Automatic end of row turning control system for a work vehicle by learning from operator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10795372-B2
Application number	US-201715634029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

An automatic turning control system for a work vehicle having a ground engaging traction device directed by a manual steering device. The automatic turning control system includes an electronic control unit (ECU), a traction device angle sensor configured to generate an angle signal representative of an angle of the traction device with respect to an axis of the work vehicle, and a vehicle guidance system. The ECU is configured to generate a manual path signal representing an actual path of the work vehicle based on the angle signal. The ECU is operatively connected to a vehicle guidance system and determines a learned path signal based on the manual path signal. The vehicle guidance system automatically directs the work vehicle along the learned path signal when the vehicle moves from a working area, to a non-working area, and back to the working area of a field.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic turning control system for a work vehicle having a ground engaging traction device directed by a manual steering device, the control system comprising:
a traction device angle sensor configured to generate an angle signal representative of an angle of the traction device with respect to an axis of the work vehicle,
a control system including a default end of row turn template and an electronic control unit (ECU) operatively connected to the traction device angle sensor, wherein the ECU is configured to generate a manual end of row turn, the manual end of row turn including data and steering direction, the manual end of row turn generated in response to a manual command provided by an operator through a manually controlled steering device and representing a manually driven end of row turn of the work vehicle based on the operator's manual command including the angle signal and which is configured to generate a learned end of row turn based on the manually driven end of row turn, wherein the ECU is configured to: i) generate a plurality of learned end of row turns; ii) store in a memory each one of the plurality of learned end of row turns as a valid learned end of row turn template if the learned turn is determined to be a valid learned end of row turn; iii) abandoning learned end of row turns that are not valid learned end of row turns; and iv) replacing the default end of row turn template with one of the valid learned end of row turn templates; and
a vehicle guidance system operatively connected to the ECU and configured to automatically direct the work vehicle along one or more of the plurality of valid learned end of row turns, using the learned end of row turn template.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the one or more of the plurality of valid learned end of row turns includes a direction of travel component and a speed of travel component.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more of the plurality of valid learned end of row turns includes one of: a manually driven portion; a heading change of approximately one-hundred and eighty degrees; and a distance between a start and end point of less than one-third a track spacing.

4. The control system of claim 3 wherein the one or more of the plurality of learned end of row turns includes a heading change between the start and end of the turn of approximately one-hundred eighty degrees.

5. The control system of claim 3 wherein each of the one or more of the plurality of learned end of row turns includes an action component, the action component identifying an action taken by an implement during generation of the manual end of row turn.

6. The control system of claim 3 wherein the vehicle guidance system includes a map of a field including a work area and a non-working area divided by a boundary, wherein the ECU determines a turn angle component of the manual end of row turn when the work vehicle is at or near the boundary.

7. The control system of claim 6 further comprising a user interface device having a display and one or more user inputs, wherein the display is configured to display the manual end of row turn, and the one or more inputs enables a user to store the displayed manual end of row turn as one or more of the plurality of the learned end of row turns in memory.

8. The control system of claim 7 wherein the one or more inputs of the user interface device includes a toggle device adapted to toggle between each of the plurality of learned end of row turns and to select at least one of the plurality of learned end of row turns as a preferred learned end of row turn.

9. The control system of claim 7 wherein the ECU includes a comparator configured to compare the turn angle component of each of the learned end of row turns to the angle signal generated by the traction device angle sensor.

10. The control system of claim 8 wherein the ECU selects one of the learned end of row turns based on an output of the comparator and directs the ground engaging traction device along the selected learned end of row turn.

11. An automatic turning control system for a work vehicle having a ground engaging traction device directed by a manual steering device, the control system comprising:
a traction device angle sensor generating an angle signal which represents an angle of the traction device with respect to an axis of the work vehicle;
a vehicle guidance system generating a vehicle position signal;
a user interface device configured to receive one or more input values provided by an operator; and
control circuitry operatively connected to the traction device angle sensor, the vehicle guidance system, and the user interface device, wherein the control circuitry includes a processer and a memory, wherein the memory stores a default end of row turn template and program instructions that in response to execution by the processor causes the control circuitry to:
determine a manual end of row turn based on the vehicle position signal, wherein the vehicle position signal results from manual steering control of the ground engaging device responsive to the manual steering device responding to a manual command provided by an operator; and
determine a learned end of row turn based on the manual end of row turn;
identify the learned end of row turn as a valid learned end of row turn;
storing the valid learned end of row turn in the memory as a valid learned end of row turn template; and
replacing the default end of row turn template with the valid learned end of row turn template to be used by the automatic turning control system in place of the default end of row turn template.

12. The control system of claim 11 wherein the processor further causes the control circuitry to:
identify a turn angle of the work vehicle, wherein the turn angle includes a portion thereof being manually controlled by the operator, wherein the manual end of row turn includes the turn angle.

13. The control system of claim 12 wherein the processor further causes the control circuitry to:
determine a plurality of manual end of row turns; and
receive an input from the user interface device, wherein the input designates one of the plurality of manual end of row turns as the valid learned end of row turn.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein the processor further causes the control circuitry to:
identify the learned end of row turn as a valid learned end of row turn based on one of: a manually driven portion; a heading change of approximately one-hundred and eighty degrees; and a distance between a start and end point of less than one-third a track spacing.

15. The control system of claim 14 wherein the processor further causes the control circuitry to:
identify each of the learned end of row turns with a direction of travel component and a speed of travel component.

16. The control system of claim 15 wherein the processor further causes the control circuitry to:
identify an action taken by an implement while determining the manual end of row turn; and
identify at least one of a learned end of row turn signals with the identified action.

17. The control system of claim 14 wherein the processor further causes the control circuitry to:
identify a current end of row turn angle of a manually controlled manual end of row turn;
select one of the plurality of valid learned end of row turns based on the identified current turn end of row angle; and
turn the work vehicle automatically based using the selected one of the plurality of valid learned end of row turns.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Runde Jeffrey E
• Liu Qiang R
• Han Shufeng

Classifications

• G05D2101/15

  using machine learning, e.g. neural networks · CPC title

• G05D1/65 Primary

  Following a desired speed profile · CPC title

• G05D1/6484

  by taking into account parameters or characteristics of the working area or space, e.g. size or shape · CPC title

• G05D1/2297

  positional data taught by the user, e.g. paths (G05D1/2295 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D2105/15

  for harvesting, sowing or mowing in agriculture or forestry · CPC title