodiments of the invention also provide an apparatus configured to receive data comprising RPM values of a rotating component of a piece of outdoor power equipment sampled throughout a period of operation of the piece of outdoor power equipment, and further configured to generate a RPM histogram for a particular operator and/or for a particular piece of outdoor power equipment in order to use the RPM histogram to determine additional information about the particular operator, the particular piece of equipment, and/or the particular period of operation.

Abstract: A method for automatically pairing one or more operators with one or more pieces of equipment where each of the one or more operators carries an identification unit having an identification code stored therein, and where each piece of equipment includes an equipment data sensor configured to wirelessly receive the identification code in any identification units within a particular range may include receiving a plurality of different identification codes in data received from a particular equipment data sensor where for each of the different identification codes the data comprises signal information about strength or frequency of the one or more wireless signals through which each identification code was received by the particular equipment data sensor, and determining an operator of the equipment associated with the particular equipment data sensor based at least in part on a comparison of the signal information associated with each identification code.

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 present invention relates to a lawn mower (1), comprising a chassis (7), a front mounted mower deck (5), and at least one support arm (9) connecting the mower deck (5) with the chassis (7). The support arm (9) is movable with respect to the chassis (7) for lifting the mower deck (5) from a lower position to an upper position. In the upper position, the mower deck (5) is tiltable about a horizontal pivot axis (11) with respect to the support arm (9) without interfering with the ground. The lawn mower is characterised in that the centre of gravity (21) of the mower deck (5) is located in front of the pivot axis (11), with respect to the forward direction of the lawn mower (1), when the mower deck (5) is lifted to the upper position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lawn mower (1), comprising a front mounted mower deck (5) comprising at least one cutting knife, wherein the cutting knife is rotatably arranged in a substantially horizontal plane (10), a wheel suspension arrangement (19) connected to the mower deck (5) and comprising at least one wheel (17) to be in contact with the ground so as to support the mower deck (5) during mowing, wherein the wheel (17) is connected to the wheel suspension arrangement (19) by means of an axle (21) to be in perpendicular alignment with the ground during mowing, and a cutting height adjustment (27) device adapted to move the wheel suspension arrangement (19) with respect to the mower deck (5) for adjusting the mutual height relationship between the wheel (17) and the mower deck (5), so as to adjust the distance between the plane of the cutting knife and the ground.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lawn mower (1), comprising a front mounted mower deck (5) comprising at least one cutting knife, wherein the cutting knife is rotatably arranged in a substantially horizontal plane (10), a wheel suspension arrangement (19) connected to the mower deck (5) and comprising at least one wheel (17) to be in contact with the ground so as to support the mower deck (5) during mowing, wherein the wheel (17) is connected to the wheel suspension arrangement (19) by means of an axle (21) to be in perpendicular alignment with the ground during mowing, and a cutting height adjustment (27) device adapted to move the wheel suspension arrangement (19) with respect to the mower deck (5) for adjusting the mutual height relationship between the wheel (17) and the mower deck (5), so as to adjust the distance between the plane of the cutting knife and the ground.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lawn mower (1), comprising a chassis (7), a front mounted mower deck (5), and at least one support arm (9) connecting the mower deck (5) with the chassis (7), wherein the support arm (9) is movable with respect to the chassis (7) for lifting the mower deck (5) from a lower position to an upper position, in which upper position the mower deck (5) is tiltable about a horizontal pivot axis (11) with respect to the support arm (9) without interfering with the ground, from a first position in which an underside of the mower deck (5) is directed downwardly, to a second position in which the underside of the mower deck (5) is accessible to an operator standing in front of the lawn mower (1). The lawn mower is characterised in that the centre of gravity (21) of the mower deck (5) is located in front of the pivot axis (11), with respect to the forward direction of the lawn mower (1), when the mower deck (5) is lifted to the upper position.