METHOD FOR CREATING REFERENCE DRIVING TRACKS FOR AGRICULTURAL WORKING MACHINES

• US 20070168116A1
• Filed: 01/15/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Diekhans, Norbert, Beermann, Ingo, Brunnert, Andreas, Meyer zu Helligen, Lars Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/001 Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A route planning system for agricultural working machines with a defined working width assigned to the agricultural working machine to generate driving routes in a territory includes a navigation module configured to generate the driving routes and having at least one automatic driving mode and at least one recording mode, such that said at least one automatic driving mode and the at least one recording mode are activatable independently of each other.

Claims

1. A route planning system for agricultural working machines, with a defined working width assigned to the agricultural working machine to generate driving routes in a territory, the route planning system comprising a navigation module configured to generate the driving routes, said navigating module including at least one automatic driving mode and at least one recording mode, such that said at least one automatic driving mode and said at least one recording mode are activatable independently of each other.

2. A route planning system as defined in claim 1, wherein said navigation module is configured so that in said at least one automatic driving mode a defined driving route is recorded, and said defined driving route represents a reference line for at least one driving route to be worked subsequently.

3. A route planning system as defined in claim 2, wherein said driving routes defined by said reference line and to be worked subsequently are combined as a crop bed function in a crop bed function module.

4. A route planning system as defined in claim 2, wherein said defined driving route is implemented by selecting a start point and an end point of said defined driving route.

5. A route planning system as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising a control and evaluation unit in which the start point and the end point are selected by generating a start and stop signal.

6. A route planning system as defined in claim 5, wherein said control and evaluation unit includes a display unit designed as a touchscreen monitor, and said start point and end point are determined by making a selection on said touchscreen monitor.

7. A route planning system as defined in claim 3, wherein said crop bed function includes dividing a territory to be worked into a large number of driving routes.

8. A route planning system as defined in claim 2, wherein said automatic driving modes include driving along a straight route bounded by a start point and an end point, driving along a contour route bounded by the start point and the end point, and contour driving without limitation by the start point and the end point, or a combination of at least three automatic driving modes.

9. A route planning system as defined in claim 2, wherein a particular one of said automatic driving modes is freely selectable, and whereas said automatic driving modes are switchable therebetween.

10. A route planning system as defined in claim 2, wherein in one of said automatic driving modes, a defined driving route is recorded, and said defined driving route represents the reference line for the crop bed function of another automatic driving mode.