Gnss supplemented slope control system and method for a work vehicle

Abstract

A work vehicle including a chassis, a ground-engaging mechanism, an input device, a global positioning system, and a controller. The input device providing a bench surface. The global positioning system configured to provide a chassis heading signal, a chassis inclination signal indicative of a main fall angle, and a chassis roll signal indicative of a cross slope angle. The controller configured to receive the chassis heading signals, record the chassis heading signal from a first location to a second location; use the recorded chassis heading signal as a reference chassis heading signal; receive a current chassis heading signal; determine an orientation error based on the reference chassis heading signal and the current chassis heading signal; and send a command to actuate the ground-engaging mechanism to shift the current heading to align with the reference heading based on the orientation error.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A work vehicle comprising:
 a chassis;   a left ground-engaging mechanism and right ground-engaging mechanism coupled to the chassis, the left ground-engaging mechanism and the right ground-engaging mechanism configured to move the chassis over a ground surface;   an input device for providing a bench surface;   a global positioning system communicatively coupled to the work vehicle, the global positioning system configured for generating a chassis heading signal indicative of a location of the work vehicle, a chassis inclination signal indicative of a main fall angle of the chassis relative to the bench surface, and a chassis roll signal indicative of a cross slope angle of the chassis relative to the bench surface; and   a controller configured to:
 receive the bench surface; 
 receive the chassis heading signal, the chassis inclination signal, and the chassis roll signal; 
 record the chassis heading signal from a first location to a second location to create a recorded chassis heading; 
 use the recorded chassis heading as a reference chassis heading; 
 receive a current chassis heading signal; 
 determine an orientation error based on the reference chassis heading and the current chassis heading signal, the orientation error indicative of an angular difference between the reference chassis heading and a current chassis heading; and 
 send a command to actuate the right ground-engaging mechanism and the left ground-engaging mechanism to shift the current chassis heading to align with the reference chassis heading based on the orientation error. 
   
     
     
         2 . The work vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a ground-engaging implement movably connected to the chassis via a linkage assembly configured to allow the implement to be raised and lowered relative to the chassis and moved in a roll direction relative to the chassis; and   an implement sensor configured to provide an implement inclination signal indicative of an angle of the implement relative to one of the chassis and the direction of gravity and an implement roll signal indicative of an angle of the implement in the roll direction relative to one of the chassis and the direction of gravity;   the input device for further providing a desired cross slope relative to the bench surface, a desired mainfall slope relative to the bench surface, and a desired depth relative to the bench surface; and
 wherein the controller is further configured to: 
 receive the desired cross slope, the desired mainfall slope, and the desired depth; 
 receive the implement inclination signal and the implement roll signal; 
 determine an inclination distance error based on the chassis inclination signal and the implement inclination signal, the inclination distance error indicative of a distance between the implement and the desired mainfall slope; 
 determine a roll distance error based on the chassis roll signal and the implement roll signal, the roll distance error indicative of a distance between the implement and the desired cross slope; and 
 send a command to move the implement toward the desired mainfall slope and the desired cross slope, based on the inclination distance error and the roll distance error, and towards the desired depth. 
   
     
     
         3 . The work vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the controller is further configured to abort controlling the left ground-engaging mechanism and the right ground-engaging mechanism based on an orientation error frequency reaching an orientation error frequency threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The work vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the controller is further configured to abort controlling the left ground-engaging mechanism and the right ground-engaging mechanism based on an orientation error threshold reaching an orientation error angle threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The work vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the implement sensor comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope. 
     
     
         6 . The work vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the implement sensor comprises an IMU. 
     
     
         7 . The work vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the linkage assembly is configured to allow the implement to be moved in a yaw direction. 
     
     
         8 . A work vehicle comprising:
 a chassis;   an implement sensor configured to provide an implement inclination signal indicative of an angle of the implement relative to one of the chassis and a direction of gravity and an implement roll signal indicative of an angle of the implement in the roll direction relative to one of the chassis and the direction of gravity;   a global positioning system communicatively coupled to the work vehicle, the global positioning system configured for generating a chassis heading signal indicative of a location of the work vehicle, a chassis inclination signal indicative of a main fall angle of the chassis relative to a bench surface, and a chassis roll signal indicative of a cross slope angle of the chassis relative to the bench surface;   an input device for providing a bench surface, a desired cross slope relative to the bench surface, a desired mainfall slope relative to the bench surface, and a desired depth relative to the bench surface;   a controller configured to:   receive the bench surface, the desired cross slope, the desired mainfall, and the desired depth to determine a target grade;   receive the chassis heading signal, the chassis inclination signal, and the chassis roll signal;   receive the implement inclination signal and the implement roll signal;   record the chassis heading signal from a first location to a second location, the first location to the second location defining a first pass, to create a recorded chassis heading signal of the first pass;   use the recorded chassis heading signal as a reference chassis heading;   receive a current chassis heading signal during a subsequent pass from the first pass;   determine an orientation error based on the reference chassis heading and the current chassis heading signal, the orientation error indicative of an angular difference between the reference chassis heading sand the current chassis heading signal;   update the target grade based on the orientation error, the updated target grade including one of more of an updated target cross slope relative to the bench surface, an updated target mainfall slope relative to the bench surface, and an updated target depth relative to the bench surface; and   send a command to move the implement toward the updated target mainfall slope and the updated target cross slope, based on the orientation error and towards the desired depth.   
     
     
         9 . The work vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the updated target cross slope and the updated target mainfall interchange upon reaching an orientation error threshold indicative of approximately ninety degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The work vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the updated target cross slope and the updated target mainfall slope change proportionately to the orientation error. 
     
     
         11 . The work vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the implement sensor comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope. 
     
     
         12 . The work vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the implement sensor comprises an IMU coupled to the implement. 
     
     
         13 . A method of controlling a chassis of a work vehicle and a ground-engaging implement movably connected to a chassis via a linkage assembly of the work vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving a bench surface, a desired cross slope relative to the bench surface, a desired mainfall slope relative to the bench surface, and a desired depth relative to the bench surface;   receiving a chassis inclination signal indicative of a main fall angle of a chassis of the work vehicle relative to the bench surface;   receiving an implement inclination signal by an implement sensor, the implement inclination signal indicative of an angle of the implement relative to one of the chassis and a direction of gravity;   receiving a chassis roll signal indicative of a cross slope angle of the chassis relative to the bench surface;   receiving an implement roll signal indicative of an angle of the implement in the roll direction relative to one of the chassis and the direction of gravity;   receiving a chassis heading signal indicative of a location of the work vehicle;   record the chassis heading signal from a first location to a second location during a first pass to create a recorded chassis heading signal;   use the recorded chassis heading signal as a reference chassis heading;   receive a current chassis heading signal;   determine an orientation error based on the reference chassis heading and the current chassis heading signal, the orientation error indicative of an angular difference between the reference chassis heading signal and the current chassis heading signal;   determining an inclination distance error based on the chassis inclination signal and the implement inclination signal, the inclination distance error indicative of a distance between the implement and the desired mainfall slope;   determining a roll distance error based on the chassis roll signal and the implement roll signal, the roll distance error indicative of a distance between the implement and the desired cross slope; and   controlling the work vehicle to move in an auto heading mode or an auto slope target update mode.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the auto heading mode comprises:
 sending a command to actuate a right ground-engaging mechanism and a left ground-engaging mechanism to shift the current chassis heading to align with the reference chassis heading based on the orientation error.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the auto slope target update mode comprises:
 updating a target grade based on the orientation error, the updated target grade including one or more of an updated target cross slope relative to the bench surface, and an updated target depth relative to the bench surface; and   sending a command to move the implement toward the updated target mainfall slope and the updated target cross slope, based on the orientation and towards the desired depth.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the implement sensor comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the implement sensor comprises an IMU. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the implement sensor is coupled to the implement. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the linkage assembly is configured to allow the implement to be moved in a yaw direction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the ground-engaging implement comprises a blade.