Assembly and an autonomous agricultural machine for performing an agricultural operation, in particular crop processing

• US 7,133,757 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
• Original Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
• Inventors: Miedema, Theo Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/250,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/1, 701/213, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 56/102.R, 56/102.A, 56/102.H, 172/5, 460/1
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture

Abstract

An assembly for performing an agricultural operation, in particular crop processing. The assembly is provided with an autonomous agricultural machine that is movable over a parcel for performing the agricultural operation and with a control unit for controlling the functioning of the autonomous agricultural machine. The control unit is provided with a memory containing sound-standard data. The control unit controls the functioning of the autonomous agricultural machine with the aid of the sound-standard data. An autonomous agricultural machine for performing the agricultural operation. The autonomous agricultural machine is provided with a control unit for controlling the functioning of the autonomous agricultural machine, with a position-determining system for determining the momentary position of the agricultural machine in the parcel, and with a sound meter. The control unit is provided with a memory containing sound-standard data. The control unit controls the functioning of the autonomous agricultural machine with the aid of the sound-standard data and/or data from the sound meter.

Claims

1. An assembly for performing crop processing, the assembly comprising:

an agricultural machine that is movable over a parcel for performing the crop processing; and

a control unit for automatically controlling the movement of the agricultural machine, the control unit comprising a memory containing sound-standard data, the control unit controlling the movement of the agricultural machine with the aid of the sound-standard data to define an allowed area of operation within the agricultural parcel in which the agricultural machine may perform the crop processing and a forbidden area of operation within the agricultural parcel in which the agricultural machine may not perform the crop processing.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agricultural machine can perform the crop processing in a number of modes, the control unit controlling the agricultural machine to perform the crop processing in one of the modes with the aid of the sound-standard data.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory contains sound-standard data per point of time.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly is provided with a position-determining system for determining the momentary position of the agricultural machine in the parcel.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the memory contains sound-standard data per position.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises a sound meter.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the functioning of the agricultural machine with the aid of data from the sound meter.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sound meter is disposed on the agricultural machine.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is disposed on the agricultural machine.

10. A self contained autonomous agricultural machine for performing crop processing on a parcel, the autonomous agricultural machine comprising:

a sound meter;

a position-determining system for determining the momentary position of the agricultural machine in the parcel; and

a control unit for controlling the movement of the autonomous agricultural machine, the control unit comprising a memory containing sound-standard data, the control unit controlling the movement of the autonomous agricultural machine on the basis of the momentary position with the aid of the sound-standard data and data from the sound meter.

11. The autonomous agricultural machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the agricultural machine can perform the crop processing in a number of modes, the control unit controlling the autonomous agricultural machine to perform the crop processing in one of the modes with the aid of the sound-standard data or data from the sound meter.

12. The autonomous agricultural machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the memory contains sound-standard data per position.

13. The autonomous agricultural machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the memory contains sound standard data per point of time.

14. The autonomous agricultural machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit controls the position of the autonomous agricultural machine with the aid of the sound-standard data.

15. The autonomous agricultural machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit controls the position of the autonomous agricultural machine with the aid of the data from the sound meter.

16. A method for controlling the sound emission of an autonomous agricultural machine that is movable over an agricultural parcel for performing crop processing comprising:

providing a memory containing sound-standard data;

providing a control unit for controlling the agricultural machine; and

controlling the movement of the agricultural machine with the aid of the sound-standard data to perform the crop processing only in an allowed area of operation within the agricultural parcel.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the agricultural machine is operable in a number of modes and the agricultural machine is controlled by selecting a mode of operation with the aid of the sound-standard data.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

detecting sound produced by the agricultural machine; and

comparing the detected sound with the sound-standard data to produce a comparison result;

wherein the mode of operation is selected with the aid of the comparison result.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

detecting sound produced by the agricultural machine; and

comparing the detected sound with the sound-standard data to produce a comparison result;

wherein the agricultural machine is controlled with the aid of the comparison result.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the position of the agricultural machine within the parcel is controlled with the aid of the sound-standard data.

21. A self-contained assembly for performing crop processing, the assembly comprising:

an agricultural machine that is movable over a parcel for performing the crop processing;

a sound meter disposed on the agricultural machine; and

a control unit disposed on the agricultural machine for controlling the functioning of the agricultural machine, the control unit comprising a memory containing sound-standard data, the control unit controlling the functioning of the agricultural machine with the aid of the sound-standard data to define an allowed area of operation within the agricultural parcel in which the agricultural machine may perform the crop processing and a forbidden area of operation within the agricultural parcel in which the agricultural machine may not perform the crop processing.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein the control unit controls the functioning of the agricultural machine with the aid of data from the sound meter.