Auto-guidance

• US 8,548,666 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Original Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/336,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/50, 701/221, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Auto-guidance may be provided. First, location information may be received and a location of a machine may be determined based on the location information. Once the location of the machine is determined, an auto-guidance data file may be loaded based on the determined location of the machine.

Claims

1. A method of steering an agricultural machine comprising:

storing in a database a plurality of auto-guidance data files for a farm, the farm comprising a plurality of fields, each of the plurality of fields having a corresponding auto-guidance data file, wherein each auto-guidance data file comprises at least data defining a wayline;

receiving, at a processor, location information;

determining, by the processor, a location of the agricultural machine based on the received location information;

if the location of the agricultural machine is determined to be on a first one of the plurality of fields on the farm, loading, into a memory, an auto-guidance data file from the plurality of auto-guidance data files for the field on which the machine is located based on the determined location of the machine;

propelling the agricultural machine on the farm;

determining, by the processor, a new location of the agricultural machine based on received location information and if the location of the machine is determined to be on a second field of the farm different than the first field where previously located, automatically unloading from the memory the auto-guidance data file for said first field and loading into the memory from the database an auto-guidance data file from the plurality of auto-guidance data files for the second field on which the machine is now located based on the determined location of the machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising unloading, from the processor, the auto-guidance data file when a speed of the machine exceeds a maximum speed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling, by the processor, an auto-guidance system when the machine is not within a predetermined area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the processor, the location of the machine based on the received location information comprises determining that the machine is located within a geofence.

4. An agricultural machine configured to be propelled on a farm comprising:

a drive component operative to propel the agricultural machine; and

an auto-guidance processor coupled to the drive component, the auto-guidance processor operative to;

store in a database a plurality of auto-guidance data files for the farm, the farm comprising a plurality of fields, each of the plurality of fields having a corresponding auto-guidance data file, wherein each auto-guidance data file comprises at least data defining a wayline;

receive location information;

determine a location of the agricultural machine based on the received location information;

if the location of the agricultural machine is determined to be on a first one of the plurality of fields on the farm, load an auto-guidance data file from the plurality of auto-guidance data files for the field on which the machine is located based on the determined location of the agricultural machine; and

determine a new location of the agricultural machine after the agricultural machine has been propelled on the farm based on received location information and if the location of the machine is determined to be on a second field of the farm different than the first field where previously located, automatically unloading from the memory the auto-guidance data file for said first field and loading into the memory from the database an auto-guidance data file from the plurality of auto-guidance data files for the second field on which the machine is now located based on the determined location of the machine.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising the auto-guidance processor operative to unload the auto-guidance data file when the location of the machine cannot be determined.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising the auto-guidance processor operative to unload the auto-guidance data file when a speed of the machine exceeds a maximum speed.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising the auto-guidance processor operative to disable an auto-guidance system when the machine is not within a predetermined area.