Abstract:
A vehicle control system having a controller and a spatial database adapted to provide spatial data to the controller at control speed. The spatial data provided from the spatial database to the controller can be any kind of data or information that has some relationship or association with “real world” geographical location, or if it is stored somehow with reference to geographical location. The spatial data received by the controller from the database forms at least part of the control inputs that the controller operates on to control the vehicle. The fact that the controller operates directly on information that is inherently associated with “real world” geographic location represents a change in thinking compared with existing vehicle control systems. In particular, it means that the control system of the present invention “thinks” directly in terms of spatial location. A vehicle control system in accordance with one particular embodiment of the invention comprises a task path generator, a spatial database, at least one external spatial data receiver, a vehicle attitude compensation module, a position error generator, a controller, and actuators to control the vehicle.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for controlling and coordinating multiple vehicles is described in which machine behaviors are assigned to multiple vehicles performing a task. The vehicles are coordinated to perform the task using the assigned behaviors and a number of signals received from other vehicles and the environment during performance of the task. A role is identified for each vehicle in a group of vehicles. A number of machine behaviors are assigned to each vehicle depending upon the identified role for the vehicle. The machine behaviors are selected from coordinating machine behaviors stored in a behavior library. Each vehicle is then coordinated to perform the task according to the role and machine behaviors assigned.
Abstract:
An enhanced vehicle guidance system (10) comprising a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver (14) and a data processor with a memory component (20) and a computing device (16). The method of enhancing a vehicle's guidance system may comprise calculating the altitude, latitude, and longitude of a GNSS receiver for each of a plurality of positions; calculating the incline angle between adjacent points; and using the calculated incline angles to infer the attitude of the vehicle at any of the plurality of positions. The attitude may be used to calculate an inertial correction factor to compensate for GNSS position inaccuracies induced as a result of the vehicle rolling and pitching on uneven terrain. The altitude, latitude, longitude, and attitude of the plurality of positions may be stored in the memory such that the system may look-up the attitude for a given position without recalculating the attitude and without using an inertial sensor.
Abstract:
An automated method and system includes an automatic guidance system (AGS) (24) and swath pattern (18). The AGS (24) steers a vehicle (11) towing a rotary baler (10) in an "S", or oscillatory pattern (30) around a predetermined approximate centerline (12) of the swath path. The oscillatory pattern (30) may be user defined. By steering the vehicle (11) in an oscillatory pattern referenced to the A-B line, a windrow (18) of crop material (16) may be distributed into an even and optimal bale size and density by the baler (10). Bale chamber sensors (45) detect an imbalance of crop density and in response, AGS (24) adjusts an interval or amplitude of oscillatory pattern.
Abstract:
A preliminary guidance data is determined for the vehicle during an evaluation time window. A vision module (22) collects vision data from a vision module (22) during the evaluation time window. Vision guidance data is determined from the collected vision data. A vision quality estimator (20, 120 or 220) estimates vision quality data for at least one of the vision data and the vision guidance data during the evaluation time window. The vision quality data is based on a cross correlations and an r-squared value. An adjuster (110) adjusts the preliminary guidance data to a revised guidance data based on the vision guidance data such that the revised guidance data is registered with or generally coextensive with the vision guidance data, if the vision quality data exceeds a minimum threshold.
Abstract:
A leader location-determining receiver (34) determines a leader location of a lead vehicle (400). A follower location-determining receiver (46) determines a follower location of a follower vehicle (405), which has a container for storing a material. A data processor (20) or position module (56) calculates an observed relative position between the lead vehicle (400) and the follower vehicle (405). Target relative positions are established between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle. A data processor (18, 54) or selector (24) selects a preferential one of the established target positions. A data processor (18) or adjuster (54) adjusts the observed relative position of the follower vehicle (405) to achieve the selected preferential one of the established target positions.
Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren und eine Vorrichtung zur Visualisierung der Bewegung eines Fahrzeugs (1, 2), wobei das Fahrzeug (1, 2) zumindest eine mit einer Steuer- und Auswerteinheit (12) gekoppelte Anzeigeeinheit (14) umfasst und wobei die Steuer- und Auswerteinheit (12) mit zumindest einem Spurführungssystem (48) zur Führung des Fahrzeugs (1, 2) entlang von Fahrtrouten (18) gekoppelt ist und die Steuer- und Auswerteinheit (12) zumindest einen die Ausrichtung des Fahrzeugs (1, 2) beschreibenden charakteristischen Ausrichtungsparameter (32) erfasst und wobei die Steuer- und Auswerteinheit (12) unter Berücksichtigung des zumindest einen charakteristischen Ausrichtungsparameters (32) des Fahrzeugs (1, 2) eine virtuelle zukünftige Fahrspur (37) des Fahrzeugs (1, 2) ermittelt und diese virtuelle zukünftige Fahrspur (37) in der Anzeigeeinheit (14) visualisiert wird. Auf diese Weise erhält der Betreiber (13) des Fahrzeuges (1, 2) zumindest eine Information darüber, auf welcher zukünftigen Fahrspur (37) sich sein Fahrzeug (1, 2) unter Beibehaltung der gegenwärtigen Fahrzeugausrichtung und unter Berücksichtigung charakteristischer Parameter des Fahrzeugs (1, 2) bewegen wird.
Abstract:
A method and path planner (10) for planning a path of a vehicle comprising a perimeter training module (14) for identifying a border of a region associated with a work area. A definer (26) for defining a reference row having a reference path that tracks at least a majority of the border. A generator (30) generates tracking rows that track the reference row. The tracking rows comprise at least one inner tracking row and an outer tracking row. Each inner tracking row having at least one inner curve with a lesser radius than an outer tracking row having a corresponding outer curve with a greater radius.