Method and system for identifying an edge of a crop

• US 20050088643A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/5.10
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/001 Accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1278 for automatic steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/10 using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning

Abstract

The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere & Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill. 61265, U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere & Company or otherwise.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an edge of a crop, the method comprising:

emitting a transmitted radiation pattern within a defined spatial zone;

collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone;

detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least a portion of the transmitted radiation pattern, the observed illumination radiation pattern associated with at least one of an upper interface and a lower interface;

the upper interface defining a boundary between a top of the unharvested crop and the spatial area thereabove, the lower interface defining a boundary between a bottom of the unharvested crop and the ground or harvested crop; and

identifying image coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitted radiation pattern comprises one or more generally linear beams spaced apart from one another.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the linear beams are arranged in a generally vertical manner.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitted radiation pattern is selected from the group consisting of:

a generally rectangular radiation pattern, a generally trapezoidal radiation pattern, a structured light radiation pattern, a generally circular beam, a generally conical beam, a generally cylindrical beam, and a range-finding radiation pattern.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the defined spatial zone comprises a region that contains a harvested portion and an unharvested portion of the crop in a direction of travel in front of and lateral to a work vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the observed illumination comprises a reflective transition defined by a bent linear segment at the lower interface.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the bent linear segment has an inflection point, the inflection point indicating a lower critical point associated with the lower interface.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein an upper interface of the unharvested crop is bounded a first region with no observable reflection or projection of an illuminated image on the crop from the transmitted radiation pattern and bounded by second region adjacent to the first region, the second region having at the least one of a reflected upper segment and an upper critical point from the transmitted radiation pattern.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting pulse signals at a transmission time toward the detected crop edge at varying depths from the work vehicle;

receiving one or more reflections of the transmitted pulse signals at a reception time;

determining a distance of the detected crop edge from the vehicle based on the elapsed propagation time from the transmission time to the reception time of the pulse signal.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining real world coordinates of critical points defining the crop edge based on identified image coordinate data and the determined distance between the critical points and a work vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the detected crop edge comprises at least one of upper critical points and lower critical points.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

gathering a series of at least three points along the crop edge;

extrapolating a virtual crop edge where a discontinuity is present in the actual crop edge, the extrapolation based on an interconnection or best fit of a generally linear segment or curved contour to the series of points.

13. A method for identifying an edge of a crop, the method comprising:

emitting a transmitted radiation pattern of one or more generally linear beams spaced apart within a defined spatial zone;

collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone;

detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least one of the generally linear beams; and

identifying coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the linear beams are arranged in a generally vertical manner.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the observed illumination comprises a reflective transition defined by a bent linear segment at the lower interface.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the bent linear segment has an inflection point, the inflection point indicating a lower critical point associated with the lower interface.

17. The method according to claim 13 wherein an upper interface of the unharvested crop is bounded a first region with no observable reflection or projection of an illuminated image on the crop from the transmitted radiation pattern and bounded by second region adjacent to the first region, the second region having an upper critical point reflected from the transmitted radiation pattern.

18. The method according to claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting pulse signals at a transmission time toward the detected crop edge at varying depths from the work vehicle;

receiving one or more reflections of the transmitted pulse signals at a reception time;

determining a distance of the detected crop edge from the vehicle based on the elapsed propagation time from the transmission time to the reception time of the pulse signal.

19. The method according to claim 13 further comprising:

determining real world coordinates of critical points defining the crop edge based on identified image coordinate data and the determined distance between the critical points and a work vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the detected crop edge comprises at least one of upper critical points and lower critical points.

21. A system for identifying an edge of a crop, the system comprising:

a transmitter for emitting a transmitted radiation pattern within a defined spatial zone in accordance with at least one of a structured light mode and a range-finding mode;

a receiver for collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone;

a data processor for detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least a portion of the transmitted radiation pattern, the observed illumination radiation pattern associated with at least one of an upper interface and a lower interface;

the upper interface defining a boundary between a top of the unharvested portion and the spatial area thereabove, the lower interface defining a boundary between a bottom of the unharvested portion and the ground or harvested portion; and

the data processor arranged for identifying image coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.

22. The system according to claim 21 wherein the transmitted radiation pattern comprises one or more generally linear beams spaced apart from one another.

23. The system according to claim 22 wherein the linear beams are arranged in a generally vertical manner.

24. The system according to claim 21 wherein the transmitted radiation pattern is selected from the group consisting of:

a generally rectangular radiation pattern, a generally trapezoidal radiation pattern, a structured light radiation pattern, a generally circular beam, a generally conical beam, a generally cylindrical beam, and a range-finding radiation pattern.

25. The system according to claim 21 wherein the defined spatial zone comprises a region that contains a harvested portion and an unharvested portion of the crop in a direction of travel in front of and lateral to a work vehicle.

26. The system according to claim 21 wherein the observed illumination comprises a reflective transition defined by a bent linear segment at the lower interface.

27. The system according to claim 26 wherein the bent linear segment has an inflection point, the inflection point indicating a lower critical point associated with the lower interface.

28. The system according to claim 21 wherein an upper interface of the unharvested portion is bounded a first region with no observable reflection or projection of an illuminated image on the crop from the transmitted radiation pattern and bounded by second region adjacent to the first region, the second region having at the least one of a reflected upper segment and an upper critical point from the transmitted radiation pattern.

29. The system according to claim 21 wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit pulse signals at a transmission time toward the detected crop edge at varying depths from the work vehicle;

the receiver is arranged to receive one or more reflections of the transmitted pulse signals at a reception time;

the data processor determining a distance of the detected crop edge from the vehicle based on the elapsed time difference between the transmission time and the reception time.

30. The system according to claim 29 wherein the data processor gathers a series of at least three points along the crop edge and extrapolates a virtual crop edge where a discontinuity is present in the actual crop edge, the extrapolation based on an interconnection or best fit of a generally linear segment or curved contour to the series of points.