Patent classifications
A01B69/004
Work Region Setting System, Work Region Setting Method, And Work Region Setting Program
A position acquisition unit acquires positional information of a work vehicle. A travel trajectory generation unit generates a travel trajectory of the work vehicle on the basis of the positional information acquired by the position acquisition unit. A complement point generation unit generates, as selection target points, a first complement point which is an intersection point between extended lines of two adjacent straight lines connecting the travel trajectory generated by the travel trajectory generation unit, and a second complement point within a region from the travel trajectory to the first complement point. A work region generation unit generates a work region of the work vehicle on the basis of the selection target point selected by a user.
COMBINE AND METHOD FOR GENERATING TRAVEL ROUTE
A combine includes a control device configured to function as a travel route creating unit which creates a travel route corresponding to an agricultural field, and as an automatic operation control unit which controls automatic traveling and automatic reaping along the travel route. The travel route creating unit, when creating a travel route for carrying out automatic reaping travel in which, with respect to a work area with a plurality of rows in an agricultural field, a plurality of trips are made back and forth along a row direction, creates the travel route by setting, on the basis of a total number of rows, a maximum number of rows to be reaped, and a lower-limit number of rows to be reaped in the work area, the lower-limit number of rows to be reaped or more for each trip.
System for controlling a working implement connected to a vehicle
A system for controlling a working implement connected to a vehicle, the system comprising: at least one tool mounted on the working implement, the implement and the at least one tool configured to perform an agricultural operation; an automatic steering device associated with the vehicle, the automatic steering device configured to guide the vehicle on an intended vehicle path; an actuator for controlling the lateral position of the working implement relative to the vehicle, the actuator connected to an implement control unit that can be operated to control the actuator in such a way that the working implement is moved on an intended path of the working implement and the implement control unit is set up to compensate a lateral deviation of the vehicle from the intended path of the vehicle through actuation of the actuator; and wherein the implement control unit is programmed to pre-set the actuator after a turning operation in a position in which the effects of the turning operation is compensated.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING SOIL CONDITIONS WITHIN A FIELD
A system for monitoring soil conditions within a field includes an agricultural implement including a frame and a ground-engaging tool coupled to the frame. The system further includes a first sensor coupled to the ground-engaging tool and configured to detect motion of the ground-engaging tool as the agricultural implement is moved across the field. The system additionally includes a second sensor separate from the first sensor. The second sensor is configured to detect an orientation of the ground-engaging tool relative to the frame as the agricultural implement is moved across the field. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first and second sensors. The controller is configured to determine an indication of a soil condition at a given location within the field based at least in part on the detected motion and the detected orientation of the ground-engaging tool at the given location within the field.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING SOIL CONDITIONS WITHIN A FIELD
A system for monitoring soil conditions within a field includes an agricultural implement including a frame and a ganged tool assembly supported relative to the frame and including a toolbar coupled to the frame and a plurality of ground-engaging tools coupled to the toolbar. The system further includes a first sensor provided in operative association with the ganged tool assembly and configured to detect motion of the ganged tool assembly. The system further includes a second sensor separate from the first sensor configured to detect an orientation of the ganged tool assembly relative to at least one of the field or the frame. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the sensors and configured to determine an indication of a soil condition at a given location within the field based at least in part on the detected motion and orientation of the ganged tool assembly.
AGRICULTURAL ROBOT
An agricultural robot for monitoring a growing site, the robot comprising: an autonomous mobile platform; an acoustic sensor module mounted on the autonomous mobile platform and comprising: a speaker operable to transmit a directional acoustic signal at an object; and a microphone operable to register a reflection of the acoustic signal from at least one plant in the growing site; and a sound analyzer operable to time-index the registered reflection, and map a location in the growing site of the at least one plant responsive to the registered reflection.
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT, TOW BAR ASSEMBLY, AND TOWING VEHICLE/IMPLEMENT COMBINATION
An agricultural implement includes a tow bar assembly for towing the implement with a towing vehicle. The tow bar assembly includes a tow bar mounted to a part of the implement by a first pivot bearing so as to be pivotable about a first vertical axis. The tow bar assembly includes an arm parallel with and spaced vertically below the tow bar. The arm is attached to the part of the implement by a second pivot bearing so as to be pivotable about a second vertical axis that is coaxially located with the first vertical axis.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN IMPLEMENT CONNECTED TO A VEHICLE
A system and method for controlling an agricultural implement connected to a vehicle is described. An actuator is arranged to control a lateral position of the implement with respect to the vehicle, also influencing the vertical angle of the implement. A camera mounted on the implement is connected to an image processing system which is adapted to derive the position of at least one row of plants in an image provided by the camera. An implement control unit controls the actuator to move the implement to a desired position based upon the derived position of the at least one row of plants, and a compensation arrangement compensates for the rotation of the camera around the vertical axis caused by the actuator based on the position of the actuator.
VEHICLE SINK ALERT SYSTEM AND METHOD
A vehicle sink alert method and system that includes collecting image data, determining field conditions, calculating wheel sink depth, predicting vehicle sink events using wheel sink depth and field conditions, and activating an alert when a vehicle sink event is predicted. The method can include predicting vehicle sink events using GPS coordinates and historical vehicle sink data. The method can include determining and using vehicle motion to predict vehicle sink events. Predicting vehicle sink events can include forming a multi-dimensional model with positive sink points where vehicle sink events have occurred and negative sink points where vehicle sink events have not occurred; generating a current vehicle point using monitored and calculated data; determining whether the current vehicle point is within a positive sink region formed by the positive sink points; and predicting a vehicle sink event if the current vehicle point is within the positive sink region.
Improvements in or Relating to Tractor-Baler Combinations
A tractor has a controller and at least one sensor-for sensing at least one swath line of crop material corresponding to a quantity of crop material per unit length of a swath. The controller operates in dependence on at least one output of the at least one sensor to operate a steering mechanism of the tractor such that a baler towed by the tractor follows a said swath line in a manner aligning ingestion of crop material into the baler for baling. The at least one sensor is operable to sense a swath line that is laterally offset from the direction of forward movement of the tractor.