ROBOTIC VEHICLE CONTROLLER

• US 20070198159A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Guide Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: I-Guide, LLC
• Inventors: Blackburn, Michael, Ruddock, Kyle, Koressel, Richard, Durkos, Larry, McCalley, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0208 Lawn mower

Abstract

A control system is provided for automatically moving a machine along a desired path.

Claims

1. A method of moving a machine along a desired path comprising:

operating a machine in a manual mode to traverse the desired path, the machine having at least one drive wheel and a steering wheel;

recording control signals to the at least one drive wheel and the steering wheel as the machine traverses the desired path during the manual mode to provide stored path data;

detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the desired path during the manual mode;

storing a plurality of GPS locations which are linked to particular points along the desired path;

operating the machine in a robotic mode in which the stored path data is used to control the at least one drive wheel and the steering wheel to move the machine along the desired path without operator control;

detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the path traveled by the machine during the robotic mode;

comparing the GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the traveled path during the robotic mode with the corresponding stored GPS locations that were linked to particular points along the desired path during the storing step; and

correcting the position of the machine if it is determined that the machine has moved away from the desired path by a predetermined amount based on the comparing step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine is driven by an operator during the manual mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine is operated by remote control during the manual mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine is a mower and further comprising the step of optimizing the stored path data of the mower stored during the manual mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a path offset and adjusting the stored path data to provide the selected offset from the initially stored path data so that the machine does not follow the same path each time the machine operates in robotic mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a desired angular slant for a path of travel during the robotic mode, and operating the machine at an angular slant compared to the stored path data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least two machines located at different positions on the desired path and operating the at least two machines simultaneously to traverse the desired path using the stored path data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein one of the machines is a master machine and at least one other machine is a slave machine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the master machine communicates the stored path data to the at least one slave machine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the master machine also communicates the stored GPS locations linked to particular points along the desired path to the at least one slave machine.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a control panel includes a plurality of instructions for operation in the manual mode, the instructions including a plurality of turn instructions in which the controller automatically turns the machine by a selected number of degrees.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reference signal from a fixed GPS base station; and

determining a corrected GPS location at each of the plurality of points along the desired path based on detected GPS location signals and the reference signal received from the GPS base station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the GPS reference signal is provided by a plurality of GPS base stations positioned in a grid array, each station communicating GPS data to a computer, the computer processing the GPS data received from the plurality of GPS base stations to provide the GPS reference signal.

14. The method of claims 12, further comprising charging the owner of the machine for usage of the GPS reference signal.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the stored path data to a remote computer separate from the machine for subsequent use by another machine.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the stored path data to provide a new path pattern based upon a new desired path.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using at least one of a compass and a gyro to provide navigation assistance in the event of a loss of the GPS location signals during the robotic mode.

18. A self-propelled vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame;

a hydraulic motor supported by the frame, the hydraulic motor being coupled to at least one drive wheel selected from the plurality of wheels to provide power to rotate the at least one drive wheel;

a hydraulic control valve coupled to the hydraulic motor; and

a stepper motor coupled to the hydraulic control valve, the stepper motor being configured to adjust an output from the hydraulic control valve to control the hydraulic motor and adjust the speed and direction of rotation of the at least one drive wheel.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the hydraulic control valve includes a rotatable control shaft configured to adjust an output of the hydraulic control valve, the stepper motor being coupled to the control shaft to selectively rotate the control shaft in first and second directions to adjust the speed and direction of the at least one drive wheel.

20. The vehicle of claim 18, further comprising an encoder coupled to the hydraulic motor to detect a speed and a direction of the at least one drive wheel, and a controller coupled to the encoder, the encoder transmitting signals indicative of the speed and direction of the at least one drive wheel to the controller.

21. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the controller is coupled to the stepper motor, the controller providing a control signal to the stepper motor to adjust the speed and direction of the at least one drive wheel.