US 9,188,986 B2 · Computer-implemented method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion for on-the-fly offloading operations

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and systems are disclosed for automatically positioning a moving first vehicle relative to a moving second vehicle traveling in a given area. The method includes the steps of: (a) tracking the second vehicle and guiding the first vehicle to attain a given position relative to the second vehicle; and (b) controlling the first vehicle to maintain a generally constant speed such that an operator of the second vehicle can adjust the speed of the second vehicle to correspondingly adjust a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in a direction of movement of the first and second vehicles, and controlling the first vehicle to maintain a given distance from the second vehicle in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles by tracking the second vehicle.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for automatically positioning a moving first vehicle relative to a moving second vehicle traveling in a given area, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically tracking the second vehicle in a tracking mode and guiding the first vehicle to attain a given position relative to the second vehicle;
and
(b) once the first vehicle has attained the given position relative to the second vehicle in the tracking mode, automatically controlling the first vehicle in a fixed-speed mode to maintain a generally constant speed such that an operator of the second vehicle can manually adjust the speed of the second vehicle to correspondingly adjust a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in a direction of movement of the first and second vehicles, while automatically controlling the first vehicle to maintain a given distance from the second vehicle in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles by tracking the second vehicle.

A first vehicle configured to be automatically positioned relative to a moving second vehicle traveling in a given area, the first vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle drive system;
(b) a vehicle state property estimation system for estimating state properties of the first vehicle;
and
(c) a microprocessor-based vehicle controller receiving data from the vehicle state property estimation system and controlling the vehicle drive system, the vehicle controller being configured to:
(i) automatically track the second vehicle in a tracking mode and control the vehicle drive system to guide the first vehicle to attain a given position relative to the second vehicle;
and
(ii) once the first vehicle has attained the given position relative to the second vehicle in the tracking mode, automatically control the vehicle drive system to maintain a generally constant speed for the first vehicle such that an operator of the second vehicle can manually adjust the speed of the second vehicle to correspondingly adjust a relative position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle in a direction of movement of the first and second vehicles, and automatically control the vehicle drive system such that the first vehicle maintains a given distance from the second vehicle in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first and second vehicles by tracking the second vehicle.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Computer-implemented method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion for on-the-fly offloading operations

Life of this patent

Computer-implemented method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion for on-the-fly offloading operations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36