Method and system for modular data processing for a vehicle control system

• US 7,844,396 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Zeitzew, Michael Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/225,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/36, 701/3, 701/200, 701 11- 16, 701213-214, 365/1, 342/13, 342/350, 342/462, 342/357.06, 367/127
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/315 Object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

The present invention is for a modular, extensible software system for use with multi-modal, autonomous, or semi-autonomous vehicles. The design of the present invention involves the coherent integration of modules with responsibilities for human-interaction, training, path planning, mission execution, navigation, and safety to develop and complete missions. The present invention provides a modular software system that expresses vehicle behaviors through numerous small-grain elements to complete a mission. The system can be easily adapted or modified by adding new software modules or modifying existing modules as missions change or expand, with the smaller-grain modules being easier to adapt and reuse.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of controlling a vehicle via a vehicle control unit for monitoring and controlling the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

characterizing a vehicle operation as a series of missions;

breaking each mission into one or more mission element sets that are necessary to accomplish the mission;

breaking each mission element set into one or more mission elements, each mission element consisting of a mission element entity and a mission element behavior, wherein the mission element entity represents how the mission element functions over time, and wherein the mission element behavior performs calculations for the mission element;

defining the mission elements in each mission element set and the mission element sets in each mission in the operation, wherein the mission elements in the mission element set comprise a mission driver for providing direction to the vehicle control unit for commanding the vehicle to perform a mobility act and at least one mission action for providing input to the mission driver about possible actions;

executing the mission, via a mission executor, to perform each mission, its defined mission element sets, and the defined mission elements to provide input to the vehicle control unit;

determining whether any existing mission elements are already executing prior to the series of missions and not present in the series of missions;

responsive to a determination that existing mission elements are already executing prior to the series of missions and not present in the series of missions, deactivating existing mission elements; and

directing the vehicle, via the vehicle control unit, to perform the vehicle operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one mission element set of at least one mission is a persistent mission element set, wherein the persistent mission element set is always active during execution of the at least one mission.

3. A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a plurality of control modes, the system comprising:

a motorized vehicle for operating in at least one of autonomous, semi-autonomous or human-controlled control modes, the motorized vehicle having a vehicle control unit for monitoring and controlling vehicle activity in at least one control mode; and

a modular software system configured to control and direct the vehicle control unit in at least one operating mode by means of a mission executor which accepts commands from at least one mission element behavior in at least one mission element set in a software program, the commands issued by the mission element behavior providing commands to the mission executor for the vehicle control unit to direct vehicle activity, wherein mission elements in the mission element set comprise a mission driver for providing direction to the vehicle control unit for commanding the vehicle to perform a mobility act and at least one mission action for providing input to the mission driver about possible actions.

4. A modular system for controlling operations of a vehicle having a plurality of control modes via a vehicle control unit, the modular system comprising:

a processor; and

a modular software system, stored in a medium, operating via the processor, the modular software system comprising;

at least one mission comprising at least one mission element set, each at least one mission having an associated mission status;

each at least one mission element set comprising a plurality of mission elements, wherein the plurality of mission elements in a mission element set comprise at least one mission driver and at least one mission action, wherein the plurality of mission elements in the mission element set comprise a mission driver for providing direction to the vehicle control unit for commanding the vehicle to perform a mobility act and at least one mission action for providing input to the mission driver about possible actions;

each mission element comprising a mission element entity containing data about the mission element and an associated mission element behavior for controlling a structure and behavior of the associated mission element entity, wherein the mission element entity represents how the mission element functions over time, and wherein the mission element behavior performs calculations for the mission element; and

a mission executor for coordinating the mission element sets in a mission, performing the mission elements in each at least one mission element set in each at least one mission, performing the missions in the operation sequentially, and deactivating existing mission elements in response to a determination that existing mission elements are already executing prior to the at least one mission and not present in the at least one mission.

6. The modular system of claim 4 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to replace the current mission with another mission in the operation.

7. The modular system of claim 4 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal that the mission element set containing the mission element behavior has been completed.

8. The modular system of claim 4 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to add a mission to the operation.

9. The modular system of claim 4 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to suspend execution of the operation.

10. The modular system of claim 4 wherein the mission element behavior sends the mission executor a signal to end execution of the operation.

11. The modular system of claim 4 wherein at least one mission element set in at least one mission is a persistent mission element set.

12. The modular system of claim 4 wherein each mission driver comprises a mission driver entity containing data about the mission driver and an associated mission driver behavior for controlling a structure and behavior of the associated mission driver entity.

13. The modular system of claim 4 wherein each mission action comprises a mission action entity containing data about the mission action and an associated mission action behavior for controlling a structure and behavior of the associated mission action entity.

5. A processor-implemented method of managing a vehicle having a vehicle control unit for controlling the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying one or more functional service modules associated with vehicle navigation, mission execution, perception, mission planning, and vehicle interface services;

defining specifications associated with each service module;

defining an operation for the vehicle, each operation comprising a plurality of missions, each mission comprising one or more mission element sets, each mission element set having one or more mission elements;

defining at least one mission element of the one or more mission elements as a mission driver for sending commands pertaining to vehicle mobility to the mission execution module for executing at least a portion of the mission element set containing the mission driver;

defining the at least one mission element of the one or more mission elements as a mission action for communicating with the one or more functional service modules for executing the mission element sets of the operation, wherein the mission elements in the mission element set comprise a mission driver for providing direction to the vehicle control unit for commanding the vehicle to perform a mobility act and at least one mission action for providing input to the mission driver about possible actions;

executing the mission, via a mission executor, to perform each mission, the mission element sets of each mission, and each of the at least one mission elements to provide input to the vehicle control unit;

determining whether any existing mission elements are already executing prior to the series of missions and not present in the series of missions;

responsive to a determination that existing mission elements are already executing prior to the series of mission and not present in the series of missions, deactivating existing mission elements; and

directing the vehicle, via the vehicle control unit, to perform the operation for the vehicle.