| CPC G05D 1/0219 (2013.01) [G01C 21/3807 (2020.08); G05D 1/0225 (2013.01); A01C 21/00 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0201 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A method of area coverage planning with replenishment planning for an autonomous vehicle that spreads a material in a work area, the method comprising, at a computer system:
receiving information of a boundary of the work area;
receiving information of a headland of the work area, wherein the headland has a headland boundary, wherein the headland is characterized by a headland guideline that is inside the headland and offset by a distance from the headland boundary;
receiving location information of one or more refill stations for replenishing the material;
receiving information of a current amount of the material left in the autonomous vehicle;
based on the information of the boundary of the work area, laying a plurality of tracks within the boundary of the work area so as to minimize a total distance of the plurality of tracks, the plurality of tracks being spaced apart from each other by a spacing;
associating each of the plurality of tracks and the headland guideline with a respective unit cost;
based on the information of the boundary of the work area, the information of the headland of the work area, and the respective unit cost, determining an entry route that extends from a current vehicle location to one of the plurality of tracks along the headland guideline;
generating a coverage trajectory that covers the entry route and is traversable by the autonomous vehicle to traverse the plurality of tracks;
based on (i) the coverage trajectory, (ii) the location information of the one or more refill stations, (iii) the current amount of the material left in the autonomous vehicle, and (iv) a nominal full amount and a nominal consumption rate of the material by the autonomous vehicle, determining one or more logistic points along the coverage trajectory at which a remaining amount of the material reaches a threshold, wherein each of the one or more logistic points is located on a respective track, and the respective track is one of the plurality of tracks laid within the boundary of the work area; and
for each respective logistic point of the one or more logistic points, generating a respective replenishment trajectory for the autonomous vehicle, the respective replenishment trajectory comprising:
a first part from the respective logistic point to a respective refill station of the one or more refill stations for replenishing the autonomous vehicle with the material, wherein the first part comprises a path extending from the respective logistic point to an end of the respective track, wherein the autonomous vehicle completes the path before reaching the respective refill station; and
a second part from the respective refill station to the respective logistic point for the autonomous vehicle to resume traversing the coverage trajectory.
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