SWATH TRACKING SYSTEM FOR AN OFF-ROAD VEHICLE

• US 20170357262A1
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonomous Solutions, Inc., CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Autonomous Solutions, Inc., CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Dix, Peter John, McClelland, Brett Carson, McCarthy, Brendan Paul, Ray, Brian Robert, Bunderson, Nathan Eric, Ashby, Robert Dean, Petersen, John Arthur Mitsuru, Morwood, Daniel John, Turpin, Bret Todd
• Granted Patent: US 10,031,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A swath tracking system for an off-road vehicle includes a control system with a processor and a memory. The control system is configured to receive a plurality of vehicle location points and a current vehicle state, wherein the current vehicle state comprises a current vehicle location, generate a planned vehicle path through one or more of the plurality of vehicle location points, generate a correction path from the current vehicle location to a point along the planned vehicle path ahead of the current vehicle location along a direction of travel, generate a blended path by blending the planned vehicle path and the correction path based at least in part on an assigned weight, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on a heading error, a distance between the current vehicle location and the planned path, or a combination thereof, and guide the off-road vehicle along the blended path.

Claims

1. A swath tracking system for an off-road vehicle, comprising:

a control system comprising a processor and a memory and configured to;

receive a plurality of vehicle location points and a current vehicle state, wherein the current vehicle state comprises a current vehicle location;

generate a planned vehicle path through one or more of the plurality of vehicle location points;

generate a correction path from the current vehicle location to a point along the planned vehicle path ahead of the current vehicle location along a direction of travel;

generate a blended path by blending the planned vehicle path and the correction path based at least in part on an assigned weight, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on a heading error, a distance between the current vehicle location and the planned path, or a combination thereof; and

guide the off-road vehicle along the blended path.

2. The swath tracking system of claim 1, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path each comprise one or more clothoid segments.

3. The swath tracking system of claim 2, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path each have continuous curvatures.

4. The swath tracking system of claim 3, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path are each C2 continuous.

5. The swath tracking system of claim 1, wherein the current vehicle state comprises the current vehicle location, a current vehicle velocity, a current vehicle heading, and a current vehicle curvature.

6. The swath tracking system of claim 1, wherein the current vehicle state is determined based at least in part on outputs from a spatial locating device.

7. The swath tracking system of claim 1, wherein guiding the off-road vehicle along the blended path comprises controlling a steering control system and a speed control system of the off-road vehicle.

8. The swath tracking system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to receive an estimated control loop delay, and use the estimated control loop delay in generating the correction path, the blended path, or both.

9. An off-road vehicle, comprising:

a steering control system configured to control a direction of travel of the off-road vehicle;

a speed control system configured to control a speed of travel of the off-road vehicle;

a spatial locating device configured to determine a current vehicle state of the off-road vehicle; and

a control system configured to;

receive a plurality of vehicle location points;

generate a planned vehicle path through one or more of the plurality of vehicle location points;

receive the current vehicle state from the spatial locating device, wherein the current vehicle state comprises a current vehicle location;

generate a correction path from a current vehicle location to one of the plurality of vehicle location points along the planned vehicle path ahead of the current vehicle location along a direction of travel;

generate a blended path by blending the planned vehicle path and the correction path based at least in part on an assigned weight, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on heading error, a distance between the current vehicle location and the planned path, or a combination thereof; and

control the steering control system and the speed control system to guide the off-road vehicle along the blended path.

10. The off-road vehicle of claim 9, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path each comprise one or more clothoid segments.

11. The off-road vehicle of claim 10, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path each have a continuous curvature.

12. The off-road vehicle of claim 11, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path are each C2 continuous.

13. The off-road vehicle of claim 9, wherein the control system is configured to receive an estimated control loop delay, and use the estimated control loop delay in generating the correction path, the blended path, or both.

14. The off-road vehicle of claim 9, wherein the correction path passes through at least one of the plurality of vehicle location points behind the off-road vehicle along the direction of travel and through at least one of the plurality of vehicle location points ahead of the off-road vehicle along the direction of travel.

15. The off-road vehicle of claim 9, wherein the current vehicle state comprises the current vehicle location, a current vehicle velocity, a current vehicle heading, and a current vehicle curvature.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of vehicle location points, a current vehicle state, and a feedback loop delay time, wherein the current vehicle state comprises a current vehicle location;

generating a planned vehicle path through one or more of the plurality of vehicle location points;

generating a correction path from the current vehicle location to one of the plurality of vehicle location points along the planned vehicle path ahead of the current vehicle location along a direction of travel;

generating a blended path by blending the planned vehicle path and the correction path based at least in part on an assigned weight, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on heading error, a distance between the current vehicle location and the planned path, or a combination thereof; and

guiding the off-road vehicle along the blended path.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path each comprise one or more clothoid segments.

18. The swath method of claim 17, wherein the planned vehicle path and the correction path are each C2 continuous.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the current vehicle state comprises a current vehicle velocity, a current vehicle heading, and a current vehicle curvature.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the correction path passes through at least one of the plurality of vehicle location points behind the off-road vehicle along the direction of travel and through at least one of the plurality of vehicle location points ahead of the off-road vehicle along the direction of travel.