Patent ID: 8527197
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: G01S,G05D

Abstract:
1. Control device for one or more self-propelled mobile apparatus, comprising: a fixed base station equipped with a fixed satellite positioning system receiver and a radio-frequency transceiver that communicates with at least one mobile apparatus, at least one self-propelled mobile apparatus, including a power source, a mobile satellite positioning system receiver, and a radio-frequency transceiver that communicates with said base station, a memory containing data representative of a topographical definition of a terrain travelled over by each mobile apparatus and of a position of the base station in, or in the vicinity of, said terrain, wherein, each mobile apparatus transmits raw GNSS information to the base station that is representative of contents and of characteristics of satellite signals received by said mobile apparatus' mobile satellite positioning system receiver, and to receive a displacement command from said base station; the base station includes: a set-point module including said memory and that works out a strategy for travelling over the terrain by said one or more mobile apparatus as a function of the topographical definition of the terrain and as a function of parameters of a task to be accomplished by the mobile apparatus, a positioning module that calculates an instantaneous position of said mobile apparatus from the raw GNSS information transmitted by the mobile apparatus, from the information that is representative of the contents and of the characteristics of the satellite signals received by the fixed satellite positioning system receiver, and from the position of the base station, and a control module that determines a command for displacement of the mobile apparatus as a function of at least an instantaneous position of said mobile apparatus and as a function of the travelling strategy worked out by the set-point module, and to transmit said displacement command to said mobile apparatus.