Method and system for modular data processing for a vehicle control system

• US 20070061053A1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Zeitzew, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/315 Object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

The present invention is for a modular, extensible software system for use with multi-modal, autonomous, or semi-autonomous vehicles. The design of the present invention involves the coherent integration of modules with responsibilities for human-interaction, training, path planning, mission execution, navigation, and safety to develop and complete missions. The present invention provides a modular software system that expresses vehicle behaviors through numerous small-grain elements to complete a mission. The system can be easily adapted or modified by adding new software modules or modifying existing modules as missions change or expand, with the smaller-grain modules being easier to adapt and reuse.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a vehicle having a vehicle control unit capable of monitoring and controlling the vehicle comprising the steps of:

characterizing a vehicle operation as a series of missions;

breaking each mission into one or more mission element sets that are necessary to accomplish the mission;

breaking each mission element set into one or more mission element, each mission element consisting of a mission element entity and a mission element behavior;

using a modular software system to create a software program defining the mission elements in each mission element set and the mission element sets in each mission in the operation;

having a mission executor execute the software program to perform each mission, its defined mission element sets and the defined mission elements to provide input to the vehicle control unit; and

having the vehicle control unit direct the vehicle to perform the vehicle operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one mission element set of at least one mission is a persistent mission element set.

3. A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a plurality of control modes, the system comprising:

a motorized vehicle capable of operating in at least one of autonomous, semi-autonomous or human-controlled control modes, the vehicle having a vehicle control unit capable of monitoring and controlling vehicle activity in at least one control mode; and

a modular software system configured to control and direct the vehicle control unit in at least one operating mode by means of a mission executor which accepts commands from at least one mission element behavior in at least one mission element set in a software program, the commands issued by the mission element behavior providing commands to the mission executor for the vehicle control unit to direct vehicle activity.

4. A vehicle control system for a multi-modal vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle interface module, a mission planning module, a vehicle navigation module, a mission execution module and a perception module, each of the modules capable of accepting wired or wireless communications, by means of one or more ports, from a modular software system, the communications comprising commands from one or more mission element behavior components in the modular software system, the mission element behavior components directing one or more modules in the vehicle control system to perform one or more acts.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the mission planning module is used to define a scope of a mission for the multi-modal vehicle.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the vehicle navigation module is used to provide information on a position and pose of the multi-modal vehicle to the vehicle control system.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the mission planning module, vehicle navigation module or mission execution module comprises training for the multi-modal vehicle.

8. A modular software system for controlling operations of a vehicle having a plurality of control modes via a vehicle control unit, by means of a mission executor, the software system comprising:

at least one mission comprising at least one mission element set, each at least one mission having an associated mission status;

each at least one mission element set comprising a plurality of mission elements;

each mission element comprising a mission element entity containing data about the mission element and an associated mission element behavior for controlling a structure and behavior of the associated mission element entity; and

a mission executor for coordinating the mission element sets in a mission, performing the mission elements in each at least one mission element set in each at least one mission, and performing the missions in the operation sequentially.

9. The software system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of mission elements in a mission element set comprise at least one mission driver and at least one mission action.

10. The software system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of mission elements in a mission element set comprise a mission driver for providing direction to the vehicle control unit for commanding the vehicle to perform a mobility act and at least one mission action for providing input to the mission driver about possible actions.

11. The software system of claim 8 wherein at least one mission element set in at least one mission is a persistent mission element set.

12. The software system of claim 9 wherein each mission driver comprises a mission driver entity containing data about the mission driver and an associated mission driver behavior for controlling a structure and behavior of the associated mission driver entity.

13. The software system of claim 9 wherein each mission action comprises a mission action entity containing data about the mission action and an associated mission action behavior for controlling a structure and behavior of the associated mission action entity.

14. The software system of claim 8 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to end execution of the operation.

15. The software system of claim 8 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to suspend execution of the operation.

16. The software system of claim 8 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to add a mission to the operation.

17. The software system of claim 8 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal that the mission element set containing the mission element behavior has been completed.

18. The software system of claim 8 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to replace the current mission with another mission in the operation.

19. The software system of claim 8 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to suspend execution of the operation.

20. A method of managing a vehicle having a vehicle control unit capable of controlling the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying functional service modules associated vehicle navigation, mission execution, perception, mission planning and vehicle interface services;

defining specifications associated with each service module;

defining an operation for a vehicle, each operation comprising a plurality of missions, each mission comprising one or more mission element sets, each mission element set having one or more mission elements;

defining at least one mission element as a mission driver capable of sending commands pertaining to vehicle mobility to the mission execution module for executing at least a portion of the mission element set containing the mission driver; and

defining at least one mission element as a mission action capable of communicating with one or more functional service modules for executing the mission element sets of the operation.