CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AGRICULTURAL WORKING VEHICLES

• US 20090037059A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Claas Agrosystems Kgaa MbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Claas Agrosystems Kgaa MbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Hieronymus, Peter, Meyer Zu Helligen, Lars-Peter, Kirk, Kristian, Diekhans, Norbert, Moeller, Jens, Nienaber, Gerhard, Huster, Jochen, Pein, Christoph, Blas, Rufus, Wilken, Andreas, Autermann, Ludger, Madsen, Tommy
• Application Number:
  US12/183,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• 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 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system for agricultural working vehicles with at least two sensor systems which generate sensor signals (A, B), wherein the sensor signals (A, B) are vehicle-dependent or dependent on the crop characteristics or a combination of both.

The object of this invention is to develop a control system for agricultural working vehicles in such a manner that a suitable fusion of the sensor signals (A, B) of the sensor systems is achieved, in particular.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that at least one first and at least one second sensor signal processing algorithm (I,II,III,IV,V) is provided in the control system, and in that a selection is made as to which sensor signal processing algorithm (I,II,III,IV,V) is to be used as a function of at least one characteristic parameter (P).

Claims

1. A control system for agricultural working vehicles (1) with at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43), which generate sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45), wherein the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) are vehicle-dependent or dependent on the crop characteristics or dependent on the environment, or a combination of these, characterised in that at least one first and at least one second sensor signal processing algorithm (I, II, III, IV, V) is present in the control system, and in that a selection is made as to which sensor signal processing algorithm (I, II, III, IV, V) is to be used as a function of at least one characteristic parameter (P).

2. The control system according to claim 1, characterised in that

a. a sensor signal processing algorithm (I) selects at least one sensor signal (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43) for signal processing

b. a sensor signal processing algorithm (II) balances at least two sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43) with each other

c. a sensor signal processing algorithm (III) uses a sensor signal (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of at least one sensor system (15, 26, 37, 40, 43) to correct a sensor signal (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of a second sensor system (15, 26, 37, 40, 43)

d. a sensor signal processing algorithm (IV) switches between sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43) as a function of general conditions,

e. a sensor signal processing algorithm (V) combined at least one sensor signal processing algorithm (I,II,III,IV) with at least one another sensor signal processing algorithm (I,II,III,IV) to generate a control signal (S), wherein two or a plurality of the signal processing algorithms (I, II, III, IV, V) are present in the control system.

3. The control system according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one characteristic parameter (P)

is the accuracy of the control signal (S) generated by the sensor signal processing algorithms (I, II, III, IV, V),

is the accuracy of the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

is the noise on the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

is the availability of the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

is the topicality of the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

are the costs incurred in receiving or generating sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

is the time required to receive or generate the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

are the weather conditions surrounding the working vehicle (1),

are the soil conditions surrounding the working vehicle (1),

is the reliability of the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the at least two sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43),

is the employment which is to be done with the control system,

is the security of the working vehicle (1), or comprises a combination of these.

4. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that a plurality of characteristic parameters (P) are stored in the control system and can be used in a weighted manner, wherein the weighting of the characteristic parameters (P) can be varied according to the situation.

5. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as an optical sensor, for example as a camera (26, 40), and as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15) for track detection, and at least one further sensor system (43) designed as an infrared sensor and/or as a thermal sensor is present for the crop characteristic detection, and wherein the sensor signals (28, 41, 19) of the track detection sensor systems and the sensor signals (45) of the at least one crop characteristic detection sensor system are stored combined and capable of being recalled.

6. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as an optical sensor, for example as a camera (26, 40), and as a low precision global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15), wherein the sensor signals (28, 41, 19) of the at least two sensor systems are used for track detection on the basis of a swathe covered on the field.

7. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as an optical sensor, for example as a camera (26, 40), and as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15), wherein the sensor signals (28, 41, 19) of the at least two sensor systems are used for track detection on the basis of a crop edge and/or for track detection on the basis of a working edge.

8. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as an optical sensor, for example as a camera (26, 40) and as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15), wherein the sensor signals (19) of the global positioning sensor (15) are used for path following detection and the sensor signals (28, 41) of the optical sensor are used to correct the control signal of the path following detection sensor system.

9. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15) and as a local positioning sensor (LPS sensor), wherein the sensor signals (19) of the global positioning sensor (15) are used for the position determination of the local positioning sensor, and the sensor signals of the local positioning sensor are used for the track detection of a tracking system.

10. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15) and as a local positioning sensor (LPS sensor), wherein the sensor signals (19) of the global positioning sensor (15) are used for the position determination of the local positioning sensor, and the sensor signals of the local positioning sensor are used for establishing a route plan.

11. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as an optical sensor, for example as a camera (26, 40) and as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15), wherein the sensor signals (28, 41) of the optical sensor are used for the track detection during the trip and the sensor signals (19) of the global positioning sensor (15) are used for track detection in the headland.

12. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as an odometry sensor and as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15), wherein the sensor signals of the odometry sensor are used for positioning the agricultural working vehicle (1) and are used in conjunction with a route plan for track detection, and the sensor signals (19) of the global positioning sensor (15) are used for track detection and wherein a selection is made as to which sensor signal processing algorithm for the track detection sensor system is to be used as a function of one or a plurality of characteristic parameters (P).

13. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as a sensor system detecting a crop stand from above and as a sensor system detecting a crop stand in a region close to the ground which both are used for track detection, and at least one further sensor system, designed as a wind sensor (37), is provided for detecting the wind strength and/or wind direction, and wherein a selection is made as to which sensor signal processing algorithm for the track detection system is to be used as a function of the sensor signal (44) of the wind sensor system (37).

14. The control system according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least two sensor systems are designed as a sensor system detecting a crop stand from above and as a sensor system detecting a crop stand in a region close to the ground which both are used for track detection, and at least one further sensor system, designed as a wind sensor, is provided for detecting the wind strength and/or wind direction, and wherein the sensor signals of the sensor system detecting a crop stand from above are influenced by the sensor signals of a sensor system detecting a crop stand in a region close to the ground, wherein the extent of the influence is varied as a function of the sensor signals (44) of the wind sensor system (37).

15. The control system according to claim 13, characterised in that the sensor system detecting the crop stand from above is designed as an optical sensor, for example as a camera (26), and/or as a global positioning sensor (GPS sensor) (15) and the sensor system detecting the crop stand in a region close to the ground is designed as a mechanical key and/or as an optical sensor, for example a camera (40) detecting the crop stand in a region close to the ground.

16. The control system according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor signals (A, B, 19, 28, 41, 44, 45) of the sensor systems (15, 26, 37, 40, 43) are standardised for signal processing in the at least one first and/or the at least one second sensor signal processing algorithm (I, II, III, IV, V).