Distributed knowledge base program for vehicular localization and work-site management

• US 8,560,145 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US13/545,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20120277932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701 23- 25, 701 40- 41, 701 59- 60, 701/30.2, 701/30.5, 701/30.7, 701/31.2
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a computer program product for controlling a vehicle. In an illustrative embodiment, a computer program product is comprised of a computer recordable media having computer usable program code for identifying a dynamic condition. When the dynamic condition is identified, computer usable program code using a knowledge base controls the vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable media;

computer usable program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable media, and operable by a machine controller of a vehicle for identifying a dynamic condition, and responsive to identifying the dynamic condition, controlling the vehicle using a knowledge base comprising an a priori knowledge base, an online knowledge base, and a learned knowledge base, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition comprises computer usable program code for identifying an environment using a set of sensors on the vehicle, and wherein the online knowledge base dynamically provides information to the machine controller of the vehicle which enables adjustment to sensor data processing by the machine controller, and wherein the machine controller identifies the environment around the vehicle using the online knowledge base and the set of sensors.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the environment using the set of sensors on the vehicle comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying a set of objects using sensor data from the set of sensors and the online knowledge base.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the online knowledge base specifies the set of objects based on the environment.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition further comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying a set of differences between the environment as detected by the set of sensors for the vehicle and a description of the environment in the knowledge base.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, further comprising:

computer usable program code for updating the learned knowledge base with the set of differences.

6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the set of sensors comprises at least one of a global positioning system, structured light sensor, two dimensional/three dimensional lidar, dead reckoning, far and medium infrared camera, visible light camera, radar, ultrasonic sonar, and radio frequency identification reader.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a machine controller;

a steering system;

a propulsion system;

a braking system; and

a sensor system configured to provide sensor data to the machine controller;

wherein the machine controller is connected to the steering system, the propulsion system, the braking system, and the sensor system, wherein the machine controller identifies a dynamic condition, and responsive to identifying the dynamic condition, controls the vehicle using a knowledge base comprising an a priori knowledge base, an online knowledge base, and a learned knowledge base, wherein the online knowledge base dynamically provides information to the machine controller which enables adjustment to processing of the sensor data by the machine controller, and wherein the machine controller identifies an environment around the vehicle using the online knowledge base.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the identifying step comprises:

identifying an environment using a set of sensors on the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the step of identifying an environment using a set of sensors on the vehicle comprises:

identifying a set of objects using sensor data from the set of sensors and the knowledge base.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the knowledge base specifies the set of objects based on the environment.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the identifying step comprises:

receiving data from a plurality of sensors for the vehicle to form received data; and

generating a thematic map using the received data and the knowledge base.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the step of identifying the dynamic condition comprises:

identifying a set of differences between an environment as detected by a set of sensors for the vehicle and a description of the environment in the knowledge base.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising:

updating the learned knowledge base with the set of differences.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the set of sensors comprises at least one of a global positioning system, structured light sensor, two dimensional/three dimensional lidar, dead reckoning, far and medium infrared camera, visible light camera, radar, ultrasonic sonar, and radio frequency identification reader.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable media;

computer usable program code, stored on the non-transitory computer recordable media, and operable by a machine controller of a vehicle for identifying a dynamic condition, and responsive to identifying the dynamic condition, controlling the vehicle using a knowledge base comprising an a priori knowledge base, an online knowledge base, and a learned knowledge base, wherein the online knowledge base dynamically provides information to the machine controller of the vehicle which enables adjustment to sensor data processing by the machine controller, and wherein the machine controller identifies an environment around the vehicle using the online knowledge base, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the dynamic condition comprises;

computer usable program code for receiving data from a plurality of sensors for the vehicle; and

computer usable program code for generating a thematic map using the received data and the knowledge base.