Patent ID: 8583326

Claim:
A GNSS guidance method using a GNSS guidance system attached to a vehicle towing an implement, the guidance system including a GNSS receiver, at least one GNSS antenna, a processor, and a memory storage device, the method performed by the processor, comprising the steps of: uploading a pre-planned guidance path solution or creating a guidance path solution by storing GNSS data points; storing said guidance path solution as a first guidance path solution; guiding the vehicle along said first guidance path solution; receiving with the antenna and the receiver GNSS position information from a plurality of GNSS positional satellites; recording with the processor current position information received into the memory storage device and storing it as previous swath data corresponding to said first guidance path solution; deviating from said first guidance path solution; engaging a guidance isolation contour lock mode for the swath guidance path solution currently being guided along if the vehicle is guided along the same path for a predetermined amount of time, resulting in a contour lock function ignoring said first guidance solution guidance swaths and computing a second guidance solution path including an isolated guidance contour lock path adapted for use in said isolated guidance contour lock mode; guiding said vehicle along said second guidance solution path in said isolated guidance contour lock mode; repeatedly computing a GNSS position of said vehicle while guiding said vehicle along said second guidance solution path; disengaging said contour lock function in said guidance isolation contour lock mode if said vehicle deviates from said second guidance solution path by greater than a predetermined deviation comprising either a predetermined distance or a predetermined percentage of the width of the guidance path; in said isolated guidance mode with said contour lock function disengaged, locking onto a guidance path from either the first or second guidance solution; with contour lock engaged, ignoring said first guidance solution path at an intersection with said second guidance solution path; providing a steering guide including: 1) an upper steering guide arc comprising an illuminated array indicating a course deviation of said vehicle, said array having illuminated and non-illuminated portions left and right of center, said illuminated portions having lengths corresponding to angular deviations of said vehicle course from said guidance path; and 2) a lower steering guide bar having illuminated and non-illuminated portions left and right of center, said illuminated portions having lengths corresponding to offset distances of said vehicle from said guidance path; and connecting the steering guide to the processor and illuminating: 1) said upper steering guide arc corresponding to a course deviation of said vehicle; and 2) said lower steering guide bar corresponding to an offset of said vehicle from said guidance path.