Status indicator for an autonomous agricultural vehicle

• US 9,849,828 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonomous Solutions, Inc., CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Autonomous Solutions, Inc., CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Foster, Christopher A., Turpin, Bret Todd, Torrie, Mitchel R., Posselius, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US15/090,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20170282784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/20 Multi-color single source or LED matrix, e.g. yellow blinker and red brake lamp generated by single lamp
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2800/20 Utility vehicles, e.g. for agriculture, construction work
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0833 using audio means

Abstract

An indicator system for an autonomous agricultural vehicle includes a multicolor lighting assembly. The indicator system includes a controller comprising a memory operatively coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to select a status indication from a plurality of status indications that corresponds to a current operating state of a plurality of operating states. The processor is configured to output a second signal indicative of instructions to control the multicolor lighting assembly based on the status indication. The multicolor lighting assembly emits a light in response to the second signal.

Claims

1. An indicator system for an autonomous agricultural vehicle, comprising:

a multicolor lighting assembly; and

a controller comprising a memory operatively coupled to a processor, wherein the processor is configured to select a status indication from a plurality of status indications that corresponds to a current operating state of a plurality of operating states, and to output a first signal indicative of instructions to control the multicolor lighting assembly based on the status indication, wherein the plurality of states comprises at least one operational state based on operation of an actuator of an implement coupled to the autonomous agricultural vehicle;

wherein the agricultural implement is towed in operation by the agricultural vehicle, the agricultural implement comprises a tillage tool, the agricultural implement comprises a fertilizer application tool, the agricultural implement comprises a seeding or planting tool, the agricultural implement comprises a harvesting tool, or any combination thereof;

wherein the multicolor lighting assembly emits a light in response to the first signal.

2. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to send a second signal to a high power alarm while the autonomous agricultural vehicle is in the current operating state and to send a third signal to a low power alarm while autonomous agricultural vehicle is in another operating state of the plurality of operating states, different from the current operating state, and wherein the high power alarm utilizes more energy than the low power alarm.

3. The indicator system of claim 2, wherein the high power alarm comprises a horn powered by the battery of the autonomous agricultural vehicle and wherein the processor is configured to send the second signal to the horn to generate an audible alarm.

4. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output the first signal to the multicolor lighting assembly via a communication protocol.

5. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operational states comprises non-operation of an engine of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, operation of the engine of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, occupation of a cab of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, operation of the autonomous agricultural vehicle in manual mode, establishment of a connection between the autonomous agricultural vehicle and the base station, movement of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, operation of an actuator of an implement of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, occurrence of a fault, or any combination hereof.

6. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the multicolored lighting assembly comprises an annular lighting indicator to facilitate visibility of the emitted light from a position outside of the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

7. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send the first signal instructing the multicolor lighting assembly to emit light in a first color to indicate a first operating state and to emit light in a second color to indicate a second operating state.

8. The indicator system of claim 7, wherein the multicolor lighting assembly is positioned on a top of the autonomous agricultural vehicle to enable visibility of a lighting indicator of the multicolor lighting assembly.

9. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to output the first signal when the actuator has positioned the implement in a raised position.

10. The indicator system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to output the first when the actuator has positioned the implement in a lowered position.

11. An indicator system for an autonomous agricultural vehicle, comprising:

a lighting assembly comprising at least one light indicator, wherein the at least one light indicator is configured to emit a flashing light to indicate a first operational state of the autonomous agricultural vehicle and to emit a continuous light to indicate a second operational state of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, different from the first operational state; and

a controller comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the at least one light indicator to emit the flashing light or the continuous light based on the first operational state or the second operational state, and wherein the controller is configured to instruct the lighting assembly to emit a second flashing light in conjunction with the flashing light to create a pattern that corresponds to a type of fault associated with operation of the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

12. The indicator system of claim 11, wherein the lighting assembly is configured to emit at least one of the flashing light and the continuous light in a first color and wherein the lighting assembly comprises at least one other light indicator configured to emit a light in a second color, different from the first color.

13. The indicator system of claim 11, comprising an audio system communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller instructs the audio system to emit a sound based on at least one of the first operational state and the second operational state.

14. The indicator system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to send signals to cause the light indicator to emit at least one of the flashing light and the continuous light based on at least one of the first operational state and the second operational state of an implement coupled to the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

15. An indicator system for an autonomous agricultural vehicle, comprising:

a multicolor lighting system comprising at least one light indicator; and

a controller configured to instruct the at least one light indicator to emit light of a first color to indicate a first operational state of a plurality of operational states of the autonomous agricultural vehicle and to emit light of a second color, different from the first color, to indicate a second operational state of the plurality of operational states of the autonomous agricultural vehicle;

wherein the first operational state comprises establishment of a connection between the autonomous agricultural vehicle and a base station, occupation of a cab of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, operation of an actuator of an implement coupled to the autonomous agricultural vehicle, or any combination thereof, wherein the agricultural implement is towed in operation by the agricultural vehicle, the agricultural implement comprises a tillage tool, the agricultural implement comprises a fertilizer application tool, the agricultural implement comprises a seeding or planting tool, the agricultural implement comprises a harvesting tool, or any combination thereof.

16. The indicator system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the at least one light indicator to emit a flashing light to indicate at least one of the first operational state, the second operational state, or a third operational state of the plurality of operational states of the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

17. The indicator system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the at least one light indicator to emit a flashing light in the first color to indicate the first operational state.

18. The indicator system of claim 15, wherein the at least one light indicator comprises a first light indicator configured to emit light of the first color and a second light indicator configured to emit light of the second color.

19. The indicator system of claim 15, wherein the multicolored lighting system comprises an annular lighting indicator to facilitate visibility of the emitted light from a position outside of the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

20. The indicator system of claim 15, wherein the multicolor light system is positioned on a top of the autonomous agricultural vehicle to facilitate visibility of the at least one light indicator of the multicolor lighting assembly.