GNSS and optical guidance and machine control

A GNSS-based method of guiding a vehicle comprising:

• a motive component and a working component interconnected by an articulated hitch;
• a GNSS guidance system including a receiver;
• a guidance computer on said motive component and connected to said receiver;
• a working component computer on said working component and connected to said guidance computer;
• and optical targets and sensors on said working component;
• which method comprises the steps of:
• defining with said guidance computer a guide path consisting of multiple GNSS-based positions;
• storing in said guidance computer said guide path;
• receiving with said antennas GNSS signals;
• said guidance computer computing GNSS-defined positions of said antennas;
• said guidance computer guiding said vehicle along said guide path using said GNSS defined positions;
• said guidance computer guiding said working component based on the relative positions of said working component, said motive component, and said guide path;
• said guidance computer automatically steering said vehicle along said guide path;
• outputting from inertial measurement units (IMUs) mounted on said motive and working components signals corresponding to roll (X), pitch (Y) and yaw (Z) movements of said motive and working components to said guidance and working component computers respectively;
• said guidance and working component computers computing guide path corrections for said motive and working components using said IMU signal inputs;
• correcting said guide path using guide path correction output from said guidance and working component computers;
• outputting signals corresponding to roll (X), pitch (Y), and/or yaw (Z) directional misalignments between said working component and said motive component from said optical sensors to said guidance and working component computers;
• computing with said guidance computer alignment corrections between said working component and said motive component with said guidance and working component computers using optical sensor inputs;
• and
• with said guidance computer correcting misalignments between said working component and said motive component using alignment correction outputs from said guidance and working component computers.