Method and system for planning a turn path for a machine

• US 9,098,086 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Humphrey, James Decker
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US13/568,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/41 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria

Abstract

A system for controlling a first machine performing a turn includes a controller configured to identify a desired turn for the first machine. The desired turn is formed by two adjacent traffic lanes. The two traffic lanes include a first traffic lane and a second traffic lane. The controller is further configured to receive information regarding a second machine and determine whether to control the first machine to follow a lane crossing path for performing the desired turn based on the received information. The lane crossing path includes a portion of the first traffic lane and a portion of the second traffic lane such that the first machine changes between the first traffic lane and the second traffic lane to perform the desired turn.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a first machine performing a turn, the system comprising:

a controller configured to;

identify a desired turn for the first machine, the desired turn being formed by two adjacent traffic lanes, the two traffic lanes including a first traffic lane and a second traffic lane, the first traffic lane having a first normal direction of travel, the second traffic lane having a second normal direction of travel opposite the first normal direction of travel, the second traffic lane having an average radius of curvature associated with the desired turn that is smaller than an average radius of curvature of the first traffic lane associated with the desired turn,

receive information regarding a second machine,

determine whether to control the first machine to follow a lane crossing path for performing the desired turn based on the received information, the lane crossing path including a portion of the first traffic lane and a portion of the second traffic lane such that the first machine moves from the first traffic lane to the second traffic lane to perform the desired turn along a larger average radius of curvature than the average radius of curvature of the first traffic lane, and

determine a speed of the first machine for performing the desired turn based on a terrain map, a payload loaded into the first machine, and a weight or a mass of the first machine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the second machine includes at least one of a location or speed of the second machine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the first machine to follow the lane crossing path; and

control the speed of the first machine for performing the desired turn using the lane crossing path based on the information regarding the second machine to avoid contacting the second machine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the first machine to follow the lane crossing path; and

control the first machine by stopping or reducing the speed of the first machine when using the lane crossing path based on the received information regarding the second machine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the first machine to follow the lane crossing path and to begin crossing into the portion of the second traffic lane in the lane crossing path after the second machine has passed the portion of the second traffic lane.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to select between the lane crossing path or a first path including only the first traffic lane, the selection being based on the received information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the determined speed of the first machine is further based on the selection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the speed of the first machine for performing the desired turn further based on a grade, cross slope, material composition, and coefficient of friction of at least one of the first and second traffic lanes stored in the terrain map.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is in communication with a memory, and the controller is further configured to determine the speed of the first machine for performing the desired turn based on a lookup table stored in the memory.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the information regarding the second machine while performing the desired turn and adjust a path of the first machine while performing the desired turn.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive information regarding the desired turn including at least one of a location or a geometry of the desired turn; and

determine a geometry of the lane crossing path based on the received information regarding the desired turn.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first machine is an autonomous machine.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the speed of the first machine for performing the desired turn further based on the average radius of curvature, a grade, and a cross slope of at least one of the first and second traffic lanes stored in the terrain map.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to determine the speed of the first machine for performing the desired turn further based on a length of at least one of the first and second traffic lanes stored in the terrain map.

13. A method for controlling a first machine performing a turn, the method comprising:

identifying, using at least one processor, a desired turn for the first machine, the desired turn being formed by two adjacent traffic lanes, the two traffic lanes including a first traffic lane having a first normal direction of travel and a second traffic lane having a second normal direction of travel opposite the first normal direction of travel, the second traffic lane having an average radius of curvature associated with the desired turn that is smaller than average radius of curvature of the first traffic lane associated with the desired turn;

selecting between at least two paths for the first machine to follow around the desired turn, the at least two paths including;

a first path including only the first traffic lane, and

a second path such that the first machine moves from the first traffic lane to the second traffic lane to perform the desired turn along a larger average radius of curvature than the average radius of curvature of the first traffic lane, and such that the first machine travels opposite the second normal direction of travel when traveling in the second path on the second traffic lane; and

determining, using the at least one processor, a speed of the first machine based on the average radius of curvature, a grade, and a cross slope of at least one of the first and second traffic lanes, a payload loaded into the first machine, and a weight or mass of the first machine.

14. The method of claim 13, further including receiving information regarding a second machine traveling in the second traffic lane, the selection between the at least two paths being based on the received information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the received information regarding the second machine includes at least one of a location or speed of the second machine.

16. A method for controlling a first machine performing a turn, the method comprising:

identifying, using at least one processor, a desired turn for the first machine, the desired turn being formed by two adjacent traffic lanes, the two traffic lanes including a first traffic lane having a first normal direction of travel and a second traffic lane having a second normal direction of travel opposite the first normal direction of travel, the second traffic lane having an average radius of curvature associated with the desired turn that is smaller than an average radius of curvature of the first traffic lane associated with the desired turn;

receiving, using the at least one processor, information regarding a second machine traveling in the second traffic lane;

determining, using the at least one processor, a speed and path of the first machine around the desired turn based on the received information, the path of the first machine changing from the first traffic lane to the second traffic lane to perform the desired turn along a larger average radius of curvature than the average radius of curvature of the first traffic lane, and such that the first machine travels opposite the second normal direction of travel when traveling on the second traffic lane, the speed and path of the first machine being determined based on a terrain map, a payload loaded into the first machine, and a weight or mass of the first machine; and

operating the first machine in response to the determination of the speed and path of the first machine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the received information regarding the second machine includes at least one of a location or speed of the second machine.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first machine is an autonomous machine;

and the second machine is an autonomous machine or a manned machine.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the speed and path of the first machine for performing the desired turn is determined further based on the average radius of curvature, a grade, and a cross slope of at least one of the first and second traffic lanes stored in the terrain map.