GPS control of a tractor-towed implement

A control system for a work vehicle towing a towed implement, the vehicle having a steering system including steering actuator for steering steerable wheels, the control system comprising:

• a steering angle sensor for generating a steering angle signal representing an angular position of the steerable wheels;
• an implement GPS antenna mounted on the implement;
• a first GPS receiver coupled to the implement GPS antenna and generating implement position data;
• a fixed land-based GPS antenna;
• a second GPS receiver coupled to the land-based GPS antenna and generating reference position data;
• a wireless transmitter for transmitting the reference position data;
• a vehicle mounted wireless receiver for receiving the reference position data from the transmitter;
• a plurality of vehicle GPS antennas mounted on the work vehicle;
• a third GPS receiver coupled to one of the vehicle GPS antennas and generating vehicle position data;
• a vector unit coupled to the vehicle GPS antennas and generating a vehicle attitude signal;
• a first processor for generating an implement position signal as a function of the implement position data and the reference position data;
• a second processor for generating a vehicle position signal as a function of the vehicle position data and the reference position data;
• an inverse kinematics processor coupled to the first and second processors and to the vector unit, and generating an implement angle signal as a function of the implement position data, the vehicle position data and the vehicle attitude signal;
• and
• a control processor coupled to the first and second processors, to the vector unit, to the an inverse kinematics processor, to the steering angle sensor, and generating a steering control signal as a function of the implement position data, the vehicle position data and the vehicle attitude signal, the implement angle signal, the steering angle signal and a stored desired implement position signal, the steering actuator receiving the steering control signal and steering the steerable wheels in response thereto.

A control system for a work vehicle towing a towed implement, the vehicle having a steering system including steering actuator for steering steerable wheels in response to a steering control signal, the control system comprising:

• means for generating position data representing an actual position of the implement and an actual position of the vehicle position;
• means for generating desired implement position signal representing a desired position of the implement;
• and
• means for generating the steering control signal as a function of the position data and the desired implement position signal, the steering actuator receiving the steering control signal and steering the steerable wheels in response thereto so that the vehicle moves the implement to the desired position.