Removable panel on an autonomous work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10369872-B2
Application number	US-201615179146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, an autonomous agricultural vehicle includes a control interface disposed in an enclosure of the autonomous agricultural vehicle and configured to at least setup or control operation of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, an implement attached to the autonomous agricultural vehicle, or a combination thereof. The autonomous agricultural vehicle further includes a removable panel at least partially removably coupled to the autonomous agricultural vehicle over the enclosure, wherein the removable panel is positioned to be accessible to an operator who is operating the autonomous agricultural vehicle outside of the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An autonomous agricultural vehicle, comprising:
a control interface disposed in an enclosure of the autonomous agricultural vehicle and configured to at least setup or control operation of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, the control interface comprising a stop button configured to stop the autonomous vehicle, an implement attached to the autonomous agricultural vehicle, or a combination thereof, wherein the enclosure is not included inside of a cabin or a passenger cab and does not-comprise the cabin or the passenger cab;
an ignition switch;
an autonomous/manual switch, wherein the ignition switch and the autonomous/manual switch are used in cooperation to control operation of the autonomous agricultural vehicle; and
a toollessly removable panel coupled to the autonomous agricultural vehicle over the enclosure to cover the control interface, wherein the toollessly removable panel is positioned to be accessible to an operator who is operating the autonomous agricultural vehicle outside of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, and wherein the toollessly removable panel is configured to be completely removed from the enclosure without using tools, or opened and closed over the enclosure via an attachment mechanism, to access the control interface.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure and the toollessly removable panel are positioned on a side of the autonomous vehicle and accessible to the operator of the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

3. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises at least one magnet and wherein the autonomous agricultural vehicle comprises a metal portion or a second magnet aligned so that the at least one magnet magnetically couples the toollessly removable panel to the autonomous agricultural vehicle over the enclosure.

4. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a hinge at coupling the toollessly removable panel to the autonomous agricultural vehicle to enable the removable panel to open and to close over the enclosure.

5. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises an opacity level from 0 to 90 percent.

6. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises a photochromic removable panel, an electrochromic removable panel, or a combination thereof, configured to automatically change the opacity level.

7. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises at least one light configured to illuminate the control interface.

8. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous agricultural vehicle comprises a recess disposed about the enclosure and configured to enable a human hand to grab the toollessly removable panel.

9. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the toollessly removable panel is completely removable from the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

10. The autonomous agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises a seal configured to abut against the autonomous agricultural vehicle to prevent ingress of particles or fluids into the enclosure.

11. A vehicle system, comprising:
an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle comprising:
a toollessly removable panel coupled to the autonomous vehicle over an enclosure having a control interface used to control the autonomous vehicle, the control interface comprising a stop button configured to stop the autonomous vehicle, wherein the enclosure is not included inside of a cabin or a passenger cab and does not comprise the cabin or the passenger cab, wherein the toollessly removable panel covers the control interface, wherein the toollessly removable panel is positioned to be accessible to an operator who is operating the autonomous vehicle outside of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the toollessly removable panel is configured to be completely removed from the enclosure without using tools, or opened and closed over the enclosure via an attachment mechanism, to access the control interface;
an ignition switch; and
an autonomous/manual switch, wherein the ignition switch and the autonomous/manual switch are used in cooperation to control operation of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises at least one magnet and wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises a metal portion or a second magnet aligned so that the at least one magnet magnetically couples the toollessly removable panel to the autonomous vehicle over the enclosure.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a hinge coupling the toollessly removable panel to the autonomous agricultural vehicle to enable the toollessly removable panel to open and to close over the enclosure.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises an opacity level from 0 to 90 percent.

15. The system of claim 14 , comprising the control interface having a display, wherein the control interface is configured to turn on the display when the toollessly removable panel is at least partially removed from the autonomous vehicle, when the removable panel is opened, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the toollessly removable panel comprises at least one light configured to illuminate the control interface.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the toollessly removable panel is completely removable from the autonomous vehicle.

18. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a control interface comprising:
a display; and
an ignition switch; and
an autonomous/manual switch, wherein the ignition switch and the autonomous/manual switch are used in cooperation to control operation of the autonomous vehicle; and

a removable panel coupled to the autonomous vehicle over an enclosure having the control interface to cover the control interface, the control interface comprising a stop button configured to stop the autonomous vehicle, wherein the enclosure does not comprise a passenger cab, wherein the removable panel is positioned to be accessible to an operator who is operating the autonomous vehicle outside of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the removable panel is configured to be completely removed from the enclosure, or opened and closed over the enclosure via an attachment mechanism, to access the control interface.

19. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the removable panel comprises at least one magnet and wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises a metal portion or a second magnet aligned so that the at least one magnet magnetically couples the removable panel to the autonomous vehicle over the enclosure.

20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the removable panel is completely removable from the autonomous vehicle.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Jackson Dwayne St George

Classifications

• B60J1/085 Primary

  removably mounted · CPC title

• A01B69/001

  Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras (steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163) · CPC title

• B60J9/00 Primary

  Devices not provided for in one of main groups B60J1/00 - B60J7/00 (B60J10/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01B69/00

  Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track · CPC title

• A01B69/004 Primary

  automatic · CPC title