System and method for providing a safety zone associated with a vehicle

• US 8,364,366 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Derbez, Eric, Ackerman, Chad Alan, Stephens, Scott Adam, Puhalla, Jeffrey Scott, Foessel, Alex Dietrich, Moorehead, Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US11/166,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,776 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/28, 701/36, 701/70, 701/93, 701/96, 701/97, 701/98, 701/200, 701/223, 701/300, 701/301, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/532, 701/538, 701/1, 701/50, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 348/113, 348/118, 180/167, 180/169, 56/101, 56/102.R, 56/104, 56/102.D, 56/102.F, 56/102.G, 56/133, 56/134
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves

Abstract

A sensing system collects position data associated with one or more obstacles within a certain range of a vehicle. A former establishes an occupancy grid based on the collected position data. A motion monitoring module determines a reaction distance and a deceleration distance associated with a vehicle at a regular time interval during an operational state. A safety guidance module establishes a safety zone (e.g., safety zone grid) for the regular time interval based on the occupancy grid, the determined reaction distance, and the deceleration distance.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle carrying at least one implement, the method comprising:

collecting, by a sensing system, position data associated with one or more obstacles within a range of a vehicle;

determining, by a data processor, a reaction distance and a deceleration distance associated with a vehicle at a regular time interval during an operational state, the reaction distance based on a reaction time;

determining, by the data processor, a safety zone for said vehicle based on the position data, the determined reaction distance, and the deceleration distance;

determining, by a data processor, an implement safety zone comprising a region surrounding at least one implement attached to the vehicle; and

controlling, by a vehicle controller, said vehicle consistent with the safety zone and the implement safety zone.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

establishing, by the data processor, a first safety margin distance in a direction of travel of the vehicle, and wherein;

the safety zone is determined based on an occupancy grid or matrix based on the position data, the reaction distance, the deceleration distance, and the first safety margin distance.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

establishing, by the data processor, a first safety margin area having a first dimension in the direction of travel of the vehicle and a second safety margin area associated with lateral areas adjacent to the first safety margin area, the second safety margin area having a primary dimension generally perpendicular to the direction of travel; and

wherein;

the safety zone is determined based on an occupancy grid or matrix based on the position data, the determined reaction distance, the deceleration distance, and the first dimension of the first safety margin area.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

controlling, by the vehicle controller, a vehicular speed or vehicular velocity consistent with the safety zone and the implement safety zone.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

limiting, by the vehicle controller, a vehicular speed or vehicular velocity to a maximum speed consistent with a size of a safety zone such that the vehicle is capable of stopping or avoiding a collision with said one or more obstacles.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

defining, by the data processor, a boundary of the safety zone by the sum of the reaction distance (d_A) and the deceleration distance (d_B) in accordance with the following set of equations;

d_A=v_A×

t_R, where v_A is current vehicular velocity and t_R is reaction time;

d_B=(v_A)²/2a_B, where v_A is current vehicular velocity, and a_B is the maximum deceleration rate.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the safety zone comprises a first generally annular region having a first radial dimension associated with a reaction distance, and a second generally annular region having a second radial dimension associated with a deceleration distance, wherein the first and second radial dimensions are defined about the vehicle in a plan view thereof.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the safety zone further comprises a third generally annular region having a radial dimension associated with a safety margin distance, wherein the radial dimension of the third generally annular region is defined about the vehicle in a plan view thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the safety zone comprises a primary safety area having a generally rectangular shape with a first boundary defined by a sum of the reaction distance and the deceleration distance.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the safety zone comprises a primary safety area bounded by a minimum turning radius of the vehicle and an arc boundary defined by a sum of the reaction distance and the deceleration distance.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the data processor, a discharge safety zone comprising a region associated with discharge of material when said at least one implement is engaged or active.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the discharge safety zone extends about a discharge chamber or chute associated with the vehicle to prevent discharged material from striking or contacting a person, animal or other unintended target.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one implement comprises one or more of a harvesting head, a mower, a plow, a scraper, a planter, a cutter, a harvester and a sprayer.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein collecting position data associated with one or more obstacles within a range of a vehicle comprises collecting, by the sensing system, position data of the one or more obstacles in at least two dimensions.

15. A system for providing a safety zone associated with a vehicle carrying at least one implement, the system comprising:

a sensing system for collecting position data associated with one or more obstacles within a range of a vehicle;

a motion monitoring module for determining a reaction distance and a deceleration distance associated with a vehicle at a regular time interval during an operational state, the reaction distance based on a reaction time;

a safety guidance module for;

determining a safety zone for said vehicle based on the position data, the determined reaction distance, and the deceleration distance, and

determining an implement safety zone comprising a region surrounding at least one implement attached to the vehicle; and

a vehicle controller for controlling the vehicle consistent with the safety zone and the implement safety zone.

16. The system according to claim 15 further comprising:

a definer for establishing a first safety margin distance in a direction of travel of the vehicle, and wherein the safety guidance module is arranged to determine the safety zone based on an occupancy grid or matrix based on the position data, the reaction distance, the deceleration distance, and the first safety margin distance.

17. The system according to claim 15 further comprising:

a definer for establishing a first safety margin area having a first dimension in the direction of travel of the vehicle and a second safety margin area associated with lateral areas adjacent to the first safety margin area, the second safety margin area having a primary dimension generally perpendicular to the direction of travel; and

wherein;

the safety guidance module is arranged to determine the safety zone based on an occupancy grid or matrix based on the position data, the determining reaction distance, the deceleration distance, and the first dimension of the first safety margin area.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a vehicle controller for controlling a vehicular speed or vehicular velocity consistent with the safety zone and the implement safety zone.

19. The system according to claim 15 further comprising:

a vehicle controller for limiting a vehicular speed or vehicular velocity to a maximum velocity such that the vehicle is capable of stopping or avoiding a collision with said one or more obstacles.

20. The system according to claim 15 further comprising:

a safety guidance module for defining a boundary of the safety zone by the sum of the reaction distance (d_A) and the deceleration distance (d_B) in accordance with the following set of equations;

d_A=v_A×

t_R, where v_A is current vehicular velocity and t_R is reaction time;

d_B=(v_A)²/2a_B, where v_A is current vehicular velocity, and a_B is the maximum deceleration rate.

21. The system according to claim 15 wherein the safety zone comprises a first generally annular region having a first radial dimension associated with a reaction distance, and a second generally annular region having a second radial dimension associated with a deceleration distance, wherein the first and second radial dimensions are defined about the vehicle in a plan view thereof.

22. The system according to claim 21 wherein the safety zone further comprises a third generally annular region having a radial dimension associated with a safety margin distance, wherein the radial dimension of the third generally annular region is defined about the vehicle in a plan view thereof.

23. The system according to claim 15 wherein the safety zone comprises a primary safety area having a generally rectangular shape with a first boundary defined by a sum of the reaction distance and the deceleration distance.

24. The system according to claim 15 wherein the safety zone comprises a primary safety area bounded by a minimum turning radius of the vehicle and an arc boundary defined by a sum of the reaction distance and the deceleration distance.

25. The system according to claim 15, wherein the safety guidance module further determines a discharge safety zone comprising a region associated with discharge of material when said at least one implement is engaged or active.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the discharge safety zone extends about a discharge chamber or chute associated with the vehicle to prevent discharged material from striking or contacting a person, animal or other unintended target.

27. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one implement comprises one or more of a harvesting head, a mower, a plow, a scraper, a planter, a cutter, a harvester and a sprayer.

28. The system according to claim 15, wherein the position data associated with the one or more obstacles comprises position data of the one or more obstacles in at least two dimensions.