Did You Know...
...that Thomas Edison's patent application on his phonograph was approved by the Patent Office in just seven weeks? In contrast, it took Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, 30 years to obtain his patent -- finally awarded in 1988!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7668631 | Autonomous lawn mower with recharge base An apparatus for cutting grass in a cut area delimited by a perimeter, the perimeter being defined by the presence of regions of grass surface, comprises a lawn-mower and a lawn-mower-recovery base, the lawn-mower comprising a motor unit, a cutting device, the lawn-... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7660650 | Self-propelled working robot having horizontally movable work assembly retracting in different speed based on contact sensor input on the assembly The present invention relates to a self-propelled working robot, including a first distance sensor 4a and a second distance sensor 4b (4c) for measuring the distance to an obstacle W in front of the robot. The robot includes... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7647144 | Obstacle sensing system for an autonomous cleaning apparatus An obstacle-sensing system for carriers, particularly autonomous carriers such as robot vacuum cleaners, enables the carriers to disengage themselves from any obstacle or obstruction with which they come into physical contact and proceed past the obstacle or obstruc... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7636621 | Path guidance method for autonomous mobile device A path guidance method for autonomous mobile device, by which a directional wireless reception unit, arranged on the autonomous mobile device, is enabled to receive a radio wave guidance signal issued by a call unit while the direction pointing to the call unit can ... | 12/22/2009 |
| 7613552 | Lawn-mower with sensor Lawn-mower comprising one or more motor-driven wheels and at least one cutting device, and further comprising elements for determining a distance value of an external mass to modify the behaviour of the lawn-mower in response to the distance. ... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7603212 | Real time planning and scheduling for a team of unmanned vehicles A method of implementing a plurality of unmanned vehicles over an obstacle field. The method includes obtaining a physical map of the obstacle field. Discretizing the physical map into traversable edges that avoid the obstacles, the traversable edges meeting at node... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7536242 | Optical laser guidance system apparatus and method An optical laser guidance system includes a laser sensor, a controller and a plurality of actuators. The laser sensor detects a projected laser beam and sends an electrical signal representative of the position of the laser beam to the controller. The controller int... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7529604 | Moving body system and moving body It is an object of the present invention to provide a moving body system which can determine a moved position of a moving body such as a guided vehicle or a stacker crane wherever it is on a moving path, which can stop the moving body anywhere, and which can quickly... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7519457 | Path generator for mobile object A path generator includes a map generator for generating a map for a movement space based on information on the position and shape of a mobile object, an obstacle, and a target object. It also includes a composite potential generator for calculating an attractive po... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7499774 | System and method for processing safety signals in an autonomous vehicle System and method for processing a safety signal in an autonomous vehicle. Safety signals are typically generated in response to the detection of unsafe conditions or are sent by the vehicle operator. In either case, the safety signals are conveyed using redundant c... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7499776 | Systems and methods for control of an unmanned ground vehicle Systems and methods for interruptible autonomous control of a vehicle. Autonomous control is achieved by using actuators that interact with input devices in the vehicle. The actuators (e.g., linkages) manipulate the input devices (e.g., articulation controls and dri... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7499775 | System and method for terrain feature tracking System and method for tracking obstacles by an autonomous vehicle. Localization sensors (i.e., sensors to measure pitch, roll, and yaw, and systems including an inertial navigation system, a compass, a global positioning system, or an odometer) detect the position o... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7477967 | Method for automatically guiding a mining machine A method for automatically controlling a mining machine. In the method a route is determined for a mining machine (14) in the form of successive, interconnected segments in a coordinate system fixed in a relation to the mine, the segments in turn being determ... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7444206 | Robotic vacuum cleaner An autonomous robot, that is for example, suitable for operations such as vacuuming and surface cleaning includes a payload configured for vacuum cleaning, a drive system including a steering system, a navigation system, and a control system for integrating operatio... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7444215 | Moving apparatus and method of self-direction testing and self-direction correction thereof A moving apparatus has a body, and has at least a pair of wheels, a control unit, a direction measuring unit and at least a pair of encoders installed on the body. The direction measuring unit coupled to the control unit measures the direction of the body, and the c... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7444214 | Obstacle detection apparatus, method and medium An obstacle detection apparatus and method which can detect the state of an obstacle according to a signal generated when the obstacle detection apparatus collides with the obstacle and a change in the posture of the obstacle detection apparatus caused due to the co... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7437230 | Satellite based vehicle guidance control in straight and contour modes A method for steering an agricultural vehicle comprising: receiving global positioning system (GPS) data including position and velocity information corresponding to at least one of a position, velocity, and course of the vehicle; receiving a yaw rate signal; and co... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7432799 | Driving support apparatus and driving support method By applying an observing-point conversion and s synthesis to images captured by respective cameras capturing the surroundings of a vehicle and by placing a figure representing the vehicle on the synthesized image, an overhead-image generating unit generates an image... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7430455 | Obstacle following sensor scheme for a mobile robot A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an emitter which emits a signal having a field of emission and ... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7429843 | Method and system for multi-mode coverage for an autonomous robot A control system for a mobile robot (10) is provided to effectively cover a given area by operating in a plurality of modes, including an obstacle following mode (51) and a random bounce mode (49). In other embodiments, spot coverage, such as sp... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7430462 | Automatic charging station for autonomous mobile machine An automatic charging station for an autonomous mobile machine includes a base, a housing, and a signal transmitter. The base is mounted on the ground or on a planar surface. The housing is rotatably mounted on the base, having at least one guide member and a plural... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7430547 | Method of detecting the presence or the absence of a mobile terminal on a path A method is disclosed of tracing a path to be taken by a mobile terminal receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted by transmitter stations, the path being traced by an operating platform, which method comprises a learning phase comprising a taking of the path duri... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7424364 | Method and device for warning a driver of lane departure A method and device for warning a driver of lane departure, wherein a first analyzer is used to detect the vehicle's lane departure based on image data and/or vehicle data and/or driver activity. The driver then receives a warning as a function of the detection by t... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7412311 | Method and apparatus for transporting a patient support A transport device for transporting a patient support panel or a medical appliance includes a drive unit, which includes a drive motor, an undercarriage having wheels rotatably mounted on it for driving the undercarriage, and a sensor unit for receiving a signal ind... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7403835 | Device and method for programming an industrial robot In a device and method for programming an industrial robot using a simulation program, control commands are issued by a handheld programming device and these commands are visualized on an image surface as movement and/or processing operations by the robot on the bas... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7403120 | Reverse infrastructure location system and method Methods and apparatus are provided to locate a terminal within a workspace. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are provided in known locations, preferably in, on or adjacent the light fixtures or other workspace infrastructure. The terminal comprises an RFID... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7401013 | Method to optimize test data A method for optimizing data gathering, is provided wherein the method comprising the steps of designing a first system test comprising two or more maneuvers, compiling a one or more data variable for each of the two or more maneuvers from the first system test, poo... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7392131 | Method for supplying a program-aided information system with specific positional information Disclosed is a method for supplying a program-aided information system with specific location information, in which the information system provides at least one selection of certain location-dependent information on the basis of a person-specific or object-specific ... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7389166 | Methods to prevent wheel slip in an autonomous floor cleaner Tread structures, wave motion navigational controls, and ramp up recovery controls are provided to an autonomous floor cleaner to reduce wheel slippage. The floor cleaner delivers liquid to the floor as part of the cleaning process. Wheels on the device are provided... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7388343 | Method and system for multi-mode coverage for an autonomous robot A control system for a mobile robot (10) is provided to effectively cover a given area by operating in a plurality of modes, including an obstacle following mode (51) and a random bounce mode (49). In other embodiments, spot coverage, such as sp... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7389156 | Autonomous surface cleaning robot for wet and dry cleaning An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to s... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7386366 | Feedback estimation of joint forces and joint movements Apparatus and methods are provided for estimating joint forces and moments in human beings. A forward dynamics module determines simulated kinematic data. An error correction controller forces tracking error between the simulated kinematic data and measured (or desi... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7386364 | Operation control device for leg-type mobile robot and operation control method, and robot device A legged mobile robot gives up a normal walking motion and starts a tumbling motion when an excessively high external force or external moment is applied thereto and a behavior plan of a foot part thereof is disabled. At this time, the variation amount ΔS/Δt of th... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7383114 | Method and apparatus for steering a farm implement to a path An apparatus and method using GPS for dynamically adjusting side-to-side positioning of a farm implement along a geographical path. The apparatus includes a global positioning system (GPS) antenna disposed on the farm implement, a GPS receiver coupled to the GPS ant... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7378812 | Legged robot and legged robot walking control method A legged robot and a legged robot walking control method are disclosed, which enable stable walking without force sensors on leg tips. A legged robot of the present invention comprises a torso, a leg link, which is swingably connected to the torso, storing means ... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7376487 | Nesting negotiation for self-mobile devices Disparate robotic devices can be automatically recharged and reprogrammed by self-scheduling individual time slots for the available recharging area(s) of a charging station. These charging stations provide a nest to which each robot must return periodically for pow... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7373218 | Image distribution system An information distribution system capable of presenting an image photographed by a moving body, such as a robot or vehicle, selected by a user. The information distribution system includes moving bodies, local managers, and a global manager. When a user requests a ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7370022 | Building plans for household tasks from distributed knowledge A system and a method are disclosed that provide plans for autonomous machines such as humanoid robots to perform indoor task. Human subjects contribute plans to a knowledge database. Information in the knowledge database is pre-processed to identify task steps and ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7364003 | Systems and methods for the mitigation of hop A system for mitigating hop in a propelled machine is provided. A controller is operable to receive an aggressiveness command based on an operator input. A sensor is operable to measure a parameter indicative of hop and output a hop signal indicative of a magnitude ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7362439 | Method of detecting the condition of a turf grass A method of detecting the condition of a turf grass is described. According to one aspect of the invention, the method comprises steps of attaching an active sensor to a mower; traversing a section of turf grass; and processing the output of the sensor. A device for... | 04/22/2008 |