Patents by Inventor Michael David Aldred
Michael David Aldred has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10175696Abstract: An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station including an autonomous vehicle with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system. The apparatus includes a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker, wherein the control system is operable to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the base station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the received image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2014Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Dyson Technology LimitedInventors: Michael David Aldred, Simon Edwards-Parton
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Patent number: 9924845Abstract: A robot cleaner including: a body; and a sensor protruding from a top surface of the body, wherein the body includes a protrusion positioned forward of the sensor relative to a forward driving direction of the robot cleaner, the protrusion extending to a height that is at least equal to the height of the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2015Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITEDInventors: James Dyson, Michael David Aldred, Leanne Joyce Garner
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Publication number: 20180004219Abstract: An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station including an autonomous vehicle with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system. The apparatus includes a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker, wherein the control system is operable to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the base station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the received image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2017Publication date: January 4, 2018Applicant: Dyson Technology LimitedInventors: Michael David ALDRED, Simon EDWARDS-PARTON
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Publication number: 20160091899Abstract: An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station including an autonomous vehicle with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system. The apparatus includes a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker, wherein the control system is operable to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the base station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the received image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2014Publication date: March 31, 2016Applicant: Dyson Technology LimitedInventors: Michael David ALDRED, Simon EDWARDS-PARTON
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Publication number: 20160058261Abstract: A robot cleaner comprising: a body; and a sensor protruding from a top surface of the body, wherein the body comprises a protrusion positioned forward of the sensor relative to a forward driving direction of the robot cleaner, the protrusion extending to a height that is at least equal to the height of the sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2015Publication date: March 3, 2016Applicant: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITEDInventors: James DYSON, Michael David ALDRED, Leanne Joyce GARNER
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Patent number: 7873437Abstract: A control system is provided for navigating an autonomous machine around a working area in a manner that causes the machine to traverse substantially all of the free surface of the working area. The control system is arranged to cause the machine to follow a boundary of the working area and to perform a plurality of movements, each movement comprising the machine travelling away from the boundary of the working area, at an angle to the boundary, and returning again to the boundary. The machine moves along the boundary of the working area between each movement and repeats the movements as the machine follows substantially the entire boundary of the working area.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2004Date of Patent: January 18, 2011Assignee: Dyson Technology LimitedInventors: Michael David Aldred, Alexander Philip Bommer
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Patent number: 7085624Abstract: An autonomous machine is configured to explore the area in which it is located, constructing a map of the area based on information collected by the machine as the machine explores the area. The machine determines when it has returned to a previously visited position within the area. The map is corrected when the machine returns to the previously visited position, based on the knowledge that the current position and the previously visited position are the same.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: August 1, 2006Assignee: Dyson Technology LimitedInventors: Michael David Aldred, Andrew Michael Shardlow
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Patent number: 7053580Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Dyson LimitedInventor: Michael David Aldred
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Patent number: 6605156Abstract: A robotic floor cleaning device comprises a chassis (10), motor-driven wheels (11) supporting the chassis (10), a motor-driven suction fan (9), a dirty air inlet (2) and a motor-driven rotatable agitator (4) at the dirty air inlet (2) for agitating the surface. A control system navigates the device around a room and distributes power to the motor-driven wheels (11) and to the agitator (4). The control system detects when the agitator (4) has jammed (100, 102) and, in the event of a jam, attempts to clear the jam (104, 106). After successfully clearing the jam the control system turns the agitator (4) off (114, 116, 118) or navigates the cleaning device around the location at which the jam occurred (119). The cleaning device can store the location of the jam for use in preventing further jams when the cleaning device returns to a similar position in the room.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2002Date of Patent: August 12, 2003Assignee: Dyson LimitedInventors: Alan Gerard Clark, David Lindsey Bisset, Michael David Aldred
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Patent number: 6590222Abstract: Light detection apparatus for determining the location of a body within a predetermined area comprises at least two light detecting devices (10,10′,10″), supported on the body and capable of receiving light at points which are spaced about a central axis (8). The apparatus further includes means for supplying information representative of the level of light detected by each light detecting device (10, 10′, 10″). Information received from the light detection apparatus is compared with information previously received from the light detection apparatus and stored in a memory so as to identify when the light detected by the light detection apparatus is the same or substantially the same as light previously detected by the light detection apparatus. When used on an autonomous vehicle, this can allow the vehicle to determine when it has returned to a similar position in an area.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2001Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: Dyson LimitedInventors: David Lindsey Bisset, Michael David Aldred, Stephen John Wiseman