System for guiding a farm implement between swaths

• US 7,860,628 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goss International Americas Incorporated (City of Shanghai), Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Lange, Arthur F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/148,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/11, 701 23- 26, 701/28, 701/36, 701/41, 701/42, 701/50, 701/53, 701/116, 701/201, 701/205, 701/206, 701/207, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/213, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

An apparatus, method and tangible medium using GPS for guiding a farm implement along a turn path between swaths. The apparatus includes a GPS receiver and a turn computer. The turn computer calculates or stores a turn path between swaths, calibrates GPS positions to a swath end position and uses the calibrated GPS positions to guide the implement along the turn path to the start of the next swath. A steering wheel autopilot may be included to steer a powered vehicle according to a cross track error between the calibrated GPS positions and the turn path.

Claims

1. A farming apparatus for guiding an implement in a turn between swaths, comprising:

a GPS receiver for determining a GPS position for a farm implement propelled by a powered vehicle; and

a turn computer including a turn path calculator configured to determine a turn path based on an end position of a first swath and a start position of a second swath; and

a GPS cross track error (XTE) calculator configured to compare said GPS position to said turn path for providing a GPS XTE, said GPS XTE for steering said vehicle along said turn path.

2. The farming apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn computer further includes a GPS-row calibrator configured to calibrate said GPS position with said swath end position for providing a calibrated GPS position, said GPS XTE calculator further configured to use said calibrated GPS position as said GPS position for providing said GPS XTE.

3. The farming apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a row sensor configured to measure a row offset between said implement and a row of said first swath;

a hitch connecting said implement to said vehicle, the hitch having a hitch offset between said implement and said vehicle; and

wherein;

the turn computer is configured to use said row offset for steering said implement when said implement is being steered along said first swath and to use said hitch offset for steering said vehicle when said implement is being steered along said first swath.

4. The farming apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the turn computer further includes a turn switch configured to disable the use of said row offset at said swath end position for steering said implement and to switch from said hitch offset to said GPS XTE at said swath end position for steering said vehicle;

said turn switch further configured to re-enable the use of said row offset at said swach start position for steering said implement and to switch from said GPS XTE back to said hitch offset at said swath start position for steering said vehicle.

5. The farming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an autopilot configured to steer said vehicle by turning a vehicle steering wheel, said vehicle steering wheel also operable by a human operator for manual steering of said vehicle.

6. The farming apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the autopilot includes a drive wheel coupled by friction to an outside rim of said steering wheel to turn said steering wheel.

7. The farming apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the autopilot includes a loop gain controller configured to process said GPS XTE according to parameters describing said vehicle for providing a control signal;

a motor driver configured to use a power supply current for providing power for issuing a vehicle steering signal based on said control signal;

a drive wheel rotationally coupled to a vehicle steering wheel and configured to turn said vehicle steering wheel according to said vehicle steering signal for steering said vehicle; and

a steering force detector configured to compare said power supply current to an overload threshold indicative of a restraining force on said steering wheel and inhibit said power supply current to disable said vehicle steering signal when said threshold is exceeded.

8. The farming apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

said overload threshold includes a level threshold and a time threshold; and

said steering force detector is further configured to inhibit said power supply current when said level threshold is exceeded for a time period that exceeds said time threshold.

9. The farming apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

said parameters include a speed of said vehicle, a steering system geometry of said vehicle, and a rotation angle of said steering wheel; and

the autopilot further includes a shaft encoder for configured to provide said rotation angle.

10. The farming apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the turn computer further includes a swath start position comparator configured to compare said calibrated GPS positions to a swath start threshold zone about said swath start position, a swath start speed comparator configured to compare a speed of said vehicle to a speed threshold range, a swath start direction comparator configured to compare a direction of said vehicle with a direction threshold range, and a swath start combiner configured to initiate said second swath when said calibrated GPS position is within said swath start threshold zone, said speed is within said speed threshold range and said direction is within said direction threshold range.

31. The farming apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn computer is configured to determine said turn path further based on a turn radius of said vehicle.

32. The farming apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn computer further includes a swath end position comparator configured to issue a turn signal when said GPS position is within a swath end threshold zone;

a GPS-row calibrator configured to be initiated by said turn signal to determine a calibration vector to calibrate said GPS position to said swath end position for providing a calibrated GPS position; and

said GPS XTE calculator is configured to compare said calibrated GPS position to said turn path to provide said GPS XTE for steering said vehicle along said turn path.

33. The farming apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the turn computer further includes a GPS-row calibrator configured to be initiated by a trigger signal from a human operator to determine a calibration vector to calibrate said GPS position to said swath end position for providing a calibrated GPS position; and

said GPS XTE calculator is configured to compare said calibrated GPS position to said turn path to provide said GPS XTE for steering said vehicle along said turn path.

11. A farming method for guiding an implement in a turn between swaths, comprising:

determining a GPS position for a farm implement propelled by a powered vehicle;

determining a turn path based on an end position of a first swath and a start position of a second swath;

comparing said GPS position to said turn path for providing a GPS cross track error (XTE); and

steering said vehicle along said turn path according to said GPS XTE.

12. The farming method of claim 11, further comprising:

calibrating said GPS position with said swath end position for providing a calibrated GPS position; and

using said calibrated GPS position as said GPS position for providing said GPS XTE.

13. The farming method of claim 12, further comprising:

measuring a row offset between said implement and a row of said first swath;

connecting said implement to said vehicle with a hitch having a hitch offset; and

steering said implement along said first swath according to said row offset while steering said vehicle according to said hitch offset.

14. The farming method of claim 13, further comprising:

at said swath end position, inhibiting the use of said row offset for steering said implement and switching from said hitch offset to said GPS XTE for steering said vehicle; and

at said swath start position, re-enabling use of said row offset for steering said implement and switching from said calibrated GPS position back to said hitch offset for steering said vehicle.

15. The farming method of claim 11, further comprising:

steering said vehicle with an autopilot by turning a vehicle steering wheel, said vehicle steering wheel also operable by a human operator for manual steering of said vehicle.

16. The farming method of claim 15, wherein:

coupling said autopilot by friction to an outside rim of said steering wheel for turning said steering wheel.

17. The farming method of claim 15, wherein:

steering said vehicle with said autopilot includes processing said GPS XTE according to parameters describing said vehicle for providing a control signal;

using a power supply current for providing power for issuing a vehicle steering signal based on said control signal;

turning said steering wheel according to said vehicle steering signal for steering said vehicle;

comparing said power supply current to an overload threshold indicative of a restraining force on said steering wheel; and

inhibiting said power supply current for disabling said vehicle steering signal when said threshold is exceeded.

18. The farming method of claim 17, wherein:

said overload threshold includes a level threshold and a time threshold; and

inhibiting said power supply current includes inhibiting said power supply current when said level threshold is exceeded for a time period that exceeds said time threshold.

19. The farming method of claim 17 wherein:

said parameters include a speed of said vehicle, a steering system geometry for said vehicle; and

a rotation angle of said steering wheel; and

using said autopilot further includes monitoring rotations of said drive wheel for providing said rotation angle.

20. The farming method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing said calibrated GPS positions to a swath start threshold zone about said swath start position;

comparing a speed of said vehicle to a speed threshold range;

comparing a direction of said vehicle with a direction threshold range; and

initiating said second swath when said calibrated GPS position is within said swath start threshold zone, said speed is within said speed threshold range and said direction is within said direction threshold range.

21. A non-transitory computer readable tangible medium containing a set of instructions for causing a processor to carry out the following steps for guiding a farm implement propelled by a powered vehicle in a turn between swaths:

determining a GPS position for a farm implement propelled by a powered vehicle;

determining a turn path based on an end position of a first swath and a start position of a second swath;

comparing said GPS position to said turn path for providing a GPS cross track error (XTE); and

steering said vehicle along said turn path according to said GPS XTE.

22. The tangible medium of claim 21, further comprising:

calibrating said GPS position with said swath end position for providing a calibrated GPS position; and

using said calibrated GPS position as said GPS position for providing said GPS XTE.

23. The tangible medium of claim 22, further comprising:

measuring a row offset between said implement and a row of said first swath;

connecting said implement to said vehicle with a hitch having a hitch offset; and

steering said implement along said first swath according to said row offset while steering said vehicle according to said hitch offset.

24. The tangible medium of claim 23, further comprising:

at said swath end position, inhibiting the use of said row offset for steering said implement and switching from said hitch offset to said GPS XTE for steering said vehicle; and

at said swath start position, re-enabling use of said row offset for steering said implement and switching from said calibrated GPS position back to said hitch offset for steering said vehicle.

25. The tangible medium of claim 21, further comprising:

steering said vehicle with an autopilot by turning a vehicle steering wheel, said vehicle steering wheel also operable by a human operator for manual steering of said vehicle.

26. The tangible medium of claim 25, wherein:

coupling said autopilot by friction to an outside rim of said steering wheel for turning said steering wheel.

27. The tangible medium of claim 25, wherein:

steering said vehicle with said autopilot includes processing said GPS XTE according to parameters describing said vehicle for providing a control signal;

using a power supply current for providing power for issuing a vehicle steering signal based on said control signal;

turning said steering wheel according to said vehicle steering signal for steering said vehicle;

comparing said power supply current to an overload threshold indicative of a restraining force on said steering wheel; and

inhibiting said power supply current for disabling said vehicle steering signal when said threshold is exceeded.

28. The tangible medium of claim 27, wherein:

said overload threshold includes a level threshold and a time threshold; and

inhibiting said power supply current includes inhibiting said power supply current when said level threshold is exceeded for a time period that exceeds said time threshold.

29. The tangible medium of claim 27 wherein:

said parameters include a speed of said vehicle, a steering system geometry for said vehicle; and

a rotation angle of said steering wheel; and

using said autopilot further includes monitoring rotations of said drive wheel for providing said rotation angle.

30. The tangible medium of claim 22, further comprising:

comparing said calibrated GPS positions to a swath start threshold zone about said swath start position;

comparing a speed of said vehicle to a speed threshold range;

comparing a direction of said vehicle with a direction threshold range; and

initiating said second swath when said calibrated GPS position is within said swath start threshold zone, said speed is within said speed threshold range and said direction is within said direction threshold range.