Autonomous machine
First Claim
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1. An autonomous machine comprising:
- a driving mechanism for moving the machine along a surface of an area, anda navigation system, comprising a memory element, for navigating the machine around the area,the navigation system comprising;
a boundary following unit causing the machine to follow a boundary of the area and storing path information taken at regular intervals spaced by an equal predetermined distance from one another on the path travelled by the machine as the machine follows the boundary; and
a comparator determining when the machine has returned to a previously visited position in the area, the comparator being configured to compare the latest section of the path travelled by the machine with information representing a section of the path previously stored in the memory, and deciding when the new path information and previously stored path information are substantially the same.
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Abstract
An autonomous machine comprises driving means for moving the machine along a surface of an area, and a navigation system. The navigation system causes the machine to follow a boundary of the area, storing path information on the path travelled by the machine as the machine follows the boundary and compares when the machine has returned to a previously visited position in the area. The navigation system compares the latest section of the path travelled by the machine with information representing a section of the path previously stored in the memory and decides when the new path information and previously stored path information are substantially the same.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An autonomous machine comprising:
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a driving mechanism for moving the machine along a surface of an area, and a navigation system, comprising a memory element, for navigating the machine around the area, the navigation system comprising; a boundary following unit causing the machine to follow a boundary of the area and storing path information taken at regular intervals spaced by an equal predetermined distance from one another on the path travelled by the machine as the machine follows the boundary; and a comparator determining when the machine has returned to a previously visited position in the area, the comparator being configured to compare the latest section of the path travelled by the machine with information representing a section of the path previously stored in the memory, and deciding when the new path information and previously stored path information are substantially the same. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An autonomous machine, comprising:
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a driving mechanism for moving the machine along a surface of an area, and a navigation system, comprising a memory element, for navigating the machine around the area, the navigation system comprising; a boundary following unit causing the machine to follow a boundary of the area and storing path information on the path travelled by the machine as the machine follows the boundary; and a comparator determining when the machine has returned to a previously visited position in the area, the comparator being configured to compare the latest section of the path travelled by the machine with information representing a section of the path previously stored in the memory, and deciding when the new path information and previously stored path information are substantially the same, wherein the navigation system is configured to derive, from the stored path information, a second set of path information which is a less detailed representation of the travelled path. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of controlling an autonomous machine comprising:
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causing the machine to follow a boundary of an area, storing path information taken at regular intervals along the boundary spaced by an equal predetermined distance from one another in a memory, the path information relating to a path travelled by the machine as the machine follows the boundary; determining when the machine has returned to a previously visited position in the area by comparing the latest section of the path travelled by the machine with information representing a section of the path previously stored in the memory, and deciding when the new path information and previously stored path information are substantially the same.
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21. A computer readable medium containing program instruction for:
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causing a machine to follow a boundary of an area, storing path information on a path traveled by the machine taken at regular intervals along the path spaced by an equal predetermined distance from one another as the machine follows the boundary; determining when the machine has returned to a previously visited position in the area by comparing the latest section of the path traveled by the machine with information representing a section of the path previously stored in a memory, and deciding when the new path information and previously stored path information are substantially the same.
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Specification