The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 31, 2005
Filed:
Jul. 06, 2004
Frederick W. Nelson, Waukee, IA (US);
Troy E. Schick, Cedar Falls, IA (US);
Byron K. Miller, Waterloo, IA (US);
Frederick W. Nelson, Waukee, IA (US);
Troy E. Schick, Cedar Falls, IA (US);
Byron K. Miller, Waterloo, IA (US);
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a method for controlling a ground vehicle, for automated steering control of the vehicle or the like. The method of the present invention includes using a GPS receiver or the like and an inertial gyro or the like for providing automated steering control of the ground vehicle. A difference between a measured off-track error and a lateral error command is fed into a lateral error control loop, producing a lateral velocity command. Then, a difference between a measured lateral velocity and the lateral velocity command is fed into a lateral velocity control loop, producing a yaw rate command. Finally, a difference between a measured yaw rate, the yaw rate command, and a curved track yaw rate for the intended path of the vehicle is computed and fed into a yaw rate control loop, producing a valve command for steering the ground vehicle on or towards its intended path. Inputs such as measured wheel slip and the like are used to estimate the steering authority of the steered wheels of the vehicle; the estimated steering authority and/or the actions of a user driving the vehicle are used to adjust the gain of the yaw rate control loop.