VEHICLE CONTROLLABLE BY A REMOTE COMPUTER

Abstract

A remotely controlled vehicle for receiving control instructions and data from a remote control device and for transmitting control instructions and data back to said remote control device. The vehicle includes a radio antenna adapted for communication with a smart phone, a transceiver, compass unit, a GPS unit, an electric power source, a servo controlled drive motor, a programmable microcontroller (including sensors) and a servo controlled steering motor.

Claims

1. A vehicle for receiving control instructions and data from a remote control device and for transmitting control instructions and data back to said remote control device, said vehicle comprising: A) a radio antenna adapted for communication with the smart phone, B) a transceiver C) compass unit D) a GPS unit E) an electric power source, F) a drive motor and G) a programmable microcontroller (including sensors) and H) a steering motor.

2. The vehicle as in claim 2, wherein said remote control device is a smart phone, said smart phone programmed with an application adapted to communicate with a programmable microcontroller located on the vehicle to: A) receive sensor data from the programmable microcontroller defining speed and steering direction of the vehicle and B) transmit control signals to the programmable microcontroller for controlling the speed and steering direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the compass unit is a compass/accelerometer unit.

4. The vehicle as in claim 2 as in claim 1 wherein the smart phone and the vehicle are adapted for WiFi communication.

5. The vehicle as in claim 2 as in claim 1 wherein the smart phone and the vehicle are adapted for GSM network communication.

6. The vehicle as in claim 2 wherein the smart phone is an iPhone.

7. The vehicle as in claim 2 wherein the smartphone is programmed with an application: A) using the iOS SDK (iPhone Operating System Software Development Kit). B) using the built-in iOS SDK tools for capturing accelerometer data, GPS coordinates as well as the SDK's WiFi communication libraries. C) using tilt detection from the accelerometer data to determine if the user is tilting the iPhone for steering purposes. D) using the GPS data from the iPhone in conjunction with the data coming from the micro-controller and associated sensors (i.e. compass, accelerometers, GPS) to calculate a trajectory (direction and distance) between the micro-controller and the iPhone.

8. The vehicle as in claim 7 wherein said application can be used to control a vehicle in multiple ways. A) manual steering by slider-bar control (touch activated), B) manual steering by iPhone tilt (accelerometer activated), and C) automatic steering by GPS and compass guided path.

9. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a golf cart.

10. The vehicle as in claim 1 The vehicle as in claim 10 wherein said tractor is comprised of sensors for monitoring field conditions.

11. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a ship automated navigation system.

12. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a boat being maintained on a desired path.

13. The vehicle as in claim 12 where the boat is a ski boat.

14. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a toy vehicle.

15. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the steering motor and the drive motor are servocontrolled motors

16. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the steering motor and the drive motor are microcontroller controlled motors.

17. The vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said remote control device is a remote computer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a preferred hardware control architecture.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a preferred microcontroller programming flowchart.

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a preferred smartphone programming flowchart.

[0024] FIGS. 6-8 show preferred user interface display screens.

[0025] FIG. 9 shows a preferred user interface flowchart.

[0026] FIG. 10 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The present invention provides a method and system for remotely controlling a vehicle via a smartphone over a wireless connection. In a preferred embodiment the processing power of the smartphone is utilized to direct a vehicle utilizing sensor data sent from the on-board microcontroller to the smart phone.

[0028] For example, FIG. 1 shows remotely controllable vehicle 1. In a preferred embodiment, vehicle 1 includes WiFi antenna 2, battery pack 3, servo controller drive motor 4, programmable microcontroller 5 (including sensors), and servo controller steering motor 6. In a preferred embodiment programmable microcontroller 5 is an Arduino Uno programmable microcontroller.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, vehicle 1 also includes compass/accelerometer 7, WiFi networking module 8, and GPS module 9. The WiFi unit is WiFly Shield WRL-09954 available from Sparkfun. The GPS unit is GPS shield Retail Kit RTL-10709 and the compass/accelerometer unit is a 9 degrees freedom MPU Sen-11486 also available from Sparkfun Electronics with offices in Boulder, Colo. (FIG. 2 shows another preferred embodiment. In this embodiment cellular GSM network 13 is utilized instead of WiFi to allow for much greater range in the control of vehicle 1.)

[0030] Hardware Control Architecture

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a preferred hardware control architecture utilized for control of vehicle 1. Smartphone 10 an iPhone available from Apple and it is in communication remotely with vehicle 1 via a wireless connection through networking module 8. Microcontroller 5 receives sensor inputs from networking module 8, GPS module 9, and accelerator/compass sensor 7. Microcontroller sends control signals to servo controlled drive motor 4 and servo controlled steering motor 6.

[0032] Microcontroller Software Flowchart

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a preferred flowchart 11 outlining programming utilized to program microcontroller 5 for the control of vehicle 1. As is clearly shown by flowchart 11, microcontroller 5 is programmed to receive sensor inputs from networking module 8, GPS module 9, and accelerator/compass sensor 7. The sensory data is then used to control the steering and drive velocity of vehicle 1.

[0034] Smartphone Software Flowchart

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a preferred flowchart 12 outlining programming utilized to program smartphone 10 for the control of vehicle 1. In a preferred embodiment control software is downloaded to smartphone 10 via a computer network. For example, in one preferred embodiment the control software is an application that is downloaded via the Internet and installed on smartphone 10. After the programming shown outlined in FIG. 5 is installed on smartphone 10, smartphone 10 can be utilized to control vehicle 1 as described above.

[0036] Following are the general steps Applicants took to develop the iPhone application: [0037] *Applicants developed the iPhone application using the iOS SDK (iPhone Operating System Software Development Kit). [0038] *Applicants used the built-in iOS SDK tools for capturing accelerometer data, GPS coordinates as well as the SDK's WiFi communication libraries. [0039] *Applicants uses tilt detection from the accelerometer data to determine if the user is tilting the iPhone for steering purposes. [0040] *Applicants uses the GPS data from the iPhone in conjunction with the data coming from the micro-controller and associated sensors (i.e. compass, accelerometers, GPS) to calculate a trajectory (direction and distance) between the micro-controller and the iPhone.

[0041] The application can be used to control a vehicle in multiple ways. [0042] 1) Manual steering by slider-bar control (touch activated) [0043] 2) Manual steering by iPhone tilt (accelerometer activated) [0044] 3) Automatic steering by GPS and compass guided path

[0045] Preferred Smartphone User Interfaces

[0046] FIGS. 6-8 show preferred smartphone user interfaces display screens. FIG. 6 shows a preferred smartphone screen that allows the user to calibrate the position of vehicle 1. FIG. 7 shows a preferred smartphone screen that allows the user to receive and process sensor data from networking module 8, GPS module 9, and accelerator/compass sensor 7. FIG. 8 shows a preferred smartphone screen that allows the user to drive and steer vehicle 1.

[0047] FIG. 9 shows a preferred user interface flowchart outlining programming utilized for the display screens shown in FIGS. 6-8.

[0048] Features of a Preferred Embodiment of the Present Invention

[0049] As discussed above, vehicle 1 is preferably manually controlled over an ad hoc WiFi network with a smartphone. GPS and magnetometer data are used to move vehicle 1 to the general location of the connected iPhone, but this function is not very precise due to the inaccuracy of GPS data. Vehicle 1 will preferably stop whenever communication is lost between any of the components (the smartphone, Arduino microcontroller, and the servo controller steering and drive motors).

[0050] It is also possible to utilize a second Arduino microcontroller with GPS in a known, fixed location used to calculate the error in the GPS satellite signals. In another preferred embodiment, sensor data is integrated utilizing Kalman filter for more accurate location tracking over short distances. A camera could be added to the vehicle with the view from the camera transmitted to the smartphone.

[0051] Applicants' Prototypes and Experiments

[0052] Applicants reduced to practice the present invention by building and testing the remote control system depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3 through 9 using an approximately 10 inch toy truck as shown in FIG. 1. The system proved to be fully effective. The Applicants also tested most of the features of the present invention using a modified golf cart. In this test Applicants utilized a steering controller described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/754,676 which is incorporated herein by reference. A driver sat in the golf cart to control the speed of the golf cart but the steering was controlled by the present invention.

[0053] Preferred Uses of the Present Invention

[0054] In one preferred embodiment, smartphone 10 is used to control tractors in the field and to view the status of tractors in the field and monitor data from their sensors. In this capacity, various automated routines may be selected from smartphone 10. For example, autonomous soil-testing vehicles can be given specific locations to test using the smartphone 10 interface.

[0055] In another preferred embodiment smartphone 10 is utilized in place of a dedicated remote to control a ship's automated navigation system. Additionally, to help new boat owners, smartphone 10 can display manual control suggestions, as well as giving tactile feedback by putting a slight force on the physical controls.

[0056] In another preferred embodiment smartphone 10 is used to provide an inexpensive method of automating a tournament ski boat's steering, which is required to stay on a laser-calibrated path for the skier being towed to qualify for a world record.

[0057] Still another potential market is the control of toy models of a variety of vehicles as suggested in the background section. A similar application could be small surveillance vehicles.

[0058] Other Preferred Embodiment

[0059] FIG. 10 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 10 it is shown that vehicle 1 may be controlled by computer devices other than a smartphone. For example remote computer 75 is shown controlling vehicle 1 through a communications network. The communications network may be chosen from a variety of communication networks, such as the Internet, a Wi-Fi network, a GSM network, a Local Area Network or a combination of various types of communication networks.

[0060] Additionally vehicle 1 includes transceiver 80 to transmit as well as receive commands and data.

[0061] Although the above-preferred embodiments have been described with specificity, persons skilled in this art will recognize that many changes to the specific embodiments disclosed above could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although smartphone 10 was described as being an iPhone in one preferred embodiment, it should be understood that a variety of programmable smart intelligent devices could also be substituted (such as the iPad, the iPad Mini, and a variety of programmable cell phones and smartphones, to name just a few). Also, although the Aduino microcontroller was specifically described, it should be clearly understood that a variety of programmable microcontrollers can be substituted to achieve the same result. Other types of drive motors and steering motors other than servo-controlled motors could be used, such as stepper motors and microcontroller controlled motors. Therefore, the attached claims and their legal equivalents should determine the scope of the invention.