System and method for scouting vehicle mapping

• US 10,448,555 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonomous Solutions, Inc., CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Foster, Christopher A., Posselius, John H., Turpin, Bret Todd, Morwood, Daniel John, Hornberger, Michael G., Veikle, Erik E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US15/167,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/00 Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/007 Steering or guiding of agricultural vehicles, e.g. steering of the tractor to keep the plough in the furrow
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A system includes a scouting vehicle. The scouting vehicle includes a spatial location system configured to derive a geographic position of the scouting vehicle. The scouting vehicle further includes a computing device communicatively coupled to the spatial location system and to a communication system, the computing device comprising a processor configured to create a shape on a map based on a drive of the scouting vehicle. The scouting vehicle also includes the communication system configured to transmit the geographic position, a recording of the drive, the shape, or a combination thereof, to a base station.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a scouting vehicle comprising;

a spatial location system configured to derive a geographic position of the scouting vehicle;

a computing device communicatively coupled to the spatial location system and to a communication system, the computing device comprising a processor configured to create a shape on a map based on a recording of a drive of the scouting vehicle, wherein the processor is configured to display an icon representative of the scouting vehicle and to enable a user to select one or more recording points to record the drive by selecting vehicle recording points via the icon; and

the communication system configured to transmit to a base station; and

the base station comprising;

a base station memory configured to store a base station map;

a base station processor; and

a base station communication systems configured to communicate with the communication system of the scouting vehicle, wherein the base station processor is configured to;

load an existing base station map from a storage device into the memory as the base station map;

update a portion of the base station map to create an updated base station map based on the shape communicated by the scouting vehicle; and

save the updated base station map into the storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scouting vehicle comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to filter “

jumps”

in the geographic position via at least one inertial measurement.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to display the icon representative of the scouting vehicle and position the icon on a position in the map representative of the geographic position of the scouting vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to display both the shape and the icon on the map.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to display a start control and a stop control on a display, wherein the start control is configured to begin the recording of the drive when activated and wherein the stop control is configured to end recording of the drive when activated.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to display a pause control on the display, and wherein the pause control is configured to pause the recording of the drive when activated.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station processor is configured to update the portion of the base station map by adding a field boundary, a field feature, or a combination thereof, to the portion of the base station map.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to communicate with an autonomous vehicle, a manned vehicle, or a combination thereof, the updated base station map to update a vehicle map of the autonomous vehicle, the manned vehicle, or the combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising the autonomous vehicle, the manned vehicle, or the combination thereof, wherein the autonomous vehicle, the manned vehicle, or the combination thereof is configured to perform agricultural operations on a first section of a field while the processor is configured to create the shape on the map while the scouting vehicle is operating on a second section of the field.

10. A non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

present a start control on a display;

present a stop control on the display;

display an icon representative of a scouting vehicle;

enable a user to select one or more recording points to record a plurality of positions of the scouting vehicle by selecting vehicle recording points via the icon;

start recording a drive of the scouting vehicle when the start control is activated in the scouting vehicle;

continuously record the plurality of positions of the scouting vehicle as the scouting vehicle is driven around an area;

display the plurality of positions as a shape on a map in the display;

stop recording of the drive when a stop control is activated in the scouting vehicle;

transmit the shape to a base station;

load an existing base station map from a storage device into a memory of the base station as a base station map;

update a portion of the base station map to create an updated base station map based on the shape; and

save the updated base station map into the storage device.

11. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10, comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to update the portion of the base station by adding a field boundary, a field feature, or a combination thereof, to the portion of the base station map.

12. The non-transitory, computer readable medium claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to update a vehicle map included in an autonomous vehicle, a manned vehicle, or a combination thereof, based on the update of the base station map.

13. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10, comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to present a pause control on the display, and pause the recording of the plurality of positions when the pause control is activated.

14. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10, comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select a port side recording point, a center recording point, a starboard side recording point, or a combination thereof, to record at least one of the plurality of positions of the scouting vehicle.

15. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10, comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to use inertial measurement unit (IMU) data to verify at least one of the plurality of positions.

16. A method, comprising:

presenting a start control on a display;

presenting a stop control on the display;

displaying an icon representative of a scouting vehicle;

enabling a user to select one or more recording points to record a plurality of positions of the scouting vehicle by selecting vehicle recording points via the icon;

starting a recording of a drive of the scouting vehicle when the start control is activated in the scouting vehicle;

continuously recording the plurality of positions of the scouting vehicle as the scouting vehicle is driven around an area;

displaying the plurality of positions as a shape on a map in the display;

stopping the recording of the drive when a stop control is activated in the scouting vehicle;

transmitting the shape;

loading an existing base station map from a storage device into a memory of the base station as a base station map;

updating a portion of the base station map to create an updated base station map based on the shape; and

saving the updated base station map into the storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein updating the portion of the base station map comprises adding a field boundary, a field feature, or a combination thereof, to the portion of the base station map.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising updating a vehicle map included in an autonomous vehicle, a manned vehicle, or a combination thereof, based on the updating of the base station map.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising selecting a port side recording point, a center recording point, a starboard side recording point, or a combination thereof, to record at least one of the plurality of positions of the scouting vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising inertial measurement unit (IMU) data to verify at least one of the plurality of positions.