Vehicle posture measurement using ultra-wideband position tracking

A method of determining a location of a movable element of a work vehicle with respect to a worksite coordinate system comprising:

• determining a location and orientation of the work vehicle with respect to the worksite coordinate system;
• positioning first, second, and third communication devices at respective first, second, and third known locations in a work vehicle coordinate system;
• positioning a fourth communication device on the movable element of the work vehicle, the fourth communication device positioned at an unknown variable location in the work vehicle coordinate system;
• sending respective first, second, and third polling signals from the fourth communication device to the first, second, and third communication devices;
• receiving respective first, second, and third response signals by the fourth communication device from the respective first, second, and third communication devices;
• determining respective first, second, and third variable distances from the fourth communication device to the respective first, second, and third communication devices based on respective calculated propagation times between the fourth communication device and the respective first, second, and third communication devices;
• calculating a location of the fourth communication device in the work vehicle coordinate system based on the first, second, and third known locations, respectively, of the first, second, and third communication devices, and the first, second, and third variable distances;
• and
• combining the location of the fourth communication device in the work vehicle coordinate system with the location and orientation of the work vehicle in the worksite coordinate system to determine the location of the fourth communication device in the worksite coordinate system.

A work vehicle comprising:

• a front body section and a rear body section, the rear body section housing a power generation system, the front and rear body sections supporting ground engagement units that move the work vehicle with respect to the terrain of a worksite in response to power provided by the power generation system;
• at least one working element movably coupled to a portion of the work vehicle;
• at least first, second, third, and fourth communication devices, positioned at respective first, second, third, and fourth known locations in a work vehicle coordinate system;
• at least a fifth communication device positioned on the at least one working element, the fifth communication device configured to:
• poll the first, second, third, and fourth communication devices;
• receive a respective response from each of the first, second, third, and fourth communication devices;
• and determine a respective first, second, third, and fourth variable distance from the fifth communication device to each of the respective first, second, third, and fourth communication devices;
• calculate a variable location of the fifth communication device in the work vehicle coordinate system based on the first, second, third, and fourth known locations and the first, second, third, and fourth variable distances;
• and
• outputting data representing the variable location of the fifth communication device in the work vehicle coordinate system;
• and
• at least one vehicle positioning system configured to determine a location and orientation of the work vehicle in a worksite coordinate system, the vehicle positioning system further configured to receive the data representing the variable location of the fifth communication device and to determine the location of the working element in the worksite coordinate system.