System and method for determining implement train position

• US 9,380,738 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Robert Leonard Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US14/584,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/006 derived from the steering of the tractor
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/007 Steering or guiding of agricultural vehicles, e.g. steering of the tractor to keep the plough in the furrow
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 76/00 Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring

Abstract

Leading vehicle position information can be used to determine a location and heading of one or more implements of a trailing vehicle in an implement train that includes the leading vehicle. In an example, the leading vehicle pulls one or more trailing vehicles, and information about the leading vehicle position or heading is used to update a function of one or more implements associated with trailing vehicles of the implement train. In an example, the present subject matter includes identifying a heading of a trailing vehicle based on its initial location, an intermediate location, and a destination location. In an example, the present subject matter includes identifying a speed of one or more points on a trailing vehicle. In some examples, the present subject matter includes determining a location, heading, or speed of multiple implements associated with multiple trailing vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location or heading of one or more fiducials of a trailing vehicle in an implement train based on information about a rear hitch of a leading vehicle of the implement train, the method comprising:

identifying, using a leading vehicle position sensor, a destination location for a rear hitch of a leading vehicle in the implement train;

identifying, using a processor circuit, a first location and a first heading of a trailing vehicle in the implement train;

determining, using the processor circuit, a destination heading of the trailing vehicle when the rear hitch of the leading vehicle coincides with a front hitch of the trailing vehicle and the destination location, wherein determining the destination heading includes;

identifying a linear distance between the first location of the trailing vehicle and the destination location for the rear hitch of the leading vehicle,

determining an intermediate location ahead of the first location of the trailing vehicle by less than the linear distance and in the direction of the first heading of the trailing vehicle, and

determining the destination heading of the trailing vehicle, the destination heading corresponding to a direction of a shortest path from the intermediate location to the destination location; and

using the destination location for the rear hitch and the destination heading of the trailing vehicle, using the processor circuit for determining a location of a first implement on the trailing vehicle in the implement train.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the determined location of the first implement, using the processor circuit for at least one of:

providing a control signal to the first implement to update or adjust an operational status of the first implement; and

receiving operational status information from the first implement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the processor circuit for determining the location of the first implement on the trailing vehicle includes using information about a distance from the leading vehicle position sensor to the rear hitch of the leading vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the processor circuit for determining the location of the first implement on the trailing vehicle includes using the location information in coordination with a field map to provide field coverage information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the destination heading of the trailing vehicle includes determining the destination heading of the trailing vehicle when the rear hitch of the leading vehicle coincides with the front hitch of the trailing vehicle, wherein the rear hitch and the front hitch are coupled using an articulating joint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first location and the first heading of the trailing vehicle includes identifying a first location and a first heading of a trailing vehicle fiducial, and wherein determining the destination heading of the trailing vehicle includes determining the destination heading of the trailing vehicle fiducial.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the first implement includes identifying the location of the first implement along a boom of the trailing vehicle, wherein the boom extends parallel to an axle of the trailing vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the destination location using the leading vehicle position sensor includes receiving location information using a GPS receiver that is coupled to the leading vehicle in the implement train.

9. A non-transitory massed machine-readable medium (MMRM) including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying a destination location of a leading vehicle fiducial of a leading vehicle, the leading vehicle fiducial coincident with a first fiducial of a first trailing vehicle of an implement train, the identifying the destination location including sensing the destination location using a leading vehicle position sensor that is coupled to the leading vehicle;

identifying an initial heading corresponding to the first fiducial and a second fiducial of the first trailing vehicle when the second fiducial coincides with an initial location;

determining a heading of the first and second fiducials of the first trailing vehicle when the first fiducial coincides with the destination location, determining the heading of the first and second fiducials including;

identifying a linear distance between the destination location of the leading vehicle fiducial and the initial location, and

determining an intermediate location based on the linear distance and the initial heading, the intermediate location between the initial location and the destination location; and

determining a location and heading of a third fiducial of the first trailing vehicle, based on the heading of the first and second fiducials when the first fiducial coincides with the destination location of the leading vehicle fiducial.

10. The MMRM of claim 9, wherein the identifying the linear distance between the destination location and the initial location includes computing the linear distance.

11. The MMRM of claim 9, wherein the determining the location and heading of the third fiducial includes determining a location and heading of at least one implement of a plurality of implements, the at least one implement corresponding to the third fiducial and disposed on a boom of the first trailing vehicle, and determining the location of the at least one implement including identifying a location of the implement along the boom.

12. The MMRM of claim 11, wherein the operations comprise updating an operational status of the at least one implement using the determined location of the at least one implement, the updating the operational status including one of initiating or interrupting release of material from the implement.

13. The MMRM of claim 11, wherein the determining the location of the at least one implement includes determining a location of an agricultural row unit in a Cartesian plane corresponding to an agricultural field.

14. The MMRM of claim 9, wherein the operations comprise estimating a velocity of the third fiducial, the third fiducial corresponding to a location of a first implement coupled to the first trailing vehicle, estimating the velocity based on prior information about the location of the third fiducial, and based on information about a relative location of the third fiducial on the first trailing vehicle relative to a boom end of the first trailing vehicle.

15. The MMRM of claim 14, wherein the operations comprise estimating a velocity of a fourth fiducial corresponding to a location of a second implement coupled to the first trailing vehicle, wherein the velocity of the fourth fiducial is different than the velocity of the third fiducial, and wherein estimating the velocity of the fourth fiducial includes using information about the relative locations of the third and fourth fiducials.

16. The MMRM of claim 9, wherein determining the intermediate location includes:

determining a location spaced from the initial location by a distance that is half of the identified linear distance, and

determining a location between the initial location and the destination location that corresponds with the initial heading.

17. The MMRM of claim 9, wherein determining the heading of the first and second fiducials includes when the first fiducial and the leading vehicle fiducial are coupled using an articulating joint.

18. A system for determining a position of a first agricultural implement that is on-board a first trailing vehicle of an implement train, the implement train pulled by a leading vehicle, the system comprising:

a processor circuit that is on-board the leading vehicle;

a positioning system receiver that is on-board the leading vehicle; and

a non-transitory tangible processor-readable medium, coupled to the processor circuit, comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to;

receive information about a distance between an initial location of a first trailing vehicle fiducial and a destination location of the first trailing vehicle, the destination location determined using position information that is received using the positioning system receiver;

determine a heading of the first trailing vehicle fiducial when the first trailing vehicle is at the destination location, the heading of the first trailing vehicle fiducial based on an intermediate location between the initial location and the destination location; and

provide a control signal to the first agricultural implement based on the determined heading of the first trailing vehicle fiducial, the control signal usable by the first agricultural implement to update a function of the first agricultural implement;

wherein the first trailing vehicle fiducial corresponds to an articulating joint where a rear hitch of the leading vehicle is coupled to the first trailing vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to determine, as the distance between the initial location and the destination location, a linear distance between the initial location and the destination location.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising a wireless transmitter that is coupled to the leading vehicle, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to broadcast the control signal to a wireless receiver that is associated with the first agricultural implement on the first trailing vehicle.