Vehicle control system with user-guided calibration

• US 7,225,060 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novariant Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novariant Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Connor, Michael L., Leckie, Lars G., Eglington, Michael L., Melhorn, Robert C Jr., Sapilewski, Glen, Walter, Brian G., Chang, Qinghe
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAULIEU, YONEL
• Application Number:
  US10/903,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/29, 701/31, 324/202, 702/85
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/005 initial alignment, calibration or starting-up of inertial devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/23 Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements

Abstract

A vehicle control system with user-guided calibration is presented. In one embodiment, a vehicle control system is presented comprising an output device and circuitry operative to provide an output, via the output device, that guides a user through a plurality of calibration steps in a particular order. The circuitry can additionally or alternatively be operative to determine which of the calibration steps, if any, to present as a next calibration step based on whether a given calibration step is successful. Other embodiments are provided, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or in combination with one another.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system with user-guided calibration comprising:

a vehicle control system, wherein calibration of the vehicle control system comprises a plurality of calibration steps and wherein at least one of the plurality of calibration steps must be performed before at least one other of the plurality of calibration steps in order for the vehicle control system to control state trajectory of a vehicle within a degree of performance;

wherein the vehicle control system comprises;

an output device; and

circuitry operative to provide an output, via the output device, that guides a user through the plurality of calibration steps in a particular order to ensure that the at least one of the plurality of calibration steps is performed before the at least one other of the plurality of calibration steps.

2. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system controls a ground vehicle.

3. The vehicle control system of claim 2, wherein the ground vehicle comprises a farm vehicle.

4. The vehicle control system of claim 2, wherein the ground vehicle comprises a rubber tire gantry crane.

5. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system controls an air vehicle.

6. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system controls a water vehicle.

7. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a processor executing computer-executable instructions.

8. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a display device.

9. The vehicle control system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is operative to display, on the display device, a graphical user interface.

10. the vehicle control system of claim 9 further comprising a second display device, wherein the first-mentioned display device is dedicated to displaying the graphical user interface.

11. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises an audio output device.

12. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises an audio output device but not a display device.

13. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises both a display device and an audio output device.

14. The vehicle control system of claim 1 further comprising an input device.

15. The vehicle control system of claim 14, wherein the input device is integrated with the output device.

16. The vehicle control system of claim 14, wherein the input device and the output device are separate devices.

17. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is operative to provide a help menu.

18. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is operative to confirm that one or more of the plurality of calibration steps was completed successfully.

19. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the output provides instructions for physical installation of the vehicle control system.

20. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises one or more of the following:

(a) user entry of physical vehicle parameters;

(b) user entry of a relative position of a GPS antenna on a vehicle comprising the vehicle control system relative to another point on the vehicle;

(c) a self-survey of relative positions of two or more GPS antenna on the vehicle;

(d) a calibration of on-board inertial measurement units;

(e) a confirmation that manual steering is operational after installation of automatic steering components;

(f) a confirmation that automatic steering is operational after installation of automatic steering components;

(g) a calibration of a sensor to detect when the user is trying to turn a steering wheel;

(h) a calibration of a wheel angle sensor;

(i) a calibration of a wheel angle actuator;

(j) tuning of gains based on wheel angle sensing and actuation;

(k) tuning of gains based on GPS-based heading sensing and actuation;

(l) tuning of gains based on gyro-based heading sensing and actuation; and

(m) tuning of gains based on vehicle position sensing and actuation.

21. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel angle calibration, and wherein the wheel angle calibration is based on an interactive plot display.

22. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel angle calibration, and wherein the wheel angle calibration is based on vehicle motion.

23. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel actuator calibration, and wherein the wheel actuator calibration is based on an interactive plot display.

24. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel actuator calibration, and wherein the wheel actuator calibration is based on automatically-generated steering commands.

25. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises gain tuning, and wherein the output shows control system performance to provide the user with feedback to tune at least some of a plurality of calibration parameters.

26. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises gain tuning that is performed automatically based on vehicle motion and automatically-generated steering commands.

27. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of calibration steps is performed automatically without user intervention.

28. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is operative to select a subset of calibration steps from a set of calibration steps based on an identified type of vehicle and guide a user through the subset of calibration steps.

29. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system is calibrated using only sensors that are on a vehicle and that are used for vehicle control.

30. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein vehicle steering is calibrated using vehicle motion and vehicle motion sensors.

72. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system comprises at least one sensor to determine a state of the vehicle and at least one component to change the state of the vehicle.

31. A vehicle control system with user-guided calibration comprising:

a vehicle control system, wherein calibration of the vehicle control system comprises a plurality of calibration steps;

wherein the vehicle control system comprises;

an output device; and

circuitry operative to provide an output, via the output device, that guides a user through the plurality of calibration steps, wherein the circuitry is operative to determine which of the calibration steps, if any, to present as a next calibration step based on whether a given calibration step is successful.

32. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to skip a calibration step in response to an unsuccessful calibration step.

33. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to skip a calibration step in response to a successful calibration step.

34. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to return to a previous calibration step in response to an unsuccessful calibration step.

35. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to repeat a calibration step in response to an unsuccessful calibration step.

36. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to present a help menu in response to an unsuccessful calibration step.

37. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to suspend calibration of the vehicle control system in response to an unsuccessful calibration step.

38. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the vehicle control system controls a ground vehicle.

39. The vehicle control system of claim 38, wherein the ground vehicle comprises a farm vehicle.

40. The vehicle control system of claim 38, wherein the ground vehicle comprises a rubber tire gantry crane.

41. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the vehicle control system controls an air vehicle.

42. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the vehicle control system controls a water vehicle.

43. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry comprises a processor executing computer-executable instructions.

44. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the output device comprises a display device.

45. The vehicle control system of claim 44, wherein the circuitry is operative to display, on the display device, a graphical user interface.

46. The vehicle control system of claim 45 further comprising a second display device, wherein the first-mentioned display device is dedicated to displaying the graphical user interface.

47. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the output device comprises an audio output device.

48. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the output device comprises an audio output device but not a display device.

49. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the output device comprises both a display device and an audio output device.

50. The vehicle control system of claim 31 further comprising an input device.

51. The vehicle control system of claim 50, wherein the input device is integrated with the output device.

52. The vehicle control system of claim 50, wherein the input device and the output device are separate devices.

53. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to provide a help menu.

54. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to confirm that one or more of the plurality of calibration steps was completed successfully.

55. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the output provides instructions for physical installation of the vehicle control system.

56. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises one or more of the following:

(a) user entry of physical vehicle parameters;

(b) user entry of a relative position of a GPS antenna on a vehicle comprising the vehicle control system relative to another point on the vehicle;

(c) a self-survey of relative positions of two or more GPS antenna on the vehicle;

(d) a calibration of on-board inertial measurement units;

(e) a confirmation that manual steering is operational after installation of automatic steering components;

(f) a confirmation that automatic steering is operational after installation of automatic steering components;

(g) a calibration of a sensor to detect when the user is trying to turn a steering wheel;

(h) a calibration of a wheel angle sensor;

(i) a calibration of a wheel angle actuator;

(j) tuning of gains based on wheel angle sensing and actuation;

(k) tuning of gains based on GPS-based heading sensing and actuation;

(l) tuning of gains based on gyro-based heading sensing and actuation; and

(m) tuning of gains based on vehicle position sensing and actuation.

57. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel angle calibration, and wherein the wheel angle calibration is based on an interactive plot display.

58. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel angle calibration, and wherein the wheel angle calibration is based on vehicle motion.

59. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel actuator calibration, and wherein the wheel actuator calibration is based on an interactive plot display.

60. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises wheel actuator calibration, and wherein the wheel actuator calibration is based on automatically-generated steering commands.

61. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises gain tuning, and wherein the output shows control system performance to provide the user with feedback to tune at least some of a plurality of calibration parameters.

62. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises gain tuning that is performed automatically based on vehicle motion and automatically-generated steering commands.

63. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein at least one of the plurality of calibration steps is performed automatically without user intervention.

64. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the circuitry is operative to select a subset of calibration steps from a set of calibration steps based on an identified type of vehicle and guide a user through the subset of calibration steps.

65. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the vehicle control system is calibrated using only sensors that are on a vehicle and that are used for vehicle control.

66. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein vehicle steering is calibrated using vehicle motion and vehicle motion sensors.

73. The vehicle control system of claim 31, wherein the vehicle control system comprises at least one sensor to determine a state of a vehicle and at least one component to change the state of the vehicle.

67. A vehicle control system with user-guided calibration comprising:

a vehicle control system, wherein calibration of the vehicle control system comprises a plurality of calibration steps and wherein at least one of the plurality of calibration steps must be performed before at least one other of the plurality of calibration steps in order for the vehicle control system to control state trajectory of a vehicle within a degree of performance, wherein the plurality of calibration steps comprises a calibration of a sensor to detect when the user is trying to turn a steering wheel, a calibration of a wheel angle sensor, and a calibration of a wheel angle actuator;

wherein the vehicle control system comprises;

an output device; and

circuitry operative to provide an output, via the output device, that guides a user through the plurality of calibration steps in a particular order to ensure that the at least one of the plurality of calibration steps is performed before the at least one other of the plurality of calibration steps, wherein the circuitry is further operative to determine which of the calibration steps, if any, to present as a next calibration step based on whether a given calibration step is successful.

68. The vehicle control system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of calibration steps further comprises tuning of gains based on wheel angle sensing and actuation.

69. The vehicle control system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of calibration steps further comprises tuning of gains based on GPS-based heading sensing and actuation.

70. The vehicle control system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of calibration steps further comprises user entry of physical vehicle parameters.

71. The vehicle control system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of calibration steps further comprises a calibration of on-board inertial measurement units.

74. The vehicle control system of claim 67, wherein the vehicle control system comprises at least one sensor to determine a state of the vehicle and at least one component to change the state of the vehicle.