Patents by Inventor Peter Ritzer

Peter Ritzer 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).

  • Publication number: 20230397530
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot. The green area maintenance robot has a maintenance tool, wherein a maintenance height of the maintenance tool is adjustable. The method monitors whether a criterion for being stuck is satisfied, wherein the criterion for being stuck is characteristic of a contact part of the maintenance tool of the green area maintenance robot being stuck, and increases the maintenance height if the criterion for being stuck is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Philip WOLF, Markus GASSNER, Alexander RIEGER, Christian HORNGACHER, Peter RITZER, Michael REITTER, Alexander BIECHL, Samuel ZOETTL
  • Patent number: 11579620
    Abstract: A method docks an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot to a docking station. An electrical conductor arrangement runs in the region of the docking station, wherein the conductor arrangement is designed such that a periodic current flows through the conductor arrangement, wherein the current generates a periodic magnetic field. The green area maintenance robot has two magnetic field sensors, wherein the two magnetic field sensors are designed such that the magnetic field respectively causes a periodic sensor signal in the magnetic field sensors. The method has the steps of: determining a phase shift between the two sensor signals or signals based on the sensor signals, and controlling movement of the green area maintenance robot for docking on the basis of the determined phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Ritzer, Samuel Zoettl, Christian Horngacher
  • Patent number: 11439057
    Abstract: A green area maintenance system includes a motor scythe, a scythe position determining device for determining scythe position coordinates, and a position recording device. The scythe position determining device is attached to the motor scythe. The position recording device is designed for recording a series of scythe position coordinates of a delimiting border while the motor scythe is being guided together with the scythe position determining device along the delimiting border of an area to be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Ritzer, Matthias Hans, Andreas Strohmaier
  • Patent number: 10986775
    Abstract: A ground working system includes at least one self-driving ground working device having a drive, a control unit and a battery. An operating region is determined by a boundary wire, wherein the ground working device travels over a traveling path determined by the control unit in the operating region. Connected to the boundary wire is a first base station, which transmits a signal on the boundary wire. The electromagnetic field of the signal induces a reception signal in the reception coil of the ground working device. The reception signal is processed in the control unit. In order to make a stable signal available over the entire length of the boundary wire, it is provided that the boundary wire is electrically connected to a further base station configured as a repeater, which receives the signal transmitted by the first base station, processes it and passes it on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl, Peter Ritzer
  • Patent number: 10952370
    Abstract: A ground working system includes at least one self-driving ground working device having a drive, a control unit and a battery. An operating region is determined by a boundary wire, wherein the ground working device travels over a traveling path determined by the control unit in the operating region. Connected to the boundary wire is a first base station, which transmits a signal on the boundary wire. The electromagnetic field of the signal induces a reception signal in the reception coil of the ground working device. The reception signal is processed in the control unit. In order to make a stable signal available over the entire length of the boundary wire, it is provided that the boundary wire is electrically connected to a further base station configured as a repeater, which receives the signal transmitted by the first base station, processes it and passes it on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl, Peter Ritzer
  • Patent number: 10888046
    Abstract: A method for operating an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable, includes the steps of: receiving a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter, and automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ernst Gorenflo, Peter Ritzer
  • Publication number: 20200393844
    Abstract: A method docks an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot to a docking station. An electrical conductor arrangement runs in the region of the docking station, wherein the conductor arrangement is designed such that a periodic current flows through the conductor arrangement, wherein the current generates a periodic magnetic field. The green area maintenance robot has two magnetic field sensors, wherein the two magnetic field sensors are designed such that the magnetic field respectively causes a periodic sensor signal in the magnetic field sensors. The method has the steps of: determining a phase shift between the two sensor signals or signals based on the sensor signals, and controlling movement of the green area maintenance robot for docking on the basis of the determined phase shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Peter RITZER, Samuel ZOETTL, Christian HORNGACHER
  • Patent number: 10820493
    Abstract: A ground working system includes at least one self-driving ground working device, which has a drive and a control unit. An operating region (A) is bounded by a wire, wherein the ground working device travels along a traveling path (W) determined by the control unit in the operating region (A). A base station has a transmission unit, which is electrically connected to the wire and by which a wire signal is transmitted. The wire signal transmitted on the wire is electrically received by a reception unit of the base station, compared with a predetermined setpoint signal and, in the event of a deviation of the electrically received wire signal from the predetermined setpoint signal, the transmitted wire signal is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Ritzer, Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl
  • Patent number: 10681864
    Abstract: A ground working system has at least one self-driving ground working device with a drive, a control unit and an in-device battery for supplying energy to the ground working device. An operating region (A), within which the ground working device travels automatically along a traveling path (W), is determined by an edge boundary. At least one charging station for charging the battery of the ground working device via an electrical energy-transferring charging connection is provided. The charging connection is also configured as a data connection for the transmission of data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl, Klaus Melser, Peter Ritzer
  • Publication number: 20200093058
    Abstract: A green area maintenance system includes a motor scythe, a scythe position determining device for determining scythe position coordinates, and a position recording device. The scythe position determining device is attached to the motor scythe. The position recording device is designed for recording a series of scythe position coordinates of a delimiting border while the motor scythe is being guided together with the scythe position determining device along the delimiting border of an area to be maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Peter RITZER, Matthias HANS, Andreas STROHMAIER
  • Publication number: 20180352734
    Abstract: A ground working system has at least one self-driving ground working device with a drive, a control unit and an in-device battery for supplying energy to the ground working device. An operating region (A), within which the ground working device travels automatically along a traveling path (W), is determined by an edge boundary. At least one charging station for charging the battery of the ground working device via an electrical energy-transferring charging connection is provided. The charging connection is also configured as a data connection for the transmission of data packets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl, Klaus Melser, Peter Ritzer
  • Publication number: 20180352728
    Abstract: A ground working system includes at least one self-driving ground working device, which has a drive and a control unit. An operating region (A) is bounded by a wire, wherein the ground working device travels along a traveling path (W) determined by the control unit in the operating region (A). A base station has a transmission unit, which is electrically connected to the wire and by which a wire signal is transmitted. The wire signal transmitted on the wire is electrically received by a reception unit of the base station, compared with a predetermined setpoint signal and, in the event of a deviation of the electrically received wire signal from the predetermined setpoint signal, the transmitted wire signal is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Peter Ritzer, Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl
  • Publication number: 20180352730
    Abstract: A method for operating an autonomous mobile lawn mower robot having a cutting tool for mowing a lawn, wherein a cutting height of the cutting tool is adjustable, includes the steps of: receiving a prediction of an environmental condition describing parameter, and automatically adjusting the cutting height of the cutting tool as a function of the received prediction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Ernst GORENFLO, Peter RITZER
  • Publication number: 20180352733
    Abstract: A ground working system includes at least one self-driving ground working device having a drive, a control unit and a battery. An operating region is determined by a boundary wire, wherein the ground working device travels over a traveling path determined by the control unit in the operating region. Connected to the boundary wire is a first base station, which transmits a signal on the boundary wire. The electromagnetic field of the signal induces a reception signal in the reception coil of the ground working device. The reception signal is processed in the control unit. In order to make a stable signal available over the entire length of the boundary wire, it is provided that the boundary wire is electrically connected to a further base station configured as a repeater, which receives the signal transmitted by the first base station, processes it and passes it on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Sebastian Matt, Samuel Zoettl, Peter Ritzer