US 2019/0317516 A1 · AUTONOMOUS AUTOMOBILE GUIDANCE AND TRAJECTORY-TRACKING

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for autonomous car-like ground vehicle guidance and trajectory tracking control. A multi-loop 3DOF trajectory linearization controller provides guidance to a vehicle having nonlinear rigid-body dynamics with nonlinear tire traction force, nonlinear drag forces and actuator dynamics. The controller may be based on a closed-loop PD-eigenvalue assignment and a singular perturbation (time-scale separation) theory for exponential stability, and controls the longitudinal velocity and steering angle simultaneously to follow a feasible guidance trajectory. A line-of-sight based pure-pursuit guidance controller may generate a 3DOF spatial trajectory that is provided to the 3DOF controller to enable target pursuit and path-following/trajectory-tracking. The resulting combination may provide a 3DOF motion control system with integrated simultaneous steering and speed control for automobile and car-like mobile robot target pursuit and trajectory-tracking.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of automatically guiding and controlling a car-like ground vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a position command signal at a guidance controller including a first open-loop nominal controller and a first closed-loop tracking error controller;
receiving a position measurement signal at the guidance controller;
determining, by the first open-loop nominal controller, a nominal velocity signal based on the position command signal;
determining, by the first closed-loop tracking error controller, a velocity control signal based on the position command signal and the position measurement signal;
determining, by the guidance controller, a velocity command signal based on the nominal velocity signal and the velocity control signal;
determining, by the guidance controller, a drive command signal based on the velocity command signal;
and
transmitting the drive command signal to a drive actuator of the car-like ground vehicle.

5 more elements

A controller for automatically guiding and controlling a car-like ground vehicle, the controller comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a memory in communication with the one or more processors and storing program code that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes the controller to:
receive a position command signal;
receive a position measurement signal;
determine a nominal velocity signal based on the position command signal;
determine a velocity control signal based on the position command signal and the position measurement signal;
determine a velocity command signal based on the nominal velocity signal and the velocity control signal;
determine a drive command signal based on the velocity command signal;
and
transmit the drive command signal to a drive actuator of the car-like ground vehicle.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Autonomous automobile guidance and trajectory-tracking

Life of this patent

Autonomous automobile guidance and trajectory-tracking

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20