Coordination of vehicle movement in a field

• US 10,254,765 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Rekow, Andrew Karl Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US14/284,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1278 for automatic steering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide for a number of other vehicles that are moved on a number of paths that is substantially parallel to, and offset to at least one of a first offset side and a second offset side of, the path for the first vehicle. The number of other vehicles is moved along at least a portion of the path in the turn in response to a turn in the path of the first vehicle. The number of other vehicles may be moved from the path to a number of second parallel paths that are substantially parallel to the path after the turn of the first vehicle and offset to an opposite offset side of the first vehicle than the at least one offset side before the turn in response to the first vehicle completing the turn.

Claims

1. A method for controlling movement of vehicles, the method comprising:

moving a first vehicle on a path using a data processing system;

moving a number of other vehicles on a number of parallel paths that are substantially parallel to, and offset to at least one of a first offset side and a second offset side of the path for the first vehicle;

responsive to receiving from the first vehicle an indication to follow the path of the first vehicle, moving the number of other vehicles onto, and travelling linearly along, the path for the first vehicle in a turn in the path of the first vehicle; and

responsive to receiving from the first vehicle another indication of the first vehicle completing the turn, moving the number of other vehicles from the path for the first vehicle to a number of second parallel paths that are substantially parallel to the path for the first vehicle after the turn of the first vehicle and offset to an opposite offset side of the first vehicle from a perspective of the first vehicle than the at least one offset side before the turn, wherein at least one of the number of other vehicles is on an opposite side of the first vehicle than the other number of other vehicles before the turn and after the turn such that each one of the number of other vehicles skips a number of rows in the turn, where the number of rows that are skipped in the turn is equal to the number of other vehicles, and wherein the number of other vehicles are a plurality of other vehicles, and further comprising;

controlling a sequence of each of the plurality of other vehicles onto the path in the turn by controlling a speed and spacing of each of the plurality of other vehicles onto the path in the turn.

2. A method for controlling movement of vehicles, the method comprising:

moving a first vehicle on a path using a data processing system;

moving a number of other vehicles on a number of parallel paths that are substantially parallel to, and offset to at least one of a first offset side and a second offset side of the path for the first vehicle, wherein the number of other vehicles are a plurality of other vehicles;

responsive to receiving from the first vehicle an indication to follow the path of the first vehicle, moving the number of other vehicles onto, and travelling linearly along, the path for the first vehicle in a turn in the path of the first vehicle, including moving a first follower vehicle onto the path, wherein a speed of a second follower vehicle is adjusted to allow the first follower vehicle to move onto the path behind the first vehicle to linearly travel in-line behind the first vehicle and along at least a portion of the path of the first vehicle; and

responsive to receiving from the first vehicle another indication of the first vehicle completing the turn, moving the number of other vehicles from the path for the first vehicle to a number of second parallel paths that are substantially parallel to the path for the first vehicle after the turn of the first vehicle and offset to an opposite offset side of the first vehicle from a perspective of the first vehicle than the at least one offset side before the turn, wherein the portion of the path is in a headland in a field, wherein the second follower vehicle is moved onto the path in a different location from the first follower vehicle based on an offset with the path that is decreased when the second follower vehicle enters the headland and is increased when the second follower vehicle leaves the headland.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, by a communication interface of the first vehicle, an order to enter the headland to each of the number of other vehicles.

3. A method for controlling movement of vehicles, the method comprising:

moving a first vehicle on a path using a data processing system;

moving a number of other vehicles on a number of parallel paths that are substantially parallel to, and offset to at least one of a first offset side and a second offset side of the path for the first vehicle, wherein the number of other vehicles are a plurality of other vehicles;

responsive to receiving from the first vehicle an indication to follow the path of the first vehicle, moving the number of other vehicles onto, and travelling linearly along, the path for the first vehicle in a turn in the path of the first vehicle; and

responsive to receiving from the first vehicle another indication of the first vehicle completing the turn, moving the number of other vehicles from the path for the first vehicle to a number of second parallel paths that are substantially parallel to the path for the first vehicle after the turn of the first vehicle and offset to an opposite offset side of the first vehicle from a perspective of the first vehicle than the at least one offset side before the turn, wherein the number of parallel paths are in a work area of a field, wherein a group pass is a group path of the first vehicle and the number of other vehicles from one side of the field to another side of the field, and further comprising;

skipping, by the first vehicle, the group pass located between the number of parallel paths and the number of second parallel paths.

4. A method for controlling movement of vehicles, the method comprising:

moving a first vehicle on a path using a data processing system;

sending, by a communication interface of the first vehicle, a position of the first vehicle and the path of the first vehicle to a number of other vehicles;

moving a number of other vehicles on a number of paths that are substantially parallel to the path for the first vehicle;

sending, by the communication interface of the first vehicle, an indication to follow the path of the first vehicle on at least the portion of the path of the first vehicle in the turn; and

responsive to a turn in the path of the first vehicle, moving the number of other vehicles onto the at least a portion of the path of the first vehicle in the turn;

wherein the first vehicle is a leader vehicle and wherein the number of vehicles comprises a first follower vehicle and a second follower vehicle and wherein the step of moving a number of other vehicles in a number of paths that are substantially parallel to the path for the first vehicle comprises;

moving the first follower vehicle on a first parallel path on a first side of the path of the leader vehicle;

moving the second follower vehicle on a second parallel path on a second side of the path of the leader vehicle;

wherein the step of moving the number of other vehicles onto the at least a portion of the path of the first vehicle in the turn comprises;

moving the first follower vehicle from the first parallel path onto the path; and

moving the second follower vehicle from the second parallel path onto the path after the first follower vehicle has moved onto the path;

wherein the second follower vehicle moves onto the path in a different location from the first follower vehicle; and

wherein the portion of the path is in a headland in the field, wherein the second follower vehicle is moved onto the path in the different location from the first follower vehicle based on an offset with the path that is decreased when the second follower vehicle enters the headland and is increased when the second follower vehicle leaves the headland.

5. A method for controlling movement of vehicles, the method comprising:

moving a first vehicle on a path using a data processing system;

sending, by a communication interface of the first vehicle, a position of the first vehicle and the path of the first vehicle to a number of other vehicles;

moving a number of other vehicles on a number of paths that are substantially parallel to the path for the first vehicle;

sending, by the communication interface of the first vehicle, an indication to follow the path of the first vehicle on at least the portion of the path of the first vehicle in the turn; and

responsive to a turn in the path of the first vehicle, moving the number of other vehicles onto the at least a portion of the path of the first vehicle in the turn, wherein the number of parallel paths are in a work area of the field, wherein a group pass is a group path of the first vehicle and the number of other vehicles from one side of the field to another side of the field, and further comprising;

skipping, by the first vehicle, the group pass located between the number of parallel paths and the number of second parallel paths.