Method and system for estimating surface roughness of ground for an off-road vehicle to control steering

1. A method for estimating surface roughness of a ground for an off-road vehicle to control steering, the method comprising:

detecting motion data of an off-road vehicle traversing a field or work site during a sampling interval, the motion data comprising ground speed of the off-road vehicle;

detecting pitch data of the off-road vehicle for the sampling interval to obtain a pitch acceleration;

detecting roll data of the off-road vehicle for the sampling interval to obtain a roll acceleration;

determining a surface roughness index based on the detected motion data, pitch data and roll data for the sampling interval;

displaying the surface roughness index to a user or operator of the off-road vehicle; and

estimating a steering gain setting based on the surface roughness index to control a steering system of the off-road vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the detecting pitch data comprises detecting the pitch angle and deriving a second derivative of the pitch angle acceleration from a first derivative of the detected pitch angle with respect to time.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the detecting roll data comprises detecting the roll angle and deriving a second derivative of the roll angle acceleration from a first derivative of the detected roll angle with respect to time.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

estimating zones with corresponding surface roughness index ranges within a field or work site based on the determined surface roughness index as a vehicle traverses or traversed the field or work site over multiple sampling intervals.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

generating a graphical display that illustrates the estimated zones of corresponding surface roughness or index ranges within the field or work site; and

displaying the graphical display to a user or operator of the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

determining a position of a vehicle, or its implement, in the field or in the work site with respect to the estimated zones of different corresponding surface roughness index ranges; and

estimating the steering gain setting for the vehicle consistent with alignment and/or overlap of the determined position of the implement and the estimated zones.

7. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

determining a position of a vehicle, or its implement, in the field or in the work site with respect to the estimated zones of different corresponding surface roughness index ranges; and

controlling an actuator of the vehicle, or its implement, or both to adjust the estimated steering gain setting for corresponding zones with a surface roughness index ranges for transitions or changes between different zone limits or zone thresholds.

8. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

determining a position of a vehicle, or its implement, in the field or in the work site with respect to the estimated zones of different corresponding surface roughness index ranges; and

controlling an actuator to decrease or decrement a present steering gain setting for a present zone with a present surface roughness index range that is greater than a previous range of a previous zone.

9. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

determining a position of a vehicle, or its implement, in the field or in the work site with respect to the estimated zones of different corresponding surface roughness index ranges; and

controlling an actuator to increase or increment the present steering gain setting for a present zone with a present surface roughness index range that is lesser than a previous range of a previous zone.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

collecting image data of the field or work site in a forward field of view of the vehicle;

estimating a visual surface roughness index for the collected image data within the field of view to establish a transition between different estimated steering gain setting zones; and

prior to reaching a next transition region, estimating a next steering gain setting for the implement consistent with alignment and/or overlap of the determined position, the estimated zones and the established transition region.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

collecting image data of the field or work site in a forward field of view of the vehicle;

estimating a visual surface roughness index for the collected image data within the field of view to establish a transition between different estimated steering gain setting zones; and

at the entrance point or beginning of the next transition region, controlling an actuator to increase or increment the next steering gain setting for one or more primary corresponding zones with a surface roughness index range that is greater than a limit of a previous zone threshold that the vehicle, or its implement, is exiting.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

collecting image data of the field or work site in a forward field of view of the vehicle;

estimating a visual surface roughness index for the collected image data within the field of view to establish a transition between different estimated steering gain setting zones; and

at the entrance point or beginning of the next transition region, controlling an actuator to decrease or decrement the steering gain setting for one or more secondary corresponding zones with a surface roughness index range that is less than a limit of the previous zone threshold to transition between the different steering gain settings that the vehicle, or its implement, is exiting.

13. A system for estimating surface roughness of a ground for an off-road vehicle to control steering, the system comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect motion data of an off-road vehicle traversing a field or work site during a sampling interval, the motion data comprising ground speed of the off-road vehicle;

a pitch sensor configured to detect pitch data of the off-road vehicle for the sampling interval to obtain a pitch acceleration;

a roll sensor configured to detect roll data of the off-road vehicle for the sampling interval to obtain a roll acceleration;

a surface roughness index estimator for determining a surface roughness index based on the detected motion data, pitch data and roll data for the sampling interval;

a user interface configured to display the surface roughness index to a user or operator of the off-road vehicle; and

a steering gain module configured to estimate a steering gain setting based on the surface roughness index to control a steering system of the off-road vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein;

the pitch sensor configured to detect a pitch angle as the detected pitch data;

an electronic data processor configured to derive the pitch angle acceleration from a derivative of the detected pitch angle with respect to time.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein:

the roll sensor configured to detect roll angle data as the detected roll data;

an electronic data processor configured to derive the roll angle acceleration from a derivative of the detected roll angle with respect to time.

16. The system according to claim 13 further comprising:

a surface roughness estimator configured to estimate zones with corresponding surface roughness index ranges within a field or work site based on the determined surface roughness index as a vehicle traverses or traversed the field or work site over multiple sampling intervals.

17. The system according to claim 16 further comprising:

an electronic data processor configured to generate a graphical display that illustrates the estimated zones of corresponding surface roughness or index ranges within the field or work site; and

an end user interface for displaying the graphical display to a user or operator of the vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 16 further comprising:

a location-determining receiver for determining a position of a vehicle, or its implement, in the field or in the work site with respect to the estimated zones of different corresponding surface roughness index ranges; and

a steering gain module configured to estimate a steering gain setting for the vehicle, the implement, or both, consistent with alignment and/or overlap of the determined position of the vehicle, the implement, or both, and the estimated zones.

19. The system according to claim 16 further comprising:

a plurality of row units associated with the implement;

a location-determining receiver for determining a position of a vehicle, or its implement, in the field or in the work site with respect to the estimated zones of different corresponding surface roughness index ranges; and

a steering gain module or data processor configured to estimate a steering gain settings associated with the implement consistent with alignment and/or overlap of the determined position of the implement and the estimated zones.

20. The system according to claim 19 further comprising:

an implement control module or actuator controller configured to control an implement steering actuator to adjust the estimated steering gain setting for corresponding zones with a surface roughness index ranges for transitions or changes between different zone limits or zone thresholds.

21. The system according to claim 20 further comprising:

an electronic data processor or steering gain module configured to control an actuator to decrease or decrement a next steering gain setting for a corresponding zone with surface roughness index range that is greater than a limit of a previous zone threshold.

22. The system according to claim 20 further comprising:

an electronic data processor or steering gain module configured to control an actuator to increase or increment a next steering gain setting for a corresponding zone with surface roughness index range that is less than a limit of a previous zone threshold.

23. The system according to claim 13 further comprising:

an imaging system for collecting image data of the field or work site in a forward field of view of the vehicle;

a visual surface roughness estimator configured to estimate a visual surface roughness index for the collected image data within the field of view to establish a transition between different estimated steering gain setting zones; and

prior to reaching a next transition region, an electronic data processor or steering gain module configured to estimate a next steering gain setting for the implement consistent with alignment and/or overlap of the determined position, the estimated zones and the established transition region.

24. The system according to claim 13 further comprising:

an imaging system for collecting image data of the field or work site in a forward field of view of the vehicle;

a visual surface roughness estimator configured to estimate a visual surface roughness index for the collected image data within the field of view to establish a transition between different estimated steering gain setting zones; and

at the entrance point or beginning of the next transition region, controlling an actuator to increase or increment the next steering gain setting for a corresponding primary zone with a surface roughness index range that is less than a limit of a previous zone threshold that the vehicle, or its implement, is exiting.

25. The system according to claim 13 further comprising:

an imaging system for collecting image data of the field or work site in a forward field of view of the vehicle;

a visual surface roughness estimator configured to estimate a visual surface roughness index for the collected image data within the field of view to establish a transition between different estimated steering gain setting zones; and

at the entrance point or beginning of the next transition region, controlling an actuator to decrease or decrement the steering gain setting for a secondary corresponding zone with a surface roughness index range that is greater than a limit of a previous zone threshold that the vehicle, or its implement, is exiting to transition between different surface steering gain settings.