Adjustment of vehicle-implement trajectories to compensate for lateral implement offset

• US 6,804,587 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novariant Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Integrinautics Corporation (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Gutt, Gregory M., Eglington, Michael L., Bell, Thomas, Zimmerman, Kurt R., Leckie, Lars, O Connor, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/993,323
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23-26, 701/50, 701/200-217, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.11, 342/357.13, 333/56, 333/61, 340/438, 340/988, 180/6.2, 180/6.24
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system including a mobile vehicle, an implement, a position sensor, a controller, a user interface (a touch-screen monitor, video monitor or keypad, as examples), a software program to compute a calibration trajectory, and a steering system for steering the vehicle to the desired or adjusted trajectory based on the error between the vehicle'"'"'s desired and actual positions. In one embodiment, non-co-located sensing and control combine with a calibration procedure to help eliminate model error. Another embodiment uses co-located sensing (but not control) to calibrate the model.

Claims

1. A system to maintain the position of an implement, capable of being moved by a vehicle, over a period of time, the system comprising:

a sensor to determine a position of the implement as a function of time;

a controller including memory, functionally coupled to said sensor;

said memory storing positional data defining a desire path and further storing program instructions executable by said controller, to compute any change in position of the implement and to compute any modification in real time to maintain said implement on said desired path; and

means, coupled to said controller, for maintaining said implement according to said any modifications computed by said executable program;

wherein said controller is capable or receiving a lateral offset to identify a deviation between the implement and the desired path; and

wherein said program instructions further comprise instructions to maintain the vehicle along a vehicle path defined as a function of said lateral offset and said desired path.

2. A system to maintain the position of an implement capable of being moved by a vehicle over a period of time system comprising:

a sensor to determine a position of the implement as a function of time;

a controller including memory, functionally coupled to said sensor said memory storing positional data determining a desired path and further storing program instructions executable by said controller, to compute any change in position of the implement and to compute any modification in realtime to maintain said implement on said desired path; and

means coupled to said controller for maintaining said implement according to said any modifications computed by said executable program;

wherein said controller is capable of receiving a lateral offset to identify a deviation between the implement and the desired path; and

further comprising means for enabling entry of a lateral offset from said desired path, whereupon said system responds to said lateral offset from said desired path and maintains the implement responsive to said lateral offset.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said means for enabling entry of said lateral offset is useable by a user of the implement to enter said lateral offset.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said responsive to said offset comprises directly maintaining said vehicle on a deviation path parallel to said desired path wherein a distance between said deviation path and said desired path is a function of said lateral offset.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said lateral offset is selected from a group consisting of:

a right deviation to move said deviation path to the right, and a left deviation to move said deviation path to the left.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said memory further stores said lateral offset with respect to a location on said desired path corresponding to the position of said vehicle when said lateral offset was entered, and wherein said lateral offset stored by said memory is useable to define a new desired path.

7. A system to directly control and maintain the position of an implement, coupled to a farm vehicle on a desired predetermined path and responsive to user-determined deviation therefrom the system comprising:

a sensor to determine a position of the implement as a function of time;

a controller including memory, functionally coupled to said sensor;

said and further storing program instructions executable by said controller, to compute any change in position of the implement and to compute any modification in realtime to maintain said implement on said desired path; and

means, coupled to said controller for maintaining said implement according to said any modifications computed by said executable program;

wherein said program instructions further comprise instructions to compute said any modification in realtime to maintain the vehicle along a path to maintain said implement on said desired path; and

further comprising means for enabling entry of a lateral offset from said desired path, whereupon said system responds to said lateral offset from said desired path to maintain the implement responsive to said lateral offset.

8. A system to directly maintain an implement on a desired path responsive to user-determined deviation therefrom, the system comprising:

means for sensing a position of the implement as a function of time;

means for controlling a vehicle including memory, said means for controlling functionally coupled to said means for sensing, said memory storing positional data defining said desired path, and further storing program instructions;

executable by said means for controlling, to compute any change in position of the implement and to compute any modifications in realtime to maintain said vehicle on said desired path responsive to any user-determined deviation;

means, coupled to said means for controlling, for maintaining the implement according to any modifications computed by said executable program; and

means for enabling a user of said vehicle to input to said system said user-determined deviation from said desired path, whereupon said system responds to said user-determined deviation from said desired path and controls and maintains the implement responsive to said user-determined deviation.

9. A system to directly maintain an implement on a desired path responsive to user-determined deviation therefrom, the implement couplable to a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for determining a position of the implement as a function of the vehicle;

means for controlling the vehicle including memory;

said memory storing positional data defining the desired path, and further storing program instructions, executable by said means for controlling, to compute any change in position of the implement and to compute one or more modifications in realtime to maintain said implement on the desired path responsive to any user-determined deviation, said means for controlling coupled to said means for determining;

means, coupled to said means for controlling, for maintaining the implement according to said one or more modifications computed by said executable program; and

means for enabling a user of the implement to input to said system said user-determined deviation from the desired path, whereupon said system responds to said user-determined deviation from the desired path and controls and maintains the implement responsive to said user-determined deviation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means for enabling a user further comprises means for enabling a user to input to said system said position of the implement as a function of the vehicle.

11. A method of guiding an implement comprising the steps of:

mechanically connecting the implement to a vehicle;

selecting a vehicle trajectory;

manually selecting offset information so as to define an implement trajectory, which is offset from the vehicle trajectory;

driving the vehicle so as to move the connected implement;

receiving satellite signals that indicate position of the vehicle during the driving step; and

steering the vehicle using the received satellite signals so that the implement follows the implement trajectory during the driving step.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein manually selecting an offset information includes entry of offset information into a user interface console.

13. The method of claim 11, further including the step of:

determining an offset between the vehicle trajectory and the implement trajectory by,

driving the vehicle with the connected implement along the selected vehicle trajectory; and

measuring a position of one or more features formed in an area traversed by the implement during the step of driving the vehicle along the selected vehicle trajectory.

14. The method of claim 11, further including the step of:

determining an offset between the vehicle trajectory and the implement trajectory by,

driving the vehicle with the connected implement within an agricultural area along the selected vehicle trajectory; and

measuring a position of one or more rows formed in the agricultural area by the implement during the step of driving the vehicle along the selected vehicle trajectory.

15. The method of claim 11,

wherein the offset information is predetermined.

16. The method of claim 11 further including the step of:

determining an offset between the vehicle trajectory and the implement trajectory by,

driving the vehicle with the connected implement within an area along the selected vehicle trajectory; and

measuring a position of one or more features formed in an area by the implement during the step of driving the vehicle along the selected vehicle trajectory;

wherein manually selecting the offset information includes entry of the one or more measured feature positions into a user interface console.

17. The method of claim 11 further including the step of:

receiving ground based signals that indicate position of the vehicle during the driving step;

wherein the steering the vehicle step steers using a combination of the received satellite signals and the received ground based signals so that the implement follows the implement trajectory during the driving step.

18. The method of claim 11,

wherein the received satellite signals include GPS signals.

19. The method of claim 11,

wherein the received satellite signals include GPS signals;

and further including the step of;

receiving ground based local GPS signals that indicate position of the vehicle during the driving step;

wherein the steering the vehicle step steers using a combination of the received satellite signals and the received ground based signals so that the implement follows the implement trajectory during the driving step.

20. The method of claim 11,

wherein an offset of the implement trajectory from the vehicle trajectory corrects for misalignment of a vehicle centerline from an implement centerline.

21. For use in guiding a vehicle mechanically connected to an implement, a system comprising:

multiple satellite position signal receivers;

user interface monitor means for manual entry of vehicle trajectory information and offset information so as to define an implement trajectory, which is offset from the vehicle trajectory;

position and heading means for using position signals received by the receivers to determine vehicle position and heading and for providing control signals; and

vehicle steering control means for steering the vehicle in response to the control signals so as to cause the implement to follow the implement trajectory.

22. The system of claim 21 further including:

a ground based reference station to provide position signals to the position and heading means so as to improve accuracy of the determined vehicle position.

23. The system of claim 21,

wherein the received satellite signals include GPS signals.

24. The system of claim 21,

wherein the received satellite signals include GPS signals;

and further including;

a ground based reference station to provide GPS signals to the position and heading means so as to improve accuracy of the determined vehicle position.

25. The system of claim 21,

wherein an offset of the implement trajectory from the vehicle trajectory corrects for misalignment of a vehicle centerline from an implement centerline.

26. For use in guiding a vehicle mechanically connected to an implement, a system comprising:

multiple GPS signal receivers;

user interface monitor means for manual entry of vehicle trajectory information and offset information so as to define an implement trajectory, which is offset from the vehicle trajectory;

position and heading means for using GPS signals received by the receivers to determine vehicle position and heading and for providing control signals; and

vehicle steering control means for steering the vehicle in response to the control signals so as to cause the implement to follow the implement trajectory.

27. The system of claim 26 further including:

a ground based reference station to provide GPS signals to the position and heading means so as to improve accuracy of the determined vehicle position.

28. A method of guiding an implement comprising the steps of:

mechanically connecting the implement to a vehicle;

selecting a vehicle trajectory;

driving the vehicle with the connected implement

receiving satellite signals that indicate position of the vehicle during the driving step;

receiving satellite signals that indicate position of the implement during the driving step;

calculating an offset between the vehicle and the implement using the satellite signals that indicate positions of the implement and the vehicle so as to define an implement trajectory, which is offset from the vehicle trajectory; and

steering the vehicle using the at least one received satellite signal so that the so that the implement follows the implement trajectory during the driving step.

29. The method of claim 28,

wherein an offset of the implement trajectory from the vehicle trajectory corrects for misalignment of a vehicle centerline from an implement centerline.

30. For use in guiding a vehicle mechanically connected to an implement, a system comprising:

multiple satellite signal position signal receivers;

position control means for using position signals received by the receivers to determine an offset between the vehicle and the implement and to calculate an offset implement trajectory, which is offset from the vehicle trajectory; and

vehicle steering control means for steering the vehicle so as to cause the implement to follow the implement trajectory.

31. The system of claim 30 further including:

a ground based reference station to provide position signals to the position and heading means so as to improve accuracy of the determined vehicle position.

32. The system of claim 30 further including:

wherein the received satellite signals include GPS signals.

33. The system of claim 30,

wherein the received satellite signals include GPS signals;

and further including;

a ground based reference station to provide GPS signals to the position and heading means so as to improve accuracy of the determined vehicle position.

34. The system of claim 30,

wherein an offset of the implement trajectory from the vehicle trajectory corrects for misalignment of a vehicle centerline from an implement centerline.

35. For use in guiding a vehicle mechanically connected to an implement, a system comprising:

multiple GPS signal position signal receivers;

position control means for using GPS signals received by the receivers to determine an offset between the vehicle and the implement and to calculate an offset implement trajectory, which is offset from the vehicle trajectory; and

vehicle steering control means for steering the vehicle so as to cause the implement to follow the implement trajectory.

36. The system of claim 35 further including:

a ground based reference station to provide GPS signals to the position and heading means so as to improve accuracy of the determined vehicle position.