US 12,464,964 B2
Mobile machine, control unit, data generation unit, method of controlling operation of a mobile machine, and method of generating data
Junichi Yuasa, Sakai (JP); Shunsuke Miyashita, Sakai (JP); Takuya Tamai, Sakai (JP); Shunsuke Edo, Sakai (JP); and Ryo Kurata, Sakai (JP)
Assigned to KUBOTA CORPORATION, Osaka (JP)
Filed by KUBOTA CORPORATION, Osaka (JP)
Filed on May 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/198,758.
Application 18/198,758 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2021/040300, filed on Nov. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-192015 (JP), filed on Nov. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0284550 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A01B 69/04 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/4861 (2020.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC A01B 69/008 (2013.01) [G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 7/4861 (2013.01); G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mobile machine movable between multiple rows of trees, the mobile machine comprising:
at least two LiDAR sensors to output two-dimensional or three-dimensional point clouds data indicating a distribution of objects in a surrounding environment of the mobile machine;
a storage to store environment map data indicating a distribution of trunks of the multiple rows of trees;
a localization processor to detect the trunks of the rows of trees in the surrounding environment of the mobile machine based on the point clouds data that is repeatedly output from the at least two LiDAR sensors while the mobile machine is moving, and to perform matching between the detected trunks of the rows of trees and the environment map data to provide an estimated position of the mobile machine; and
a controller to control movement of the mobile machine in accordance with the estimated position of the mobile machine; wherein
the controller is configured or programmed to, when fewer trunks are detected in one of two adjacent rows of trees among the multiple rows of trees than in another one of the two rows of trees, estimate a distribution of undetected trunks in the one of the two rows of trees based on the distribution of the detected trunks, and perform steering control of the mobile machine based on the estimated distribution.