Method and stereo vision system for facilitating the unloading of agricultural material from a vehicle

• US 9,861,040 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Bonefas, Zachary T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Assistant Examiner(s): STCLAIR, ANDREW D
• Application Number:
  US13/763,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20130213518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/073 with controllable discharge spout
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/087 with controllable discharge spout
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/00 Accessories for harvesters or mowers

Abstract

A spout is operably connected to a transferring material for transferring the agricultural material to the receiving vehicle. An imaging device faces towards the storage portion of the receiving vehicle and collects image data. A container module is adapted to determine a container position of the storage portion, or its container perimeter. A spout module is adapted to identify a spout of the transferring vehicle in the collected image data, or to determine a spout position. An alignment module is adapted to determine the relative position of the spout and the container position based on the collected image data and to generate command data or user interface data to facilitate placement of the spout and storage container in relative cooperative alignment for transferring of material from the transferring vehicle to the receiving vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the transfer of agricultural material from a transferring vehicle to a receiving vehicle, the system comprising:

a receiving vehicle comprising a propelled portion for propelling the receiving vehicle and a storage portion for storing agricultural material;

a spout operably connected to a transferring material for transferring the agricultural material to the receiving vehicle;

a stereo imaging device facing towards the storage portion of the receiving vehicle, the imaging device collecting image data to determine three dimensional coordinates of the spout in the image data;

an image processing module comprising a container module and a spout module;

the container module for determining a container position of a container perimeter or the container position of the storage portion, where the container position comprises a reference point or three dimensional coordinates;

the spout module for identifying the spout of the transferring vehicle in the collected image data by applying edge detection in a region of discontinuities in pixel color or pixel intensity in the collected image data to identify edges of the spout to provide an angular orientation of the spout with respect to the transferring vehicle; and

an alignment module for determining the relative position of the spout and the container based on the collected image data and for generating command data or user interface data for the receiving vehicle with a target spatial offset between the spout and the container perimeter, the command data or user interface data being for placement of the spout and storage portion in relative cooperative alignment within a central zone of the container perimeter or target alignment of a target area of the storage portion, for transferring of material from the transferring vehicle to the receiving vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first location-determining receiver associated with the transferring vehicle for providing first location data on the transferring vehicle;

a second location-determining receiver associated with the receiving vehicle for providing second location data on the receiving vehicle;

a coordination module for determining the relative position or a spatial offset of the vehicles, based on the first location data and second location data, and for generating command data to steer the propelled portion and to direct the storage portion to maintain a target spatial offset between the vehicles consistent with the cooperative alignment such that the spout is aligned within the target zone; and

a steering controller associated with a steering system of the propelled portion for steering the receiving vehicle in accordance with the cooperative alignment and the spatial offset.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the container module is adapted to determine the container position by processing one or more of the following input data:

(a) sensor data indicative of a trailer tongue angle between the propulsion portion and the storage portion of the receiving vehicle, (b) a heading of the propelled portion, (c) a position of the propelled portion;

(d) a position of the storage portion, and (e) physical vehicle data associated with one or more dimensions of the storage portion, such as the distance between a pivot point of the trailer tongue and wheelbase, and (f) kinematic model data associated with the movement of the storage portion with respect to the propulsion unit.

4. The system according to claim 1 where the container module is adapted to identify the container perimeter of the storage portion in the collected image data by identifying one or more edges of the container perimeter in the collected image data.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the spout is aligned within a target zone or central zone of the storage portion inside the container perimeter by controlling a position of the receiving vehicle or its storage portion.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the alignment module adjusts the relative cooperative alignment or spatial offset between the vehicles within a range to promote even distribution of agricultural material in the storage portion.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the alignment module and the coordination module cooperate to shift the spatial offset between the transferring and receiving vehicles to promote even distribution of agricultural material in the storage portion.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the spatial offset is shifted in accordance with a matrix of preset positions of the spatial offset, where each point of the matrix is associated with a unique lateral offset and fore/aft offset between the vehicles.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the coordination module maintains a spatial offset between the vehicles unless an observed length, width or other dimension of the storage portion exceeds respective maximum length, maximum width, or maximum dimension for uniform filling of the storage portion by adjustment of the spout angle within its angular range.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging device is mounted on the propelled portion of the receiving vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging device is mounted on an adjustable mast on the propelled portion of the receiving vehicle, where the adjustable mast has an adjustable height and an adjustable down-tilt or declination angle for the imaging device with respect to a vertical axis.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the imaging device has a tilt sensor to measure the down-tilt or declination angle for reporting to a mast controller.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging device is mounted with a down-tilt angle to avoid washout of, corruption of, or interference with collected image data during a transient exposure time period to sunlight, a reflection or a light source that exceeds a threshold brightness level for a material portion of the pixels in the collected image data.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein the spout module identifies a spout end of the spout via at least one detector selected from the group consisting of a pattern identification detector, a color discrimination detector, and an edge detector, where a color or visual pattern is placed on or near the spout end to facilitate distinguishing spout data from background pixel data.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the spout module determines the range of the pixels to the imaging device to estimate coordinates of a spout end of the spout.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein the spout module does not use a spout angle sensor for detecting an angle of the spout with respect to the transferring vehicle for estimating a position of the spout end relative to the storage portion.

17. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an actuator to direct a spout angular orientation in the cooperative alignment such that a spout end of the spout is aligned with the central zone or the target zone of the storage portion.

18. The system according to claim 1 wherein the target alignment is based on image processing of collected image data associated with the target spatial offset between the spout and the container perimeter.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the collected image data comprises additional image data that is not impacted or impaired by dust.