Autonomous ground care machine with manual path recovery

Abstract

An autonomous work vehicle includes a user interface that is accessible by an operator to manually control the vehicle. A controller of the vehicle is operable to access a planned path and cause a traction unit of the vehicle to move along the planned path during autonomous work. The controller detects an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path. In response to the operator taking manual control over the traction unit to traverse the section of the planned path, the controller provides a directional indicator via the user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle.

Description

PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) AUTONOMOUS GROUND CARE MACHINE WITH MANUAL PATH RECOVERY RELATED PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 693,790, filed on September 12, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. SUMMARY

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to an autonomous ground care machine and system. In one embodiment, an autonomous work vehicle includes a traction unit operable to move the autonomous work vehicle over a work region. The vehicle includes a user interface that is accessible by an operator, e.g., while the operator is proximate to the autonomous work vehicle, to manually control the work vehicle. A controller of the vehicle is coupled to the traction unit and the user interface. The controller has at least one processor and operable to access a planned path and cause the traction unit to move along the planned path during autonomous work. The controller detects an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path. In response to the operator taking manual control over the traction unit to traverse the section of the planned path, the controller provides a directional indicator via the user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle.

[0003] In another embodiment, a method involves causing an autonomous work vehicle to perform autonomous work in a work region along a planned path and determining that the autonomous work vehicle has encountered an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path. The method further involves manually controlling the autonomous work vehicle to traverse the section of the planned path. The manual control may optionally be performed in proximity to the autonomous work vehicle, or mayPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) be beyond line of sight (remote control). The method further involves following a directional indicator provided via a user interface during the manual controlling that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle.

[0004] These and other features and aspects of various embodiments may be understood in view of the following detailed discussion and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The discussion below makes reference to the following figures, wherein the same reference number may be used to identify the similar / same component in multiple figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[0006] FIG.1 is a schematic diagram of a ground care vehicle according to various example embodiments;

[0007] FIG.2 is a schematic diagram of path planning scenarios according to an example embodiment;

[0008] FIGS.3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing determining a directional indicator according to an example embodiment;

[0009] FIG.4 is a perspective view of a vehicle user interface according to an example embodiment;

[0010] FIG.5 is a block diagram of a system according to an example embodiment; and

[0011] FIGS.6-8 are flowcharts showing methods according to example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying figures of the drawing which form a part hereof. It is to be understood that other equivalent embodiments, which may not be described and / or illustrated herein, are also contemplated.PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01)

[0013] The present disclosure relates generally to work machines such as ground care machines, which may be variously referred to herein as ground care vehicles, ground maintenance machines, ground maintenance vehicles, and the like. Ground care machines, such as lawn and garden machines, are known for performing a variety of tasks. For instance, powered lawn mowers are used by both homeowners and professionals alike to maintain grass areas within a property or yard. The same or different machines may be used for maintenance on the turf areas (and sometimes away from the turf), which may involve performing any combination of operations such as material collection (e.g., plant matter, dirt, golf balls, markers), spraying, fertilizing, dethatching, edging, rolling, towing, snow / ice treatment, snow / ice removal, etc. Other work machines may be used both inside and outside, such as cleaning machines that can be used to clean similar surfaces (e.g., concrete slabs) both indoors and outdoors.

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to features of ground maintenance machines that facilitate autonomous functionality. Generally, autonomous functionality may include any operation that can be performed without human input that causes or effects a physical action performed by the machine. One example of autonomous operation is autonomous navigation, where the machine can maneuver around a work region without user input, or with minimal user input (e.g., initial placement and initiating a start command). These vehicles are referred to herein, among other things, as autonomous work vehicles, autonomous ground care vehicles, autonomous vehicles, autonomous work machines, and autonomous machines.

[0015] Some types of autonomous work machines can work using random paths around a work region. So long as the machine has sufficient time to work, it can eventually work the entire region, albeit with some areas being passed multiple times. For some ground care applications, a predetermined patterned path is desired and / or expected. One example of this is the mowing in crisscross stripes that create a checkerboard effect. For an autonomous mower to create a pattern such as this, a predefined path will typically be created before work begins. Another example is a large area that needs to be worked in the minimum amount of time, e.g., an operator is on-site monitoring one or more machinesPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) and so should complete as quickly as possible. A pre-planned path will generally complete work to a given quality more quickly than a random path.

[0016] In order to create a pre-planned path in embodiments described herein, a computer algorithm can be used to plan out a work path in a work region. Given a boundary of a work region and descriptions of obstacles (areas to be avoided) within the work region, an algorithm may generate a path that covers the work region in such a way that certain goals are met, as described for example, in U.S. Patent 11,029,691, dated June 8, 2021. This path can be loaded onto the autonomous work vehicle and converted to operating instructions that guide autonomous work.

[0017] One issue that will inevitably arise during autonomous work along planned paths is unplanned events. While path planning and machine training can effectively deal with events such as encounters with known obstacles, the outdoors can be a dynamic and unpredictable environment, and so objects such as tree branches, puddles, navigation errors, etc., may wind up blocking part of a planned path or preventing movement along part of a planned path. Oftentimes, the machine’s response to such an obstacle will be to stop autonomous work such that operator assistance is involved in order to continue autonomous work.

[0018] Other unplanned events that may stop autonomous work include machine faults or conditions. For example, a loss of navigation signals in a region (e.g., radio dead zone) may prevent the autonomous machine from proceeding. Another fault or condition may be temporary unavailability of proximity sensors. For example, an autonomous mower may use radar or lidar for obstacle detection and avoidance, and overgrown foliage (e.g., tall grass) may block those sensors. While this doesn’t prevent autonomous navigation, it is a condition that can prevent autonomous traversal of the affected section of the work region. Such a situation may best be dealt with via manual control, e.g., manual cutting of the foliage in areas where it has become unusually overgrown and affects proximity sensors. In other cases, a sensor may become inoperative due to a local condition such as getting wet or dirty and / or due to an unknown condition that can be fixed with a software reset. Even though this fault or condition may not require manual operation of the traction unit to clear, the operator may still want to manually control the vehicle overPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) some distance along the planned path to ensure the fault doesn’t re-occur and / or to otherwise ensure the machine is properly operating.

[0019] The sensor malfunction described above is an example of an unplanned event in the form of an operator-initiated stop that prevents further autonomous operation. While the machine may still be able to autonomously navigate based on existing work region and machine conditions, the operator input nonetheless prevents further autonomous traversal based on their own judgement. The operator may initiate an autonomous work stop and assume manual control for any reason, and not necessarily due to a detectible condition. For example, the machine may historically have had problems in a section of the work region without indicating specifically why, and the operator has found it is quicker to just manually take over in that part of the work region.

[0020] A fully autonomous work machine will often have manual controls that allow an operator to manually navigate the machine. The manual controls may require physical contact with the vehicle or being in close proximity to the vehicle. Manual operator controls may be part of what is generally referred to herein as a user interface or operator interface. The user interface will typically have devices that both receive user input (e.g., the above-described manual controls, input sensors, etc.) and provide a user output (e.g., displays, gauges, indicator lights, etc.).

[0021] One issue that can occur when an operator intervenes to navigate an autonomous machine around a planned path obstacle is that the operator may have no idea where the path is. Generally, the path is represented mathematically as geometric features (e.g., lines, curves) referenced to local features and / or to geolocations, which can be mathematically calculated and followed by sensors of the autonomous machine. Without such ability, the user may have to make an educated guess where the path is, e.g., extrapolate from the already-worked path. If this user’s assumptions are incorrect, the machine may be set to resume autonomous work at a location significantly removed from the planned path. If the autonomous machine tries to resume work at a significantly off- path location, it may have difficulty recovering the path or cause other issues.

[0022] One result of an operator manually navigating an autonomous machine to a location removed from the planned path may be unusual behavior, such as the machinePATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) circling trying to reacquire the path or in taking the wrong leg of a path. This may be viewed as a malfunction by the operator, and may cause other issues, such as excessive turning in a small area resulting in turf damage, or missing work in a region. In other cases, the machine may just refuse to go into autonomous mode when far off path, e.g., providing an error message that the operator may or may not be able to understand or deal with.

[0023] In embodiments described below, an autonomous work vehicle is configured to provide, in response to manual operator intervention, a directional indicator via a user interface during manual control that indicates a direction of a planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle. This intervention is due to an unplanned event detected during autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path The directional indicator directs the operator along or towards onto the planned path after the operator has traversed the section of the planned path, and the work vehicle can resume autonomous work after being directed on or near to the planned path in this way.

[0024] While the directional indicator is described as enabling manual path recovery for autonomous work, such an indicator could be used for other purposes. For example, the direction indicator could be used for manually navigating the autonomous work vehicle back to a starting point of the boundary that the operator is recording when manually driving the machine to define the allowed work space (sometimes referred to as “training”). This return to boundary situation is another example of where there is a point in global coordinates the operator cannot directly observe, but are trying to navigate to. In other embodiments, the positional indicator could be used in positioning the machine to generally align its directional heading with the direction of the mowing path fill lines that are not easily observed when on a field.

[0025] In FIG.1, a block diagram shows details of an apparatus according to one or more embodiments. The apparatus is operable as an autonomous ground care vehicle. As seen in FIG.1, the ground care vehicle 100 includes a traction unit 102 that moves the ground care vehicle 100 within a work region 104 along a path direction 106. The path direction 106 is generally aligned with a forward or reverse direction of the ground care vehicle 100 when going straight, and tangent to a curved path through a turn. A work unitPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) 108 defines a full coverage width 112 of a planned path 111 of the ground care vehicle 100. A cross path direction 107 of the full coverage width 112 is defined normal to the planned path 111. The cross path direction 107 is aligned with a lateral direction of the ground care vehicle 100 as it moves along its path in a forward direction 123. Note that some vehicles may be able to perform work both in forward and reverse directions, and the illustration of the forward direction 123 is not meant to be limiting in this regard.

[0026] As seen in the embodiment of FIG.1, the work unit 108 is centrally disposed in the cross path direction 107, however may be offset from center in other configurations. The work unit 108 is a mechanism that performs at least one specific operation, e.g., cutting, dethatching, rolling, etc. The work unit 108 may be a reel cutter, rotary cutter, roller, brush, spiker, verticutter, dethatcher, sprayer, etc. The ground care vehicle 100 may have multiple such work units, e.g., arrayed in the cross path direction 107 to cover a greater coverage width.

[0027] The work unit 108 may have a dedicated motor, actuator, or the like (not shown), and / or may be driven by a power take off from a main drive unit of the vehicle 100. In either configuration, the work unit 108 may be selectively activated and deactivated to allow work to stop or start independently of the movement of the traction unit 102. The work unit 108 may have a mechanical and electrical coupling interface to the ground care vehicle 100, e.g., to a central frame 114 and central electrical system 116 of the vehicle 100.

[0028] The traction unit 102 of the ground care vehicle 100 is shown with two wheels 122 used to propel the vehicle. The wheels 122 may be independently driven such that they can differentially steer the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may include additional steered and / or powered wheels, or unpowered wheels such as caster wheels. The drive section 102 may include one or more electrical motors (not shown) that drive the wheels 122, powered by an onboard battery 120. The ground care vehicle 100 may be driven by another source of mechanical power such as an internal combustion engine (ICE) or a hybrid arrangement where the ground care vehicle 100 uses the battery 120 together with an ICE power source to drive the traction unit 102 and / or the work unit 108.PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01)

[0029] The vehicle 100 includes a controller 110 with one or more processors and other computing hardware that controls the autonomous and non-autonomous functions of the vehicle 100. The autonomous functions may include sensor collection and fusion, navigation control, work unit control, remote data communications, automatic stop, etc. The non-autonomous functions may include manual control inputs, user interface indicators / display, manual locks, etc. Various functionality described below related to path planning may be performed entirely off vehicle (e.g., at a data center or a standalone computer), entirely on vehicle (e.g., via controller 110), or cooperatively performed by both the vehicle and a separate computing device or service.

[0030] The vehicle 100 also includes a user interface 119 that is coupled to the controller 110. The user interface 119 is accessible by an operator 118 while the operator is proximate to the autonomous work vehicle 100. The user interface 119 includes manual controls that operator 118 to take control over the traction unit 102 (and optionally work unit 108). The user interface 119 also includes a directional indicator that indicates a direction of a planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle 100. The user interface 119 may be integrated (e.g., hard mounted) with the vehicle or may be a separate device. For example, at least part the user interface 119 may include a wired or wireless remote controller and / or a user device such as a mobile phone. Such a proximity device may be held by the user during use and / or temporarily mounted on the vehicle 100, e.g., on a cradle or support.

[0031] In other embodiments, a remote user interface 130 may be used when the operator 118 (or some other person) is beyond line of sight of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 in such a case has an electrical user interface that allows remote operation of the traction unit 102 via a wireless data link 131. The vehicle 100 may have a camera (not shown) that can transmit images over the data link 131 and / or a visual sensor may be located elsewhere, e.g., on an unmanned aerial vehicle, mounted to infrastructure (e.g., a pole or building) in the work region, etc. Any of the capabilities discussed herein regarding the local user interface 119 can be extended to the remote user interface 130, e.g., the remote interface 130 can display directional and status indicators 125, 126.PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01)

[0032] In response to detecting an unplanned event along a section 124 of the planned path that the vehicle 100 can’t deal with autonomously, the vehicle 100 may send a signal 121 to the operator 118 indicating that the vehicle 100 has encountered the unplanned event. The signal 121 may be sent via a wireless data signal, e.g., via cell phone network, peer-to-peer radio link, etc. The signal 121 may instead or in addition be an audible and / or visible signal, such as a loud tone, beacon light, etc., that may be perceived by the operator 118 while within line of sight of the vehicle 100 or otherwise in proximity to the work region 104. In other cases, no express signal may be sent, and the user may determine the unplanned event has occurred due to stoppage of the vehicle 100 during autonomous work.

[0033] In response to the unplanned event, the operator 118 takes manual control over the traction unit 102. The user interface 119 provides a directional indicator 125 during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path 111 relative to a current position of the work vehicle 100. During manual control, the operator 118 may ride on the work vehicle 100, walk behind the vehicle 100, and / or use a short range remote control (e.g., infrared, wired). However the operator 118 controls the vehicle 100, the directional indicator will point in a direction relative to the vehicle geometry (e.g., relative to the vehicle’s longitudinal centerline) that allows easily maneuvering the vehicle on or towards the planned path 111 after traversing (e.g., avoiding, going through) the section 124. The user interface 119 may also include a status indicator 126 that indicates, during the manual control, whether or not the work vehicle 100 can resume the autonomous work on the planned work path 111. The status indicator 126 may be triggered to change based on a distance from the planned work path 111 when clearing the event requires moving off of the path (e.g., clearing a large obstacle) and / or may be triggered to change based on a machine fault or condition being cleared, e.g., after traversing the section 124. The status indicator 126 may be integrated with the directional indicator 125.

[0034] In FIG.2, a diagram shows a ground care vehicle 100 starting or resuming autonomous work in a work region 104 according to an example embodiment. A path definition 202 is accessed that defines a vehicle work path 200 through the work region 104. The path definition 202 is a set of data that describes the path in a way that it can bePATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) used by the ground care vehicle 100 to work within a known tolerance, e.g., defined by locational error of the path definition 202 and the accuracy and precision the vehicle’s own navigation system.

[0035] The path definition 202 may be any form, e.g., an ordered collection of points, parametric description of path segments, etc. The path definition 202 may be calculated by a data center and transmitted to the autonomous work vehicle 100, e.g., via a mobile data network, or may be calculated by the machine 100 itself. The path definition 202 is generated based on some previously collected reference data, such as geometry of boundary and obstacles of the work region and vehicle specifications (e.g., turning radii, work path width, vehicle speed, etc.). Multiple path definitions may be prepared for the work region 104, e.g., to perform work in different patterns, divide the work region into sub-regions. Other map data may be used by the autonomous work vehicle 100 during autonomous work in addition to the path definition 202, such as a map of the work region (terrain map, visual map, 3D point cloud, etc.).

[0036] As shown, the autonomous work vehicle 100 may be staged at an arbitrary location within the work region 104 by the operator 118. The staging may be done after traversing an obstacle (not shown) via manual control. The staging involves placing the work vehicle 100 at the location and initiating autonomous work, e.g., via an onboard or remote user interface. After the staging, a starting pose of the autonomous work vehicle 100 is determined, e.g., measured by onboard sensors such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) sensors, compass, visual sensor, proximity sensors. Generally, pose refers to a combination of location / position and orientation (the latter indicated by start heading 201), and is updated as the work vehicle 100 moves through the work region 104. A pose measurement may include other data, such as roll and tilt angles, elevation, etc., and these other measurements could optionally be used in the illustrated scenario.

[0037] The user interface of the work vehicle 100 provides guidance to the operator 118 to manually maneuver the machine proximate to a resume point 206 on the work path 200 after an unexpected condition has halted autonomous work. Once the vehicle 100 has been located back on or near to the resume point 206, autonomous work can resume on the vehicle work path 200, as indicated by dashed line 208. The dashed line proceeds from aPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) point where the operator 118 stops manual control of the work vehicle slightly off of the path to a point on the path where autonomous work can resume. The dashed line 208 may be considered a non-working, transit path that is autonomously navigated along. The work implement may be disengaged along the transit path. In some embodiments, the work vehicle 100 may require the resume point be on the path 200 or close enough to the path that some condition is met, e.g., at least part of the vehicle 100 overlaps the path 200. Thus a transit path as indicated by dashed line 208 may not be used in those cases.

[0038] In FIG.3A, a diagram shows how a ground care vehicle 100 determines a direction for a directional indicator 300 according to an example embodiment. The vehicle 100 is represented as a triangle with the generally rightward-facing vertex representing a forward direction of motion. The diagram shows the vehicle 100 moving along a planned path 111 from left to right at time t1, when an unexpected event in the form of an obstacle is encountered at section 124. At times t2-t6, an operator (not shown) manually guides the vehicle 100 around the obstacle and off of the section 124 of the planned path 111.

[0039] At each time t2-t6 during the manual guidance, the vehicle 100 calculates a projection line 302 and projection point 304. The latter represents a closest point on the planned path 111 from the current position of the vehicle 100, and the length of the line 302 represents the minimum distance. In one implementation, the search for the projection point is performed within a lookahead window starting from a last known closest path point, to ensure, for example, that the projection point isn’t projected onto a parallel path line or in backwards direction. The diamond shapes on the planned path represent target points 306 that are offset 307 in a forward direction along the planned path from the projection points 304. The vehicle 100 calculates an angle 309 between a reference point on the vehicle 100 (the center of the vehicle 100 in this example) and the target point 306. The user interface of the vehicle 100 renders the directional indicator 300 (e.g., an arrow on a display) to point at this angle 309.

[0040] The offset 307 between the projection point 304 and the target point 306 may be a constant value, or may be based on a speed of the vehicle 100, e.g., a component of the vehicle’s speed along the direction of the planned path 111. For a full-sized, ridable autonomous mower, for example, a fixed offset 307 of about one meter may suffice toPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) provide useful guidance, e.g., not pointing too far forward or too far to the side under most conditions. Pointing too far forward may result in the operator moving the machine too far past the section 124. Pointing too far to the side may result in overcorrection on the part of the operator, such that the operator or the vehicle has to make sharp turns in order to reacquire the path 111 once the obstacle has been traversed.

[0041] Circle 310 represents a region where the vehicle 100 is close enough to the planned path 111 such that autonomous operation may resume, which is indicated by a change in a status indicator. The status indicator may be integrated with the directional indicator 300, for example, by changing the directional indicator from a first color (e.g., red) outside the circle 310 to a second color (e.g., green) inside the circle 310, which in this example occurs at time t6. Note that the placement of the target point 306 ahead of the projection point 304 at time t6 results in a shallow approach angle 312, which may result in an easier transition to autonomous resumption at time t6. The ability to resume autonomous work in this example may be based on other conditions, such as heading and / or clearing of any other conditions. As an example of the former, the status indicator may change only if the vehicle is at or within the circle 310, in addition to the vehicle’s approach angle 312 being within some limit, e.g., ±30º.

[0042] In FIG.3B, a diagram shows how a ground care vehicle 100 operates a directional indicator 300 according to another example embodiment. In this example, the section 124 is not autonomously navigable due to an unplanned event such as a machine fault (which could be mechanical, electrical, and / or software in nature) or due to some other condition. The unplanned event does not prevent safe manual navigation through the section 124 along the planned path 111, however. In this situation then, the target points 306 are directly ahead of the vehicle 100 by the offset 307, and there is no projection line as long the operator can remain on the planned path 111. For clarity, the directional indicators are not shown in this view, but would point straight ahead for straight parts of the path, and for curved paths, to the closest part of a curve that is separated from the current position by offset 307.

[0043] In FIG.3A, the circle 310 represents a status of whether or not the machine fault or condition is cleared, thereby allowing the autonomous machine to resume thePATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) autonomous work. The status could be a binary state with no associated distance range, e.g., fault or no-fault. Thus, in some cases, the status transition region could alternatively be represented as a point (circle 310 with radius = 0) or a line (e.g., vertical line going through the center of circle 310).

[0044] In FIG.4, a perspective view shows a user interface 119 according to an example embodiment. The interface includes various manual input controls such as lever 400, rocker switch 401, and buttons 402. The user interface 119 also includes user output devices such as indicator lights 403, 404 and a digital display 406. As seen in this view, the directional indicator can be an animated arrow 408 rendered on the digital display 406.

[0045] The arrow 408 rotates relative to the frame of the vehicle such that an operator can confidently steer the vehicle around obstacles and the like while getting instant feedback, e.g., regarding both which direction and how much to turn the vehicle. As noted above, the appearance of the arrow 408 may change depending on whether or not the vehicle is within a distance from the path (e.g., within circle 310) and / or some other condition has changed such that autonomous work can resume. This change may be any combination of a change in color (e.g., red to green), shape fill (e.g., open to solid), drawing style (e.g., flashing to steady), and / or may be a separate element, e.g., a check mark that shows up within or near the arrow 408 when the machine is within the radius, change in background color, fill pattern, and / or style. Other user interface elements separate from the display could also be used together with or instead of the visual indicators to indicate path proximity. Examples of such indicators may include an indicator light (e.g., LEDs in the shapes of arrows), audible tone, haptic input to controls, or a mechanical indicator (e.g., flag display indicator). The directional indicator could instead or in addition be implemented as these other types of indicators, e.g., array of lights, a mechanical dial, tone that varies in pitch based on angle, voice guidance, etc.

[0046] In some embodiments, the input controls may be separate from the vehicle, e.g., using a line-of-sight remote controller for a smaller autonomous machine. In such a case, the directional indicator may still be mounted to the vehicle, e.g., on a top surface that can be easily seen. The directional indicator may also or instead be rendered on the remote control. In such a configuration, the vehicle may communicate data to the remotePATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) control that indicates the state and direction of the indicator. In these cases, the directional indicator will show a suggested vehicle heading to reacquire the path.

[0047] Note that in embodiments described above, loss of navigation capability is listed as an unexpected event that might stop autonomous work. The vehicle’s controller may have alternate ways of computing the directional indicator if autonomous geolocation services are lost. Such alternate directional computing means could at least determine a relative position between the vehicle and the planned path. Assuming the affected region is not too large, the vehicle may use dead reckoning, e.g., by reading wheel encoders, to estimate vehicle pose relative to the path. This can be done, for example, by calculating a change in latitude and longitude distance over a period of time based on values of the wheel encoders, then adding the change in distance to the last known geolocation and heading. Since the geolocations describing the planned path do not change, this allows existing geolocation algorithms to calculate values of the distance and / or status indicators even where geolocation services are unavailable. Other sensors such as a magnetic compass can be used in dead reckoning, and / or to improve / validate pose estimation.

[0048] In some cases, a loss of navigation may involve losing geolocation to an accuracy and precision that is prerequisite for autonomous work (e.g., via RTK). However, alternate geolocation services (e.g., GPS) may still provide sufficient accuracy to manually guide the vehicle along or around an affected part of the path and can be used to calculate the directional and status indicators. In other cases, a visual system (e.g., via cameras, lidar) may be able to provide a pose estimate, e.g., by detecting known features in the workplace and triangulating based on a selected set of features seen by the visual system.

[0049] In FIG.5, a block diagram shows components of various apparatuses and systems as described herein. A work vehicle 500 includes a system controller 501 adapted to monitor and control various system functions. The system controller 501 may include one or more processors that are coupled to one or more input / output (I / O) busses 502. The controller 501 receives various inputs and executes one or more computer programs or applications stored in memory 504. The memory 504 may include volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random-access memory) or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). Other hardware may also be coupled to the I / O busses 502 including sensors 503, powerPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) management circuits 505, batteries 506, drive controller circuits 507, drive motor / actuators 508, work unit controller 509, work unit motor / actuators 510, and external data interface 511 that allows exchanging data with an external computing arrangement, e.g., operations facility 520.

[0050] The memory 504 includes computer-readable instructions or applications that, when executed, e.g., by one or more processors, cause the controller 501 to perform various computations and / or issue commands. That is to say, the controller 501 and memory 504 may together define a computing apparatus operable to process input data and generate the desired output to one or more components / devices. For example, the sensors 503 may include a GNSS receiver and / or wheel encoders that generate signals processed by the controller 501 (e.g., via autonomous navigation software 512) to generate speed and steering angle commands to the one or more motors 508 to cause the drive wheels to rotate (at the same or different speeds and in the same or different directions). In other words, the controller 501 may control the steering angle and speed of the vehicle 500.

[0051] The sensors 503 may include navigation sensors such as cameras, as proximity sensors, ground contact sensors, cameras, lidar, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) sensors, real-time kinetic (RTK) sensors, wheel encoders, radar, contact sensors, beacon detectors, boundary wire detectors, etc. In various embodiments described herein, the vehicle 500 operates with one or more work implements that perform work tasks, such as cutting turf, aerating turf, spraying turf or other plants, ground leveling, irrigation, fertilization, etc. The work implement may include independent motors and / or actuators 510 that drive the implement. A work unit controller 509 can enable and disable the motors / actuators 510, and control aspects such as speed, cut height, etc.

[0052] The vehicle 500 may have the ability to communicate with an operations facility 520, which may include a data center and / or computing device with similar functionality, e.g., an on-site computer. Example functions provided by the operations center include map management 521, which involves the learning, definition, storage, and retrieval of maps of a work region and work paths within the work region. The work paths may be generated and stored before work commences, e.g., after an initial training on work region boundaries and obstacles. In some cases, work paths may be dynamically generatedPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) for one or more work sessions. The work paths are used by an autonomous navigation unit 512 to guide the vehicle 500 through the work region. A user interface 513 may also be used to manually control machine operations, as well as provide inputs to communicate information that implies operator intent.

[0053] The user interface 513 includes at least a directional indicator 514 and optionally a status indicator 515 that are operable with the autonomous navigation software 512 to provide operator path guidance due to interruptions in autonomous work mode caused by unexpected events. This assists the operator when inputting control commands to the user interface 513 to guide the vehicle 500 along or around the planned path in order to remedy conditions resulting from the unexpected event.

[0054] The operations facility 520 may assist in work planning 522, such as identification of maps and paths for use at a current location, estimating time to completion, monitoring work as it goes on, etc. The operations facility 520 may have facilities for fleet management 523, which generally involve monitoring a fleet of vehicles for purposes such as coordination to match a collection of vehicles to a particular job, identification of spares, tracking equipment maintenance, etc. The operations facility 520 may also provide signals (e.g., via a wide area network) to inform or signal an operator of an unexpected event that halts autonomous work the vehicle 500. The operations facility 520 may also include a remote control service 534 that allows control of the vehicle 500 when beyond line of sight, managing data exchange such as visual access via line of sight cameras, vehicle telemetry, and sending or relaying of control commands.

[0055] In view of the above, it will be readily apparent that the functionality of the controllers of the system may be implemented in any manner known to one skilled in the art. For instance, the memory may include any volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, and / or electrical media, such as a random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, and / or any other digital media.

[0056] The processors used in the controllers may include any one or more of a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or equivalentPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) discrete or integrated logic circuitry. In some embodiments, the processor may include multiple components, such as any combination of one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, and / or one or more FPGAs, as well as other discrete or integrated logic circuitry. The functions attributed to the controller and / or processor herein may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination of these. Certain functionality of the controller may also be performed in the cloud or other distributed computing systems operably connected to the processor.

[0057] The inter-device and intra-device communications may use any combination of wired and wireless communications. Examples of wireless data interfaces include WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular modem, inductive data interface, and NFC. Examples of wired interfaces include Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, Controller Area Network (CAN), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), and serial line (e.g., RS-232, IEEE 1394).

[0058] In FIG.6, a flowchart illustrates a method 600 of determining a directional indicator for an autonomous work vehicle according to an example embodiment. The method is generally performed via a controller of the work vehicle. The method involves determining 601 a current location and heading, e.g., a current pose of the work vehicle determined. This determination 601 uses data from navigation controller 610 which includes at least one or more navigation sensors, e.g., geolocation sensors, wheel encoders. At block 602, the autonomous work vehicle determines whether it is on the planned path, e.g., by comparison of the current position to a geometric representation of the planned path, as indicated by path data 611. The vehicle may be considered on the path if the distance from the current position to a curve representing the path is within a threshold distance.

[0059] If the autonomous work vehicle is on the path, block 602 returns ‘yes,’ and a target point is determined 603 based on the current position and planned path geometry data. In particular, the target point is offset from the current position along planned path by an offset value, which may be fixed distance value or a variable distance value, e.g., variable based on some current condition such as vehicle speed, work region topography, vehicle mode, etc. A target heading is determined 606 based on the target point and current position. The target heading may be expressed as an angle between 0º and 360º, with truePATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) north being 0º. The indicator angle is determined 607 based on a difference between the target heading and the current heading, and the indicator angle 608 is returned, e.g., to set a position of the directional indicator.

[0060] If the autonomous work vehicle is not on the path, block 602 returns ‘no,’ and a projection point is determined that is a closest point on the planned path from the current position. In some cases, there may be more than one closest point. For example, a circular arc has multiple points along the arc that are equidistant from the center point. When choosing from multiple candidate points, a secondary criterion may be used, such as selecting a point that is on or between the forward direction and a lateral direction of the vehicle (e.g., corresponding to cross track direction in FIG.1). If there are multiple points that meet this qualification, the one closest to the lateral direction may be chosen, for example. Other criterion may be used to reject candidate closest points, e.g., points that lie in a reverse direction along the path.

[0061] After the projection point is determined, a target point is determined 605 that that is offset from the projection point along the planned path in forward direction of motion by an offset value. The offset value may be fixed or variable as described above. As before, the indicator angle is then determined 607 based on a difference between the target heading and the current heading and the angle is returned 608. Note that blocks 602 and 603 may be optional, as the determination at block 604 should wind up with the projection point being the same as the current position if the vehicle is already on the planned path within some threshold.

[0062] In FIG.7, a flowchart illustrates a method according to another example embodiment. The method involves causing 700 an autonomous work vehicle to perform autonomous work in a work region along a planned path. This may be started by a manual control (e.g., start button), schedule, remote signal, etc. Generally, an operator may make some staging operations (e.g., staging the machine, walk through the area) prior to the work starting. During the work, a sensor of the autonomous work vehicle detects 701 an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path. Note that in this example, aPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) sensor can include a processor that senses software faults and halts operations. The sensors may also include other sensors described elsewhere.

[0063] In response to the unplanned event, manual control over the autonomous work vehicle is facilitated 702, e.g., via local input interface. Gaining manual control may involve operator verification (e.g., code entry, biometric recognition, physical key) as well as enabling input controls. The operator is in proximity to the autonomous work vehicle during the manual control. A directional indicator is provided 703 via a user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle.

[0064] In FIG.8, a flowchart illustrates a method of resuming autonomous work of an autonomous work vehicle according to another example embodiment. The method involves causing 800 the autonomous work vehicle to perform the autonomous work in a work region along a planned path, e.g., as described above in regards to FIG.7. The method involves determining 801 that the autonomous work vehicle has encountered an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path.

[0065] The autonomous work vehicle is manually controlled 802, e.g., via a local input interface, to traverse the section of the planned path. The manual control is performed in proximity to the autonomous work vehicle. The method further involves following 803 a directional indicator provided via a user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the work vehicle.

[0066] While the present disclosure is not so limited, an appreciation of various aspects of the disclosure will be gained through a discussion of the specific illustrative aspects provided below. Various modifications of the illustrative aspects, as well as additional aspects of the disclosure, will become apparent herein.

[0067] Example 1 is an autonomous work vehicle, comprising: a traction unit operable to move the autonomous work vehicle over a work region; a user interface that is accessible by an operator to manually control the autonomous work vehicle; and a controller coupled to the traction unit and the user interface, the controller comprising atPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) least one processor and operable to: access a planned path and cause the traction unit to move along the planned path during autonomous work; detect an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path; and in response to the operator taking manual control over the traction unit to traverse the section of the planned path, provide a directional indicator via the user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the autonomous work vehicle.

[0068] Example 2 includes the autonomous work vehicle of example 1, wherein the directional indicator directs the operator along or towards the planned path during the manual control, wherein the autonomous work vehicle resumes the autonomous work after being directed on or near to the planned path after traversing the section of the planned path. Example 3 includes the autonomous work vehicle of example 1 or 2, wherein the user interface further comprise a status indicator that indicates, during the manual control, whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path.

[0069] Example 4 includes the autonomous work vehicle of example 3, wherein: the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the autonomous work vehicle is close enough to the planned path to resume the autonomous work. Example 5 includes the autonomous work vehicle of example 3, wherein: the unplanned event comprises a machine fault or condition that prevents autonomously proceeding along the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle along the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the machine fault or condition is cleared, thereby allowing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work.

[0070] Example 6 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the user interface comprises a digital display. Example 7 includes the autonomous work vehicle of example 6, wherein the directional indicator comprises an arrow rendered on the digital display. Example 8 includes the autonomous work vehicle of example 7,PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) wherein the arrow changes color based on whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path.

[0071] Example 9 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the operator rides on or in the autonomous work vehicle during the manual control. Example 10 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the autonomous work vehicle comprises an autonomous mower. Example 11 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the controller determines, during the manual control, a target point on the planned path to which the directional indicator points or indicates, wherein determining the target point comprises: determining a closest point on the planned path from the current position; and determining an offset along the planned path in a direction of forward motion, the target point being located at the offset.

[0072] Example 12 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path, wherein the manual control moves the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path. Example 13 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any one of examples 1-11, wherein the unplanned event comprises a loss of navigation capability, wherein the manual control moves the autonomous work generally along the planned path. Example 14 includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the controller sends a signal to the operator indicating the unplanned event. Example 14A includes autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the user interface is accessible by the operator while the operator is proximate to the autonomous work vehicle. Example 14B.includes the autonomous work vehicle of any previous example, wherein the user interface is accessible by the operator when the operator is beyond line of sight of the work vehicle.

[0073] Example 15 is method, comprising: causing an autonomous work vehicle to perform autonomous work in a work region along a planned path; detecting, via a sensor of the autonomous work vehicle, an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path; facilitating manual control over the autonomous work vehicle in response toPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) the unplanned event; and providing a directional indicator via a user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the autonomous work vehicle.

[0074] Example 16 includes the method of example 15, further comprising: directing the operator to move the autonomous work vehicle along or towards the planned path during the manual control; and causing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work after being directed on or near to the planned path after traversing the section of the planned path.

[0075] Example 17 includes the method of example 15 or 16, further comprising, via the user interface, presenting a status indicator that indicates, during the manual control, whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path. Example 18 includes the method of example 17, wherein: the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the autonomous work vehicle is close enough to the planned path to resume the autonomous work.

[0076] Example 19 includes the method of example 17, wherein: the unplanned event comprises a machine fault or condition that prevents autonomously proceeding along the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle along the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the machine fault or condition is cleared, thereby allowing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work.

[0077] Example 20 includes the method of any previous method example, wherein the user interface comprises a digital display. Example 21 includes the method of example 20, wherein providing the directional indicator comprises rendering an arrow on the digital display. Example 22 includes the method of example 21, further comprising changing a color of the arrow based on whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path.PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01)

[0078] Example 23 includes the method of any previous method example, wherein facilitating the manual control comprises the operator riding on or in the autonomous work vehicle. Example 24 includes the method of any previous method example, wherein the autonomous work comprises autonomous mowing. Example 25 includes the method of any previous method example, further comprising, during the manual control: determining a closest point on the planned path from the current position; determining an offset along the planned path in a direction of forward motion; and pointing the directional indicator to a target point at the offset.

[0079] Example 26 includes the method of any previous method example, wherein the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path, wherein the manual control comprises moving the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path. Example 27 includes the method of any one of examples 15-25, wherein the unplanned event comprises a machine fault or condition, and wherein the manual control comprises moving the autonomous work generally along the section of the planned path. Example 27A includes the method of any one of claims 15-27, wherein the operator is in proximity to the autonomous work vehicle during the manual control.

[0080] Example 28 is a method of resuming autonomous work of an autonomous work vehicle, comprising: causing the autonomous work vehicle to perform the autonomous work in a work region along a planned path; determining that the autonomous work vehicle has encountered an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path; manually controlling the autonomous work vehicle to traverse the section of the planned path; and following a directional indicator provided via a user interface during the manual controlling that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the autonomous work vehicle.

[0081] Example 29 includes the method of example 28, wherein the manual controlling comprises directing the autonomous work vehicle along or towards the planned path during the manual controlling, the method further comprising causing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work after being directed on or near to the plannedPATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) path after traversing the section of the planned path. Example 30 includes the method of example 28 or 29, wherein the manual controlling comprises riding on or in the autonomous work vehicle. Example 31 includes the method of any one of examples 28-30, wherein the autonomous work comprises autonomous mowing.

[0082] Example 32 includes the method of any one of examples 28-31, wherein the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path, wherein the manual controlling comprises moving the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path. Example 33 includes the method of any one of examples 28-31, wherein the unplanned event comprises a machine fault or condition, wherein manual controlling comprises moving the autonomous work generally along the planned path.

[0083] It is noted that the terms “have,” “include,” “comprises,” and variations thereof, do not have a limiting meaning, and are used in their open-ended sense to generally mean “including, but not limited to,” where the terms appear in the accompanying description and claims. Further, “a,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” are used interchangeably herein. Moreover, relative terms such as ”left,” “right,” “front,” “fore,” “forward,” “rear,” “aft,” “rearward,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and the like may be used herein and, if so, are from the perspective shown in the particular figure, or while the machine is in an operating configuration. These terms are used only to simplify the description, however, and not to limit the interpretation of any embodiment described. As used herein, the terms “determine” and “estimate" may be used interchangeably depending on the particular context of their use, for example, to determine or estimate a position or pose of a vehicle, boundary, obstacle, etc.

[0084] Further, it is understood that the description of any particular element as being connected to or coupled to another element can be directly connected or coupled, or indirectly coupled / connected via intervening elements.

[0085] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing feature sizes, amounts, and physical properties used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to thePATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the teachings disclosed herein. The use of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5) and any range within that range.

[0086] The various embodiments described above may be implemented using circuitry, firmware, and / or software modules that interact to provide particular results. One of skill in the arts can readily implement such described functionality, either at a modular level or as a whole, using knowledge generally known in the art. For example, the flowcharts and control diagrams illustrated herein may be used to create computer-readable instructions / code for execution by a processor. Such instructions may be stored on a non- transitory computer-readable medium and transferred to the processor for execution as is known in the art. The structures and procedures shown above are only a representative example of embodiments that can be used to provide the functions described hereinabove.

[0087] Note that any components described herein using terms such as “processor,” “controller,” “logic circuit,” “CPU,” or the like may be implemented using a plurality of discrete units operating together. For example, a processer that performs a series of steps or operations may be construed as two or more processors operating cooperatively to perform the steps. Similarly, other processing hardware such as memory and input-output may perform the described functions with multiple discrete units operating cooperatively or being coordinated by another unit, e.g., by a central processor or processors.

[0088] The foregoing description of the example embodiments has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Any or all features of the disclosed embodiments can be applied individually or in any combination and are not meant to be limiting, but purely illustrative. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not with this detailed description, but rather determined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) CLAIMS:

1. An autonomous work vehicle, comprising: a traction unit operable to move the autonomous work vehicle over a work region; a user interface that is accessible by an operator to manually control the autonomous work vehicle; and a controller coupled to the traction unit and the user interface, the controller comprising at least one processor and operable to: access a planned path and cause the traction unit to move along the planned path during autonomous work; detect an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path; and in response to the operator taking manual control over the traction unit to traverse the section of the planned path in response to the unplanned event, provide a directional indicator via the user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the autonomous work vehicle.

2. The autonomous work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the directional indicator directs the operator along or towards the planned path during the manual control, wherein the autonomous work vehicle resumes the autonomous work after being directed on or near to the planned path after traversing the section of the planned path.

3. The autonomous work vehicle of claim 1 or 2, wherein the user interface further comprise a status indicator that indicates, during the manual control, whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path.

4. The autonomous work vehicle of claim 3, wherein:PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the autonomous work vehicle is close enough to the planned path to resume the autonomous work.

5. The autonomous work vehicle of claim 3, wherein: the unplanned event comprises a machine fault or condition that prevents autonomously proceeding along the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle along the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the machine fault or condition is cleared, thereby allowing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work.

6. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the user interface comprises a digital display.

7. The autonomous work vehicle of claim 6, wherein the directional indicator comprises an arrow rendered on the digital display.

8. The autonomous work vehicle of claim 7, wherein the arrow changes color based on whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path.

9. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the operator rides on or in the autonomous work vehicle during the manual control.

10. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the autonomous work vehicle comprises an autonomous mower.PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) 11. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the controller determines, during the manual control, a target point on the planned path to which the directional indicator points or indicates, wherein determining the target point comprises: determining a closest point on the planned path from the current position; and determining an offset along the planned path in a direction of forward motion, the target point being located at the offset.

12. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the controller sends a signal to the operator indicating the unplanned event.

13. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the user interface is accessible by the operator while the operator is proximate to the autonomous work vehicle.

14. The autonomous work vehicle of any previous claim, wherein the user interface is accessible by the operator when the operator is beyond line of sight of the work vehicle.

15. A method, comprising: causing an autonomous work vehicle to perform autonomous work in a work region along a planned path; detecting, via a sensor of the autonomous work vehicle, an unplanned event during the autonomous work that prevents the autonomous work vehicle from autonomously traversing a section of the planned path; facilitating manual control over the autonomous work vehicle by an operator in response to the unplanned event; and providing a directional indicator via a user interface during the manual control that indicates a direction of the planned path relative to a current position of the autonomous work vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:PATENT Docket No.0206.000347WO01 (P01949-WO01) directing the operator to move the autonomous work vehicle along or towards the planned path during the manual control; and causing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work after being directed on or near to the planned path after traversing the section of the planned path.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, further comprising, via the user interface, presenting a status indicator that indicates, during the manual control, whether or not the autonomous work vehicle can resume the autonomous work on the planned path.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein: the unplanned event comprises an unexpected obstacle that blocks the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle around the unexpected obstacle away from the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the autonomous work vehicle is close enough to the planned path to resume the autonomous work.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein: the unplanned event comprises a machine fault or condition that prevents autonomously proceeding along the planned path; the manual control involves moving the autonomous work vehicle along the section of the planned path; and the status indicator indicates whether or not the machine fault or condition is cleared, thereby allowing the autonomous work vehicle to resume the autonomous work.

20. The method of any one of claims 15-19, wherein the directional indicator comprises an arrow rendered on a display.

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