Agricultural Vehicle Path Geometry Control for Safe Automated Driving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural vehicles face challenges in safely and efficiently navigating agricultural areas without human intervention, particularly in maintaining control over driving dynamics and avoiding collisions, while existing automated systems may not adequately account for path geometry and speed to prevent unsafe driving behaviors.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a control system that determines a section of the path ahead based on vehicle speed, communicates geometric information to a controller via a mobile terminal, and checks for driving dynamics influences to activate appropriate components, such as steering or braking, to ensure safe operation, including obstacle detection and reaction time assessment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If automated steering control is implemented without considering driving dynamics, then automation level increases, but safety and control reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation levelVSAvoidsafety and control
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control system performs preliminary analysis of driving dynamics influences before executing steering commands. The controller evaluates geometric information about the path section ahead and assesses potential driving dynamics effects in advance, allowing the system to prepare appropriate control responses that maintain safety while achieving automation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors actual driving dynamics during vehicle operation and compares them against expected values. Based on this feedback, the controller adjusts steering commands in real-time to maintain safe operation, enabling automated control to adapt to actual vehicle behavior and maintain high reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the vehicle travels at higher speeds, then productivity increases, but the risk of losing traction and tipping over increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetravel speedVSAvoidtipping risk and traction loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system dynamically adjusts vehicle operating parameters based on path geometry and driving dynamics assessment. When high-speed travel along a curved path would exceed safe driving dynamics limits, the controller automatically reduces speed or modifies steering commands to maintain safe operation, allowing the vehicle to optimize productivity while avoiding tipping and traction loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If the vehicle follows a predetermined path without deviation, then navigation precision improves, but the ability to respond to obstacles and dynamic conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath following accuracyVSAvoidresponse to obstacles
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The control system implements dynamic path adjustment capabilities that allow the vehicle to deviate from the predetermined path when necessary. The controller continuously evaluates driving dynamics influences and obstacle conditions, enabling the vehicle to dynamically modify its trajectory while maintaining overall navigation accuracy and responding appropriately to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3945765B1Method and control system for controlling an agricultural vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.03.15 ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
  • EP3945765B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3945765B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for controlling an agricultural vehicle on agricultural acreage. A route for travelling over the agricultural acreage is determined in accordance with a driving speed of the agricultural vehicle. Geometrical information for the determined route is communicated by a mobile terminal that can be carried on the agricultural vehicle, via an interface, to a control device, in order to control the agricultural vehicle along the route. A check is carried out as to whether the travel along the path, taking into consideration the communicated geometrical information and the driving speed of the agricultural vehicle, has a dynamic effect that exceeds a predefined driving-dynamics threshold value, on the driving dynamics of the agricultural vehicle. A driving dynamics component of the agricultural vehicle is controlled in accordance with a result of the check. The invention also relates to a control system comprising a control device and a mobile terminal for carrying out the method, and to an agricultural vehicle.