MULTI-ANTENNA GNSS CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A GNSS-based method of controlling a machine comprising a prime component and an auxiliary component interconnected by an articulated connection, which method comprises the steps of:
- equipping said machine with a GNSS system including a GNSS receiver adapted to receive GNSS ranging signals;
providing said GNSS system with multiple antennas connected to said receiver;
mounting at least one of said antennas on said prime component;
mounting multiple said antennas on said auxiliary component;
forming a fixed baseline on said auxiliary component between said auxiliary component antennas;
forming variable baselines between said prime and auxiliary component antennas;
equipping said machine with a computer;
connecting said computer to said GNSS receiver;
inputting to said computer information corresponding to said fixed and variable baselines; and
pre-programming said computer to position at least one said components using said fixed and variable baseline information.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A global navigation satellite sensor system (GNSS) and gyroscope control system for vehicle steering control comprising a GNSS receiver and antennas at a fixed spacing to determine a vehicle position, velocity and at least one of a heading angle, a pitch angle and a roll angle based on carrier phase position differences. The roll angle facilitates correction of the lateral motion induced position errors resultant from motion of the antennae as the vehicle moves based on an offset to ground and the roll angle. The system also includes a control system configured to receive the vehicle position, heading, and at least one of roll and pitch, and configured to generate a steering command to a vehicle steering system. The system includes gyroscopes for determining system attitude change with respect to multiple axes for integrating with GNSS-derived positioning information to determine vehicle position, velocity, rate-of-turn, attitude and other operating characteristics. A vehicle control method includes the steps of computing a position and a heading for the vehicle using GNSS positioning and a rate gyro for determining vehicle attitude, which is used for generating a steering command. Alternative aspects include multiple-antenna GNSS guidance methods for high-dynamic roll compensation, real-time kinematic (RTK) using single-frequency (L1) receivers, fixed and moving baselines between antennas, multi-position GNSS tail guidance (“breadcrumb following”) for crosstrack error correction, articulated implements with multiple antennas on each implement section, video input and guiding multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment relative to each other.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A GNSS-based method of controlling a machine comprising a prime component and an auxiliary component interconnected by an articulated connection, which method comprises the steps of:
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equipping said machine with a GNSS system including a GNSS receiver adapted to receive GNSS ranging signals; providing said GNSS system with multiple antennas connected to said receiver; mounting at least one of said antennas on said prime component; mounting multiple said antennas on said auxiliary component; forming a fixed baseline on said auxiliary component between said auxiliary component antennas; forming variable baselines between said prime and auxiliary component antennas; equipping said machine with a computer; connecting said computer to said GNSS receiver; inputting to said computer information corresponding to said fixed and variable baselines; and pre-programming said computer to position at least one said components using said fixed and variable baseline information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A GNSS-based method of guiding a vehicle comprising a motive component and a working component interconnected by an articulated hitch, said working component comprising multiple hingedly interconnected sections, which method comprises the steps of:
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equipping said vehicle with a GNSS guidance system including a receiver, a guidance computer on the motive component and connected to the receiver, and a working component computer on the working component and connected to the guidance computer; mounting a motive component antenna on the motive component and connected to the receiver; mounting first and second working component antennas in spaced relation on each said working component section and connected to the receiver; defining a fixed-distance, static baseline between the working component antennas; defining first and second variable-distance, moving baselines between the motive component antenna and the first and second working component section antennas respectively; providing a prime inertial measuring unit (IMU) on said prime component; providing an auxiliary IMU on said auxiliary component; outputting from said IMUs signals corresponding to roll (X), pitch (Y) and yaw (Z) movements of said motive and working components; inputting said IMU signals to said computer; computing guide path corrections for said prime and auxiliary components using said IMU signal inputs; defining a guide path with GNSS-based positions; storing said guide path in said guidance computer; navigating a field with said vehicle; receiving GNSS signals with said antennas; computing GNSS-defined positions of said antennas with said guidance computer; guiding said vehicle along said guide path using said GNSS-defined positions; guiding said working component based on the relative positions of said working component sections with respect to each other, said prime component and the guide path; providing a vehicle operating parameter sensor on said vehicle and connected to said guidance computer; computing guide path corrections for said prime and auxiliary components using said IMU signal inputs; and correcting said guide path using said GNSS-defined positions and said vehicle operating parameters.
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12. A GNSS-based system for controlling a machine comprising a prime component and an auxiliary component interconnected by an articulated connection, which system includes:
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a GNSS receiver mounted on the machine and adapted to receive GNSS ranging signals; a prime component GNSS antenna mounted on the prime component and connected to the receiver; a pair of auxiliary component GNSS antennas mounted on the auxiliary component and connected to the receiver; multiple variable baselines each extending between said prime component antenna and a respective auxiliary component antenna and having variable lengths corresponding to relative orientations of said prime and auxiliary components; a fixed baseline extending between said auxiliary component antennas; and a computer mounted on said machine and connected to said receiver, said computer being adapted for computing position solutions for said prime and auxiliary components. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification