Position aided inertial navigation system for a farming implement not requiring an additional GNSS receiver
First Claim
1. A method of autosteering a tractor with a precision agriculture navigation system on-board and towing from a hitch point an implement without a GNSS antenna or receiver on-board comprising:
- a. obtaining heading information related to heading of the implement without a GNSS antenna or receiver;
b. obtaining hitch point position information from the tractor navigation system;
c. obtaining inertial information related to at least one of roll rate and pitch rate of the implement from inertial sensors mounted at mounting locations on the implement, including locations where effectiveness of a GNSS antenna would not be reliable;
d. using hitch point position information and inertial information from the inertia sensors mounted on the implement to estimate at least one of roll angle and pitch angle of the implement; and
e. using the heading information from the inertia sensors mounted on the implement, inertial information, and the hitch point position information to provide autosteering instructions to the tractor to keep the implement on a predetermined path computed by the navigation system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, apparatus, and methods for informing an on-tractor navigation system of position of a towed implement. In one aspect, a non-GNSS sensor mounted on the implement provides heading information to the navigation system. Knowledge of the geometry of the implement along with navigation coordinate frame position information from the navigation system, allows a relatively economical and flexible way to derive implement position information without the expense of a GNSS receiver on the implement Adding inertial sensors on the implement can allow position determination of any point on the implement relative to the ground. This can be advantageously used for swath and rate control for implements.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of autosteering a tractor with a precision agriculture navigation system on-board and towing from a hitch point an implement without a GNSS antenna or receiver on-board comprising:
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a. obtaining heading information related to heading of the implement without a GNSS antenna or receiver; b. obtaining hitch point position information from the tractor navigation system; c. obtaining inertial information related to at least one of roll rate and pitch rate of the implement from inertial sensors mounted at mounting locations on the implement, including locations where effectiveness of a GNSS antenna would not be reliable; d. using hitch point position information and inertial information from the inertia sensors mounted on the implement to estimate at least one of roll angle and pitch angle of the implement; and e. using the heading information from the inertia sensors mounted on the implement, inertial information, and the hitch point position information to provide autosteering instructions to the tractor to keep the implement on a predetermined path computed by the navigation system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system including a tractor with an on-board navigation system and towing from a hitch point an implement without a GNSS antenna or receiver on-board the implement comprising:
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a. a navigation system on the tractor for obtaining hitch point position information; b. at least one inertial sensor mounted at a mounting location on the implement, including locations where effectiveness of a GPS antenna would not be reliable, for obtaining and communicating heading information of the implement to the tractor navigation system; c. the at least one inertial sensor on the implement communicating with the tractor navigation system for obtaining, in combination with the hitch point position information, at least one of implement roll and pitch angle estimates; d. so that heading information and pitch and roll angle information related to the implement from the inertial sensor on the implement is available for deriving position information of the implement in navigation coordinate frame without a GNSS antenna or receiver on the implement. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of controlling a tractor towing at a hitch point an implement in a field comprising:
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a. providing a tractor with a navigation system and autosteering system on-board; b. providing an implement with a plurality of inertial sensors on-board; c. calculating with the navigation system a predetermined path for the implement through the field; d. deriving hitch point position with the tractor navigation system; e. deriving implement position in navigation coordinates using hitch point position from the tractor navigation system, implement heading from at least one of the plurality of inertia sensors on the implement and without a GNSS antenna or receiver, and three-axis accelerations from the inertial sensors on the implement; and f. instructing the autosteering system using the derived implement position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification