SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING POSITIONS AND ORIENTATIONS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

• US 20140288759A1
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flanders Electric Motor Service, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flanders Electric Motor Service, Inc.
• Inventors: Cima, Jarrid
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13

Abstract

A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle includes: Receiving data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations; generating a simulated vehicle path based on the received data; determining a simulated vehicle orientation for at least one point on the simulated vehicle path; presenting at least the simulated vehicle orientation in a user-discernable form; receiving a user verification of the simulated vehicle orientation for at least one point on the simulated vehicle path; and producing approved vehicle control commands from the simulated vehicle path and simulated vehicle orientation, the approved vehicle control commands controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow the simulated vehicle path and the simulated vehicle orientation.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

receiving data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations;

generating a simulated vehicle path based on the received data, the simulated vehicle path comprising a simulated path segment between a first proposed vehicle location and a second proposed vehicle location;

determining a simulated vehicle orientation for the autonomous vehicle for at least the first proposed vehicle location and second proposed vehicle location on the simulated vehicle path, the simulated vehicle orientation being one in which a reference point on an axis of the autonomous vehicle is aligned over the first proposed vehicle location and then over the second proposed vehicle location;

displaying in a user-discernible form a vehicle icon of the simulated vehicle orientation at a portion of the plurality of proposed vehicle locations, including the first and second proposed vehicle locations;

after the displaying, receiving a user verification of the simulated vehicle orientation for the first proposed vehicle location and the simulated vehicle orientation for the second proposed vehicle location on the simulated vehicle path resulting in user-verified simulated vehicle orientations and a user-verified simulated path; and

producing approved vehicle control commands from the user-verified simulated vehicle path and the user-verified simulated vehicle orientations, the approved vehicle control commands controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow the user-verified simulated vehicle path and achieve the user-verified simulated vehicle orientations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising animating said displaying by sequentially displaying the vehicle icon of the simulated vehicle orientation at the portion of the plurality of proposed vehicle locations.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the simulated vehicle path.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising animating said displaying by sequentially displaying the vehicle icon of the simulated vehicle orientation at sequential points along the simulated vehicle path.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations comprises receiving data for a proposed hole location and a proposed waypoint, the proposed waypoint being provided to allow for a change in the simulated vehicle orientation of the autonomous vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations further comprises sequence data relating to a sequence for moving between the plurality of proposed vehicle locations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user modification of the data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations before said producing approved vehicle commands.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a maximum heading change limit based on operational parameters for the autonomous vehicle;

comparing the simulated vehicle path with the maximum heading change limit for the autonomous vehicle; and

notifying the user if the simulated vehicle path violates the maximum heading change limit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

disallowing a proposed vehicle location that would result in a violation of the maximum heading change limit.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the approved vehicle control commands to produce a vehicle control data file, the vehicle control data file being used by the autonomous vehicle to control the path and vehicle orientation of the autonomous vehicle.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

10. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving a user modification of data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations comprises receiving one or more additional waypoints to allow for a change in the simulated vehicle orientation.

14. A method for producing vehicle control commands for an autonomous drill, comprising:

receiving data relating to a plurality of proposed drill locations;

generating a simulated vehicle path based on the received data relating to the proposed drill locations;

determining a simulated vehicle orientation in relation to an axis of the autonomous drill at a plurality of points along the simulated vehicle path;

presenting the simulated vehicle orientation in a user-discernable form;

receiving a user verification of the simulated vehicle orientation for at least one point on the simulated vehicle path; and

producing vehicle control commands from the user-verified simulated vehicle path and user-verified simulated vehicle orientation for the autonomous drill to avoid an undesired location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying the produced vehicle control commands to the autonomous drill to cause the autonomous drill to follow the user-verified simulated vehicle path and achieve the user-verified simulated vehicle orientation and wherein the undesired location is a previously-drilled hole location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting the simulated vehicle orientation in user-discernable form comprises:

displaying at least a portion of the plurality of proposed vehicle locations;

displaying a drill icon in the simulated vehicle orientation with respect to the displayed proposed drill locations, and

animating said displaying by sequentially displaying the simulated vehicle orientation at various ones of the plurality of proposed drill locations.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the simulated vehicle path.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

following said animating and said displaying, receiving one or more additional waypoints as proposed drill locations, the one or more additional waypoints allowing for a change in the simulated vehicle orientation;

and

repeating the displaying and animating based on the one or more additional waypoints prior to producing approved vehicle commands.

17. (canceled)

20. A system for producing vehicle control commands for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

an input device;

a display device; and

a computer system operatively associated with said input device and said display device, said computer system receiving and storing data from said input device, displaying data on said display device, storing program steps for program control, and processing data;

said computer system, through said input device, receiving data relating to a plurality of proposed vehicle locations, said computer system processing the received data relating to the proposed vehicle locations to generate a simulated vehicle path and to determine a simulated vehicle orientation in which a reference point on an axis of the autonomous vehicle is aligned with at least one point on the simulated vehicle path, said computer system presenting at least a vehicle icon of the simulated vehicle orientation on said display device;

said computer system, through the input device, receiving a user verification of the simulated vehicle orientation for at least one point on the simulated vehicle path; and

said computer system producing vehicle control commands for the autonomous vehicle from the simulated vehicle path and simulated vehicle orientation, said vehicle control commands controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow the simulated vehicle path and achieve the simulated vehicle orientation while avoiding an undesirable location.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the undesirable location is a previously-drilled hole location or a highwall.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the undesirable location is a berm or a structure.