# US 11,297,758 B2 · Automated leveling system for maintaining level of a surface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,297,758 B2 - Document ID: US11297758B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/382,418 - Filed: 2019-04-12 - Published: 2020-03-12 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-10 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Benjamin Luke Johnson; Charles E. Beller; Carmine Dimascio; Donna K. Byron; Florian Pinel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297758B2 ## CPC - A01C 7/008: {Sod or grassland seeding (A01C7/08 takes precedence)} - A01D 34/008: {for automated or remotely controlled operation} - A01D 34/74: Cutting-height adjustment - A01D 43/14: with dispensing apparatus, e.g. for fertilisers, herbicides or preservatives - E01C 23/06: Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface (working freshly laid paving E01C19/42 - E01C19/44, E01C23/02; mining picks E21C35/18); Devices for repairing {or reconditioning} the surface of damaged paving; {Recycling in place or on the road} - E01C 23/07: Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities (measuring means only E01C23/01 {G01B}) - G01C 7/04: involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced - A01D 2101/00: Lawn-mowers - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING - E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) ## Abstract An automated leveling system for maintaining a level of a surface, comprising a surface traveling device and a leveling module attached to the surface traveling device. The leveling module comprises a depression detector arm assembly, at least one computing device, and a level-sensing detector. The level-sensing detector senses a level of a surface as the surface traveling device operates across the surface. The level-sensing detector moves across the surface according to the operation of the surface traveling device, and transmits a depression reporting signal to the computing device. The depression reporting signal indicates the presence of a depression in the surface if the level-sensing detector contacts a depression in the surface over a depression threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automated leveling system for maintaining a surface, the automated leveling system comprising: a surface traveling device; and a leveling module attached to the surface traveling device, the leveling module comprising a depression detector arm assembly, at least one computing device, and a level-sensing detector, the level-sensing detector sensing a level of a surface as the surface traveling device operates across the surface, the level-sensing detector moving across the surface according to the operation of the surface traveling device, and transmitting a depression reporting signal to computing device for processing, wherein the depression reporting signal indicates the presence of a depression in the surface if the level-sensing detector contacts a depression in the surface over a depression threshold, and wherein the depression reporting signal is not processed if an accelerometer indicates that the surface traveling device has pitched beyond a pitch threshold or rolled beyond a roll threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The automated leveling system of claim 1, wherein the depression detector arm assembly comprises a surface traveling device attachment component, a detector-holding rod holding the level-sensing detector, and a recoil section located within the surface traveling device attachment component and the detector-holding rod, the surface traveling device attachment component adapted for attaching the depression detector arm assembly and the level-sensing detector to the surface traveling device, the detector-holding rod extending towards the surface and holding the level-sensing detector where the surface traveling device is operating, and the recoil section attached to the depression detector arm assembly and the surface traveling device attachment component providing elastic force to push the level-sensing detector towards the surface while the surface traveling device is operating. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The automated leveling system of claim 2, wherein the level-sensing detector comprises a wheel adapted for rolling on the surface as the surface traveling device operates across the surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The automated leveling system of claim 2, further comprising a global positioning system to indicate a location of the surface traveling device during operation to be used to indicate a depression gps location in the surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The automated leveling system of claim 4, wherein the computing device transmits the depression gps location in the surface to a recipient. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The automated leveling system of claim 5, wherein the computing device accesses weather data and further transmits to the recipient an optimal time to repair the depression based on the weather data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The automated leveling system of claim 2, further comprising a dispensing compartment for storing and dispensing grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil, the dispensing compartment having an electronically operated spout for dispensing grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil, wherein the computing device determines an amount of grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil to be dispensed by the dispensing compartment to repair the depression in the surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The automated leveling system of claim 7, wherein the computing device opens the electronically operated spout to dispense the determined amount of grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil to repair the detected depression. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The automated leveling system of claim 2, wherein the computing device utilizes a mathematical algorithm to determine an amount of grass seed, soil, or grass seed and soil mix to repair the depression. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The automated leveling system of claim 9, wherein the computing device notifies a recipient of the determined amount of grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil to repair the detected depression. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The automated leveling system of claim 9, wherein a dispensing compartment is located on a side or a rear of an axis of travel of the surface traveling device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The automated leveling system of claim 2, wherein the surface traveling device attachment component houses selectively one or more of the following: the accelerometer; the computing device; and the global positioning system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The automated leveling system of claim 2, wherein the surface traveling device is a manually controlled or automatically controlled lawnmower. ### Claim 14 A method for automatic groundskeeping using an automated leveling module associated with a surface traveling device for maintaining a surface, the method comprising: calibrating by a computing device normal surface parameters as a surface traveling device travels across a surface; determining by the computing device via a recoil section sensor a level of a level-sensing detector associated with an automated leveling module on the surface to determine whether the level-sensing detector extends past a depression threshold for locating a depression in the surface; identifying by the computing device whether one or more accelerometers indicate the surface traveling device has pitched beyond a pitch threshold or rolled beyond a roll threshold on the surface; receiving by the computing device depression data, wherein the device depression data is based on the determining and the identifying; determining by the computing device, based on the received device depression data, an amount of grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil to dispense by a dispensing compartment; commanding by the computing device an electronically operated spout to dispense the determined amount of grass seed, soil, or grass seed mixed with soil by the electronically operated spout associated with the dispensing compartment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving by a global positioning system a location of the depression in the surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting by the computing device a notification to a user computing device regarding existence and location of the depression in the surface.