Apparatus for machine coordination which maintains line-of-site contact

• US 9,026,315 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): MUSTAFA, IMRAN K
• Application Number:
  US12/903,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/50
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/158 Harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• 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 1/0257 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 1/0274 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

A method and system that facilitates operation of autonomous equipment by providing a mission planner to maintain line-of-sight contact between a plurality of coordinated machines, including a method for maintaining line-of-sight (LoS) communication between a plurality of machines that creates a mission plan for a work site that includes a path plan for each of the plurality of machines that maintains the line-of-sight communication between the plurality of machines by taking into account a topography for the work site; and loads the path plan for each respective one of the plurality of machines into each respective one of the plurality of machines, wherein the path plan specifies a machine travel path for each respective one of the plurality of machines.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining line-of-sight (LoS) communication between a plurality of machines, comprising:

a data processor and a memory coupled to the data processor, wherein the memory comprising programming code that is executable by the data processor to perform steps of;

creating a mission plan for a work site that includes a path plan for each of the plurality of machines that maintains the line-of-sight communication between the plurality of machines by taking into account a topography for the work site; and

loading the path plan for each respective one of the plurality of machines into the each respective one of the plurality of machines, wherein the path plan specifies a machine travel path for the each respective one of the plurality of machines, wherein the step of creating the mission plan comprises;

subdividing the work site into a grid comprising a plurality of grid elements;

forming a plurality of grid counts by determining a grid count, for each given grid element of the plurality of grid elements, that indicates how many other ones of the plurality of grid elements the given grid element can communicate with via line-of-sight;

combining the plurality of grid elements into a plurality of LoS communication zones, where each grid element in a given one LoS communication zone of the plurality of LoS communication zones has LoS communication with all other grid elements in the given one LoS communication zone; and

generating a sequence of particular ones of the plurality of LoS communication zones to complete a work task.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises adding a LoS zone to the sequence by giving preference to zones which have a lowest grid count, and then to zones that have a greatest proximity to a most recent zone added to the sequence.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein multiple sequences to complete the work task are generated.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a given sequence of the multiple sequences is selected for the path plan, wherein the given sequence is selected from the multiple sequences based on at least one of total job cost, estimated job completion time, and fuel usage.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming code is executable by the data processor to further perform steps of:

determining, for each of the plurality of LoS communication zones, if a given one of the plurality of LoS communication zones has at least one of a positioning quality issue and a vehicle safeguarding issue;

if so, generating a mission subplan for the given one of the plurality of LoS communication zones to mitigate the at least one positioning quality issue and vehicle safeguarding issue; and

if not, generating a standard mission subplan for the given one of the plurality of LoS communication zones.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each grid element has complete line-of-site communication within itself.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a given grid element has line-of-site communication with another given grid element if there are no barriers blocking communication between the given grid element and the another given grid element.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the another one of the plurality of machines performs localization using the sensor data from the one of the plurality of machines.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of machines determines a position estimate of the another one of the plurality of machines responsive to receiving a request from the another one of the plurality of machines.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of machines determines a position estimate of itself and transmits the position estimate of itself and the position estimate of the another one of the plurality of machines to the another one of the plurality of machines to facilitate the localization performed by the another one of the plurality of machines.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining a problem with at least a portion of its own sensor system, the another one of the plurality of machines requests the sensor data from the one of the plurality of machines.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining a diminished detect range with respect to its own sensor system, the another one of the plurality of machines requesting the sensor data from the one of the plurality of machines.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine travel path for the each respective one of the plurality of machines is configured so that the each respective one of the plurality of machines remain within a specified distance of one another.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine travel path for the each respective one of the plurality of machines is configured so that the each respective one of the plurality of machines remain spread out from one another to maintain functionality of a mission for the plurality of machines.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mission in an area coverage task.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of machines are at least two machines.