Robotic vehicle controller

• US 8,239,083 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Guide Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: I-Guide Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Blackburn, Michael J., Ruddock, Kyle B., Koressel, Richard S., McCalley, Thomas A., Durkos, Larry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/087,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/200, 701/202, 701/213, 701/214, 701/300, 701/532, 340/286.02, 455/404.2, 455/427, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 700/245
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for moving a machine having at least one drive wheel along a desired path includes detecting and storing data including a plurality of GPS locations linked to particular points along an entire desired path of travel of the machine during operation of the machine in a manual learn mode to traverse the entire desired path to be followed by the machine during subsequent operation in a robotic mode. The method and apparatus then operates the machine in the robotic mode by controlling the at least one drive wheel to move the machine along the desired path. In one embodiment, a fee is charged based on an amount of time the machine is operated.

Claims

1. A method of moving a machine along a desired path comprising:

storing path data indicating a desired path of travel for the machine;

storing a plurality of GPS locations linked to particular points along the desired path;

automatically moving the machine along the desired path using the stored path data;

detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine during the automatically moving step;

transmitting a GPS reference signal to the machine;

determining a corrected GPS location at each of the plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine based on detected GPS location signals and the GPS reference signal;

comparing the corrected GPS location at each of the plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine with the corresponding stored GPS location that was linked to particular points along the desired path;

correcting the position of the machine if it is determined that the vehicle has moved away from the desired path by a predetermined amount based on the comparing step; and

charging a fee based on usage of the GPS reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting information related to the machine from the machine to a remote computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information transmitted from the machine to the remote computer includes an identification data for the machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote computer validates the machine based on the identification data and records an amount of time that the validated machine is receives the GPS reference signal.

5. The method of claims 2, wherein the machine transmits data related to functionality of the machine to the remote computer to permit the remote computer to monitor performance of the machine.

6. The method of claims 1, wherein the stored path data is transmitted from a remote computer to the machine prior to the step of automatically moving the machine.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing path data for a plurality of different desired paths in a memory of the remote computer;

receiving a data request from a machine for stored path data related to a selected desired path; and

transmitting the stored path data for the selected desired path from the remote computer to the machine.

8. A method of moving a machine along a desired path comprising:

storing path data indicating a desired path of travel for the machine;

storing a plurality of GPS locations linked to particular points along the desired path;

automatically moving the machine along the desired path using the stored path data;

detecting GPS locations at a plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine during the automatically moving step within an accuracy of about 30 cm or less without the use of a GPS reference signal to correct the detected GPS location signals;

comparing the detected GPS location at the plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine with the corresponding stored GPS location that were linked to particular points along the desired path; and

correcting the position of the machine if it is determined that the vehicle has moved away from the desired path by a predetermined amount based on the comparing step.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of detecting GPS locations at a plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine uses a single multi-frequency GPS receiver on the machine.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of detecting GPS locations at a plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine uses a plurality of single frequency GPS receivers on the machine.

11. The method of claims 8, wherein the accuracy of detecting the GPS locations is within about 20 cm or less.

12. The method of claims 8, wherein the accuracy of detecting the GPS locations is within about 10 cm or less.

13. The method of claims 8, wherein the accuracy of detecting the GPS locations is within about 5 cm or less.

14. The method of claims 8, wherein the accuracy of detecting the GPS locations is within about 2 cm or less.

15. A self-propelled vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame;

a motor supported by the frame, the motor being coupled to at least one drive wheel selected from the plurality of wheels to provide power to rotate the at least one drive wheel;

a controller coupled to the motor, the controller being configured to adjust an output of the motor to control the speed and direction of rotation of the at least one drive wheel to control movement of the vehicle;

a GPS receiver coupled to the frame to detect GPS location signals, the GPS receiver being coupled to the controller;

software executable by the controller for recording control signals to the at least one drive wheel as the vehicle is driven by an operator over a desired path during a manual mode to provide stored path data;

software executable by the controller for storing a plurality of GPS locations which are linked to particular points along the desired path as the vehicle is driven by an operator over the desired path during the manual mode;

software executable by the controller for automatically moving the vehicle by using the stored path data is used to control the at least one drive wheel to move the machine along the desired path without operator control;

software executable by the controller for detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the path traveled by the vehicle;

software executable by the controller for comparing the GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the traveled path with the corresponding stored GPS locations linked to particular points along the desired path; and

software executable by the controller for correcting a position of the vehicle if it is determined that the vehicle has moved away from the desired path by a predetermined amount.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising at least one proximity sensor coupled to the frame, the proximity sensor being configured to detect an obstacle in the desired path and to provide signals to the controller to stop the vehicle when an obstacle is detected.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising at least one proximity sensor coupled to the frame, the proximity sensor being configured to detect an obstacle in the desired path and to provide signals to the controller to adjust the path of the vehicle when an obstacle is detected.

18. The vehicle of claims 16, wherein the proximity sensor is one of a machine vision sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and infrared sensor, a camera, and a laser scanner.

19. The vehicle of claims 16, wherein the motor is a hydraulic motor supported by the frame, and further comprising a hydraulic control valve coupled to the hydraulic motor, the controller being coupled to the hydraulic control valve to adjust an output from the hydraulic control valve to control the hydraulic motor and adjust the speed and direction of rotation of the at least one drive wheel.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, further comprising a stepper motor coupled to the hydraulic control valve, the stepper motor being configured to adjust an output from the hydraulic control valve to control the hydraulic motor and adjust the speed and direction of rotation of the at least one drive wheel.

21. A method of moving a machine having at least one drive wheel along a desired path comprising:

detecting and storing data including a plurality of GPS locations linked to particular points along an entire desired path of travel of the machine during operation of the machine in a manual learn mode to traverse the entire desired path to be followed by the machine during subsequent operation in a robotic mode;

operating the machine in the robotic mode by controlling the at least one drive wheel to move the machine along the desired path without operator control;

detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine in the robotic mode;

receiving a GPS reference signal with the machine;

determining a corrected GPS location at each of the plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine based on detected GPS location signals and the GPS reference signal;

automatically comparing the corrected GPS locations at a plurality of locations along the traveled path during the robotic mode with the corresponding stored GPS locations that were linked to particular points along the desired path;

using the compared GPS locations during operation of the machine in the robotic mode; and

charging a fee based on an amount of time the machine is operated.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the machine also includes a steering wheel and wherein operating the machine in a robotic mode includes controlling the at least one drive wheel and the steering wheel to move the machine along the desired path automatically.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing a proximity sensor on the machine, the proximity sensor being configured to detect an obstacle in the desired path and stop the machine when an obstacle is detected by the proximity sensor.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the proximity sensor is one of a machine vision sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a radar sensor and a laser scanner.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising sending an identification from the machine to a remote computer;

validating an account associated with the identification;

logging an amount of time that the machine is operated; and

charging the account associated with the identification the fee based on the logged amount of time.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising monitoring performance data related to the machine to detect degradation in performance of the machine and providing an alert signal if degradation in performance is detected.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing control signals to the at least one drive wheel as the machine traverses the desired path during the manual learn mode to provide control signal data which maps the entire desired path to be followed by the machine during subsequent operation in the robotic mode, and wherein operating the machine in the robotic mode includes using the stored control signal data to control the at least one drive wheel to move the machine along the desired path without operator control and without the use of the stored GPS locations and automatically correcting the position of the machine if it is determined that the machine has moved away from the desired path by a predetermined amount based on the comparison of the corrected GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the traveled path during the robotic mode with the corresponding stored GPS locations.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the GPS reference signal is provided from a fixed GPS base station to the machine via at least one of a wireless communication network, a radio signal, and cell phone signal.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the machine is a mower, and further comprising providing a control panel having a plurality of user inputs to initiate operation of the mower in the manual learn mode, to initiate operation of the mower in the robotic mode, to start and stop the mower, and to start and stop a blade of the mower.

30. A method of moving a machine having at least one drive wheel and a steering wheel along a desired path comprising:

recording control signals to the at least one drive wheel and the steering wheel as the machine traverses an entire desired path during a manual learn mode to traverse the entire desired path to be followed by the machine during subsequent operation in a robotic mode, the recorded control signals providing stored path data which maps the entire desired path to be followed by the machine during subsequent operation in the robotic mode;

detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the desired path during the manual learn mode;

storing a plurality of GPS locations which are linked to particular points along the desired path;

operating the machine in the robotic mode in which the stored path data is used to control the drive wheel and a steering wheel to move the machine along the desired path without operator control and without the use of the stored GPS locations;

detecting GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the path traveled by the machine during the robotic mode;

automatically comparing the GPS location signals at a plurality of locations along the traveled path during the robotic mode with the corresponding stored GPS locations linked to particular points along the desired path; and

automatically controlling the drive wheel and a steering wheel to correct the position of the machine if it is determined that the machine has moved away from the desired path by a predetermined amount based on the comparison of the GPS location signals with the stored GPS locations.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising transmitting the stored path data to a remote computer separate from the machine for subsequent use by another machine.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a GPS reference signal with the machine;

determining a corrected GPS location at each of the plurality of locations along the path actually traveled by the machine based on detected GPS location signals and the GPS reference signal; and

wherein the automatically comparing the GPS location signals includes automatically comparing the corrected GPS locations signals at a plurality of locations along the traveled path during the robotic mode with the corresponding stored GPS locations that were linked to particular points along the desired path.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the GPS reference signal is provided from a fixed GPS base station to the machine via at least one of a wireless communication network, a radio signal, and cell phone signal.

34. The method of claim 30, charging a fee based on an amount of time the machine is operated in the robotic mode.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a proximity sensor on the machine, the proximity sensor being configured to detect an obstacle in the desired path and stop the machine when an obstacle is detected by the proximity sensor.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the proximity sensor is one of a machine vision sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a radar sensor and a laser scanner.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the machine is a mower, and further comprising providing a control panel having a plurality of user inputs to initiate operation of the mower in the manual learn mode, to initiate operation of the mower in the robotic mode, to start and stop the mower, and to start and stop a blade of the mower.