Vehicle combination
First Claim
1. A vehicle combination comprising a master vehicle an unmanned satellite vehicle, a control system in said master vehicle for controlling said satellite vehicle, control means in said satellite vehicle, said control system sending signals to said control means for controlling the velocity and direction of travel of said satellite vehicle so that it automatically travels in the same direction and at the same velocity as said master vehicle, and devices having agricultural utility connected to said master vehicle and to said satellite vehicle.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The combination of a master vehicle which may be an agricultural tractor, transport or self-propelled implement, and one or more satellite vehicles which also may be tractors, agricultural transports or self-propelled agricultural implements. The satellite vehicle is controlled by a control system from the master vehicle, such control being exercised radiographically or by cable via a tramline system. The satellite vehicle has video cameras arranged to view both forwardly and to the rear and transmit views which can be seen on a monitor in the master vehicle. The control system includes computer programs for selectively causing the satellite vehicle to travel either parallel to the master vehicle at a selected distance therefrom or to follow the track of the master vehicle. Control of the satellite vehicles is selectively automatic in at least two modes or manual, the manual controls being utilized at the end of a pass across a parcel of land to turn the satellite vehicle into a position for commencing a second pass over the parcel of land. A coupling member is provided so that the satellite vehicles can be towed by the master vehicle.
64 Citations
38 Claims
- 1. A vehicle combination comprising a master vehicle an unmanned satellite vehicle, a control system in said master vehicle for controlling said satellite vehicle, control means in said satellite vehicle, said control system sending signals to said control means for controlling the velocity and direction of travel of said satellite vehicle so that it automatically travels in the same direction and at the same velocity as said master vehicle, and devices having agricultural utility connected to said master vehicle and to said satellite vehicle.
- 34. A vehicle combination comprising a master vehicle, an unmanned satellite vehicle, a control system for controlling said unmanned satellite vehicle, vehicle control means in said satellite vehicle, said control system sending signals to said control means for controlling the velocity and direction of travel of said satellite vehicle so that said satellite vehicle automatically travels in the same direction and at the same velocity as said master vehicle, said master vehicle and said satellite vehicle both comprising self-propelled agricultural machines.
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38. A method of controlling a manned master vehicle which also contains controls for controlling an unmanned satellite agricultural vehicle, comprising the steps of selecting and activating a computer instruction program causing said satellite vehicle to travel parallel to said master vehicle or to follow in the track of said master vehicle, placing said master vehicle and said satellite vehicle under the selected automatic control of said master vehicle to make a working pass across a parcel of land, selectively changing the control of said satellite vehicle from said master vehicle at the end of the working pass of said satellite vehicle across said parcel of land and automatically positioning said satellite vehicle by means of said manual control for a new working pass across said parcel of land, and thereafter selecting one of said automatic controls for controlling the travel of said satellite vehicle for its travel across said parcel of land in said new working pass.
Specification