Three-dimensional elevation modeling for use in operating agricultural vehicles

• US 9,420,737 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTx Trimble LLC
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Spiller, Stephanie Anne, Hamilton, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US14/469,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20160057920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/50, 701/408, 701/409, 701/472, 701/25, 701/41, 703/6, 703/9, 371/97, 382/103, 382/195, 702/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3826 Terrain data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for creating and implementing three-dimensional guidance paths for use in conjunction with more or one agricultural vehicles operating in an area of operation.

Claims

1. A method of operating an agricultural vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining, with a computer, three-dimensional location information for multiple positions within an area of operation;

creating, with the computer, a three-dimensional elevation model for the area of operation, based at least in part on the three-dimensional location information;

developing, with the computer, one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the operation of the agricultural vehicle within the area of operation, based at least in part on the three-dimensional elevation model;

determining, with the computer, whether one or more positions within the area of operation afford reduced traction for the agricultural vehicle based on a combination of slope, soil type, and current rainfall conditions of each of the one or more positions;

adjusting, with the computer, the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the operation of the agricultural vehicle within the area of operation, based at least in part on a determination that one or more positions within the area of operation afford reduced traction for the agricultural vehicle based on a combination of slope, soil type, and current rainfall conditions of each of the one or more positions; and

providing, with the computer, information to a control system of the agricultural vehicle, the information comprising data representing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more avoidance locations within the area of operation in which the agricultural vehicle should not operate; and

utilizing the avoidance locations within the three-dimensional elevation model to further develop the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein developing, with a computer, the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths comprises developing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths, based at least in part on growing conditions within the area of operation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the growing conditions comprise one or more soil characteristics of at least a portion of the area of operation.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the growing conditions comprise historical crop yield data of at least a portion of the area of operation.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the growing conditions comprise water management data for at least a portion of the area of operation.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the growing conditions comprise fertilizer and nutrient data for a least a portion of the area of operation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating, with the control system of the agricultural vehicle, the operation of the agricultural vehicle utilizing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating inputs for the control system of the agricultural vehicle to control a throttle of the agricultural vehicle based at least in part on the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein facilitating, with the control system of the agricultural vehicle, the operation of the agricultural vehicle comprises controlling the throttle of the agricultural vehicle while the agricultural vehicle operates along the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating inputs for the control system to control an active implement of the agricultural vehicle, based at least in part on the three-dimensional elevation model.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein facilitating, with the control system of the agricultural vehicle, the operation of the agricultural vehicle comprises controlling the active implement of the agricultural vehicle while the agricultural vehicle operates along the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

revising the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths, based on data collected from the agricultural vehicle during operation.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

revising the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths, based on data collected from an operator of the agricultural vehicle during operation.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer is located on the agricultural vehicle.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein facilitating, with the control system of the agricultural vehicle, the operation of the agricultural vehicle comprises displaying, with a display in the agricultural vehicle, the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the area of operation, to guide an operator of the agricultural vehicle.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sharing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths with a second agricultural vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

dividing up the area of operation between the first and second agricultural vehicles such that each vehicle operates in the area of operation along different portions of the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, with the control system, inputs from a navigation system, wherein facilitating operation of the agricultural vehicle comprises comparing the inputs from the navigation system with the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

20. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating inputs for the control system from an auto-pilot system to control a steering system of the agricultural vehicle based at least in part on the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein facilitating, with the control system of the agricultural vehicle, the operation of the agricultural vehicle comprises controlling the steering system of the agricultural vehicle with the auto-pilot system while the agricultural vehicle operates along the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

22. A control system for an agricultural vehicle, the control system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors, the computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the computer system to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving a three-dimensional elevation model for an area of operation based at least in part on three-dimensional location information for multiple positions within the area of operation;

instructions for displaying, with a display in the agricultural vehicle, the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the area of operation, to guide an operator of the agricultural vehicle;

instructions for determining whether one or more positions within the area of operation afford reduced traction for the agricultural vehicle based on a combination of slope, soil type, and current rainfall conditions of each of the one or more positions;

instructions for adjusting the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the operation of the agricultural vehicle within the area of operation, based at least in part on a determination that one or more positions within the area of operation afford reduced traction for the agricultural vehicle based on a combination of slope, soil type, and current rainfall conditions of each of the one or more positions; and

instructions for facilitating operation of the agricultural vehicle utilizing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths.

23. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors, the computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the computer system to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions for obtaining three-dimensional location information for multiple positions within an area of operation;

instructions for creating a three-dimensional elevation model for the area of operation, based at least in part on the three-dimensional location information;

instructions for developing one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the operation of an agricultural vehicle within the area of operation, based at least in part on the three-dimensional elevation model;

instructions for determining whether one or more positions within the area of operation afford reduced traction for the agricultural vehicle based on a combination of slope, soil type, and current rainfall conditions of each of the one or more positions;

instructions for adjusting the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths for the operation of the agricultural vehicle within the area of operation, based at least in part on a determination that one or more positions within the area of operation afford reduced traction for the agricultural vehicle based on a combination of slope, soil type, and current rainfall conditions of each of the one or more positions;

instructions for providing information to a control system of the agricultural vehicle, the information comprising data representing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths;

instructions for the control system of the agricultural vehicle to facilitate the operation of the agricultural vehicle utilizing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths; and

instructions for modifying the information comprising data representing the one or more three-dimensional guidance paths during the operation of the agricultural vehicle.