Harvesting method using unmanned agricultural work vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10412893-B2
Application number	US-201515308561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method for harvesting crops from a field and to a method for working a field by towing an apparatus such as a tilling apparatus, wherein the methods of the invention employ manned and unmanned vehicles. The operation and movement of the unmanned vehicles is controlled by the drivers of the manned vehicles which are continuously in the vicinity of the unmanned vehicles. The harvesting method involves at least the driver of a harvesting vehicle such as a combine harvester and the driver of a crop collecting vehicle such as a truck, wherein the drivers control the operation of one or more unmanned crop carts, operated to receive harvested crops from the harvesting vehicle during a harvesting phase and deliver harvested crop to the crop collecting vehicle during a subsequent delivery phase The control effected by the driver of the harvesting vehicle and the driver of the collecting vehicle is such that each driver is capable of visually inspecting the crop cart's operation during the totality of the harvesting and delivery phases respectively. The invention is equally related to a method for working an agricultural field wherein an agricultural apparatus, such as a tillage apparatus, is towed through the field, by one or more unmanned vehicles, while the operation of the unmanned vehicles is controlled by the operator of a manned vehicle that is moving along with the unmanned vehicles through the field.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for collecting crops from a field by harvesting crops with a manned crop harvesting vehicle operated by a first operator and collecting said crops in a manned crop collecting vehicle operated by a second operator, wherein at least one unmanned self-propelled crop cart is used, the method comprising:
a harvesting phase, wherein the unmanned cart is used for receiving harvested crops from the harvesting vehicle while the harvesting vehicle is in the process of harvesting; and
a delivery phase, wherein the unmanned cart is used for delivering harvested crops received during the harvesting phase, to the crop collecting vehicle,
wherein the unmanned cart is controlled by the first operator during the harvesting phase and by the second operator during the delivery phase, in such a way that the first and second operator are capable of visually inspecting the crop cart's operation during the totality of the harvesting and delivery phases respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a transportation phase between the harvesting and the delivery phases, during which transportation phase the unmanned cart is controlled by a third operator, being the operator of a manned field transport vehicle, and wherein the third operator is capable of visually inspecting the crop cart's operation during the totality of the transportation phase.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
a crop cart parking area is defined in the vicinity of the field, a plurality of empty crop carts being parked in the parking area,
an empty cart is collected from the parking area by the first operator at the start of the harvesting phase, and
empty carts are returned by the first or the second operator to the parking area at the end of the delivery phase.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of empty carts in the parking area are parked in a row, and wherein an empty cart is collected by the first operator at a front of the row, and an emptied cart is returned by the first or second operator at a back of the row.

5. The method according to any one of claim 1 , wherein:
a crop collecting area is defined in the vicinity of the field,
a filled crop cart is deposited in said crop collecting area by the first operator at the end of the harvesting phase or by the third operator at the end of the transportation phase, and
the second operator collects the filled cart at the location where it is deposited and empties the cart into the crop collecting vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the filled cart is deposited in a drop-off area that is pre-defined within the crop collecting area.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the crop collecting area is located adjacent a road or path, and wherein the crop collecting vehicle is a truck that is parked on said road or path while the filled cart is being emptied into the truck.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the harvesting vehicle harvests crops from the field by following a predefined harvesting route, while the unmanned vehicle receives harvested crops, and wherein the harvesting route is calculated so that an end point of the harvesting route is located at an edge of the field that is as close as possible to the crop collecting area.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a parking area and the crop collecting area are adjusted on-the-go as a sequence of the harvesting, transportation, and delivery phases are executed.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one unmanned self-propelled crop cart is controlled by wireless remote control.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Missotten Bart M A
• Foster Christopher A
• Kong Neseth Cora
• Posselius John H
• Tallir Frederik
• Viaene Karel M C

Classifications

• A01D90/10 Primary

  Unloading means · CPC title

• A01B69/007 Primary

  Steering or guiding of agricultural vehicles, e.g. steering of the tractor to keep the plough in the furrow · CPC title

• G05D1/0291

  Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127) · CPC title

• G05D2201/0201

  Physics · mapped topic