VEHICLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20150285646A1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: 5D Robotics, Inc. (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Bruemmer, David J., Hartley, R. Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,731,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1633 compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1684 Tracking a line or surface by means of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/256 of results relating to different input data, e.g. multimodal recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/10 Sensor physically contacts and follows work contour

Abstract

A system and method to identify optimal vehicular movement based on reactive and deliberative components is described. Modifiable use conditions, such as speeding, excessive idling, gear selection, acceleration and deceleration profiles, as well as optimal path determination and follow distance are identified and optimized based on a reactive interaction between the vehicles and infrastructure on a real-time basis. Using active positioning tags placed within the environment and/or attached to each vehicle a vehicle'"'"'s position can be determined relative to other proximal vehicles or relative to its environment. With such information a vehicle'"'"'s path can be optimized.

Claims

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

collecting real time vehicular and environmental data from a plurality of sensors;

determining a spatial location for the vehicle within an environment based on data collected from the plurality of sensors;

determining a relative location for the vehicle relative to one or more other proximal vehicles based on data collected from the plurality of sensors;

communicating the relative location and the spatial location of the vehicle among the one or more other proximal vehicles;

receiving active position data from one or more digital path markers; and

determining a vehicle path based on active position data from the one or more digital path marker, the spatial location of the vehicle, and the relative location of the vehicle from the one or more other proximal vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are associated with the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are associated with the environment along the vehicle path.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of sensors associated with the environment is proximal to the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the spatial location of the vehicle is done autonomously by the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the relative location of the vehicle is done autonomously by the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the vehicle path includes collaborating with the one or more other proximal vehicles to identify an optimal route and optimal speed.

8. The method of claim 1 where the vehicle path is a collective path shared by the one or more other proximal vehicles.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a vehicle speed based on the spatial location of the vehicle along the path, the relative location of the vehicle from the one or more other proximal vehicles and operation as a collaborative unit.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle speed based on operation as a collaborative unit is an aggregate optimal speed for the one or more other proximal vehicles.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating includes using ultra wide band technology to communicate data among the plurality of vehicles and wherein determining a relative location for the vehicle relative to one or more other proximal vehicles occurs simultaneously and in parallel by each of the plurality of vehicles.

12. A system for collaborative and coordinated movement of a plurality of vehicles, the system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle sensors associated with each of the plurality of vehicles wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to provide each vehicle spatial position along a path, relative position among the plurality of vehicles and environmental data;

a plurality of digital path markers configured to identify path information including the initiation of certain actions by the plurality of vehicles;

a communication system configured to enable inter-vehicle communication of data among the plurality of vehicles; and

a convoy handler module, wherein the convoy handler module coordinates actions among the plurality of vehicles to operate as a collaborative unit.

13. The system for collaborative and coordinated movement of a plurality of vehicles according to claim 12, wherein the communication system includes ultra wide band tags.

14. The system for collaborative and coordinated movement of a plurality of vehicles according to claim 13, wherein each vehicle can autonomously and simultaneously position itself with respect to each other of the plurality of vehicles.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the ultra wide band tags associated with each vehicle can provide real-time position based analysis using simultaneous parallel computation and analysis at each vehicle.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor wherein said program of instructions comprises a plurality of program codes for coordinated movement of a vehicle, said program of instructions comprising:

collecting real time vehicular and environmental data from a plurality of sensors;

program code for determining a spatial location for the vehicle within an environment based on data collected from the plurality of sensors;

program code for determining a relative location for the vehicle relative to one or more other proximal vehicles based on data collected from the plurality of sensors;

program code for communicating the relative location and the spatial location of the vehicle among the one or more other proximal vehicles;

program code for receiving active position data from one or more digital path markers; and

program code for determining a vehicle path based on active position data from the one or more digital path marker, the spatial location of the vehicle, and the relative location of the vehicle from the one or more other proximal vehicles.

17. The program of instructions embodied on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the program code for determining the vehicle path includes collaborating with the one or more other proximal vehicles to identify an optimal route and optimal speed.

18. The program of instructions embodied on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 further compromising program code for determining a vehicle speed based on the spatial location of the vehicle along the path, the relative location of the vehicle from the one or more other proximal vehicles and operation as a collaborative unit.

19. The program of instructions embodied on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the vehicle speed based on operation as a collaborative unit is an aggregate optimal speed for the one or more other proximal vehicles.

20. The program of instructions embodied on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the program code for determining a relative location for the vehicle relative to one or more other proximal vehicles occurs simultaneously and in parallel by each of the plurality of vehicles.