Dead reckoning-augmented GPS for tracked vehicles

• US 10,408,946 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peck Tech Consulting Ltd. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Peck Tech Consulting Ltd. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pyke, Sandy, Lavigne, Nicholas J., Marshall, Joshua, Peck, Jonathan, Scott, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao L
• Application Number:
  US15/031,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20160238714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 34235723, 34235732, 3423574, 701469, 701472
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for augmenting the 3 dimensional position information obtained from the NAVSTAR satellite-based global positioning system (“GPS”) system. Such systems can be impacted by physical obstacles that prevent the receipt of the satellite signals or as a result of sun spot activity that introduces noise into the signals thus causing them to become intermittently unavailable and/or making them less accurate in the course of normal operation. Therefore, an improved positioning solution that can operate under such poor GPS operational conditions is needed. The apparatus and method of the invention augments GPS with dead reckoning techniques when GPS signals are unavailable or inaccurate. The apparatus and method of the invention demonstrates highest value when applied to blasthole drill positioning applications in open-pit mines.

Claims

1. An augmented global positioning system (“

aGPS”

) for a vehicle comprising;

an aGPS computer;

a standard global positioning system (“

GPS”

) system operatively connected to the aGPS computer, the standard GPS comprising;

a high-precision GPS receiver;

a navigation system; and

a switch; and

a chorus subsystem operatively connected to the standard GPS, the chorus subsystem comprising;

a chorus data acquisition (DAQ) module;

a gyroscope operatively connected to the chorus DAQ; and

at least two rotation sensors operatively connected to the chorus DAQ;

wherein the switch is configured to alternate between a use of the standard GPS and the chorus subsystem; and

wherein, upon a reacquiring of a GPS signal by the standard GPS subsequent to a loss of a GPS signal by the standard GPS, the aGPS computer is configured to compare a first position of the vehicle obtained by the standard GPS prior to the loss of the GPS signal to a calculated position of the vehicle obtained by the chorus subsystem.

2. The aGPS of claim 1, wherein the two rotation sensors comprise a left rotation sensor and a right rotation sensor.

3. The aGPS of claim 1, wherein the aGPS computer is configured to correct an error in the calculated position using the comparison of the first position of the vehicle to the calculated position of the vehicle.