Method and system for determining the location of a vehicle

• US 7,479,922 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Zeitzew, Michael Alan, Hunt, Kenneth Edward, Schmidt, Mark Alvin, Holm, David Roy, Stephens, Scott Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US11/095,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.14, 342/385
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/06 Means for providing multiple indication, e.g. coarse and fine indications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system

Abstract

A first location determining receiver determines a first location estimate of a vehicle. The first location determining receiver is associated with satellite beacons. A second location determining receiver determines a second location estimate of a vehicle. The second location determining receiver is exclusively associated with terrestrial beacons. A selector selects the first location estimate of the vehicle as a preferential location in accordance with an initialization scheme for the vehicle in a work area. A filtering module applies a first weight to a first location and a second weight to the second location to derive a weighted estimate as the preferential location upon satisfactory completion of the initialization scheme.

Claims

1. A system for accurately determining a location of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first location determining receiver for determining a first location estimate of a vehicle, the first location estimate based on a first location determining receiver associated with satellite beacons;

a second location determining receiver for determining a second location estimate of a vehicle, the second location estimate based on a second location determining receiver exclusiveiy associated with terrestrial beacons;

a selector for selecting initially the first location estimate, associated with the satellite beacons, as a preferential location in accordance with an initialization scheme for the vehicle in a work area;

a filtering module for applying a first weight to the first location estimate and a second weight to the second location estimate to derive a weighted estimate as the preferential location upon satisfactory completion of the initialization scheme;

a focused acquisition manager associated with at least one of the first location determining receiver and the second location determining receiver for limiting a tracking loop of location measurement data; and

a feedback manager for providing measurement predictions and variances from the filtering module to the focused acquisition manager.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a variance monitor for establishing the first weight based on a first variance of the first location estimate and for establishing a second weight based on a second variance of the second location estimate such that the first weight varies inversely to the first variance and such that the second weight varies inversely with the second variance.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a definer for establishing a first target probability density function for the first location estimate based on empirical measurements in a work area and for establishing a second target probability density function for the second location estimate based on empirical measurements in the work area; and

a transition manager for providing a soft transition from a first location estimate as the dominant estimate and a second location estimate as the dominant estimate by limiting a rate of change in the first weight and the second weight in accordance with the first target probability density function and the second probability density function.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the initialization scheme comprises a time period between start-up of a vehide and moving the vehicle into a defined home position in a work area for execution of a task in the work area.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the initialization scheme comprises a time period between start-up of a vehicle and moving the vehicle into a defined home position in a work area for execution of a path plan in the work area.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the initialization scheme comprises a time period between start-up of a vehicle and verification that the second location determining receiver receives at least one of a pilot signal and an initialization transmission associated with the stationary beacons around the work area.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the filtering module is arranged to apply the first weight and the second weight to conform to a least squares estimation for the first location estimate and the second location estimate.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the least squares estimation is consistent with a generally linear relationship of the first location estimate and the second location estimate over time.

9. A method for accurately determining a location of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a first location estimate of a vehicle, the first location estimate based on a first location determining receiver exclusively associated with satellite beacons;

determining a second location estimate of a vehicle, the second location estimate based on a second location determining receiver exclusively associated with terrestrial beacons;

applying a first weight to the first location estimate and a second weight to the second location estimate;

adjusting a transition from the first location estimate as a dominant estimate in the weighted estimated and the second location estimate as the dominant estimate in the weighted estimate by limiting a rate of change in the first weight and the second weight; and

communicating the dominant estimate to at least one of a steering system, a braking system, and a propulsion system of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising establishing a first target probability density function for the first location estimate and establishing a second target probability density function for the second location estimate;

and wherein the rate of change is limited in accordance with the first target probability density function and the second probability density function.

11. A system for accurately determining a location of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first location determining receiver, coupled to a filtering module, for determining a first location estimate of a vehicle, the first location estimate based on the first location determining receiver exclusively associated with satellite beacons;

a second location determining receiver, coupled to the filtering module, for determining a second location estimate of a vehicle, the second location estimate based on the second location determining receiver exclusively associated with terrestrial beacons;

the filtering module applying a first weight to the first location estimate and a second weight to the second location estimate, providing a transition of a dominant estimate from one of the weighted first location estimate and the weighted second location estimate by limiting a rate of change in the first weight and the second weight, and communicating the dominant estimate to at least one of a steering system, a braking system, and a propulsion system of the vehicle.