Three-dimensional terrain mapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12140443-B2
Application number	US-202318326948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2023
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to generating and utilizing three-dimensional terrain maps for vehicular control. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terrain mapping system for one or more off-highway vehicles having one or more sensor systems, respectively, for analyzing terrain surrounding a corresponding off-highway vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles, the terrain mapping system comprising:
memory coupled to a processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the terrain mapping system to perform operations including:
identifying 1) a ground surface topography for a section of terrain and 2) one or more terrain features, wherein the ground surface topography and the one or more terrain features are based on a previously generated three-dimensional terrain map about a work area and collected data, at least a portion of said collected data derived from:
sensor data produced by at least one sensor system of the one or more sensor systems as at least one vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles moves about the work area, and
position data produced by a positioning system of the at least one vehicle as the at least one vehicle moves about the work area;

updating the previously generated three-dimensional terrain map based on the ground surface topography for the section of terrain and the one or more terrain features;
characterized in that the updated three-dimensional terrain map includes one or more objects within the section of terrain based on the one or more terrain features, wherein a visual indicator is presentable, by the at least one vehicle or a different vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles, on the updated three-dimensional terrain map or a map display derived therefrom for each respective object representing whether the object is traversable; and
using the updated three-dimensional terrain map or the map display derived therefrom, by the at least one vehicle or the different vehicle, to 1) operate a vehicle control system thereof to avoid non-traversable one(s) of the objects, 2) notify, using the one or more visual indicators, a human operator thereof to avoid the non-traversable one(s) of the objects, or 3) autonomously or semi-autonomously operate an implement control system thereof to modify the work area using at least one implement under control of the implement control system.

2. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning system includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), a local positioning system (LPS), or an inertial navigation system (INS).

3. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data, of the at least the portion of the collected data, is derived from:
a rotating lidar system,
an array of static laser beams, or
a stereo camera based on two or more cameras.

4. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data, of the at least the portion of the collected data, is derived from:
at least one radar sensor,
at least one lidar sensor,
or at least one imaging device.

5. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the terrain features represent natural features or man-made features, or the objects comprise natural objects or man-made objects.

6. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the previously generated three-dimensional terrain map is updated using a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) process.

7. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the updated three-dimensional terrain map is stored online for access or updates by the one or more off-highway vehicles.

8. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the updated three-dimensional terrain map identifies points to operate an implement of the at least one implement to modify the work area.

9. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the updated three-dimensional terrain map identifies points to operate an implement of the at least one implement to avoid a terrain feature of the one or more terrain features with the implement.

10. A vehicle to access the terrain mapping system of claim 1 and display the updated three-dimensional terrain map or the map display derived therefrom.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle control system includes an auto-steering system that mechanically interfaces with a steering column of the at least one vehicle or the different vehicle.

12. An agriculture vehicle to access the terrain mapping system of claim 1 and display the updated three-dimensional terrain map or the map display derived therefrom.

13. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further include deriving the map display by filtering the updated three-dimensional terrain map based on at least one characteristic of the at least one vehicle or the different vehicle.

14. The terrain mapping system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further include deriving the map display by filtering the updated three-dimensional terrain map based on at least one characteristic of the at least one implement.

15. A method using one or more off-highway vehicles having one or more sensor systems, respectively, for analyzing terrain surrounding a corresponding off-highway vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles, comprising:
identifying 1) a ground surface topography for a section of terrain and 2) one or more terrain features, wherein the ground surface topography and the one or more terrain features are based on a previously generated three-dimensional terrain map about a work area and collected data, at least a portion of the collected data derived from:
sensor data produced by at least one sensor system of the one or more sensor systems as at least one vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles moves about the work area, and
position data produced by a positioning system of the at least one vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles as the at least one vehicle moves about a work area;

updating the previously generated three-dimensional terrain map based on the ground surface topography for the section of terrain and the one or more terrain features;
characterized in that the updated three-dimensional terrain map includes one or more objects within the section of terrain based on the one or more terrain features, wherein a visual indicator is presentable, by the at least one vehicle or a different vehicle of the one or more off-highway vehicles, on the updated three-dimensional terrain map or a map display derived therefrom for each respective object representing whether the object is traversable; and
using the updated three-dimensional terrain map or the map display derived therefrom, by the at least one vehicle or the different vehicle, to 1) operate a vehicle control system thereof to avoid non-traversable one(s) of the objects, 2) notify, using the one or more visual indicators, a human operator thereof to avoid the non-traversable one(s) of the objects, or 3) autonomously or semi-autonomously operate an implement control system thereof to modify the work area using at least one implement under control of the implement control system.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
deriving the map display by filtering the updated three-dimensional terrain map based on at least one characteristic of the at least one vehicle of the different vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the updated three-dimensional terrain map identifies points to operate an implement of the at least one implement or the different vehicle to modify the work area.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the updated three-dimensional terrain map identifies points to operate an implement of the at least one implement or t

Assignees

• Agjunction Llc

Inventors

• Madsen Tommy Ertbolle
• Dang Tri M
• Gattis Joshua M
• Ramm Andreas F
• Medagoda Eran D B
• Dumble Steven J
• Arain Bilal

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• A01B63/023

  Lateral adjustment of their tools · CPC title

• G06F16/29

  Geographical information databases · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B62D15/0265

  Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering · CPC title