US6465982B1 — Electronic search system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 467 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) for a working tool ( 2 ), in which system border cable (a) is placed above, under or on ground or floor, so that it separates an inner area (A) within the border cable (a) from an outer area (C), which working tool is intended for attendance of ground or floor, and a first signal generator ( 3 ; 3 ′) feeds the border cable with current (Ia), whose magnetic field ( 7 ) affects at least one sensing unit ( 8 ) located on the working tool ( 2 ), so that the at least one sensing unit ( 8 ) emits signals ( 9 ) to a control unit ( 10 ), which in cooperation with an engine control ( 11 ), or a signal system for a driver, and at least one driving source ( 12 , 13 ) directs the tool's motion in order to prevent it from remoting from the inner area (A), wherein the first signal generator feeds the border cable with current (Ia) containing at least two alternating-current components ( 14 , 15 ) of different frequency, and the components ( 14 , 15 ) are lying in a known relation of time to each other, and at least one more cable, called search cable (b, d, e) is placed at least partly within the inner area (A+B+D+E), so that it separates at least one search area (B, D, E) within the inner area, and each search cable (b, d, e) respectively is fed by a signal generator ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) with an adapted current (Ib, Id, Ie), whose altemating-current components ( 14 , 15 ) are virtually identical with the altemating-current components in the border cable (a), but where the direction of flow, at least for the alternating-current component ( 15 ) with the higher frequency, in each one of the search cables is alternating in time in being either in phase or out of phase in relation to the current flow direction in the border cable (a), so that the magnetic fields in the different areas (A, B, C, D, E), which are separated by each cable respectively, are forming at least three essentially unique timer patterns, and hereby the control unit can evaluate the difference in the signals ( 9 ) caused by the magnetic field's different time patterns in the inner area (A), the outer area (C) and at least one search area (B, D, E), and the control unit can therefore emit an area signal ( 16 ), which mainly takes up one of at least three states depending on the position of the sensing unit ( 8 ) in relation to the border cable (a) or each search cable (b, d, e) respectively.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 467 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) for a working tool ( 2 ), in which system border cable (a) is placed above, under or on ground or floor, so that it separates an inner area (A) within the border cable (a) from an outer area (C), which working tool is intended for attendance of ground or floor, and a first signal generator ( 3 ; 3 ′) feeds the border cable with current (Ia), whose magnetic field ( 7 ) affects at least one sensing unit ( 8 ) located on the working tool ( 2 ), so that the at least one sensing unit ( 8 ) emits signals ( 9 ) to a control unit ( 10 ), which in cooperation with an engine control ( 11 ), or a signal system for a driver, and at least one driving source ( 12 , 13 ) directs the tool's motion in order to prevent it from remoting from the inner area (A), wherein the first signal generator feeds the border cable with current (Ia) containing at least two alternating-current components ( 14 , 15 ) of different frequency, and the components ( 14 , 15 ) are lying in a known relation of time to each other, and at least one more cable, called search cable (b, d, e) is placed at least partly within the inner area (A+B+D+E), so that it separates at least one search area (B, D, E) within the inner area, and each search cable (b, d, e) respectively is fed by a signal generator ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) with an adapted current (Ib, Id, Ie), whose altemating-current components ( 14 , 15 ) are virtually identical with the altemating-current components in the border cable (a), but where the direction of flow, at least for the alternating-current component ( 15 ) with the higher frequency, in each one of the search cables is alternating in time in being either in phase or out of phase in relation to the current flow direction in the border cable (a), so that the magnetic fields in the different areas (A, B, C, D, E), which are separated by each cable respectively, are forming at least three essentially unique timer patterns, and hereby the control unit can evaluate the difference in the signals ( 9 ) caused by the magnetic field's different time patterns in the inner area (A), the outer area (C) and at least one search area (B, D, E), and the control unit can therefore emit an area signal ( 16 ), which mainly takes up one of at least three states depending on the position of the sensing unit ( 8 ) in relation to the border cable (a) or each search cable (b, d, e) respectively.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the two alternating-current components' ( 14 , 15 ) frequencies are multiples of each other.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the two altemating-current components' ( 14 , 15 ) frequencies are equal number multiples of each other.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

An electronic search system according to claim 2 wherein the two alternating-current components' frequencies are selected from one of 8000 Hz and 16000 Hz; 8000 Hz and 24000 Hz; and 8000 Hz and 32000 Hz.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the alternating-current components ( 14 , 15 ) in the border cable (a) are lying in an essentially permanent time relation to each other.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the alternating-current components are composed of square waves.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each sensing unit comprises at least one coil ( 19 ).

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 120 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 10 ) evaluates the signals ( 9 ) by dividing them in a frequency divider ( 21 ) into signal components ( 14 ′, 15 ′) with different frequency corresponding to the frequencies of the alternating-current components ( 14 , 15 ), and the signal components are forwarded to an evaluation unit ( 23 ), which at least for the signal component ( 15 ′) with the higher frequency, detects its signals as an analogue average of the proportion of in phase signals, or the proportion of out of phase signals, so that the evaluation unit creates the area signal ( 16 ).

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 80 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the signals ( 9 , 14 ′, 15 ′) is rectified in a rectifier ( 25 ) and is forwarded to the engine control ( 11 ) as an analogue signal, whose signal intensity is a measure of the intensity of the ingoing signals ( 9 ) to the control unit, so that the tool can be shut-off at a too low signal intensity.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 129 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the signal components ( 14 ′, 15 ′) is forwarded to an amplifier ( 24 ), whose amplification thus is affected by the ingoing signal's ( 14 ′, 15 ′) intensity, and after rectifying in rectifier ( 25 ) the analogue signal ( 26 ) is brought back to the frequency divider ( 21 ), which also has a variable amplification, and compared with not having this special amplification circuit the signal ( 26 ) affects the variable amplification of the signals ( 14 ′, 15 ′), so that a considerably more constant signal intensity in these signals ( 14 ′, 15 ′) is achieved inside and near outside the inner area (A+B+D+E).

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 26 words

An electronic search system according to claim 8 , wherein the signal components are forwarded to an evaluation unit after processing in a signal processing unit.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 16 words

An electronic search system according to claim 8 , wherein the evaluation unit is a latch.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 115 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 10 ) evaluates the signals ( 9 ) by dividing them in a frequency divider ( 21 ) into signal components ( 14 ′, 15 ′), with different frequency, corresponding to the frequencies of the alternating-current components ( 14 , 15 ), and the signal components are forwarded to an evaluation unit ( 23 ), which at least for the signal component ( 15 ′) with the higher frequency, detects its signals as a digital pattern of in phase and out of phase signals, so that the evaluation unit can create the area signal ( 16 ).

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 80 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the signals ( 9 , 14 ′, 15 ′) is rectified in a rectifier ( 25 ) and is forwarded to the engine control ( 11 ) as an analogue signal, whose signal intensity is a measure of the intensity of the ingoing signals ( 9 ) to the control unit, so that the tool can be shut-off at a too low signal intensity.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 129 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the signal components ( 14 ′, 15 ′) is forwarded to an amplifier ( 24 ), whose amplification thus is affected by the ingoing signal's ( 14 ′, 15 ′) intensity, and after rectifying in rectifier ( 25 ) the analogue signal ( 26 ) is brought back to the frequency divider ( 21 ), which also has a variable amplification, and compared with not having this special amplification circuit the signal ( 26 ) affects the variable amplification of the signals ( 14 ′, 15 ′), so that a considerably more constant signal intensity in these signals ( 14 ′, 15 ′) is achieved inside and near outside the inner area (A+B+D+E).

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 26 words

An electronic search system according to claim 13 , wherein the signal components are forwarded to an evaluation unit after processing in a signal processing unit.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 16 words

An electronic search system according to claim 13 , wherein the evaluation unit is a latch.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 50 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first signal generator ( 3 ; 3 ′) transmits a current into a border cable (a) and in relation to the first current an adapted current into at least one search cable (b; b, d′).

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 64 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first signal generator ( 3 ) feeds the border cable (a) with current (Ia) and in that at least one second signal generator ( 4 , 5 ) is located at the border cable (a) and transmits the adapted current (Id, Ie) into at least one search cable (d, e).

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 42 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 19 , wherein the adapted current (Id, Ie) is based on a sensing of the current (Ia), which the first signal generator ( 3 ) has transmitted into the border cable (a).

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 30 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one search cable (b, d, e) is located essentially within the inner area (A+B+D+E).

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 52 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 21 , wherein the search cable (e) is created by connecting a conductor (e) to the border cable (a), so that a part of the border cable (a) will be integrated into the search cable (e), which separates the search area (E).

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 75 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the tool's ( 2 ) control unit there is a “follow the cable” mode, which becomes activated by passage from one area to another area in combination with that at least one more condition is fulfilled resulting in that the tool follows a search cable(b; b, d′), which leads to a docking station ( 3 ; 3 ′) for automatic battery charging.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 86 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 23 , wherein in the “follow the cable” mode, the state of the area signal ( 16 ) affects the engine control ( 11 ) so that the inner area state ( 18 ) guides the tool more to the right, while the search area state ( 31 , 32 , 33 ) guides the tool more to the left, so that the tool follows the search cable between the two areas in a clockwise direction.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 86 words

An electronic search system ( 1 ) according to claim 23 , wherein, in the “follow the cable” modes the state of the area signal ( 16 ) affects the engine control ( 11 ) so that the inner area state ( 18 ) guides the tool more in the left, while the search area state ( 31 , 32 , 33 ) guides the tool more to the right, so that the tool follows the search cable between the two areas in an anti-clockwise direction.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 51 words

An electronic search system according to claim 23 , wherein the “follow the cable” mode becomes activated when a battery-operated tool gets a low voltage of battery (condition) and passes from one of the inner area and the search area to the other of the inner area and the search area.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 30 words

An electronic search system according to claim 1 wherein said at least three states comprise an outer area state, an inner area state, and at least one search area state.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 24 words

An electronic search system according to claim 1 wherein the work tool is used for one of grass-cutting, moss-scratching, watering, vacuum-cleaning, polishing, and transportation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2005-10-14	2006-04-15	2006-10-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2009-10-14	2010-04-15	2010-10-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2013-10-14	2014-04-15	2014-10-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electronic search system

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