Robot tractors

• US 4,769,700 A
• Filed: 09/17/1984
• Issued: 09/06/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LMI Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Diffracto, Ltd. (LMI Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Pryor, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US06/651,325
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 318/560, 364/424, 364/165, 364/444, 364/456, 364/449, 364/561, 172/4.5, 172/5, 172/6, 37/DIG. 1, 250/202, 358/107, 358/93, 358/103, 358/108, 358/139, 358/106, 358/903, 356/372, 356/378, 356/1, 356/4, 356/383, 356/5
• US Class Current: 348/120
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means

Abstract

Disclosed is an electro-optical and microcomputer based method and apparatus for automatically guiding tractors and other farm machinery for the purpose of automatic crop planting, tending and harvesting. A target is preferably located at one boundary of the field which serves as a reference. The position of the machinery in the field is determined by electro-optically sensing the target with a sensor located on the machinery. A desired trajectory for the machinery is then determined and the machinery is steered automatically along this trajectory.

Claims

1. A method for determining the distance of a base to, or the parallelism of a base having a direction of movement relative to, a row of objects located along an axis, comprising the steps of:

projecting light at an oblique angle to the axis from the base located at one side of the axis so as to illuminate a limited plurality of objects in a row;

imaging the light from the illuminated objects at a location on the base at an oblique angle different from the illuminating oblique angle;

detecting the imaged light from the illuminated objects;

generating a signal representative of the frequency of the images produced by said objects; and

analyzing said signal to determine the distance to the row or the parallelism of the base relative to the row.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projecting step includes the step of sequentially illuminating objects in the row at a known light projecting angle, and said imaging step includes the imaging of the returned light from the objects sequentially imaged at the known projection angle.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imaging step is performed using a TV camera;

and further including the steps of moving the TV camera to view targets located at a known position and determining a position of the base relative to the targets.