METHOD FOR CREATING A ROUTE PLAN FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINE SYSTEMS

• US 20070233374A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Diekhans, Norbert, Brunnert, Andreas, Huster, Jochen, Meyer Zu Helligen, Lars-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

For creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, the machine systems include route planning data determination devices and they exchange data with each other and, based on exchanged route planning data, one shared route plan is created for the particular territory. For controlling a group of agricultural working machine systems while it works a territory, one shared route plan—which has been created accordingly—is used, and a route planning system is provided for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems to be used to work a territory.

Claims

1. A method for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, comprising the steps of including with each of the machine systems route planning data determination devices;

exchanging data by the route planning determination devices with each other;

based on exchanged route planning data, creating a shared route plan for the territory.

2. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising including in the route planning data geographic reference data that are determined with the machine systems.

3. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising subdividing the territory into subregions based on the route planning data.

4. A method as defined in claim 3;

and further comprising determining by each of the machine systems a subroute plan for a certain subregion of the territory.

5. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising working the territory by the machine systems in chronological succession.

6. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising working the territory by the machine systems in parallel, at least part of the time.

7. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising changing the shared route plan dynamically in a situation selected from the group consisting of a situation when a new machine system is added to a group and a situation when a machine system leaves the group.

8. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising determining current position data of an individual one of the machine systems repeatedly and sending to another one of the machine systems.

9. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising outputting to operators of the machine systems using a display device, a map created based on a geographical reference data, a current position and an optimal route for a particular one of the machine systems, and a current position of another machine system in a group located in the territory to be worked.

10. A method as defined in claim 9;

and further comprising displaying to the operator of the machine system routes of other machine systems in the group that are located in the territory to be worked.

11. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising, when a group of agricultural working machine systems works the territory, including in the route plan optimized routes assigned to individual ones of the machine systems for working the territory; and

driving the machine systems along a particular route assigned to them.

12. A route planning system for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, comprising position determination devices located on the agricultural machine systems and determining a current position of a particular one of the machine systems;

route planning data determination devices located on the machine systems;

communication devices located on the machine systems and transmitting route planning data; and

at least one route planning device which is coupled with a receiving unit in order to receive route planning data in order to create one shared route plan for a particular territory based on the route planning data received.