Control unit for off-road vehicles including housing configured to fit within pre-existing cavity of off-road-vehicle cab

• US 9,404,749 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Hill, Donald J., Velde, Aleksander Valdis, Gray, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US11/843,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,268 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/206, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/32 Multimode operation in a single same satellite system, e.g. GPS L1/L2

Abstract

A control unit disposed in the cab of an off-road vehicle includes a user interface; an attitude and heading reference system and a housing. The attitude and heading reference system includes a processor and at least one of a positioning receiver, magnetometer, compass, gyro and accelerometer electrically connected to the processor. The housing is sized to be fittingly received in a pre-existing DIN slot in the cab of the off-road vehicle.

Claims

1. A control unit comprising:

means for entertaining;

means for communicating;

means for navigating;

means for controlling steering of an off-road vehicle via a steering mechanism of the off-road vehicle; and

a housing that houses the means for entertaining, means for communicating, means for navigating, and means for controlling steering of the off-road vehicle, the housing sized to be fittingly received in a pre-existing cavity of a dashboard in the off-road vehicle, the housing having a width of 182 mm and a height of 53 mm.

2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a depth of 160 mm.

3. A control unit disposed in a cab of an off-road vehicle used in an agricultural, construction, mining or forestry application, comprising:

a user interface;

an attitude and heading reference system including a processor and at least one of a positioning receiver, magnetometer, compass, gyro and accelerometer electrically connected to the processor, wherein the processor is in communication with a steering mechanism of the off-road vehicle; and

a housing sized to be fittingly received in a pre-existing slot in an instrument panel or dashboard of the cab of the off-road vehicle, the housing having a width of 182 mm and height of 53 mm.

4. The control unit according to claim 3, further comprising at least one of (i) a radio receiver capable of receiving at least one of AM, FM and weatherband frequencies, (ii) a CD player, (iii) amplifiers, (v) a satellite radio, (vi) an MP3 player, (vii) a WMA player, and (viii) a DVD player.

5. The control unit according to claim 3, further comprising a radio receiver and a radio transceiver.

6. The control unit according to claim 3, further comprising an RF connector, a serial port and a CAN port for connecting with at least one control system of the off-road vehicle including a steering mechanism, a control mechanism for an implement and a virtual terminal.

7. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein the positioning receiver is a single-frequency or dual-frequency positioning receiver.

8. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein the user interface includes a removable data storage interface.

9. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises an LED, an LCD and a dial for inputting information by a user and displaying information to a user.

10. The control unit according to claim 3, further comprising a subscriber identity module holder for receiving a card to provide the control unit with a unique identity for communication.

11. A control unit disposed in a cab of an off-road vehicle used in an agricultural, construction, mining or forestry application, comprising:

a user interface;

an attitude and heading reference system including a processor and at least one of a positioning receiver, magnetometer, compass, gyro and accelerometer electrically connected to the processor, wherein the processor is in communication with a steering mechanism of the off-road vehicle; and

a housing sized to be fittingly received in a pre-existing slot in an instrument panel or dashboard of the cab of the off-road vehicle, the housing having a width of 182 mm and height of 106 mm.

12. A control unit disposed in the cab of an off-road vehicle, comprising:

a user interface;

an attitude and heading reference system including;

a processor;

a plurality of gyroscopes for measuring angular velocity in orthogonal X, Y, Z axes; and

either a magnetometer for detecting and providing a position with reference to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field or a compass;

an entertainment system including;

a radio receiver; and

a CD or DVD player; and

a housing sized to be fittingly received in a pre-existing slot in an instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle the cab of the off-road vehicle, the housing having a width of 182 mm and height of 53 mm, wherein;

the processor is in communication with a steering mechanism of the off-road vehicle; and

the processor is in communication with a control mechanism of an implement or attachment coupled to the off-road vehicle via a connector interface.

13. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein the off-road vehicle includes a tractor and the implement or attachment includes a variable rate spray boom coupled to the tractor, wherein the processor executes a control algorithm to control the variable rate spray boom in response to inputs received from positioning receivers disposed within the housing.

14. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein the processor executes an algorithm to guide the boom to spray only in crop growing areas to minimize an amount of herbicide used.

15. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein the attitude and heading reference system further includes:

optical sensors and ground speed radar to determine an attitude and heading of the off-road vehicle irrespective of whether the off-road vehicle is static or in motion.

16. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein the off-road vehicle includes a virtual terminal and the control unit is coupled to be in communication with the virtual terminal of the off-road vehicle via a network bus of the off-road vehicle.

17. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein housing has a depth of 160 mm.

18. The control unit according to claim 12, the radio receiver configured to receive weatherband frequencies.

19. The control unit according to claim 18, the control unit further comprising a real time clock and a temperature sensor.

20. A control unit disposed in the cab of an off-road vehicle, comprising:

a user interface;

an attitude and heading reference system including;

a processor;

a plurality of gyroscopes for measuring angular velocity in orthogonal X, Y, Z axes; and

either a magnetometer for detecting and providing a position with reference to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field or a compass;

an entertainment system including;

a radio receiver; and

a CD or DVD player; and

a housing sized to be fittingly received in a pre-existing slot in an instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle the cab of the off-road vehicle, the housing having a width of 182 mm and height of 106 mm, wherein;

the processor is in communication with a steering mechanism of the off-road vehicle; and

the processor is in communication with a control mechanism of an implement or attachment coupled to the off-road vehicle via a connector interface.