Apparatus and method for autonomous vehicle navigation using absolute data

• US 5,956,250 A
• Filed: 05/01/1995
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Whittaker, William L., Shin, Dong Hun, Devier, Lonnie J., Kyrtsos, Christos T., Lay, Norman K., Peterson, Joel L., Schmidt, Larry E., Stafford, Darrell E., Weinbeck, Louis J., Singh, Sanjiv J., Christensen, Dana A., Clow, Richard G., Bradbury, Walter J., Gudat, Adam J., Koehrsen, Craig L., Kemner, Carl A., Kleimenhagen, Karl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Collin W.
• Application Number:
  US08/431,594
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.02, 364/443, 364/448, 364/449, 180/169, 180/168, 180/167, 318/586, 318/587
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/27 creating, predicting or correcting ephemeris or almanac data within the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0268 using internal positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• 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 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 : by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 : Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the navigation of surface based vehicle uses a route that is obtained by manually driving the vehicle over the route to collect data defining the absolute position of the vehicle at various positions along the route. The collected data is smoothed to provide a consistent route to be followed. The smoothed data is subsequently used to automatically guide the vehicle over the route.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the navigation of a surface based vehicle over a route, the method including:

manually driving the vehicle over the route to collect driven data comprising the absolute position of the vehicle along the route relative to the earth'"'"'s surface;

smoothing out said driven data to produce smoothed data comprising a consistent path; and

using said smoothed data to automatically navigate the vehicle over the route.

2. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein said step of smoothing out said driven data includes the step of:

integrating said driven data to smooth said driven data so that measured vehicle position, heading and curvature are consistent along the route.

3. A system for controlling the navigation of a surface based vehicle of the type having an instantaneous center to which all motions can be referenced, exhibiting either oversteer or understeer characteristics over a route, comprising:

means for manually driving the vehicle over the route to collect driven data comprising the absolute position of the vehicle along the route relative to the earth'"'"'s surface;

means for smoothing out said driven data to produce smoothed data comprising a consistent path; and

means for using said smoothed data to automatically navigate the vehicle over the route.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein said means for smoothing out said driven data further comprises:

means for integrating said driven data to smooth said driven data so that measured vehicle position, heading and curvature are consistent along the route.