MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160205864A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Mark W., Gattis, Joshua M., Koch, Steven A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,945,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/008 Tanks, chassis or related parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0057 with active regulation of the boom position
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 9/0076 Special arrangements or adaptations of the dusting or distributing parts, e.g. mounting of the spray booms, the protection shields nozzles B05B1/00; spray pistols B05B9/01
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) based control system is provided for positioning a working component relative to a work surface, such as an agricultural spray boom over a crop field. Inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, are mounted on the working component and provide positioning signals to a control processor. A method of positioning a working component relative to a work surface using GNSS-based positioning signals is also disclosed. Further disclosed is a work order management system and method, which can be configured for controlling the operation of multiple vehicles, such as agricultural sprayers each equipped with GNSS-based spray boom height control subsystems. The sprayers can be remotely located from each other on multiple crop fields, and can utilize GNSS-based, field-specific terrain models for controlling their spraying operations.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the position of a working component relative to a work surface, which system includes:

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based positioning subsystem;

said control system including a sensor associated with said working component and configured for providing output corresponding to a position of said working component relative to the work surface;

a processor connected to said control subsystem;

said processor including a memory device configured for storing work surface data based on output from said GNSS positioning subsystem and said sensor; and

said control system is configured for positioning said working component relative to said work surface.

2. The control system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) mounted on said working component.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said working component comprises an agricultural sprayer including a spray boom, said work surface comprises a crop field and said work surface data comprises a terrain model of said crop field.

4. The control system according claim 3 wherein said spray boom comprises multiple boom sections and said control system is configured for independently controlling the heights of said boom sections over said crop field.

5. The control system according to claim 1, which includes:

a memory device connected to said processor and configured for storing working component positions relative to said work surface using said terrain model.

6. The control system according to claim 5, which includes:

said processor being connected to a central control computer via the Internet.

7. The control system according to claim 4 wherein said control system is configured for synchronizing the operation of multiple equipment pieces on one or more crop fields.

8. The control system according to claim 4 wherein said control system is configured for monitoring, storing and reporting operation data for said equipment pieces.

9. The control system according to claim 8 wherein said equipment pieces comprise agricultural sprayers and said operation data includes quantities of material dispensed by said agricultural sprayers.

10. The control system according to claim 9 wherein said operation data includes the GNSS-defined locations of said material dispensed by said agricultural sprayer.

11. A control system for controlling the position of a working component of equipment relative to a work surface, which system includes:

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based positioning control subsystem;

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor mounted on said working component and connected to said control subsystem;

one or more sensors associated with said working component and each configured for providing output comprising signal data corresponding to an operating or status condition;

a first computer;

a second computer associated with said equipment and connected to said control subsystem, said second computer including a display device;

said first and second computers being wirelessly connected; and

said first computer including a memory database configured for storing field data related to positioning parameters based on previous output from said GNSS, said IMU sensor, and said one or more sensors associated with said working component and configured for creating a terrain model.

12. The system according to claim 11, which includes:

said first computer being configured to allow a user to access said stored field data;

a first computer algorithm executable by a microprocessor from said first computer, said first computer algorithm being configured to allow said user to create a work order for said equipment and to transmit said work order to said second computer;

a second computer algorithm executable by a microprocessor from said second computer, said second computer algorithm being configured to permit an operator to retrieve said work order, to integrate new field data into said work order, and to transmit information on completed work to said first computer; and

said control subsystem being configured for positioning said working component relative to said work surface based on said work order.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said wireless connection between said first and second computers comprises a connection from the group consisting of:

the Internet, a cloud-based connection, a local area network (LAN), and an intranet.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first computer is configured for wireless connection to multiple pieces of equipment at one or more job sites.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said second computer comprises one of the group consisting of:

an equipment-mounted virtual terminal, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a desktop computer, and a netbook.

16. A method of controlling the position of a working component relative to a work surface, the working component including a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based positioning control subsystem;

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor mounted on the working component and connected to the control subsystem;

one or more sensors associated with said working component and each configured for providing output comprising signal data corresponding to an operating or status condition;

a processor connected to the control subsystem;

the processor including a memory database configured for storing field data based on output from the GNSS, the IMU sensor, and the one or more sensors associated with the working component, which method includes the steps of;

preprogramming said control subsystem for predetermined positioning parameters of said working component relative to said work surface;

sensing inertial movements of said working component;

processing positioning signals with said control subsystem;

storing field data based on said GNSS, said IMU sensor, and said one or more sensors associated with said working component in said memory;

accessing previous field data for said position parameters from said memory database;

positioning said working component relative to said work surface based on said positioning signals and said field data; and

applying said field data to a terrain model stored in said processor.

17. The method according to claim 16, which includes the additional step of interconnecting multiple said working components with a centralized computer server.

18. The method according to claim 17, which includes the additional step of interconnecting said working components via the Internet.

19. The method according to claim 17, which includes the additional steps of coordinating the operation of multiple working components located remotely from each other and reporting the operations of said working components to said centralized computer server.

20. The method according to claim 16 wherein said working component comprises an agricultural spray boom and said positioning parameters include spray boom heights above said work surface based on a pre-processed terrain model.