Optical tracking vehicle control system and method
First Claim
1. A system for guiding an agricultural vehicle, which system includes:
- a controller mounted on said vehicle and adapted for computing guidance signals;
a guidance subsystem mounted on said vehicle and connected to said controller, said guidance subsystem being adapted for receiving said guidance signals from said controller and utilizing said guidance signals for guiding said vehicle;
an optical movement sensor subsystem mounted on said vehicle and adapted for optically sensing movement of said vehicle relative to a surface over which said vehicle is traveling;
said optical movement sensor subsystem including an optical movement sensor connected to said controller and adapted for providing optically-sensed vehicle movement signals thereto corresponding to optically-sensed relative vehicle movement;
said controller being adapted for computing said guidance signals utilizing said vehicle movement signals;
a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning subsystem mounted on said vehicle and adapted for providing GNSS-derived position signals to said controller;
said controller using said GNSS-derived position signals for computing said guidance signals;
said GNSS positioning subsystem including a pair of antennas mounted on said vehicle;
said antennas receiving GNSS ranging signals corresponding to their respective geo-reference locations;
said processor being adapted for computing an attitude of said vehicle using ranging differences between the GNSS signals received by said antennas;
said GNSS antennas being mounted on said vehicle in transversely-spaced relation;
said vehicle including a motive component and an implement connected to said motive component;
a GNSS antenna mounted on said implement and connected to said GNSS receiver;
said guidance subsystem being adapted for automatically steering said vehicle utilizing said positioning signals to accommodate an offset between said tractor and implement and correct relative positioning of said tractor and implement to maintain said implement on a guide path;
said guidance subsystem including an hydraulic steering valve block connected to said controller and to a steering mechanism of said vehicle;
said guidance subsystem including a graphic user interface (GUI) adapted for displaying a guide path of said vehicle;
a GNSS base station including a radio transmitter and a radio receiver;
said vehicle including an RF receiver adapted to receive RF transmissions from said base station;
a real-time kinematic (RTK) correction subsystem using carrier phase satellite transmissions with said vehicle in motion;
an optical movement sensor subsystem;
said optical movement sensor subsystem including an optical movement sensor and an optimal estimator providing a statistically optimal estimate of the position and attitude information received from the optical movement sensor; and
said optimal estimator including algorithms that receive the position and attitude information from the optical movement sensor and converts said information into a calculated or determined position and attitude of said vehicle producing a statistically optimal estimate of the calculated or determined position and attitude of said vehicle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical tracking vehicle control system includes a controller adapted for computing vehicle guidance signals and a guidance subsystem adapted for receiving the guidance signals from the controller and for guiding the vehicle. An optical movement sensor is mounted on the vehicle in optical contact with a travel surface being traversed by the vehicle. The optical movement sensor is connected to the controller and provides vehicle movement signals thereto for use by the controller in computing vehicle position. The optical movement sensor can be either mounted on a gimbal for movement independent of the vehicle, or, alternatively, multiple optical movement sensors can be provided for detecting yaw movements. GNSS and inertial vehicle position tracking subsystems are also provided. Still further, a method of tracking a vehicle with an optical movement sensor is provided.
451 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A system for guiding an agricultural vehicle, which system includes:
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a controller mounted on said vehicle and adapted for computing guidance signals; a guidance subsystem mounted on said vehicle and connected to said controller, said guidance subsystem being adapted for receiving said guidance signals from said controller and utilizing said guidance signals for guiding said vehicle; an optical movement sensor subsystem mounted on said vehicle and adapted for optically sensing movement of said vehicle relative to a surface over which said vehicle is traveling; said optical movement sensor subsystem including an optical movement sensor connected to said controller and adapted for providing optically-sensed vehicle movement signals thereto corresponding to optically-sensed relative vehicle movement; said controller being adapted for computing said guidance signals utilizing said vehicle movement signals; a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning subsystem mounted on said vehicle and adapted for providing GNSS-derived position signals to said controller; said controller using said GNSS-derived position signals for computing said guidance signals; said GNSS positioning subsystem including a pair of antennas mounted on said vehicle; said antennas receiving GNSS ranging signals corresponding to their respective geo-reference locations; said processor being adapted for computing an attitude of said vehicle using ranging differences between the GNSS signals received by said antennas; said GNSS antennas being mounted on said vehicle in transversely-spaced relation; said vehicle including a motive component and an implement connected to said motive component; a GNSS antenna mounted on said implement and connected to said GNSS receiver; said guidance subsystem being adapted for automatically steering said vehicle utilizing said positioning signals to accommodate an offset between said tractor and implement and correct relative positioning of said tractor and implement to maintain said implement on a guide path; said guidance subsystem including an hydraulic steering valve block connected to said controller and to a steering mechanism of said vehicle; said guidance subsystem including a graphic user interface (GUI) adapted for displaying a guide path of said vehicle; a GNSS base station including a radio transmitter and a radio receiver; said vehicle including an RF receiver adapted to receive RF transmissions from said base station; a real-time kinematic (RTK) correction subsystem using carrier phase satellite transmissions with said vehicle in motion; an optical movement sensor subsystem; said optical movement sensor subsystem including an optical movement sensor and an optimal estimator providing a statistically optimal estimate of the position and attitude information received from the optical movement sensor; and said optimal estimator including algorithms that receive the position and attitude information from the optical movement sensor and converts said information into a calculated or determined position and attitude of said vehicle producing a statistically optimal estimate of the calculated or determined position and attitude of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of guiding an agricultural vehicle, which includes the steps of:
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mounting a controller on a vehicle and computing guidance with said controller; mounting a guidance subsystem on said vehicle and connecting said guidance subsystem to said controller; receiving said guidance signals with said guidance subsystem from said controller and utilizing said guidance signals for guiding said vehicle; mounting an optical movement sensor subsystem on said vehicle and optically sensing movement of said vehicle relative to a surface over which said vehicle is traveling; providing said optical movement sensor subsystem with an optical movement sensor connected to said controller and providing optically-sensed vehicle movement signals to said controller corresponding to optically-sensed relative vehicle movement; said optical movement sensor subsystem including an optimal estimator providing a statistically optimal estimate of the position and attitude information received from the optical movement sensor; and providing said optimal estimator with algorithms that receive the position and attitude information from the optical movement sensor and convert said information into a calculated or determined position and attitude of said vehicle producing a statistically optimal estimate of the calculated or determined position and attitude of said vehicle; said controller computing guidance signals utilizing said vehicle movement signals; providing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning subsystem mounted on said vehicle and providing GNSS-derived position signals to said controller; providing said GNSS positioning subsystem with a pair of antennas mounted on said vehicle; receiving with said antennas GNSS ranging signals corresponding to their respective geo-reference locations; computing with said processor an attitude of said vehicle using ranging differences between the GNSS signals received by said antennas; mounting said GNSS antennas on said vehicle in transversely-spaced relation; providing said vehicle with a motive component and an implement connected to said motive component; mounting a GNSS antenna on said implement and connecting said implement-mounted GNSS antennas to said GNSS receiver; and said guidance subsystem automatically steering said vehicle utilizing said positioning signals to accommodate an offset between said tractor and said implement and to maintain said implement on a guide path. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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Specification