Forage harvester with automatic detection of receiving vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11390263-B2
Application number	US-202016865467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2020
Priority date	May 4, 2020
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

A sensor detects a variable indicative of a position of a receiving vehicle relative to a harvester during a harvester operation in which a material conveyance subsystem on the harvester is conveying harvested material to the receiving vehicle. If the receiving vehicle is in a compromised position in which it is out of range of the material conveyance subsystem or is about to be out of range, then a control signal is generated that can alert the operator of the harvester, automatically control harvester speed, or perform other control operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method of controlling a harvester, comprising:
controlling a material conveyance subsystem to convey harvested material to a receiving vessel in a receiving vehicle, as the harvester is performing a harvesting operation;
detecting whether a relative speed has changed, the relative speed comprising a measure of a speed of the receiving vehicle compared to a speed of the harvester;
generating a speed change indicator indicative of a detected change in the relative speed;
identifying an amount by which the relative speed has changed;
generating a speed change magnitude signal indicative of the amount of the change in the relative speed;
detecting a rate of change of the relative speed;
generating a rate of change signal indicative of the detected rate of change;
determining whether the receiving vehicle is likely to be out of range of the material conveyance subsystem within a time threshold based on the speed change magnitude signal, the rate of change signal and the range of the material conveyance subsystem; and
if the receiving vehicle is likely to be out of range of the material conveyance subsystem within the time threshold, then generating a control signal to control a controllable subsystem of the harvester.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting whether the relative speed has changed comprises:
receiving a set of images from a stereo camera;
processing the set of stereo images to detect a distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle; and
outputting a characteristic signal indicative of the detected distance.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting whether the relative speed has changed comprises:
receiving a receiving vehicle speed signal indicative of a speed of the receiving vehicle;
receiving a harvester speed signal indicative of harvester speed; and
generating a speed difference signal indicative of a difference between the speed of the receiving vehicle and the harvester speed.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting whether the relative speed has changed comprises:
receiving a receiving vehicle position signal, indicative of a position of the receiving vehicle in a coordinate system, from a positioning system on the receiving vehicle;
receiving a harvester position signal, indicative of a position of the harvester in the coordinate system, from a positioning system of the harvester;
detecting a distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle based on the receiving vehicle position signal and the harvester position signal; and
outputting a characteristic signal indicative of the detected distance.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating the control signal comprises:
identifying an alert level based on the determination that the receiving vehicle is likely to be out of range of the material conveyance subsystem within the time threshold;
identifying a control action is to be performed based on the alert level; and
generating the control signal based on the identified control action.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating the control signal comprises:
generating the control signal to control an alert system to surface an alert to an operator of the harvester.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating the control signal comprises:
generating a control signal to automatically control a harvester propulsion subsystem.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating the control signal comprises:
generating a control signal to automatically control the material conveyance subsystem.

9. A harvester, comprising:
a header that gathers harvested material into the harvester;
a conveyance subsystem that conveys the harvested material from the harvester to a receiving vehicle during a harvesting operation;
a propulsion subsystem;
a vehicle position detection system that detects a distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle and determines whether the distance exceeds a threshold distance relative to a range of the material conveyance subsystem; and
a control system that generates a control signal to control the propulsion subsystem when the distance exceeds the threshold distance.

10. The harvester of claim 9 and further comprising:
an operator interface mechanism, wherein the control system generates an additional control signal to surface an alert to the operator on the operator interface mechanism.

11. The harvester of claim 9 and further comprising:
a stereo camera that captures images of the receiving vehicle, the vehicle position detection system detecting the distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle based on the captured images.

12. The harvester of claim 9 and further comprising one of a RADAR sensor that detects the receiving vehicle and generates a RADAR sensor signal or a LIDAR sensor that detects the receiving vehicle and generates a LIDAR sensor signal and wherein the vehicle position detection system detects the distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle based on one of the RADAR sensor signal or the LIDAR sensor signal.

13. The harvester, comprising:
a header that gathers harvested material into the harvester;
a conveyance subsystem that conveys the harvested material from the harvester to a receiving vehicle during a harvesting operation;
a vehicle position detection system that detects a distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle and determines whether the distance exceeds a threshold distance relative to a range of the material conveyance subsystem; and
a control system that generates a control signal to control a controllable subsystem when the distance exceeds the threshold distance.

14. The harvester of claim 13 , wherein the controllable subsystem comprises:
an operator interface mechanism, wherein the control system generates the control signal to surface an alert to the operator on the operator interface mechanism, the alert indicative at the distance between the harvester and the receiving vehicle exceeding the threshold distance.

15. The harvester of claim 13 , wherein the controllable subsystem comprises the conveyance subsystem, wherein the control system generates the control signal to adjust an operating parameter of the material conveyance subsystem.

16. The harvester of claim 15 , wherein the conveyance subsystem comprises:
a spout;
a flap; and
a blower; and
wherein the control signal generates the control signal to adjust one or more of a position of the spout, a position of the flap, and the operation of the blower.

17. A computer implemented method of controlling a harvester, comprising:
controlling a material conveyance subsystem to convey harvested material to a receiving vessel in a receiving vehicle, as the harvester is performing a harvesting operation;
detecting whether a relative speed has changed, the relative speed comprising a measure of a speed of the receiving vehicle compared to a speed of the harvester;
generating a speed change indicator indicative of a detected change in the relative speed;
determining whether the receiving vehicle is likely to be out of range of the material within a time threshold, based on the detected change in the relative speed and the range of the material conveyance subsystem; and
if the receiving vehicle is likely to be out of range of the material conveyance subsystem within the time threshold, then generating a control signal to control a

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• O'Connor Kellen
• Faust Jeremy J
• Bonefas Zachary T

Classifications

• B60W2720/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2300/158

  Harvesters · CPC title

• A01D41/1217

  Unloading mechanisms · CPC title

• B60W2554/4041

  Position · CPC title

• A01D43/077

  with auxiliary means, e.g. fans, for transporting the mown crop · CPC title