Navigation control system

• US 6,925,380 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acuere Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Acuere Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Harrison, John H. Jr., Harrison, J. Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/697,671
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/213, 701/214, 701/201, 701/208, 342/357, 342/457, 342/386, 342/358, 342/352, 342/118, 342/25, 342/424, 340/995, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.22
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• 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

Abstract

A real-time path-directed controller for navigating an object along a desired path is disclosed. The controller comprises: a position sensor which contributes to the production of a conditioned object position signal to a controller summer; a heading conditioning module which contributes to the production of a conditioned heading signal to the controller summer; a control apparatus sensor which contributes to the production of a conditioned control apparatus signal to the controller summer; and a control apparatus null position conditioning module which contributes to the production of a conditioned null position signal to the controller summer. The controller summer sums the signals to produce a controller summer signal to a controller summer conditioning module so as to produce a control apparatus control signal to a control apparatus controller so as to direct the control apparatus and thereby direct the object by feedback control along the desired path.

Claims

1. A real-time path-directed controller for navigating an object along a desired path, said controller comprising:

(a) a position sensor, said position sensor producing an object position signal to an object position signal conditioning module, said object position signal conditioning module producing a conditioned object position signal to a controller summer;

(b) a heading conditioning module, said heading conditioning module receiving the object position signal and conditioning the object position signal to produce a conditioned heading signal to the controller summer;

(c) a control apparatus sensor, said control apparatus sensor producing a control apparatus signal to a control apparatus signal conditioning module, said control apparatus signal conditioning module producing a conditioned control apparatus signal to the controller summer; and

(d) a controller summer summing the conditioned object position signal, the conditioned heading signal, and the conditioned control apparatus signal to produce a controller summer signal to a controller summer conditioning module so as to produce a control apparatus control signal to a control apparatus controller so as to direct the control apparatus and thereby direct the object by feedback control along the desired path.

2. The real-time path-directed controller of claim 1 wherein poles associated with the controller are selected in accordance with a linear multiplicative-integrative object dynamic model.

5. The real-time path-directed controller of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to operate in a multi-mode manner of operation.

3. A real-time path-directed controller for navigating an object along a desired path, said controller comprising:

(a) a position sensor, said position sensor producing an object position signal to an object position signal conditioning module, said object position signal conditioning module producing a conditioned object position signal to a controller summer;

(b) a heading conditioning module, said heading conditioning module receiving the object position signal and conditioning the object position signal to produce a conditioned heading signal to the controller summer;

(c) a control apparatus sensor, said control apparatus sensor producing a control apparatus signal to a control apparatus signal conditioning module, said control apparatus signal conditioning module producing a conditioned control apparatus signal to the controller summer;

(d) a control apparatus null position conditioning module, said control apparatus null position conditioning module conditioning a distance-differentiated object position signal and conditioned control apparatus signal to produce a conditioned null position signal to the controller summer; and

(e) a controller summer summing the conditioned object position signal, the conditioned heading signal, the conditioned control apparatus signal, and the conditioned null position signal to produce a controller summer signal to a controller summer conditioning module so as to produce a control apparatus control signal to a control apparatus controller so as to direct the control apparatus and thereby direct the object by feedback control along the desired path.

4. The real-time path-directed controller of claim 3 wherein poles associated with the controller are selected in accordance with a linear multiplicative-integrative object dynamic model.

6. The real-time path-directed controller of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to operate in a multi-mode manner of operation.