Patent · US Expired

Autonomous vehicle for working on a surface and method of controlling same

US4962453A · kind A · utility

310Cited by
17References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 7, 1989
Grant dateOct 9, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 7, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T10/72
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A means and method for control of an autonomous vehicle while working on a surface, specifically for operation of an automatic floor cleaning machine using power derived from line power through a wall plug and cord. The vehicle uses information derived from contact between bumpers and objects in the environment to sense the geometry of its environment and utilizes a recursively applied algorithm to systematically and efficiently cover the floor area.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.