Sensor fusion-based swath profile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670708-B2
Application number	US-201715856833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system comprising a machine configured to traverse a field having windrows; a radar sensor mounted to the machine, the radar sensor arranged to transmit first signals to, and receive first reflected signals from, one of the windrows and the field adjacent the one of the windrows; a lidar sensor mounted to the machine, the lidar sensor arranged to transmit second signals to, and receive second reflected signals from, the one of the windrows and the field adjacent the one of the windrows; and a processing circuit configured to receive data corresponding to the first and second reflected signals and determine a mass profile and a geometric profile of the one of the windrows based on the data.

First claim

At least the following is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
a machine configured to traverse a field having windrows;
a radar sensor mounted to the machine, the radar sensor arranged to transmit first signals to, and receive first reflected signals from, one of the windrows and the field adjacent the one of the windrows;
a lidar sensor mounted to the machine, the lidar sensor arranged to transmit second signals to, and receive second reflected signals from, the one of the windrows and the field adjacent the one of the windrows; and
a processing circuit configured to receive data corresponding to the first and second reflected signals and determine a mass profile and a geometric profile of the one of the windrows based on the data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the mass profile by determining a center of mass of the one of the windrows based on data corresponding to a difference in reflective distances between the first reflected signals and the second reflected signals.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the geometric profile based on data corresponding to a point cloud that is based on the second reflected signals.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the geometric profile based further on data corresponding to reflective distances from the field derived from the first reflected signals and the second reflected signals.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the mass profile and the geometric profile based on a predetermined incident angle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lidar sensor and the radar sensor are co-located.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the machine further comprises a cab, wherein the lidar sensor and the radar sensor are mounted to a top of the cab.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine further comprises a steering system, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to communicate a guidance curvature command to the steering system based on the mass and geometric profiles.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the steering command causes the steering system to adjust a movement of the machine relative to the one of the windrows without operator intervention.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to, prior to the transmission of first and second signals:
determine that performance of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) guided steering is below a first threshold level or that a GNSS signal is below a second threshold level or signal quality.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a user interface, wherein based on the determination that performance of the GNSS guided steering is below the first threshold level or that the GNSS signal is below the second threshold level or signal quality, the processing circuit is further configured to:
deactivate the GNSS guided steering;
activate lidar and radar guided steering; and
alert an operator via the user interface that lidar and radar guided steering is activated.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein prior to the deactivation, activation and the alert, the processing circuit is further configured to:
provide a notification via the user interface, the notification comprising a recommendation to use lidar and radar guided steering, the deactivation, activation and the alert based on operator input generated in response to the notification.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a combine harvester.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a tractor.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a baler.

16. A method, comprising:
traversing a field having windrows with a machine;
using a radar sensor, transmitting first signals to, and receiving first reflected signals from, one of the windrows and the field adjacent the one of the windrows;
using a lidar sensor, transmitting second signals to, and receiving second reflected signals from, the one of the windrows and the field adjacent the one of the windrows; and
using a processing circuit, receiving data corresponding to the first and second reflected signals and determining a mass profile and a geometric profile of the one of the windrows based on the data.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining the mass profile by determining a center of mass of the one of the windrows based on data corresponding to a difference in reflective distances between the first reflected signals and the second reflected signals; and
determining the geometric profile based on data corresponding to a point cloud based on the second reflected signals, wherein the geometric profile is based further on data corresponding to reflective distances from the field derived from the first reflected signals and the second reflected signals.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising communicating a guidance curvature command to a steering system based on the mass and geometric profiles, wherein the guidance curvature command causes the steering system to adjust a movement of the machine relative to the one of the windrows without operator intervention.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising prior to the transmission of first and second signals:
determining that performance of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) guided steering is below a first threshold level or that a GNSS signal is below a second threshold level or signal quality; and
providing an operator an option to switch from GNSS guided steering to lidar and radar guided steering.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing circuits, causes the one or more processing circuits to:
receive data corresponding to first reflected radar signals;
receive data corresponding to second reflected lidar signals; and
determine a mass profile and a geometric profile of a windrow based on the data corresponding to the first and second reflected signals.

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Kemmer Klaus-Peter
• Van Bergeijk Jacob

Classifications

• A01F15/0825 Primary

  Regulating or controlling density or shape of the bale · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• A01D41/1278

  for automatic steering · CPC title

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• A01D89/00

  Pick-ups for loaders, chaff-cutters, balers, field-threshers, or the like {, i.e. attachments for picking-up hay or the like field crops (field threshers with windrow pick-up apparatus A01D41/10)} · CPC title