Leader-follower fully-autonomous vehicle with operator on side

• US 8,989,972 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/677,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/51, 701/53, 701/301, 701/408, 700/253, 700/245, 700/255
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/001 Switches therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• 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 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• 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 2013/9322 : using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 : in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 : at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 : by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 : in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 : Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 : Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 : using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 : using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 : Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 : Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 : in a chair, pillow

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a method and apparatus for controlling movement of a vehicle. Movement of an operator located at a side of the vehicle is identified with a plurality of sensors located in the vehicle and the vehicle is moved in a path that maintains the operator at the side of the vehicle while the operator is moving.

Claims

1. A method for improved vehicle control, the method comprising:

receiving a power-up command;

responsive to receiving the power-up command, receiving selection of a side following mode;

executing a planned path, wherein executing the planned path comprises identifying an operator and distinguishing between the operator and other objects in an environment surrounding the vehicle;

moving a vehicle along the planned path in a manner that maintains the operator in a position proximate to a side of the vehicle;

identifying obstacles in the planned path;

responsive to identifying the obstacles, executing obstacle avoidance maneuvers; and

responsive to executing obstacle avoidance maneuvers, resuming the planned path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the operator comprises receiving video input of the operator walking the planned path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the operator comprises detecting an identifying characteristic correlating with a pre-determined list of identifying characteristics for operators.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input to override the planned path;

responsive to receiving the user input, suspending the planned path;

executing one or more actions based on the user input; and

resuming the planned path.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting vehicle location information from a high integrity perception system;

receiving the vehicle location information from the high integrity perception system; and

processing the vehicle location information in association with the planned path.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

alerting the environment surrounding the vehicle using audio and visual signals, wherein the audio and visual signals vary dynamically according to one or more factors identified in the environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a boundary to the planned path, wherein the planned path is a ground surface appropriate for vehicle movement; and

maintaining a fixed distance between the vehicle and the boundary identified.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the boundary is one of a curb and vegetation.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a steering system;

a propulsion system;

a braking system;

a sensor system; and

a machine controller connected to the steering system, the propulsion system, the braking system; and

the sensor system, wherein the machine controller identifies movement of an operator using the sensor system and sends commands to the steering system, the propulsion system, and the braking system to move the vehicle in a manner that maintains the operator at a side of the vehicle while the operator is moving.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller moves the vehicle in the manner that maintains the operator at the side of the vehicle by identifying a first path for the operator, generating a second path for the vehicle, wherein the second path maintains the operator at the side of the vehicle, and moving the vehicle along the second path.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the machine controller projects the first path based on direction of movement by the operator.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the machine controller generates the second path for the vehicle by identifying a boundary to the second path to form an identified boundary, wherein the second path is a ground surface appropriate for movement of the vehicle, and creating the second path to maintain a fixed distance between the vehicle and the identified boundary.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the boundary is one of a curb and vegetation.

14. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the machine controller stops the vehicle responsive to detecting an obstacle in the second path.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the machine controller generates an alert to the operator responsive to the obstacle in the second path being detected.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the machine controller generates the alert and displays the alert to the operator, wherein the alert is displayed through a user interface.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the user interface is a display mounted to a side of vehicle and viewable by the operator.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the machine controller starts the vehicle, responsive to receiving a user input from the operator to move the vehicle around the obstacle, and moves the vehicle around the obstacle based on the user input from the operator.

19. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller executes a maneuver to avoid an obstacle responsive to detecting the obstacle in the second path.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the obstacle is one of a person, a vehicle, and debris in the second path.

21. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller further distinguishes the operator from other objects.

22. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller further collects data regarding the environment.

23. The vehicle of claim 22, wherein the data comprises a location for at least one of a pothole for repair, a tree requiring trimming, an improperly parked vehicle, and a stolen vehicle.

24. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller stops movement of the vehicle in response to a user input from the operator.

25. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller starts movement of the vehicle in response to user input from the operator.

26. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller classifies objects in an environment around the vehicle.

27. The vehicle of claim 26, wherein the machine controller classifies the objects in the environment around the vehicle using a knowledge base.

28. The vehicle of claim 27, wherein the knowledge base comprises an a priori knowledge base, an online knowledge base, and a learned knowledge base.

29. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the sensor system comprises a plurality of sensors, and wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one of a global positioning system, structured light sensor, two dimensional/three dimensional lidar, dead reckoning, infrared camera, visible light camera, radar, ultrasonic sonar, and radio frequency identification reader.