System and method for controlling a vehicle in response to a particular boundary

• US 8,635,011 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Senneff, Aaron Matthew, Roszhart, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M.
• Application Number:
  US11/831,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 701/205
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a vehicle in response to the presence of one or more vehicle boundary. According to various embodiments, a system is provided that automates end-turns and sequence execution in real-time based on approaching boundaries. In various embodiments, no pre-planning is required once boundaries and a turn pattern have been defined. Once these items are defined, the system creates end-turns based on what type of boundary is approaching and the turn path prescribed. The system determines what vehicle functions to execute based on pre-recorded sequences and executes the turns and the sequences automatically based on the location and speed of the vehicle and its relationship to various boundaries.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

inspecting a work area prior to operation of the vehicle in the work area to identify at a non-traversable area that the vehicle cannot traverse safely or expediently;

establishing, via a user interface, a boundary around the non-traversable area within the work area based on the inspection;

establishing a passable interior boundary around a traversable area within the work area;

determining a position of the vehicle via a location-determining receiver;

generating a warning alarm to an operator if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area; and

slowing the vehicle down and controlling an implement to be at least partially raised if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the passable interior boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the vehicle if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-traversable area contains an obstacle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-traversable area is selected from the group consisting of a hedge, vegetation, tree growth, bushes, bramble, a wooded area, a tree, a bush, a mud slide, a rock slide, a stream, a brook, a pond, a lake, a river, flood water, and a swamp.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary around the non-traversable area lies within one of an interior of the work area and a headland of the work area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the vehicle from executing a turn if the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area during the turn or would traverse the boundary around the non-traversable area during the turn.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the turn is associated with a headland region between an outer border of the work area and an interior border of the work area.

8. A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a display interface configured to define a boundary around a non-traversable area within a work area based upon a prior inspection, and establish a passable interior boundary around a traversable area within the work area; and

a location-determining receiver configured to determine a position of the vehicle, wherein

a warning alarm is generated for an operator if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area, and

the vehicle is slowed down and an implement is controlled to be at least partially raised if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the passable interior boundary.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-traversable area is selected from the group consisting of a hedge, vegetation, tree growth, bushes, bramble, a wooded area, a tree, a bush, a mud slide, a rock slide, a stream, a brook, a pond, a lake, a river, flood water, and a swamp.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the boundary around the non-traversable area lies within one of an interior of the work area and a headland of the work area.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is configured to stop the vehicle if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is configured to prevent the vehicle from executing a turn if the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area during the turn or would traverse the boundary around the non-traversable area during the turn.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the turn is associated with a headland region between an outer border of the work area and an interior border of the work area.

14. A vehicle, comprising:

a display interface configured to define a boundary around a non-traversable area within a work area based upon a prior inspection, and establish a passable interior boundary around a traversable area within the work area; and

a location-determining receiver configured to determine a position of the vehicle, wherein

a warning alarm is generated for an operator if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area, and

the vehicle is slowed down and an implement is controlled to be at least partially raised if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the passable interior boundary.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the non-traversable area is selected from the group consisting of a hedge, vegetation, tree growth, bushes, bramble, a wooded area, a tree, a bush, a mud slide, a rock slide, a stream, a brook, a pond, a lake, a river, flood water, and a swamp.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the boundary around the non-traversable area lies within one of an interior of the work area and a headland of the work area.

17. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is stopped if the determined position of the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area.

18. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is prevented from executing a turn if the vehicle traverses the boundary around the non-traversable area during the turn or would traverse the boundary around the non-traversable area during the turn.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the turn is associated with a headland region between an outer border of the work area and an interior border of the work area.

20. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the non-traversable area contains an obstacle.