Intelligent control apparatus, system, and method of use

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:

• 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.

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.