US5875408A — Automated vehicle guidance system and method for …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 239 words

Automated vehicle guidance system for guiding a movable vehicle having a vehicle axis along a predetermined desired path over a surface that is provided with first and second desired path references positioned on opposite sides of the desired path, comprising: a first laser pulse transmitter positioned on the vehicle on one side of the vehicle axis for transmitting laser pulses towards an opposite side of the vehicle and towards the first desired path reference; a second laser pulse transmitter positioned on the vehicle on the opposite side of the vehicle axis for transmitting laser pulses towards the one side of the vehicle and towards the second desired path reference; a first laser pulse receiver positioned on the vehicle and operatively associated with the first laser pulse transmitter for receiving laser pulses transmitted by the first laser pulse transmitter and reflected from the first desired path reference; a second laser pulse receiver positioned on the vehicle and operatively associated with the second laser pulse transmitter for receiving laser pulses transmitted by the second laser pulse transmitter and reflected from the second desired path reference; a steering actuator mounted on the vehicle for steering the vehicle; a control device connected to the steering actuator and to the first and second laser pulse receivers for controlling the steering actuator based on reflected laser pulses received by the first and second laser pulse receivers to guide the vehicle along the predetermined desired path.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 239 words

Automated vehicle guidance system for guiding a movable vehicle having a vehicle axis along a predetermined desired path over a surface that is provided with first and second desired path references positioned on opposite sides of the desired path, comprising: a first laser pulse transmitter positioned on the vehicle on one side of the vehicle axis for transmitting laser pulses towards an opposite side of the vehicle and towards the first desired path reference; a second laser pulse transmitter positioned on the vehicle on the opposite side of the vehicle axis for transmitting laser pulses towards the one side of the vehicle and towards the second desired path reference; a first laser pulse receiver positioned on the vehicle and operatively associated with the first laser pulse transmitter for receiving laser pulses transmitted by the first laser pulse transmitter and reflected from the first desired path reference; a second laser pulse receiver positioned on the vehicle and operatively associated with the second laser pulse transmitter for receiving laser pulses transmitted by the second laser pulse transmitter and reflected from the second desired path reference; a steering actuator mounted on the vehicle for steering the vehicle; a control device connected to the steering actuator and to the first and second laser pulse receivers for controlling the steering actuator based on reflected laser pulses received by the first and second laser pulse receivers to guide the vehicle along the predetermined desired path.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 122 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, wherein said control device includes one time measurement system connected to said first laser pulse receiver for producing a signal indicative of a time differential between when a laser pulse is transmitted by said first laser pulse transmitter and when the transmitted laser pulse reflected from said first desired path reference is received by the first laser pulse receiver and another time measurement system connected to said second laser pulse receiver for producing a signal indicative of a time differential between when a laser pulse is transmitted by said second laser pulse transmitter and when the transmitted laser pulse reflected from said second desired path reference is received by the second laser pulse receiver.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 44 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 2, wherein said control device includes a computer operatively associated with said time measurement systems for determining, on the basis of said signals, the distance between a predetermined point on the vehicle and the desired path references.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, wherein said control device includes a computer for determining a yaw angle of the vehicle.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 51 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second laser pulse transmitters each include a beam splitter for splitting the laser pulse transmitted by each respective laser pulse transmitter into two laser pulses which are each oriented at a different angle with respect to the vehicle axis.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 163 words

Automated vehicle guidance system for guiding a movable vehicle having a vehicle axis along a predetermined desired path over a surface that is provided with at least one desired path reference, comprising: a laser radar for emitting a laser pulse along a radar axis towards the at least one desired path reference, for receiving a laser pulse reflected from the at least one desired path reference and for determining the distance between the laser radar and the at least one desired path reference along the radar axis on the basis of time-of-flight of said laser pulse emitted towards and reflected from said at least one desired path reference; a steering actuator for steering the vehicle; and a computer connected to the laser radar and the steering actuator for determining, based on the distance determined by said laser radar, a lateral position of the vehicle relative to the desired path and for controlling the steering actuator to guide the vehicle along the desired path.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 163 words

Automated vehicle guidance system for guiding a movable vehicle having a vehicle axis along a predetermined desired path over a surface that is provided with at least one desired path reference, comprising: a laser radar for emitting a laser pulse along a radar axis towards the at least one desired path reference, for receiving a laser pulse reflected from the at least one desired path reference and for determining the distance between the laser radar and the at least one desired path reference along the radar axis on the basis of time-of-flight of said laser pulse emitted towards and reflected from said at least one desired path reference; a steering actuator for steering the vehicle; and a computer connected to the laser radar and the steering actuator for determining, based on the distance determined by said laser radar, a lateral position of the vehicle relative to the desired path and for controlling the steering actuator to guide the vehicle along the desired path.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 41 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 6, wherein said laser radar includes a laser pulse transmitter which emits a laser pulse and a laser pulse receiver which receives a laser pulse reflected from the at least one desired path reference.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 49 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 7, wherein said laser pulse transmitter includes a beam splitter for splitting each laser pulse emitted by the laser pulse transmitter into two substantially simultaneously emitted laser pulses which are each oriented at a different angle with respect to the vehicle axis.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 86 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 6, wherein said laser radar includes means for emitting substantially simultaneously first and second laser pulses along respective first and second radar axes which are each oriented at a different angle relative to the vehicle axis for determining a first distance between the laser radar and the at least one desired path reference along said first radar axis and a second distance between the laser radar and the at least one desired path reference along the second radar axis.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 9, wherein said computer determines, on the basis of said first and second distances, a yaw angle of the vehicle relative to the desired path.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 122 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 6, wherein said laser radar is a first laser radar that is adapted to emit a laser pulse along a first radar axis that crosses the vehicle axis and that is directed towards the at least one desired path reference, and including a second laser radar for emitting another laser pulse along a second radar axis that crosses the vehicle axis towards another desired path reference positioned on a side of the desired path opposite said at least one desired path reference and for receiving a laser pulse reflected from the another desired path reference to determine the distance between the second laser radar and the another desired path reference along the second radar axis.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 59 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 6, wherein said laser radar includes a time measurement system for determining said distance along the radar axis based on a time differential between when the laser pulse is emitted and when said emitted laser pulse is reflected from the at least one desired path reference and received by the laser radar.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 22 words

Automated vehicle guidance system according to claim 6, wherein said laser radar axis is obliquely oriented with respect to said vehicle axis.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 150 words

Method for automated guidance of a movable vehicle having a vehicle axis along a predetermined desired path over a surface that is provided with at least one desired path reference, comprising: determining a distance from a point on the vehicle to the at least one desired path reference along a radar axis by emitting a laser pulse along the radar axis towards the at least one desired path reference, receiving the laser pulse reflected from the at least one desired path reference and determining said distance to the at least one desired path reference on the basis of time-of-flight of the laser pulse; determining a lateral position of the vehicle relative to the desired path based on said distance; and controlling a steering actuator operatively associated with the vehicle when the lateral position of the vehicle is offset from the desired path to guide the vehicle along the desired path.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 150 words

Method for automated guidance of a movable vehicle having a vehicle axis along a predetermined desired path over a surface that is provided with at least one desired path reference, comprising: determining a distance from a point on the vehicle to the at least one desired path reference along a radar axis by emitting a laser pulse along the radar axis towards the at least one desired path reference, receiving the laser pulse reflected from the at least one desired path reference and determining said distance to the at least one desired path reference on the basis of time-of-flight of the laser pulse; determining a lateral position of the vehicle relative to the desired path based on said distance; and controlling a steering actuator operatively associated with the vehicle when the lateral position of the vehicle is offset from the desired path to guide the vehicle along the desired path.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 89 words

Method according to claim 14, wherein said distance is one distance, and including determining another distance from said point on the vehicle to the at least one desired path reference along another radar axis by emitting another laser pulse along the another radar axis towards the at least one desired path reference, receiving the another laser pulse reflected from the at least one desired path reference and determining said another distance to the at least one desired path reference on the basis of time-of-flight of the another laser pulse.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 27 words

Method according to claim 15, including determining a yaw angle of the vehicle relative to the desired path based on said one distance and said another distance.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 93 words

Method according to claim 14, wherein said distance is one distance, and including determining another distance from a point on said vehicle to another desired path reference positioned on a side of the desired path opposite said at least one desired path reference by emitting another laser pulse along another radar axis towards said another desired path reference, receiving the another laser pulse reflected from said another desired path reference and determining said another distance to the at least one desired path reference on the basis of time-of-flight of the another laser pulse.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 27 words

Method according to claim 17, including determining a yaw angle of the vehicle relative to the desired path based on said one distance and said another distance.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 38 words

Method according to claim 14, wherein said laser pulse is emitted towards a reflective stripe positioned on the surface along which the vehicle travels and is reflected from said stripe, said stripe being spaced from the desired path.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 37 words

Method according to claim 14, wherein said laser pulse is emitted towards a reflective strip positioned on a barrier that is located at a spaced apart distance from the desired path and is reflected from said strip.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 32 words

Method according to claim 14, wherein said step of controlling the steering actuator includes controlling the steering actuator to maintain the vehicle in a current lane in which the vehicle is travelling.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-02-22	2002-08-24	2003-02-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-02-22	2006-08-24	2007-02-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-02-22	2010-08-24	2011-02-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automated vehicle guidance system and method for automatically guiding a vehicle

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