A01B69/008

METHODS, APPARATUS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE TO GENERATE ACQUISITION PATHS
20230000004 · 2023-01-05 ·

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to generate acquisition paths are disclosed. An example apparatus includes input interface circuitry to obtain input data associated with a vehicle, threshold calculation circuitry to calculate, based on the input data, a threshold curvature and a threshold curvature rate of the vehicle, and acquisition path generation circuitry to select a point on a target path of the vehicle, generate an acquisition path from a current position of the vehicle to the point, the acquisition path including at least two curves, and cause storage of the acquisition path in response to the at least two curves satisfying the threshold curvature and the threshold curvature rate.

PRE-CHARGING TECHNIQUE FOR DISPENSING PRODUCT FROM TRACTOR TOOL PRIOR TO REACHING PLANT SITE

A device detects a trigger to dispense a product at a dispense point using a tool operably coupled to a tractor. In response to detecting the trigger, the device determines a delay time between commanding the tool to dispense the product and the product actually being dispensed, and determines a release point based on operating parameters of the tractor, the release point being a point at which the tractor is predicted to be an amount of time away from the dispense point equal to the delay time. The device determines that the tractor has reached the release point, and commands the tool to dispense the product, where the product reaches the dispense point based on the delay time.

Implement Attachment Apparatus, Power Take-Off With Safety System and Method Thereof

A ground utility robot and implement attachment apparatus having a ground utility robot, at least one implement, at least one solar panel, at least one battery that is chargeable by the at least one solar panel, a power take-off system that is connected to the ground utility robot and to the at least one implement; where the battery powers said ground utility robot and the implement; a safety system that has a computer, a safety program that utilizes a processing logic on the computer, where the safety program initiates precautionary measures that are carried out by the ground utility robot and the power take-off system if an object comes within a predefined distance from the ground utility robot and implement attachment apparatus.

Electrified tractor
11690307 · 2023-07-04 · ·

An electrified tractor includes a vehicle body, a working machine, an electric motor, a battery, an inverter that controls input-output electric power of the battery. The electrified tractor includes a control device that controls the inverter. The control device executes a restriction process, a charging rate calculation process and a relaxation process. In the restriction process, the control device controls the inverter such that the input and output of the battery is restricted within a prescribed electric power range, when a state of the battery satisfies a restriction condition. In the charging rate calculation process, the control device calculates a charging rate of the battery when it is assumed that a work is finished in a farming field, as an estimated charging rate. In the relaxation process, the control device expands the prescribed electric power range, when the estimated charging rate is higher than a first prescribed charging rate.

Work Vehicle

This work vehicle has: a positioning unit for measuring the current position and the current direction of the vehicle body using a satellite positioning system; and an automatic travel control unit for executing automatic travel control based on positioning information from the positioning unit. The positioning unit comprises: a plurality of positioning antennas provided on the vehicle body; a plurality of positioning units for measuring the positions of the positioning antennas; a calculation unit for calculating the current position and the current direction of the vehicle body on the basis of positioning information from the positioning units; and a positioning state determination unit for determining whether or not the positioning state of the positioning units is a high-accuracy positioning state. When at least two positioning units are in the high accuracy positioning state, the positioning state determination unit permits the start of the automatic travel control.

Automated Driving System for Work Vehicle

This automatic travel system for a work vehicle is provided with: a position information obtaining unit; and an automatic travel control unit that causes a work vehicle to automatically travel along a target path. The automatic travel control unit sets a control target position on the target path including a plurality of work paths arranged in parallel with each other and a plurality of turning paths that connect the work paths in an order of travel of the work vehicle, to enable automatic travel of the work vehicle along the target path. The automatic travel control unit, when the work vehicle is positioned on a work path in the vicinity of a boundary with a turning path, sets the control target position on an extension of the work path. The automatic travel control unit, when the work vehicle is positioned on a turning path in the vicinity of a boundary with a work path, sets the control target position on the work path.

METHOD AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATING AN AUTONOMOUS AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE
20220408684 · 2022-12-29 ·

An autonomous agricultural vehicle that operates in accordance with a cleaning plan, a method for operating the vehicle, and a computer program related to operating the vehicle, wherein while the vehicle is operated, a load quantity representing an amount of material moved by the cleaning device is monitored at a plurality of individual times, and the cleaning plan of the autonomous agricultural vehicle is adjusted based on a variation in the monitored load quantity among the individual times.

Area Registration System
20220413504 · 2022-12-29 · ·

An area registration system that causes a tractor to travel along the outer perimeter of an area (a field) and registers the outline of the area. The area registration system includes a position information acquisition unit, an avoidance maneuver setting unit, and an area registration unit. The position information acquisition unit obtains the position of the tractor. While the tractor is traveling along the outer perimeter of the area, the start and end of an avoidance maneuver for avoiding an obstacle is set by the avoidance maneuver setting unit during tractor travel. The area registration unit registers the outline of the area on the basis of the tractor positions obtained by the position information acquisition unit during travel by the tractor along the outer perimeter of the area, said tractor positions having removed therefrom the tractor positions obtained from the start to the end of avoidance maneuvers.

Autonomous Traveling Control System
20220408630 · 2022-12-29 · ·

This autonomous traveling control system is capable of generating, in a headland region which is in a farm field surrounded by peripheries formed from a plurality of edges and which is formed between the peripheries and a work region in which a work vehicle works while traveling autonomously, a headland traveling auxiliary route along which the work vehicle travels autonomously. The autonomous traveling control system selects, from among the plurality of edges, a selective edge for generating the headland traveling auxiliary route, on the basis of the distance between the edges and the vehicle position of the work vehicle and of the angles formed between the edges and the vehicle orientation of the work vehicle.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINE, AND DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AGRICULTURAL MACHINE
20220408631 · 2022-12-29 ·

An agricultural machine includes one or more illuminators to illuminate surroundings of the agricultural machine in a traveling direction thereof, and a controller to control self-driving of the agricultural machine while keeping at least one of the one or more illuminators deactivated at nighttime.