Using non-real-time computers for agricultural guidance systems

Abstract

A precision steering computer installed on a tractor uses waypoints generated by a hand-held smart-device to steer a tractor. The smart-device is the operators primary interface and is a component of the entire precision agriculture guidance system. The batched, time ordered waypoints represent a list of coordinates for steering the tractor. As the tractor is automatically steered in the field, the waypoints are consumed and discarded by the real-time steering computer in the order they are received from the non-real-time smart device. A planned path is generated by the tractor operator on the smart device and the tractors progress and status are displayed on the same smart-device.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a first navigation computing device configured to generate, in a non-real-time domain, a batch of a plurality of geo-location waypoints for a path; and   a second steering computing device including an input buffer configured to accumulate the geo-location waypoints from the first navigation computing device, wherein the second steering computing device is configured to consume the accumulated geo-location waypoints from the input buffer and generate, at a periodic rate in a real time domain, steering commands for steering a vehicle based, at least in part, on the accumulated geo-location waypoints.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first navigation computing device operates on a handheld smart device and the second steering computing device operates on a dedicated vehicle steering control system coupled to a steering actuator that steers the vehicle based on the steering commands. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first navigation computing device transmits the geo-location waypoints to the input buffer in the second steering computing device over a wireless network. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first navigation computing device transmits a sub-batch of at least two or more of the geo-location waypoints to the input buffer in the second steering computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second steering computing device uses the input buffer as a First-In-First-Out queue for processing the geo-location waypoints. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the second steering computing device is configured to send status messages to the first navigation computing device indicating when the First-In-First-Out queue is ready to accept additional geo-location waypoints. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first navigation computing device includes an output buffer for storing the geo-location waypoints, wherein the first navigation computing device is configured to operate the output buffer as a First-In-First-Out queue first buffering the geo-location waypoints and then transmitting the buffered geo-location waypoints to the input buffer in the second steering computing device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second steering computing device is configured to send a first message to the first navigation computing device indicating the input buffer is approaching capacity for storing the geo-location waypoints, wherein the first message causes the first navigation computing device to stop sending additional geo-location waypoints until receiving a second continue transmitting message from the second steering computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second steering computing device is configured to send a message to the first navigation computing device indicating a current capacity of the input buffer, wherein the first navigation computing device decides to send additional geo-location waypoints to the second steering computing device based on the current capacity of the input buffer. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first navigation computing device is configured to encode the geo-location waypoints transmitted to the second steering computing device to reduce transmission errors. 
     
     
         11 . A method for steering a vehicle, comprising:
 using a first program to:
 generate, in a non-real-time domain, a batch of a plurality of future geo-location waypoints for a selected vehicle path; and 
 transmit the waypoints over a communication channel to an input buffer that is configured to accumulate the future geo-location waypoints; and 
   using a second program to consume the accumulated geo-location waypoints from the input buffer and generate, at a periodic rate in a real time domain, steering commands for steering the vehicle based, at least in part, on the accumulated geo-location waypoints.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a same computing device runs the first program and the second program. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a first computing device runs the first program and a second computing device operating asynchronously from the first computing device runs the second program. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , including wirelessly transmitting the geo-location waypoints over the communication channel from the first computing device to the input buffer operating with the second computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second program run on separate processor cores in a same physical central processing unit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second program run on a same processing device controlled by a time partitioned operating system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second program run on a same processing device and an operating system running on the processing device asynchronously generates the target waypoints with the first program and the steering commands with the second program. 
     
     
         18 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions that, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of one or more electronic devices, are to cause the one or more processors to:
 generate, by a first program in a non-real-time domain, a batch of a plurality of future geo-location waypoints for a selected vehicle path;   transmit, by the first program, at least two or more of the waypoints over a communication channel to an asynchronous buffer that is configured to accumulate the future geo-location waypoints; and   use a second program to consume the accumulated geo-location waypoints from the asynchronous buffer and generate, at a periodic rate in a real time domain, steering commands for steering the vehicle based, at least in part, on the accumulated geo-location waypoints.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more NTCRM of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are to cause a same electronic device of the one or more electronic devices to run the first program and the second program. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more NTCRM of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are to cause a first electronic device of the one or more electronic devices to run the first program, and a second electronic device of the one or more electronic devices to run the second program, wherein the second electronic devices is to operate asynchronously from the first electronic device.