×

Optical tracking vehicle control system and method

  • US 8,311,696 B2
  • Filed: 07/17/2009
  • Issued: 11/13/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

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.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×