System and Method for Controlling a Machine

• US 20170329304A1
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Aremu, Oluseun, Schilling, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,234,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

A system for communicating between a machine and a remote system generates machine data and image data on-board the machine. The data is segmented into machine data subsets and image data subsets. At least some of the machine data subsets and only some of the image data subsets are transmitted off-board the machine to an off-board controller. The off-board controller updates an electronic map based upon the image data subsets, and generates a machine movement plan based upon the updated electronic map.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between a machine and a remote system, comprising:

an off-board controller associated with the remote system off-board the machine;

a position sensor on-board the machine for generating position signals indicative of a pose of the machine;

a plurality of machine sensors on-board the machine for generating machine signals indicative of a plurality of machine characteristics of the machine;

a perception sensor movably associated with the machine for generating raw data points reflective of a perceived work environment associated with the machine; and

an on-board controller configured to;

determine the pose of the machine based upon the position signals;

determine a plurality of machine characteristic of the machine based upon the machine signals;

associate the pose of the machine with the plurality of machine characteristics;

generate a relative point cloud of the perceived work environment associated with the machine based upon the raw data points;

determine an absolute point cloud based upon the relative point cloud and the pose of the machine;

segment the plurality of machine characteristics to define a plurality of machine data subsets;

segment the absolute point cloud to define a plurality of image data subsets;

transmit at least some of the plurality of machine data subsets and only some of the plurality of image data subsets off-board the machine to the off-board controller; and

the off-board controller being configured to;

store an electronic map of a portion of a work site;

update the electronic map based upon the plurality of image data subsets; and

generate a machine movement plan based upon the updated electronic map.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-board controller is further configured to transmit the machine movement plan to the machine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-board controller is further configured to transmit the machine movement plan to a second machine remote from the machine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-board controller is on a second machine and the machine movement plan is configured to direct movement of the second machine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-board controller is configured to generate the machine movement plan based further upon the at least some of the plurality of machine data subsets.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board controller is further configured to segment the plurality of machine characteristics based upon an operation being performed by the machine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board controller is further configured to segment the absolute point cloud based upon an operation being performed by the machine.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board controller is further configured to compress the image data subsets.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board controller is further configured to compress the plurality of machine data subsets.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of machine data subsets are generated based upon an operation being performed by the machine.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of image data subsets are generated based upon an operation being performed by the machine.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of machine data subsets are generated based upon a location of the machine at the work site.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of image data subsets are generated based upon a location of the machine at the work site.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a first set of machine characteristics are determined while the machine is performing a first operation and a second set of machine characteristics are determined while the machine is performing a second operation.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a first set of image data subsets are defined while the machine is performing a first operation and a second set of image data subsets are defined while the machine is performing a second operation.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board controller is further configured to store a plurality of operations to be performed by machine and the plurality of machine characteristics are determined based upon each of the plurality of operations.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the absolute point cloud has a first data size, the only some of the plurality of image data subsets have a second data size, and the second data size is no more than approximately 10 percent of the first data size.

18. A method of communicating between a machine and a remote system, comprising:

determining a pose of the machine based upon position signals from a position sensor on-board the machine;

determining a plurality of machine characteristic of the machine based upon machine signals from a plurality of machine sensors on-board the machine;

associating the pose of the machine with the plurality of machine characteristics;

generating a relative point cloud of a perceived work environment associated with the machine based upon raw data points from a perception sensor movably associated with the machine;

determining an absolute point cloud based upon the relative point cloud and the pose of the machine;

segmenting the plurality of machine characteristics to define a plurality of machine data subsets;

segmenting the absolute point cloud to define a plurality of image data subsets;

transmitting at least some of the plurality of machine data subsets and only some of the plurality of image data subsets off-board the machine to an off-board controller; and

storing an electronic map of a portion of a work site off-board the machine;

updating the electronic map based upon the only some of the plurality of image data subsets; and

generating off-board the machine a machine movement plan based upon the updated electronic map.

19. The method of claim 18, further including transmitting the machine movement plan to the machine.

20. A system for communicating between a machine and a remote system, comprising:

an off-board controller associated with the remote system off-board the machine;

a machine including;

a ground engaging drive mechanism to propel the machine;

a position sensor on-board the machine for generating position signals indicative of a pose of the machine;

a plurality of machine sensors on-board the machine for generating machine signals indicative of a plurality of machine characteristics of the machine;

a perception sensor movably associated with the machine for generating raw data points reflective of a perceived work environment associated with the machine; and

an on-board controller configured to;

determine the pose of the machine based upon the position signals;

determine a plurality of machine characteristic of the machine based upon the machine signals;

associate the pose of the machine with the plurality of machine characteristics;

generate a relative point cloud of the perceived work environment associated with the machine based upon the raw data points;

determine an absolute point cloud based upon the relative point cloud and the pose of the machine;

segment the plurality of machine characteristics to define a plurality of machine data subsets;

segment the absolute point cloud to define a plurality of image data subsets;

transmit at least some of the plurality of machine data subsets and only some of the plurality of image data subsets off-board the machine to the off-board controller; and

the off-board controller being configured to;

store an electronic map of a portion of a work site;

update the electronic map based upon the only some of the plurality of image data subsets; and

generate a machine movement plan based upon the updated electronic map.