Patents by Inventor William Daniel Robinson

William Daniel Robinson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12016255
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed that control vehicle steering. An example apparatus includes: a path acquisition interface configured to obtain, via a user interface a sampling interval; and a controller configured to, during acquisition mode: determine a steering angle of a wheel of the vehicle based on a trigonometric function including a distance associated with a turn radius of the front wheel; and cause, utilizing the steering angle, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver to travel from a first position to a second position, the GNSS receiver located at the first position at a first sampling time and the second position at a second sampling time, the first sampling time and the second sampling time differing by the sampling interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: William Daniel Robinson
  • Patent number: 11778936
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for vehicle steering to follow a curved path. An example apparatus includes interface circuitry to determine vehicle data of a vehicle, navigation manager circuitry to determine navigation data of the vehicle, and tracking mode controller circuitry to: determine the vehicle is approaching a curve based on the navigation data, in response to determining the vehicle is approaching a curve: determine a wheel steering angle utilizing the navigation data and the vehicle data, the wheel steering angle corresponding to the curve, determine a heading error offset adjustment utilizing the navigation data and the vehicle data, and generate steering commands based on the wheel steering angle and the heading error offset, the steering commands to control the vehicle to reduce control errors and follow the wheel steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: William Daniel Robinson
  • Publication number: 20220039309
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for vehicle steering to follow a curved path. An example apparatus includes interface circuitry to determine vehicle data of a vehicle, navigation manager circuitry to determine navigation data of the vehicle, and tracking mode controller circuitry to: determine the vehicle is approaching a curve based on the navigation data, in response to determining the vehicle is approaching a curve: determine a wheel steering angle utilizing the navigation data and the vehicle data, the wheel steering angle corresponding to the curve, determine a heading error offset adjustment utilizing the navigation data and the vehicle data, and generate steering commands based on the wheel steering angle and the heading error offset, the steering commands to control the vehicle to reduce control errors and follow the wheel steering angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventor: William Daniel Robinson
  • Patent number: 11178805
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for vehicle steering to follow a curved path. An example vehicle disclosed herein includes a front axle, a rear axle, a location sensor, and a tracking mode controller to determine a wheel steering angle based on a turn center location corresponding to a navigation curve and one or more measurements between the turn center location and the vehicle, determine a heading error offset adjustment based on the turn center location and the one or more measurements between the turn center location and the vehicle, and cause the vehicle to move along the navigation curve based on the wheel steering angle and the heading error offset adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: William Daniel Robinson
  • Publication number: 20210000004
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for vehicle steering to follow a curved path, An example vehicle disclosed herein includes a front axle, a rear axle, a location sensor, and a tracking mode controller to determine a wheel steering angle based on a tum center location corresponding to a navigation curve and one or more measurements between the turn center location and the vehicle, determine a heading error offset adjustment based on the turn center location and the one or more measurements between the turn center location and the vehicle, and cause the vehicle to move along the navigation curve based on the wheel steering angle and the heading error offset adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventor: William Daniel Robinson
  • Publication number: 20210000005
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed that control vehicle steering. An example apparatus includes: a path acquisition interface configured to obtain, via a user interface a sampling interval; and a controller configured to, during acquisition mode: determine a steering angle of a wheel of the vehicle based on a trigonometric function including a distance associated with a turn radius of the front wheel; and cause, utilizing the steering angle, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver to travel from a first position to a second position, the GNSS receiver located at the first position at a first sampling time and the second position at a second sampling time, the first sampling time and the second sampling time differing by the sampling interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventor: William Daniel Robinson
  • Patent number: 7165395
    Abstract: A system and method of achieving ride control for a work vehicle that replaces a traditional accumulator with a ride control valve, a directional control valve and a fluid pressure source. The fluid pressure source may be a variable displacement hydraulic pump. The ride control valve is set to a first relief pressure that allows fluid to flow from the head end of a hydraulic cylinder when the loading on the cylinder, i.e., the pressure in the head end is equal to or greater than the first relief pressure. A work tool of the vehicle falls from a first position to a second position when fluid flows from the head end. The ride control valve is then reset to a second relief pressure, higher than the first relief pressure and sufficient to move the work tool toward the first position. Afterwards, the directional control valve is opened long enough to allow fluid from the fluid pressure source to enter the head end and move the work tool back to approximately the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Eric Richard Anderson, Russell Arthur Schneidewind, William Daniel Robinson, Daniel Lawrence Pflieger, Daniel Warren Williams
  • Patent number: 6644429
    Abstract: A dual path hydrostatic drive system having an electronic auxiliary drive auxiliary drive controller controlling the hydraulic output of left and right variable displacement pumps in response to the speed of the main drive wheels and a speed ratio signal from a speed ratio input control. In addition, the auxiliary drive auxiliary drive controller controls the outputs of the pumps within three basic boundary conditions; a hydraulic pressure boundary condition, a motor speed boundary condition and a power boundary condition. A clutch mode activation switch has two positions for signaling the auxiliary drive auxiliary drive controller to operate in a first mode in which the auxiliary drive system is shut down upon activation of the main clutch or a second mode where the auxiliary drive controller attempts to mirror the operation of the main drive wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Gladys L. Evans, Judson P. Clark, Glenn Owen Scheer, William Michael Walter, William Daniel Robinson, David William Stubben, Alfred Sigmund Smemo
  • Publication number: 20020100630
    Abstract: A dual path hydrostatic drive system having an electronic auxiliary drive auxiliary drive controller controlling the hydraulic output of left and right variable displacement pumps in response to the speed of the main drive wheels and a speed ratio signal from a speed ratio input control. In addition, the auxiliary drive auxiliary drive controller controls the outputs of the pumps within three basic boundary conditions; a hydraulic pressure boundary condition, a motor speed boundary condition and a power boundary condition. A clutch mode activation switch has two positions for signaling the auxiliary drive auxiliary drive controller to operate in a first mode in which the auxiliary drive system is shut down upon activation of the main clutch or a second mode where the auxiliary drive controller attempts to mirror the operation of the main drive wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Gladys L. Evans, Judson P. Clark, Glenn Owen Scheer, William Michael Walter, William Daniel Robinson, David William Stubben