Computer-implemented method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion for on-the-fly offloading operations

• US 9,188,986 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Jaybridge Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Baumann, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/043,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/26, 701/2, 701/408, 701/300, 701/96, 56/102.R, 56/108, 56/101, 340/435, 414/373, 414/809, 700/245, 700/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/00 Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/086 and means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and systems are disclosed for automatically positioning a moving first vehicle relative to a moving second vehicle traveling in a given area. The method includes the steps of: (a) tracking the second vehicle and guiding the first vehicle to attain a given position relative to the second vehicle; and (b) controlling the first vehicle to maintain a generally constant speed such that an operator of the second vehicle can adjust the speed of the second vehicle to correspondingly adjust a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in a direction of movement of the first and second vehicles, and controlling the first vehicle to maintain a given distance from the second vehicle in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles by tracking the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically positioning a moving first vehicle relative to a moving second vehicle traveling in a given area, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically tracking the second vehicle in a tracking mode and guiding the first vehicle to attain a given position relative to the second vehicle; and

(b) once the first vehicle has attained the given position relative to the second vehicle in the tracking mode, automatically controlling the first vehicle in a fixed-speed mode to maintain a generally constant speed such that an operator of the second vehicle can manually adjust the speed of the second vehicle to correspondingly adjust a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in a direction of movement of the first and second vehicles, while automatically controlling the first vehicle to maintain a given distance from the second vehicle in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles by tracking the second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vehicle comprises an offloader, and the first vehicle comprises a receiver, wherein the receiver receives material from the offloader during step (b) in an on-the-fly offloading operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first vehicle comprises a grain cart, and the second vehicle comprises a harvester.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle includes a towed conveyance, and the second vehicle includes an offload spout for transferring material from the second vehicle to the towed conveyance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles enables the operator of the second vehicle to adjust the position of the offload spout relative to the towed conveyance for improved distribution of transferred material in the towed conveyance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and the second vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or a manually operated vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to step (b), determining whether one or more tracking conditions have been met for a given period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the first vehicle has a longitudinal position within a given margin relative to a target position in the second vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first vehicle includes a towed conveyance, and wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an effective curvature defined by the towed conveyance is less than a given maximum curvature.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the second vehicle must be traveling at a given minimum speed.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an offload target speed history record is non-empty.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the difference between minimum and maximum samples in the speed history record is below a given maximum value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during step (b), determining whether one or more conditions are being met and, if not, reverting to step (a).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the first vehicle has a longitudinal position within a given margin relative to a target position in the second vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an estimated time until a target position on the first vehicle exceeds an alongtrack target margin must exceed a minimum time period.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first vehicle includes a towed conveyance, and wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an effective curvature defined by the towed conveyance is less than a given maximum curvature.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the second vehicle is traveling at a minimum speed.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) is performed by:

(i) receiving location data on the first and second vehicles;

(ii) determining a legal travel path for the first vehicle in the given area from the first vehicle toward an expected position of the second vehicle;

(iii) automatically controlling the first vehicle to travel along the legal travel path; and

(iv) repeating steps (i) through (iii) to automatically move the first vehicle progressively closer to the second vehicle until the first vehicle is at a given relative position from the second vehicle and then to automatically maintain the given relative position as the first and second vehicles travel through the given area.

19. A first vehicle configured to be automatically positioned relative to a moving second vehicle traveling in a given area, the first vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle drive system;

(b) a vehicle state property estimation system for estimating state properties of the first vehicle; and

(c) a microprocessor-based vehicle controller receiving data from the vehicle state property estimation system and controlling the vehicle drive system, the vehicle controller being configured to;

(i) automatically track the second vehicle in a tracking mode and control the vehicle drive system to guide the first vehicle to attain a given position relative to the second vehicle; and

(ii) once the first vehicle has attained the given position relative to the second vehicle in the tracking mode, automatically control the vehicle drive system to maintain a generally constant speed for the first vehicle such that an operator of the second vehicle can manually adjust the speed of the second vehicle to correspondingly adjust a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in a direction of movement of the first and second vehicles, and automatically control the vehicle drive system such that the first vehicle maintains a given distance from the second vehicle in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles by tracking the second vehicle.

20. The first vehicle of claim 19, wherein the second vehicle comprises an offloader, and the first vehicle comprises a receiver, wherein the receiver receives material from the offloader during (ii) in an on-the-fly offloading operation.

21. The first vehicle of claim 20, wherein the first vehicle comprises a grain cart, and the second vehicle comprises a harvester.

22. The first vehicle of claim 19, wherein the first vehicle includes a towed conveyance, and the second vehicle includes an offload spout for transferring material from the second vehicle to the towed conveyance.

23. The first vehicle of claim 22, wherein adjusting a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles enables the operator of the second vehicle to adjust the position of the offload spout relative to the towed conveyance for improved distribution of transferred material in the towed conveyance.

24. The first vehicle of claim 19, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and the second vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or a manually operated vehicle.

25. The first vehicle of claim 19, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to, prior to (ii), determine whether one or more tracking conditions have been met for a given period of time.

26. The first vehicle of claim 25, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the first vehicle has a longitudinal position within a given margin relative to a target position in the second vehicle.

27. The first vehicle of claim 25, wherein the first vehicle includes a towed conveyance, and wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an effective curvature defined by the towed conveyance is less than a given maximum curvature.

28. The first vehicle of claim 25, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the second vehicle must be traveling at a given minimum speed.

29. The first vehicle of claim 25, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an offload target speed history record is non-empty.

30. The first vehicle of claim 29, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the difference between minimum and maximum samples in the speed history record is below a given maximum value.

31. The first vehicle of claim 19, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to, during (ii), determine whether one or more conditions are being met and, if not, reverting to (i).

32. The first vehicle of claim 31, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the first vehicle has a longitudinal position within a given margin relative to a target position in the second vehicle.

33. The first vehicle of claim 32, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an estimated time until a target position on the first vehicle exceeds an alongtrack target margin must exceed a minimum time period.

34. The first vehicle of claim 31, wherein the first vehicle includes a towed conveyance, and wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that an effective curvature defined by the towed conveyance is less than a given maximum curvature.

35. The first vehicle of claim 31, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a condition specifying that the second vehicle is traveling at a minimum speed.

36. The first vehicle of claim 19, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to perform (i) by:

(A) receiving location data on the first and second vehicles;

(B) determining a legal travel path for the first vehicle in the given area from the first vehicle toward an expected position of the second vehicle;

(C) automatically controlling the first vehicle to travel along the legal travel path; and

(D) repeating steps (A) through (C) to automatically move the first vehicle progressively closer to the second vehicle until the first vehicle is at a given relative position from the second vehicle and then to automatically maintain the given relative position as the first and second vehicles travel through the given area.