MANAGING AUTONOMOUS MACHINES ACROSS MULTIPLE AREAS

• US 20110295424A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Eisenbeis, Kirk Narum, Johnson, David August, Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• 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

Abstract

The different illustrative embodiments provide a system for autonomous machine management comprising a number of autonomous machines, a number of nodes, a performance estimation module, and a navigation system. The number of autonomous machines is configured to perform area coverage tasks in a worksite. The number of nodes is configured to define a number of worksite areas for the worksite. The performance estimation module is executed by a processor unit and configured to calculate a percentage of work completed in the number of worksite areas. The navigation system is configured to operate an autonomous machine to perform the area coverage tasks and move between the number of worksite areas.

Claims

1. A method for managing autonomous machines, the method comprising:

identifying a number of worksite areas for a worksite;

performing an area coverage task in a first worksite area in the number of worksite areas using an autonomous machine;

calculating an amount of work completed for the first worksite area by the autonomous machine to form a calculated value;

determining whether a threshold value is met using the calculated value; and

responsive to a determination that the threshold value is met, moving the autonomous machine to a next worksite area in the number of worksite areas.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the threshold value is met, determining whether there is a next worksite area that has not been reached by the autonomous machine;

responsive to a determination that there is a next worksite area that has not been reached by the autonomous machine, determining whether a number of conditions is met; and

responsive to a determination that the number of conditions is met, moving to the next worksite area.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the number of conditions is not met, returning the autonomous machine to a home location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing an area coverage task in the next worksite area;

calculating a percentage of work completed for the next worksite area;

determining whether the threshold value is met; and

responsive to a determination that the threshold value is not met, performing the area coverage task in the next worksite area.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a worksite map for the worksite, wherein the worksite map is used to identify the number of worksite areas for the worksite.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of worksite areas is at least one of a number of regions and a number of sub-areas of the worksite.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the area coverage task is selected from at least one of a service task, field task, mowing, snow removal, leaf removal, lawn watering, vacuuming, cleaning, material gathering, material application, sensing, and data collection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated value is calculated by an autonomous machine using a performance estimation module.

9. A system for autonomous machine management, the system comprising:

a number of autonomous machines configured to perform area coverage tasks in a worksite;

a number of boundaries for a number of worksite areas for the worksite;

a performance estimation module executed by a processor unit and configured to calculate a percentage of work completed in the number of worksite areas; and

a navigation system configured to operate an autonomous machine in the number of autonomous machines to perform the area coverage tasks and move between the number of worksite areas.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the number of boundaries are defined using a number of nodes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance estimation module calculates at least one of a percentage of area covered by the autonomous machine relative to the total area of a worksite area, an amount of time spent in the worksite area, an amount of energy expended in the worksite area, an amount of material applied in the worksite area, an amount of data gathered in the worksite area, and the amount of material gathered in the worksite area.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the autonomous machine is permitted to pass from a first worksite area in the number of worksite areas to a second worksite area in the number of worksite areas when a number of conditions is met.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the number of conditions is selected from at least one of identification of work to be performed in the second worksite area, adequate power supply for the autonomous machine to work in the second worksite area, adequate supply of material to begin application in the second worksite area, adequate storage capacity to gather material in the second worksite area, lack of a higher priority activity requiring exclusion of the autonomous machine from the second worksite area, adequate memory storage capacity for storing sensor data from the second worksite area, and entry in the second worksite area enable the autonomous machine to reach a destination.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the autonomous machine is configured to detect a boundary between a first worksite area and a second worksite area, calculate a percentage of work completed for the first worksite area, identify a number of conditions to be met for passage to the second worksite area, and move between the first worksite area and the second worksite are when a threshold value of the percentage of work completed is met and the number of conditions identified is met.

15. A boundary node comprising:

a power source;

a number of inputs;

a number of outputs; and

a processor unit configured to receive a number of signals from the number of inputs and transmit the number of signals using the number of outputs.

16. The boundary node of claim 15 further comprising:

a boundary node identifier, wherein the processor unit is configured to encode the boundary node identifier into the number of signals transmitted using the number of outputs.

17. The boundary node of claim 15, wherein the power source is selected from at least one of an alternating current power supply external to the apparatus, direct current power supply external to the apparatus, energy storage device, solar cell, fuel cell, battery, mobile battery re-charger, ultra-capacitor, gas powered generator, and photo cells.

18. The boundary node of claim 15, wherein the number of outputs is selected from at least one of a wire radiating a signal, a visual indicator, a light beam, an infrared beam, an energy beam, an electromagnetic field, a chemical indicator, a radio frequency identification tag, and a radioactive indicator

19. The boundary node of claim 15, wherein the number of signals is selected from at least one of a wired signal, an infrared signal, an electrical signal, an optical signal, a laser signal, a microwave signal, and a radio frequency identification signal.

20. The boundary node of claim 15, wherein transmitting the number of signals defines at least one boundary for at least one worksite area.