VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM

• US 20120112896A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne, Clair, Scott D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/187 Removing foreign objects
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/28 Control mechanisms for harvesters or mowers when moving on slopes; Devices preventing lateral pull

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring movement of a vehicle system. A sensor system monitors movement of a structure relative to a vehicle. The structure is connected to the vehicle in the vehicle system. A computer system identifies a number of distances from the sensor system to a number of objects associated with the structure. The computer system identifies an orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects. The computer system determines whether the orientation of the structure meets a number of criteria. The computer system initiates an operation for the vehicle system in response to an absence of a determination that the orientation meets the number of criteria.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring movement of a vehicle system, the method comprising:

monitoring movement of a structure relative to a vehicle using a sensor system, wherein the structure is connected to the vehicle in the vehicle system;

identifying a number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to a number of objects associated with the structure;

identifying an orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects;

determining whether the orientation of the structure meets a number of criteria; and

initiating an operation for the vehicle system in response to an absence of a determination that the orientation meets the number of criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in being associated with the structure, the number of objects is connected to the structure at a number of locations on the structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of objects has a shape selected from a group consisting of a sphere, a cube, a cuboid, a pyramid, a cone, a prism, a cylinder, and a polyhedron.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the number of objects has a color, wherein the color is selected to contrast with a number of colors for the area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure comprises:

identifying a change in image size for each of the number of objects relative to a reference size for the each of the number of objects; and

identifying the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure using the change in the image size for the each of the number of objects.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises an imaging system configured to generate imaging data and wherein the step of identifying the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure comprises:

identifying the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure using the imaging data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensor system comprises a global positioning system configured to generate positioning data and an angle measurement system configured to generate angular data for the structure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of identifying the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects comprises:

applying weighting factors to the imaging data, the positioning data, and the angular data to form weighted orientation data; and

identifying the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the weighted orientation data.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects comprises:

selecting at least one of the imaging data, the positioning data, and the angular data to form selected orientation data based on a policy; and

identifying the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the selected orientation data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of criteria identifies a selected tolerance from a desired orientation for the structure relative to the vehicle and wherein the step of determining whether the orientation of the structure meets the number of criteria comprises:

determining whether the orientation of the structure is within the selected tolerance from the desired orientation for the structure relative to the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation is selected from a group comprising at least one of controlling a movement of the vehicle, controlling the movement of the structure relative to the vehicle, and generating an alert.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the movement of the structure relative to the vehicle comprises at least one of applying brakes for the structure, driving wheels of the structure using a differential, and changing a configuration of the structure.

13. A vehicle system comprising:

a sensor system configured to monitor movement of a structure relative to a vehicle, wherein the sensor system is associated with the vehicle and the structure is connected to the vehicle in the vehicle system; and

a computer system configured to identify a number of distances from the sensor system to a number of objects associated with the structure;

identify an orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects;

determine whether the orientation of the structure meets a number of criteria; and

initiate an operation for the vehicle system in response to an absence of a determination that the orientation meets the number of criteria.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein in being associated with the structure, the number of objects is connected to the structure at a number of locations on the structure.

15. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the number of objects is selected from a group consisting of a sphere, a cube, a cuboid, a pyramid, a cone, a prism, a cylinder, and a polyhedron.

16. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein in being configured to identify the number of distances from the sensor system to the number of objects associated with the structure, the computer system is configured to identify a change in an image size for each of the number of objects;

and identify the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure using the change in the image size for the each of the number of objects.

17. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the sensor system is an imaging system configured to generate an imaging data and wherein in being configured to identify the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure, the computer system is configured to identify the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects associated with the structure using the imaging data.

18. The vehicle system of claim 17, wherein the sensor system comprises a global positioning system configured to generate positioning data and an angle measurement system configured to generate angular data for the structure.

19. The vehicle system of claim 18, wherein in being configured to identify the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects, the computer system is configured to apply weighting factors to the imaging data, the positioning data, and the angular data to form weighted orientation data;

and identify the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the weighted orientation data.

20. The vehicle system of claim 18, wherein in being configured to identify the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of distances from the sensor system associated with the vehicle to the number of objects, the computer system is configured to select at least one of the imaging data, the positioning data, and the angular data to form selected orientation data based on a policy;

and identify the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the selected orientation data.

21. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the number of criteria identifies a selected tolerance for a desired orientation for the structure relative to the vehicle and wherein in being configured to determine whether the orientation of the structure relative to the vehicle using the number of criteria, the computer system is configured to determine whether the orientation of the structure is within a selected tolerance from the desired orientation for the structure relative to the vehicle.

22. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the operation is selected from a group consisting of at least one of controlling a movement of the vehicle, controlling the movement of the structure relative to the vehicle, and generating an alert.

23. The vehicle system of claim 22, wherein controlling the movement of the structure relative to the vehicle comprises at least one of applying brakes for the structure, driving wheels of the structure using a differential, and changing a configuration of the structure.