Planning system for an autonomous work vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10595455-B2
Application number	US-201715627279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 19, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A planning system for an autonomous work vehicle system includes a controller configured to determine a plan for the autonomous work vehicle system by reducing a cost function, and to output one or more signals indicative of the plan and/or instructions to execute the plan. The plan includes a route of the autonomous work vehicle system through a field, and the cost function includes multiple costs associated with operation of the autonomous work vehicle system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A planning system for an autonomous work vehicle system, comprising:
a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a plan for the autonomous work vehicle system by reducing a cost function, and to output one or more signals indicative of the plan, instructions to execute the plan, or a combination thereof;
wherein the plan includes a route of the autonomous work vehicle system through a field, and the cost function includes a plurality of costs associated with operation of the autonomous work vehicle system; and
wherein the plurality of costs comprises a positioning cost associated with positioning a processing assembly in a processed region of the field, a product management cost associated with inefficient management of product storage, an outlet positioning cost associated with positioning a product outlet over an unprocessed region of the field, a compaction cost associated with not traversing a compaction lane, a partition order cost associated with not following a determined partition order, an entry point cost associated with not engaging the processing assembly at a field entry point, an exit point cost associated with not disengaging the processing assembly at a field exit point, an initiation time cost associated with not initiating the plan at a target time, or a combination thereof.

2. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of costs comprises an obstacle management cost associated with traversing an obstacle, and wherein the obstacle management cost comprises a first obstacle management cost associated with traversing a route-blocking obstacle, a second obstacle management cost associated with traversing an operation-interfering obstacle, or a combination thereof.

3. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the processing assembly is towed by an autonomous work vehicle of the autonomous work vehicle system.

4. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the product management cost comprises a first product management cost associated with depleting a supply of product for application to the field, a second product management cost associated with reaching a capacity of a storage compartment, or a combination thereof.

5. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of costs comprises a direction cost associated with traversing the field in a less suitable direction; and wherein the direction cost comprises a first direction cost associated with traversing terrain is the less suitable direction for the processing assembly, a second direction cost associated with harvesting crops in the less suitable direction relative to a crop leaning direction, or a combination thereof.

6. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet positioning cost comprises a turning cost associated with turning the autonomous work vehicle system in a direction that positions the product outlet over the unprocessed region of the field.

7. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the partition order based at least in part on a geometry of the field.

8. The planning system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the target time based on weather conditions at the field.

9. A planning system for a plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems, comprising:
a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a plan for the plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems by reducing a cost function, and to output one or more signals indicative of the plan, instructions to execute the plan, or a combination thereof;
wherein the plan includes a route of each autonomous work vehicle system of the plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems through a field, and the cost function includes a plurality of costs associated with operation of the plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems; and
wherein the plurality of costs comprises a positioning cost associated with positioning a processing assembly in a processed region of the field, a product management cost associated with inefficient management of product storage, an outlet positioning cost associated with positioning a product outlet over an unprocessed region of the field, a compaction cost associated with not traversing a compaction lane, a partition order cost associated with not following a determined partition order, an entry point cost associated with not engaging the processing assembly at a field entry point, an exit point cost associated with not disengaging the processing assembly at a field exit point, an initiation time cost associated with not initiating the plan at a target time, a passing cost associated with at least two autonomous work vehicle systems of the plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems passing one another along adjacent swaths, an operation order cost associated with performing operations out of order, or a combination thereof.

10. The planning system of claim 9 , wherein a first autonomous work vehicle system of the plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems is configured to perform a first operation, a second autonomous work vehicle system of the plurality of autonomous work vehicle systems is configured to perform a second operation, different than the first operation, the first operation is configured to be performed before the second operation, and the operation order cost is associated with performing the second operation before the first operation.

11. The planning system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of costs comprises an obstacle management cost associated with traversing an obstacle, and wherein the obstacle management cost comprises a first obstacle management cost associated with traversing a route-blocking obstacle, a second obstacle management cost associated with traversing an operation-interfering obstacle, or a combination thereof.

12. The planning system of claim 9 , wherein the product management cost comprises a first product management cost associated with depleting a supply of product for application to the field, a second product management cost associated with reaching a capacity of a storage compartment, or a combination thereof.

13. The planning system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of costs comprises a direction cost associated with traversing the field in a less suitable direction, and wherein the direction cost comprises a first direction cost associated with traversing terrain is the less suitable direction for the processing assembly, a second direction cost associated with harvesting crops in the less suitable direction relative to a crop leaning direction, or a combination thereof.

14. The planning system of claim 9 , wherein the outlet positioning cost comprises a turning cost associated with turning the autonomous work vehicle system in a direction that positions the product outlet over the unprocessed region of the field.

15. The planning system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the partition order based at least in part on a geometry of the field.

16. One or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media comprise instructions configured to cause a processor to:
determine a plan for an autonomous work vehicle system by reducing a cost function; and
output one or more signals indicative of the plan, instructions to execute the plan, or a combination thereof;
wherein the plan includes a route of the autonomous work vehicle system through a field, and the cost function includes a plurality of costs associated with operation of the autonomous work vehicle sy

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc
• Autonomous Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Foster Christopher Alan
• Posselius John Henry
• Bunderson Nathan Eric
• Bybee Taylor Chad
• Morwood Daniel John
• Turpin Bret Todd

Classifications

• G06Q10/06313

  Resource planning in a project environment · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• A01B69/008 Primary

  automatic · CPC title

• G05D1/0219

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title

• G05D1/0217

  in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria · CPC title