GNSS guidance and machine control

• US 8,639,416 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Keith R., McClure, John A., Roberge, Andr C., Feller, Walter J., Whitehead, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/426,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/200, 701/50, 701/41, 701/23, 701/25, 701/301, 701/120, 342/357.26, 342/357.37, 342/357.52, 342/357.36, 342/357.34, 342/357.53, 342/357.76, 342/357.31, 700/284, 700/253, 172/179
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/004 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/007 Steering or guiding of agricultural vehicles, e.g. steering of the tractor to keep the plough in the furrow
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/44 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/55 Carrier phase ambiguity resolution; Floating ambiguity; LAMBDA [Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment] method
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A global navigation satellite sensor system (GNSS) and gyroscope control system for vehicle steering control comprising a GNSS receiver and antennas at a fixed spacing to determine a vehicle position, velocity and at least one of a heading angle, a pitch angle and a roll angle based on carrier phase position differences. The roll angle facilitates correction of the lateral motion induced position errors resultant from motion of the antennae as the vehicle moves based on an offset to ground and the roll angle. Alternative aspects include multiple-antenna GNSS guidance methods for high-dynamic roll compensation, real-time kinematic (RTK) using single-frequency (L1) receivers, fixed and moving baselines between antennas, multi-position GNSS tail guidance (“breadcrumb following”) for crosstrack error correction, guiding multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment relative to each other, and snow grooming equipment and method applications.

Claims

1. A GNSS-based machine guidance and control method for use with a vehicle equipped with snow grooming equipment, which method comprises the steps of:

equipping the vehicle with a GNSS system including multiple GNSS antennas, a GNSS receiver connected to the antennas and a programmable controller connected to the GNSS receiver;

programming the controller to compute GNSS-defined positions of said antennas using GNSS ranging information;

determining with the GNSS-defined antenna positions vehicle position and attitude in three dimensions (3-D);

providing a sensor connected to the snow grooming equipment;

outputting from said sensor a signal corresponding to a condition of said snow grooming equipment;

inputting a snow grooming plan including design elevations defining a finished snow surface into said programmable controller;

programming the controller with GNSS-defined snow grooming information including underlying grade elevations, existing snow base elevations and groomed snow surface elevations;

interpolating or extrapolating said snow grooming elevation information with said controller utilizing the elevations of adjacent surface points for estimating the elevations of additional snow surface points;

positioning a base including a base GNSS receiver and a base GNSS transmitter in a remote location relative to said vehicle;

using said base for providing differential corrections to said vehicle-mounted GNSS subsystem;

comparing with said controller said snow grooming information and said snow grooming equipment condition; and

guiding said vehicle and operating said snow grooming equipment with said controller based on said comparison using a real-time kinematic (RTK) procedure, said vehicle position and attitude, said snow grooming equipment condition and said grading plan.

2. A GNSS guidance method for a vehicle, which method comprises the steps of:

equipping the vehicle with a GNSS system including multiple GNSS antennas, a GNSS receiver connected to the antennas and a programmable controller connected to the GNSS receiver;

programming the controller to compute GNSS-defined positions of said antennas using GNSS ranging information;

determining with the GNSS-defined antenna positions vehicle position and attitude in three dimensions (3-D);

determining a route for the vehicle with said programmable controller based upon said computed GNSS-defined positions of said antennas and said vehicle position and attitude;

guiding said vehicle with the controller based on said vehicle position and attitude; and

saving in said computer a series of GNSS-defined positions trailing said vehicle along said route.

3. The GNSS guidance method according to claim 2, which includes the additional steps of:

providing multiple vehicles;

equipping each said vehicle with a respective said GNSS system;

determining routes for multiple vehicles simultaneously traveling a respective road with adequate clearances between said vehicles along said road;

guiding multiple vehicles each traveling a respective said route; and

saving in said computer a series of GNSS-defined positions trailing each said vehicle along a respective route.