US Patent 7574821 Autonomous loading shovel system

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system comprising a processor adapted to determine a profile of a surface responsive to a scan of the surface. The processor can be adapted to identify a predetermined profile from a plurality of predetermined profiles, the identified predetermined profile a closest match of the plurality of predetermined profiles to the profile of the surface. The processor can be adapted to determine a procedure based upon the identified predetermined profile. The processor can be adapted to provide the procedure to a machine.