Object height determination for automated vehicle steering control system

1. A steering-system for an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

an object-detector that indicates a peak height of an object approached by a host-vehicle; and

a controller, in communication with the object detector, configured to:

determine that the peak height of the object is less than a first ground clearance of a first portion of the undercarriage of the host vehicle and more than a second ground clearance of a second portion of the undercarriage of the host vehicle;

steer the host-vehicle so that the first portion of the undercarriage of the host-vehicle passes over the object based on the determination that the peak height of the object is less than the first ground-clearance of the first portion of the host-vehicle.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-detector also indicates a width of the object approached by the host-vehicle; and

the controller is further configured to steer the host-vehicle so that the first portion of the undercarriage of the host-vehicle passes over the object when the width of the object is less than a track-width of the host-vehicle.

3. A steering-system for an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

an object-detector that indicates a peak height and a width of an object approached by a host-vehicle; and

a controller, in communication with the object detector, configured to:

determine that the peak height of the object is less than a first ground clearance of a first portion of the undercarriage of the host vehicle and more than a second ground clearance of a second portion of the undercarriage of the host vehicle, and that the width of the object is less than the width of the first portion of the undercarriage over the host vehicle;

steer the host-vehicle so that the first portion of the undercarriage of the host-vehicle passes over the object based on the determination that the peak height of the object is less than the first ground-clearance of the first portion of the undercarriage of the host-vehicle, and the width of the object is less than a width of the first portion of the undercarriage of the host-vehicle.

4. The steering-system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-detector comprises one or more of a camera, a lidar, a radar and an ultrasonic-transducer.

5. The steering-system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-detector is further configured to:

detect multiple heights for the object; and

indicate a tallest height of the multiple heights.

6. The steering-system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

the object-detector is further configured to determine that a trailing edge of the object is past a range of detection of the object-detector; and

the controller is further configured to steer the host-vehicle around the object, when the object-detector determines that the trailing edge of the object is past the range of detection of the object-detector.

7. A method comprising:

detecting, using an object-detector, a peak height of an object approached by a vehicle;

determining, using a controller, that the peak height of the object is less than a first ground clearance of a first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle and more than a second ground clearance of a second portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle; and

in response to determining that that the peak height of the object is less than the first ground clearance of the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle, steering the vehicle so that the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle passes over the object.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting, using the object detector, a width of the object approached by the vehicle;

determining whether the width of the object is less than a track-width of the vehicle; and

in response to determining that the width of the object is less than the track-width of the vehicle, steering the vehicle so that the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle passes over the object.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the object-detector comprises one or more of a camera, a lidar, a radar and an ultrasonic-transducer.

10. The method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting, using the object-detector, multiple heights for the object; and

indicating a tallest height of the multiple heights.

11. The method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting, using the object-detector, that a trailing edge of the object is past a range of detection of the object-detector; and

steering the vehicle around the object, when the object-detector determines that the trailing edge of the object is past the range of detection of the object-detector.

12. A method comprising:

detecting, using an object detector, a peak height and a width of an object approached by a vehicle;

determining, using a controller, that the peak height of the object is less than a first ground clearance of a first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle and more than a second ground clearance of a second portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle, and that the width of the object is less than a width of the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle; and

steering, using the controller, the vehicle so that the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle passes over the object, when the peak height of the object is less than a ground-clearance of the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle, and the width of the object is less than a width of the first portion of the undercarriage of the vehicle.