US-20260126816-A1 - METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVED OPERATION OF A WORKING VEHICLE

US20260126816A1US 20260126816 A1US20260126816 A1US 20260126816A1US-20260126816-A1

Abstract

Methods for improved operation of vehicles in a work area are provided. A method for autonomously moving a vehicle between disjoint work areas involves following a transit path, keeping the vehicle within a geofence around the transit path, and stopping for situational assessment if an obstacle is encountered. A method for providing real-time navigation updates based on moving obstacles in a work area updates a route plan for a target vehicle based on the predicted speed and trajectory of other vehicles and obstacles. A method for proximity based pausing of autonomous vehicles pauses vehicles when distance between them becomes less than a defined threshold and manually resumes the vehicles under modified route plans

Inventors

Ravi Yenduri
Corwin Spaetti
Michael Joseph Lyons
Chris Mikelson
Craig Rupp

Assignees

Sabanto, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251027

Claims (7)

1 . A method for autonomously moving a vehicle between a first work area and a second work area comprising: causing the vehicle to enter a transport mode; loading a transit path between the first work area and the second work area; defining a geofence around the transit path; executing the transit path; course correcting the vehicle if a location of the vehicle is outside the geofence; pausing movement of the vehicle if an obstacle is encountered; performing situational assessment; and resuming execution of the transit path based on the situational assessment.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein causing the vehicle to enter a transport mode comprises securing an implement associated with the vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein performing situational assessment comprises obstacle detection.
4 . A method for providing real-time navigation updates for a vehicle based on moving obstacles in a work area comprising: providing a plurality of vehicles, each of the plurality of vehicles equipped with a computer, a GNSS unit, and a communication system; executing a route plan using the computer of a first vehicle; receiving at the computer of the first vehicle a location of each other vehicle in the work area; predicting a speed and trajectory of each other vehicle in the work area using the location of each other vehicle in the work area; and updating the route plan of the first vehicle.
5 . A method for proximity based pausing of autonomous vehicles in a work area comprising: providing a first vehicle and at least one additional vehicle, each equipped with a computer, a GNSS unit, and a communication system; executing a route plan using the computer of the first vehicle; receiving at the computer of the first vehicle a location of the at least one additional vehicle; calculating a distance between the first vehicle and the at least one additional vehicle; pausing the first vehicle and the at least one additional vehicle if the distance between the first vehicle and the at least one additional vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold; updating the route plan using the computer of the first vehicle; and manually resuming operating of the first vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising resuming operating the at least one additional vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 5 wherein updating the route plan comprises creating an updated route plan for execution by the first vehicle such that the distance between the first vehicle and the at least one additional vehicle exceeds the threshold.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Paten Application No. 63/713,662, filed on Oct. 30, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for improved operation of a working vehicle. In particular, in one embodiment, the disclosure provides for a method for autonomously moving a vehicle between disjoint work areas. In another embodiment, the disclosure provides for a method and system for providing real time navigation updates based on moving obstacles in a work area. In another embodiment, the disclosure provides for a method for avoiding collisions between multiple autonomous vehicles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many issues are encountered during operation of a working vehicle such as an agricultural vehicle whether those operations are performed using a manned vehicle or by an autonomous or remotely controlled vehicle. The time and effort needed to move farm equipment between fields significantly affects agricultural productivity. Traditionally, farmers have manually driven equipment between fields, relying on their own skills and availability. However, manual transit requires significant human labor, is inefficient in terms of time and resource allocation, and can lead to operator fatigue, increasing the risk of accidents. Recently, semi-autonomous systems autonomously steer or follow a path for work operations within a field, but human supervision is required, particularly for complex tasks like transitioning between fields. Overall, the existing methods for moving vehicles between disjoint fields are slow, require a lot of resources, and can lead to mistakes since they involve human involvement. In big farming operations where fields are spread out, this process requires careful coordination. When large vehicles like tractors are driven on public roads or across different terrains, safety is also a concern. Therefore, an improved method for moving autonomous vehicles between disjoint work areas is desired. Another issue encountered by working vehicles relates to path planning in the presence of moving obstacles. Current route planning algorithms for autonomous or semi-autonomous systems, especially in large-scale agriculture, manufacturing, or logistics, struggle with dynamic obstacle avoidance. Specifically, pivoting machinery or movable obstacles in a work area can disrupt the planned routes of autonomous vehicles or equipment, leading to inefficiencies or potential collisions. This issue becomes more pronounced in environments where the positions of such obstacles change frequently and unpredictably. One current approach to the problem is static mapping, which relies on default maps assuming fixed constraints, and does not account for dynamic changes. Static mapping fails in environments or areas where obstacles are not fixed. Another current approach is sensor-based detection, which uses real-time sensors like LIDAR or ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles. The shortcoming of sensor-based detection is that it can only react to obstacles once they are detected, potentially leading to delays or the need for sudden route changes. Another approach to the problem is RFID or beacon-based systems in which static and semi-static obstacles are marked with RFID tags or beacons for identification. RFID or beacon-based systems provide some level of dynamic obstacle tracking, but lack precise, real-time positioning and movement prediction, limiting their effectiveness in fast-paced or highly variable environments. Therefore, a system and method for providing real-time navigation updates based on moving obstacles in a work area are desired. Another issue that arises with working vehicles relates to avoiding collisions when multiple autonomous vehicles are operating in a work area. Current collision detections systems utilize multiple sensor technologies; however, these approaches require a lot of integration at all levels of the technology stack (i.e., the device level, front end configuration, and back end synchronization). Therefore, an improved method for collision avoidance between autonomous working vehicles is desired. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, improved methods for directing the operation of working vehicles are provided. In one embodiment, a method for autonomously moving a vehicle between disjoint work areas is provided. A vehicle that is to be moved from one work area to another enters transport mode in which any implement associated with the vehicle is secured for transport. A pre-recorded or dynamically created transit path is loaded, and a geofence is defined around the transit path. While the vehicle remains within the geofence, the transit path is followed, correcting course as necessary to remain within the geofence. The vehicle continues following the transit path until a boundary is