Intelligent control apparatus, system, and method of use
First Claim
1. A method of defining one or more optimized travel paths for an autonomously-steering machine to travel over one or more areas, comprising:
- a) positioning the autonomously-steering machine at a starting point, causing a GPS system attached with the autonomously-steering machine to obtain a location of the starting point, and causing a memory device attached with the autonomously-steering machine to record the starting point;
b) manually steering the autonomously-steering machine while causing it to move from the starting point over the one or more areas;
c) causing the GPS system to continuously track location of the autonomously-steering machine during said movement;
d) causing the memory device to record the tracked location of the autonomously-steering machine as map data in the memory device;
e) causing a processor attached with the autonomously-steering machine to process the map data in view of effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to determine one or more perimeters of the one or more areas over which the autonomously-steering machine did travel;
f) causing the processor to process the map data in view of the effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to determine one or more perimeters of any excluded areas over which the autonomously-steering machine did not travel within the one or more areas;
g) causing the processor to process the map data and the effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to generate optimized travel path data corresponding to one or more optimized travel paths that when traveled by the autonomously-steering machine will cause the autonomously-steering machine to travel over the one or more areas but not the one or more excluded areas while tending to minimize total distance traveled by the autonomously-steering machine;
h) moving the autonomously-steering machine over the area while an electronically-controlled steering controller device attached with the autonomously-steering machine and driven by the optimized travel path data controls steering of the autonomously steering machine;
i) manually overriding the electronically-controlled steering controller device during said movement in step h) to cause the autonomously-steering machine to deviate from the one or more optimized travel paths;
j) the processor automatically causing the OPS system to continuously track location of the autonomously-steering machine during said deviated movement without a user interacting with the processor;
k) the processor automatically causing the memory device to record the tracked location of the autonomously-steering machine during said deviated movement as deviated map data in the memory device without the user interacting with the processor;
l) after beginning said deviated movement, an electronic user interface in electronic communication with the memory device automatically prompting the user to indicate whether the one or more optimized travel paths should be updated with said deviated map data; and
m) causing the optimized travel path data to update to correspond to said deviated map data and thereby updating the optimized travel path to correspond to said deviation, by the user indicating with the electronic user interface that the one or more optimized travel paths should be updated with said deviated map data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided are systems and methods for controlling the steering of a machine such as a mower, sprayer, raker, or snow plow. A control system may comprise a unitary structure such as a tablet computer may be removably attached with the machine, the control system tracking movement of the machine over an area using GPS systems or the like and then automatically calculating, storing, and transmitting optimized travel paths that minimize the distance traveled by the machine for subsequent movements of the machine over the same area. Systems may automatically detect excluded areas within the area, and may automatically update optimized travel paths during subsequent uses at the option of a user. Path data and other information may be stored remotely and access thereto controlled by a service provider. Record-replay functionality is disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of defining one or more optimized travel paths for an autonomously-steering machine to travel over one or more areas, comprising:
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a) positioning the autonomously-steering machine at a starting point, causing a GPS system attached with the autonomously-steering machine to obtain a location of the starting point, and causing a memory device attached with the autonomously-steering machine to record the starting point; b) manually steering the autonomously-steering machine while causing it to move from the starting point over the one or more areas; c) causing the GPS system to continuously track location of the autonomously-steering machine during said movement; d) causing the memory device to record the tracked location of the autonomously-steering machine as map data in the memory device; e) causing a processor attached with the autonomously-steering machine to process the map data in view of effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to determine one or more perimeters of the one or more areas over which the autonomously-steering machine did travel; f) causing the processor to process the map data in view of the effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to determine one or more perimeters of any excluded areas over which the autonomously-steering machine did not travel within the one or more areas; g) causing the processor to process the map data and the effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to generate optimized travel path data corresponding to one or more optimized travel paths that when traveled by the autonomously-steering machine will cause the autonomously-steering machine to travel over the one or more areas but not the one or more excluded areas while tending to minimize total distance traveled by the autonomously-steering machine; h) moving the autonomously-steering machine over the area while an electronically-controlled steering controller device attached with the autonomously-steering machine and driven by the optimized travel path data controls steering of the autonomously steering machine; i) manually overriding the electronically-controlled steering controller device during said movement in step h) to cause the autonomously-steering machine to deviate from the one or more optimized travel paths; j) the processor automatically causing the OPS system to continuously track location of the autonomously-steering machine during said deviated movement without a user interacting with the processor; k) the processor automatically causing the memory device to record the tracked location of the autonomously-steering machine during said deviated movement as deviated map data in the memory device without the user interacting with the processor; l) after beginning said deviated movement, an electronic user interface in electronic communication with the memory device automatically prompting the user to indicate whether the one or more optimized travel paths should be updated with said deviated map data; and m) causing the optimized travel path data to update to correspond to said deviated map data and thereby updating the optimized travel path to correspond to said deviation, by the user indicating with the electronic user interface that the one or more optimized travel paths should be updated with said deviated map data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An autonomously-steering machine configured to travel under its own power over one or more areas by following one or more optimized travel paths, the autonomously-steering machine comprising:
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a steering system capable of being steered either manually by a user or by an electronically-controlled steering controller device; an electronically-controlled steering controller device; a structure that is removably attached as a unit with the autonomously-steering machine, the structure comprising; a processor structure in electronic communication with the electronically-controlled steering controller device; a memory device structure in electronic communication with the processor structure; a GPS system structure in electronic communication with the memory device structure; and an electronic user interface structure in electronic communication with the memory device structure; wherein the structure is configured to; a) obtain and record a location of a starting point; b) continuously track location of the autonomously-steering machine while it is moved and manually steered from the starting point over an area; c) record the tracked location of the autonomously-steering machine as map data in the memory device structure; d) process the map data in view of effective travel path width data for the autonomously-steering machine to determine one or more perimeters of the one or more areas over which the autonomously-steering machine has traveled, to determine one or more perimeters of any excluded areas over which the autonomously-steering machine did not travel within the one or more areas, and to generate optimized travel path data corresponding to one or more optimized travel paths that when traveled by the autonomously-steering machine will cause the autonomously-steering machine to travel over the one or more areas but not the one or more excluded areas while tending to minimize the total distance traveled by the autonomously-steering machine; the electronically-controlled steering controller device configured to steer the autonomously-steering machine over the area but not over the excluded areas based on the optimized travel path data, and further configured to be manually overridden by the user steering the autonomously-steering machine to deviate from the one or more optimized travel paths, without the user interacting with the processor, whereupon the structure is configured to automatically update the optimized travel path data based on die deviation at an option of the user.
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20. An autonomously-steering machine configured to travel under its own power over one or more areas by precisely following one or more travel paths that was previously recorded, the autonomously-steering machine comprising:
- a steering system capable of being steered either manually by a user or by an electronically-controlled steering controller device;
an electronically-controlled steering controller device;
a structure that is removably attached as a unit with the autonomously-steering machine, the structure comprising;
a processor structure in electronic communication with the electronically-controlled steering controller device;
a memory device structure in electronic communication with the processor structure;
a GPS system structure in electronic communication with the memory device structure; and
an electronic user interface structure in electronic communication with the memory device structure;
wherein the structure is configured to;
a) obtain and record the location of a starting point;
b) continuously track location of the autonomously-steering machine while it is moved and manually steered from the starting point over an area;
c) record the tracked location of the autonomously-steering machine as map data in the memory means;
d) replay the map data to cause the autonomously-steering machine to travel over precisely the same tracked location that was recorded;
the electronically-controlled steering controller device configured to steer the autonomously-steering machine over precisely the same tracked location that was recorded as map data;
the electronically-controlled steering controller device further configured to steer the autonomously-steering machine over the area but not over one or more excluded areas based on one or more optimized travel path data, and further configured to be manually overridden by the user steering the autonomously-steering machine to deviate from the one or more optimized travel paths without the user interacting with the processor, whereupon the structure is configured to automatically update the one or more optimized travel path data based on the deviation at an option of the user.
- a steering system capable of being steered either manually by a user or by an electronically-controlled steering controller device;
Specification