Method for creating a route plan for agricultural machine systems

• US 8,170,785 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Diekhans, Norbert, Huster, Jochen, Brunnert, Andreas, Meyer Zu Helligen, Lars-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US11/687,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701 25- 26, 701/50, 701200-202, 701207-209, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 56/102.A, 180167-169, 700/248, 455/11.1, 455/517, 455/575, 455/414, 455/518, 172/5, 172/71, 172/102, 172/107, 172/134, 172/145, 172/146, 172/147, 172/148
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127

Abstract

For creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, the machine systems include route planning data determination devices and they exchange data with each other and, based on exchanged route planning data, one shared route plan is created for the particular territory. For controlling a group of agricultural working machine systems while it works a territory, one shared route plan—which has been created accordingly—is used, and a route planning system is provided for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems to be used to work a territory.

Claims

1. A method for creating a shared route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, comprising the steps of:

including with each of the machine systems route planning data determination devices for determining sub-route plans for sub-areas associated with each of the machine systems;

establishing one of the agricultural working machine systems to operate as a master machine system at any time by operators of the group of agricultural working machines or by an operator of the group of agricultural working machines with special authorization;

generating, by a central route planning device on the master machine system, a set of reference lines from reference lines, which reference lines are determined by each of the individual machine systems;

exchanging data comprising the sub-route plans, including the reference line portion of the set of reference lines, by the route planning data determination devices with each other and with the master machine system; and

based on exchanged route planning data, including the sub-route plans and the set of reference lines, the central route planning device on the master machine creating a master shared route plan for the territory, which master shared route plan includes assignment of sub-regions to be worked and sub-tasks to be carried out by the machine systems with consideration for the machine system parameters to determine the extent to which the sub-routes are well coordinated with each other and to specify conditions for the machine systems to comply with; and

using the created master shared route plan by all the machine systems for working the territory in a coordinated manner, wherein route planning data determination devices within the machine systems optimize, relative freely, respective optimal route plans in respective sub-areas without regard for other machine systems except for in driving tracks where the sub-areas border each other.

2. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising including in the route planning data geographic reference data that are determined with the machine systems.

3. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising subdividing the territory into subregions based on the route planning data.

4. A method as defined in claim 3;

and further comprising determining by each of the machine systems a subroute plan for a certain subregion of the territory.

5. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising working the territory by the machine systems in chronological succession.

6. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising working the territory by the machine systems in parallel, at least part of the time.

7. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising changing the shared route plan dynamically in a situation selected from the group consisting of a situation when a new machine system is added to a group and a situation when a machine system leaves the group.

8. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising determining current position data of an individual one of the machine systems repeatedly and sending to another one of the machine systems.

9. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising outputting to operators of the machine systems using a display device, a map created based on a geographical reference data, a current position and an optimal route for a particular one of the machine systems, and a current position of another machine system in a group located in the territory to be worked.

10. A method as defined in claim 9;

and further comprising displaying to the operator of the machine system routes of other machine systems in the group that are located in the territory to be worked.

11. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising, when a group of agricultural working machine systems works the territory, including in the route plan optimized routes assigned to individual ones of the machine systems for working the territory; and

driving the machine systems along a particular route assigned to them.

12. A route planning system for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, comprising:

position determination devices located on the agricultural machine systems for determining a current position of a particular one of the machine systems;

route planning data determination devices located on the machine systems for determining sub-route plans for sub-areas associated with each of the machine systems;

communication devices located on the machine systems for transmitting and exchanging the sub-route plans generated by the route planning data determination devices located on the machine systems; and

at least one machine system including a central route planning device which is coupled with a receiving unit and which is established to operate as a master machine system at any time by operators of the group of agricultural working machines or by an operator of the group of agricultural working machines with special authorization,

wherein said master machine system receives the sub-route plans from the machine systems, with which received sub-route plans said central route planning device creates one master shared route plan for a particular territory,

wherein said created master shared route plan includes assignment of sub-regions to be worked and sub-tasks to be carried out by the machine systems with consideration for the machine system parameters to determine the extent to which the sub-routes are well coordinated with each other and to specify conditions for the machine systems to comply with, and

wherein said created master shared route plan is used by all machine systems for working the territory in a coordinated manner during which the route planning data determination devices in the machine systems optimize, relatively freely, respective optimal route plans in respective sub-areas without regard for other machines systems except for in driving tracks where the sub-areas border each other.