RASTER-BASED CONTOUR SWATHING FOR GUIDANCE AND VARIABLE-RAGE CHEMICAL APPLICATION

• US 20130179026A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: McClure, John A., Collins, Dennis M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A raster-based system for GNSS guidance includes a vehicle-mounted GNSS antenna and receiver. A processor provides guidance and/or autosteering commands based on GNSS-defined pixels forming a grid representing an area to be treated, such as a field. Specific guidance and chemical application methods are provided based on the pixel-defined treatment areas and preprogrammed chemical application prescription maps, which can include variable chemical application rates and dynamic control of the individual nozzles of a sprayer.

Claims

1. A method of guiding an agriculture sprayer vehicle including a motive component and a spray component with a spray boom having opposite ends and multiple spray nozzles mounted in spaced relation between said ends, said components being interconnected by a power hitch adapted for laterally shifting said working component relative to said motive component, which method comprises the steps of:

providing an XY pixel grid corresponding to the area;

providing a raster-based database page comprising said XY pixel grid for said area;

providing a processor on the vehicle;

providing a GNSS guidance system connected to the processor on the vehicle;

receiving GNSS positioning signals with said guidance system;

providing said GNSS positioning signals as input to said processor;

computing GNSS-based positioning for said vehicle with said processor;

defining a GNSS-defined reference point on said area and storing the reference point coordinates with said processor;

computing X and Y pixel indices based on said GNSS-defined vehicle position in relation to said reference point with said processor;

treating portions of said area with said working component;

with said processor marking pixels in said treated area portions as treated;

guiding said vehicle over said area utilizing said treated pixel information;

defining additional raster-based XY pixel grid pages in said area;

expanding said database by tiling said pixel grid pages over said area;

generating X and Y scale factors for said database;

relating said X and Y scale factors to latitude and longitude respectively;

computing X and Y pixel indices based on the difference between current GNSS-defined position coordinates and the reference position coordinates;

creating with said processor a linear or multidimensional database comprising said pixel grid pages;

accessing with said processor said database;

marking pixels in said database as treated;

defining a swath coverage area with said working component ends forming opposite edges of said swath;

with said GNSS system and said processor seeking pixels in proximity to said swath edges;

with said GNSS system and said processor guiding said vehicle along said swath edges;

providing an autosteer system on said vehicle;

with said processor generating steering commands using the marked pixel information and said XY pixel page database;

outputting said steering commands to said autosteer system for automatically steering said vehicle over said area;

with said processor and said GNSS system laterally shifting said working component relative to said motive component for maintaining said working component generally within said swath;

computing an application map for said area corresponding to treatments of pixels therein with said working component;

guiding said vehicle with said application map while treating said pixels; and

detecting a vehicle direction of travel with said GNSS system;

walking up the pixels in the vehicle direction of travel to a target pixel;

testing pixels in multiple scans alongside said vehicle path for treated conditions based on a swath width of said working component;

guiding said vehicle towards said target pixel using said treated condition pixel information alongside said vehicle path;

testing multiple distances ahead for treated pixels;

detecting a curve condition defined by treated pixels;

guiding said vehicle alongside said curve using said treated pixel information;

preprogramming said processor with variables corresponding to vehicle performance dynamics;

determining altitudes of said pixels with said GNSS system; and

adjusting guidance and steering for vehicle slippage, sloping surface chemical spray patterns and crop heights using said vehicle performance dynamics and said pixel altitudes.