Patent ID: 8078308

Claim:
A method for managing active operator safety for an automatically operating machine comprising a work surface and a single work tool operating on the work surface according to a pre-established work program for working on material placed on the work surface, wherein the method comprises: dividing the work surface into a plurality of contiguous zones, the plurality of contiguous zones comprising a first zone and at least one other zone being adjacent to the first zone; providing a pre-established work program for operating the work tool in a production mode in the at least one other zone of the divided work surface at a normal speed of displacement of the work tool; in response to detection of an operator's intrusion into the first zone: selectively modifying the work program displacement of the work tool while continuing to operate the work tool in a production mode according to the pre-established work program at a reduced speed of displacement of the work tool in the at least one other zone or at a normal or reduced speed of displacement in another one of the plurality of zones, the modifying of the work program displacement zone and speed of displacement of the work tool based on the adjacency of the first zone to the at least one other zone or another zone of the plurality of zones of operating by the pre-established work program; and selectively providing an indicator to the operator based on the work program displacement of the work tool and speed of displacement of the work tool, while the operator's intrusion continues in the first zone.