System and method for strip till implement guidance monitoring and adjustment

• US 10,455,755 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Stanhope, Trevor Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US15/692,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20190059199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/001 Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/004 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

An agricultural system includes a frame, one or more row units coupled to the frame, one or more imaging devices coupled to the frame, and a controller. The one or more imaging devices are configured to capture images of a field beneath the agricultural system as the agricultural system traverses the field. The controller includes a processor and a memory, and processes the images captured by the one or more imaging devices. Processing the captured images includes determining a location of an implement line aligned with a first row unit of the one or more row units, determining a location of a center line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the field, wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land, determining a location of a tracking line, and determining whether the implement line and the tracking line are aligned with one another.

Claims

1. An agricultural system, comprising:

a frame;

one or more row units coupled to the frame;

one or more imaging devices coupled to the frame, wherein the one or more imaging devices are configured to capture images of a field beneath the agricultural system as the agricultural system traverses the field; and

a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is configured to process the images captured by the one or more imaging devices, wherein processing the captured images comprises;

determining, based on the captured images, a location of an implement line aligned with a first row unit of the one or more row units;

determining, based on the captured images, a location of a center line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the field, wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land;

determining, based on the captured images, a location of a tracking line; and

determining whether the implement line and the tracking line are aligned with one another.

2. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural system comprises a drawn implement or self-propelled implement.

3. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a control signal to steer the agricultural system, to steer a work vehicle towing the agricultural system, or a combination thereof, in response to determining that the implement line and the tracking line are not aligned with one another.

4. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a notification to be displayed to a user in response to determining that the implement line and the tracking line are not aligned with one another.

5. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the imaging devices are rearward facing relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural system.

6. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the imaging devices are forward facing relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural system.

7. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the center line of the first strip of the plurality of strips comprises:

identifying the first strip in the images;

determining a center point along a width of the first strip at each of a plurality of locations; and

fitting a center line through the plurality of determined center points.

8. The agricultural system of claim 7, wherein the tracking line is offset from the center line.

9. An imaging system, comprising:

one or more imaging devices configured to be coupled to a frame of an agricultural system, and to capture images of a field beneath the agricultural system as the agricultural system traverses the field; and

a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is configured to process the images captured by the one or more imaging devices, wherein processing the captured images comprises;

determining, based on the captured images, a location of an implement line aligned with a first row unit of the agricultural system;

determining, based on the captured images, a location of a tracking line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the field, wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land; and

determining, based on the captured images, whether the implement line and the tracking line are aligned with one another.

10. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the one or more imaging devices comprise a digital camera, an analog camera, a red-green-blue (RGB) camera, red-green-blue-depth (RGB-D) camera, an infrared (IR) camera, or a combination thereof.

11. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the one or more imaging devices comprise a laser scanner, radar sensor, a proximity sensor, or a combination thereof.

12. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the agricultural system comprises a work vehicle, drawn implement, or self-propelled implement.

13. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to generate a control signal to steer an implement of the agricultural system, to steer a work vehicle of the agricultural implement, or a combination thereof, in response to determining that the implement line and the tracking line are not aligned with one another.

14. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to generate a notification to be displayed to a user in response to determining that the implement line and the tracking line are not aligned with one another.

15. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the center line of the first strip of the plurality of strips comprises:

identifying the first strip in the images;

determining a center point along a width of the first strip at each of a plurality of locations; and

fitting a center line through the plurality of determined center points.

16. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the tracking line is offset from the center line.

17. A method, comprising:

directing an agricultural system across a field, wherein the agricultural system includes a work vehicle and an implement, and wherein the implement comprises one or more row units;

capturing one or more images of the field beneath the agricultural system as the agricultural system traverses the field, via one or more imaging devices coupled to the agricultural system; and

processing the captured images, comprising;

determining, based on the one or more captured images, a location of an implement line aligned with a first row unit of the one or more row units;

determining, based on the one or more captured images, a location of a tracking line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the field, wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land; and

determining, based on the one or more captured images, whether the implement line and the tracking line are aligned with one another.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising generating a control signal to steer the implement, to steer a work vehicle towing the implement, or a combination thereof, in response to determining that the implement line and the tilling line or the planting line are not aligned with one another.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising generating notification to be displayed to a user in response to determining that the implement line and the tilling line or the planting line are not aligned with one another.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the location of the tilling line or the planting line of the first strip of the plurality of strips comprises:

identifying the first strip in the images;

determining a center point along a width of the first strip at each of a plurality of locations; and

fitting a center line through the plurality of determined center points.