HIGH INTEGRITY PERCEPTION PROGRAM

• US 20100063664A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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 1/0255 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a computer program product for processing sensor data and controlling the movement of a vehicle. In an illustrative embodiment, an operating environment around the vehicle is identified and sensor data is selected from a set of sensors. A dynamic condition is identified using a plurality of different types of sensors on the vehicle. In response to the dynamic condition being identified, the movement of the vehicle is controlled. In another illustrative embodiment, an environment around the vehicle is identified to form an operating environment. Sensor data is selected from a set of sensors in a plurality of redundant sensors based on the operating environment.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable media;

computer usable program code, stored on the computer recordable media, for identifying a dynamic condition using a plurality of different types of sensors on the vehicle, wherein some types of sensors are more accurate than other types of sensors within the plurality of different types of sensors in a particular environment; and

computer usable program code for, responsive to identifying the dynamic condition, controlling movement of the vehicle.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition further comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying an environment using the plurality of different types of sensors on the vehicle.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition further comprises:

computer usable program code for receiving data from the plurality of different types of sensors for the vehicle to form received data; and

computer usable program code for generating a thematic map using the received data and a knowledge base.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the computer usable program code for generating the thematic map further comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying the location of the vehicle;

computer usable program code for identifying a map based on the location of the vehicle; and

computer usable program code for placing thematic features into the map using the data received and the knowledge base.

5. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the knowledge base further comprises an online knowledge base, an a priori knowledge base, and a learned knowledge base.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition using the plurality of different types of sensors on the vehicle further comprises:

computer usable program code for receiving sensor data from the plurality of different types of sensors for the vehicle; and

computer usable program code for applying weights to the sensor data using the online knowledge base to form weighted sensor data.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising:

computer usable program code for selecting a portion of the weighted sensor data to form selected sensor data; and

computer usable program code for performing localization using the selected sensor data.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable program code for performing localization using the selected sensor data further comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying a set of objects in an environment around the vehicle using the selected sensor data; and

computer usable program code for identifying a location of the vehicle using the location of the set of objects.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the set of objects in the environment around the vehicle using the selected sensor data further comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying the set of objects using the sensor data and the knowledge base.

10. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition further comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying a set of differences between an environment as detected by the plurality of sensors for the vehicle and a description of the environment in the knowledge base.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the set of differences comprises at least one of a change in an object in the environment, a new object in the environment, and a missing object from the environment.

12. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

computer usable program code for monitoring the plurality of different types of sensors for sensor integrity.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying a fault in at least one sensor in the plurality of different types of sensors.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the fault in at least one sensor is sensor degradation.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the fault in at least one sensor is sensor failure.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for, responsive to identifying the fault in at least one sensor in the plurality of different types of sensors, generating an alert displaying the fault in at least one sensor in the plurality of different types of sensors.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for, responsive to identifying the fault in at least one sensor in the plurality of different types of sensors, selecting a different sensor to compensate for the fault in at least one sensor.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for, responsive to identifying the fault in at least one sensor in the plurality of different types of sensors, transmitting a request for sensor data to a sensor system of another vehicle.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving the sensor data from the sensor system of another vehicle; and

computer usable program code for performing localization based on the sensor data from the sensor system of another vehicle.

20. A computer program product for processing sensor data for a vehicle, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying an environment around the vehicle to form an operating environment; and

computer usable program code for selecting sensor data from a set of sensors within a plurality of redundant sensors based on the operating environment.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code for selecting sensor data further comprises:

computer usable program code for activating the set of sensors within the plurality of redundant sensors based on the operating environment to select the sensor data from the set of sensors within the plurality of redundant sensors.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the environment further comprises:

computer usable program code for obtaining the environment around the vehicle from a knowledge base.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the sensor data is selected sensor data and further comprising:

computer usable program code for performing localization using the selected sensor data.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the sensor data is selected sensor data and further comprising:

computer usable program code for performing obstacle detection using the selected sensor data.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the sensor data is selected sensor data and further comprising:

computer usable program code for controlling movement of the vehicle using the selected sensor data.

26. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the plurality of redundant sensors provide a set of fields of regard for the vehicle.