Computer-implemented method and system for generating swath coverage patterns for polygonal and pseudo-polygonal shaped fields

• US 8,983,767 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Jaybridge Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pieper, Joshua J., Nimmer, Jeremy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/784,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20140081568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/409, 701/50, 701/24, 701/26
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system for generating a swath coverage pattern for a given working area to be traversed by a vehicle or equipment attached thereto.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a swath coverage pattern for a given working area to be traversed by a vehicle or equipment attached thereto, the method comprising steps, each implemented in a computer system, of:

(a) designating a covered area denoted by a polygon defined by an ordered set of vertices; and

(b) partitioning the covered area into an ordered set of swaths by;

(i) defining a headlands swath pattern for providing a continuous turnaround buffer for the vehicle or equipment attached thereto, said headlands swath pattern forming a border around an inner perimeter of the covered area; and

(ii) defining a series of parallel swaths to cover an interior portion of the covered area within the headlands swaths, said parallel swaths alternating back and forth across the interior portion of the covered area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b)(i) comprises determining significant corners formed by a perimeter of the covered area, said significant corners having vertices forming an angle between incoming and outgoing paths over a local distance exceeding a given threshold value, and determining edges of the inner perimeter between the significant corners.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a first smoothed path defining a headlands swath inset from the edges of the perimeter by one-half swath width, said first smoothed path configured to be drivable by the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining one or more additional smoothed paths defining a set of swaths for a pass, said one or more additional smoothed paths inset by one swath width from a preceding smoothed path.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the number of swaths needed for each pass around the inner perimeter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a new perimeter path of the remaining covered area for use in determining a next headlands pass.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an initial working master swath from which the series of parallel swaths progress to alternate back and forth across the interior portion of the covered area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising routing the working master swath around any obstacles.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying a safe-to-drive vehicle trajectory in each swath to cause driven machinery to cover the swath.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising joining individual trajectories together to create a single connected trajectory.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising refining the headlands swaths and the parallel swaths to avoid double coverage by annotating them to progressively enable or disable driven machinery.

12. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory associated with the at least one processor; and

a program supported in the memory for generating a swath coverage pattern for a given working area to be traversed by a vehicle or equipment attached thereto, the program having a plurality of instructions stored therein which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) designate a covered area denoted by a polygon defined by an ordered set of vertices; and

(b) partition the covered area into an ordered set of swaths by;

(i) defining a headlands swath pattern for providing a continuous turnaround buffer for the vehicle or equipment attached thereto, said headlands swath pattern forming a border around an inner perimeter of the covered area; and

(ii) defining a series of parallel swaths to cover an interior portion of the covered area within the headlands swaths, said parallel swaths alternating back and forth across the interior portion of the covered area.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein (b)(i) comprises determining significant corners formed by a perimeter of the covered area, said significant corners having vertices forming an angle between incoming and outgoing paths over a local distance exceeding a given threshold value, and determine edges of the inner perimeter between the significant corners.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine a first smoothed path defining a headlands swath inset from the edges of the perimeter by one-half swath width, said first smoothed path configured to be drivable by the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine one or more additional smoothed paths defining a set of swaths for a pass, said one or more additional smoothed paths inset by one swath width from a preceding smoothed path.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the number of swaths needed for each pass around the inner perimeter.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine a new perimeter path of the remaining covered area for use in determining a next headlands pass.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine an initial working master swath from which the series of parallel swaths progress to alternate back and forth across the interior portion of the covered area.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to route the working master swath around any obstacles.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to specify a safe-to-drive vehicle trajectory in each swath to cause driven machinery to cover the swath.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to join individual trajectories together to create a single connected trajectory.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the program further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to refine the headlands swaths and the parallel swaths to avoid double coverage by annotating them to progressively enable or disable driven machinery.