GPS location augmentation and outage playthrough

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11937530-B2
Application number	US-202117302332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

Agricultural machines utilize global positioning systems (GPS) to acquire the location of the machine as well as the location of an event, which may be based upon an operation of the agricultural machine. Because of the possibility of outage and/or inaccuracy of the GPS, a GPS augmentation system can be included with the agricultural machine. The GPS augmentation system can supplement the location determination of the GPS, or can be used in place of the GPS when the GPS is not available. An unmanned vehicle can also be used as part of the augmentation system to provide additional information for the location of the agricultural machine and/or the event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural system, comprising:
an agricultural implement configured to perform at least one agricultural operation in an area;
an intelligent control system comprising:
an intelligent implement router that provides identification information related to the agricultural implement including a type of implement and a number of components on the agricultural implement that are capable of performing the at least one agricultural operation;
an intelligent implement node positioned at each of the components, wherein instructions for performing the agricultural operation are passed to the components through the intelligent node, and further wherein performance metrics about the agricultural operation are passed from the one or more components through the intelligent implement node to the intelligent implement router; and
an intelligent implement positioner that (i) locates or (ii) tracks movement of, the components during the agricultural operation;

a satellite-based radio navigation system associated with the agricultural implement to provide location information for the at least one agricultural operation in the area, wherein the location information relates to an event of the at least one agricultural operation, said location information being enhanced to include: a planting location for yield data, a location for prescription maps, and/or planted information to mitigate later compaction of a planted zone; and
an augmentation system associated with the agricultural implement, wherein the augmentation system comprises an inertial measurement unit located on the agricultural machine, said inertial measurement unit having a 9-axis inertial measurement unit sensor to acquire supplemental information, and supplements the satellite-based radio navigation system or replaces the satellite-based radio navigation system during an outage of the satellite-based radio navigation system, said inertial measurement unit being capable of tethering the supplemental information to the location information from the satellite-based radio navigation system, said supplemental information including: a specific measurement of a body's force, an angular rate, and/or an orientation of the body.

2. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the augmentation system comprises a plurality of augmenting devices that include, at least, the inertial measurement unit.

3. The agricultural system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of augmenting devices comprise:
a. one or more sensors,
b. LIDAR,
c. speedometers,
d. direction devices,
e. inertial measurement units,
f. cameras,
g. accelerometers,
h. gyroscopes, and/or
i. magnetometers.

4. The agricultural system of claim 1 , further comprising an unmanned vehicle (UV) associated with the agricultural implement.

5. The agricultural system of claim 4 , wherein the UV is part of the augmentation system.

6. The agricultural system of claim 4 , wherein the UV is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

7. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one agricultural operation comprises one or more of:
a. planting;
b. tilling;
c. baling;
d. harvesting;
e. spraying;
f. transporting; and
g. cultivating.

8. The agricultural system of claim 7 , wherein the event of the at least one agricultural operation comprises one or more of:
a. planting a seed;
b. spraying a location;
c. harvesting a crop;
d. driving at a location; and
e. placement of a bale.

9. The agricultural system of claim 8 , further comprising a communication system for communicating information with another agricultural implement.

10. The agricultural system of claim 9 , further comprising a processor associated with the agricultural implement, wherein the processor instructs an operation or non-operation of the at least one agricultural operation.

11. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , further comprising a display connected to the intelligent implement router showing at least one of GPS location information, combined GPS and GPS augmentation system location information, and GPS augmentation system location information.

12. A method of acquiring a location of an event of an agricultural operation performed by an agricultural machine, the method comprising:
acquiring first location information communicated from a satellite in Earth's orbit with a satellite-based radio navigation system;
acquiring second location information with an augmentation system comprising an inertial measurement unit located on the agricultural machine, said inertial measurement unit having a 9-axis inertial measurement unit sensor, said second location information including: a specific measurement of a body's force, an angular rate, and/or an orientation of the body, and wherein the augmentation system can tether the second location information to the first location information from the satellite-based radio navigation system;
regardless of whether there is an outage of communication between the satellite-based radio navigation system and the satellite in Earth's orbit:
continuously attempting to establish a connection to the satellite that is in Earth's orbit;
accumulating the second location information so as to independently and spatially track the event;

storing the location of the event in a memory with a date and time;
enhancing the first location to include: a planting location for yield data, a location for prescription maps, and/or planted information to mitigate later compaction of a planted zone; and
transmitting and receiving, as radio waves, aspects of the first and second location informations by:
utilizing the first and second location informations from both the satellite-based radio navigation system and the augmentation system to provide the location of the event; or
utilizing the second location information from the augmentation system when the satellite-based radio navigation system is not available to provide the location of the event.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising displaying the location of the event on a user display.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the satellite-based radio navigation system is not available, displaying the location of the event based upon the augmentation system differently than the displayed location utilizing both the satellite-based radio navigation system and the augmentation system.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising connecting an unmanned aerial vehicle to the agricultural machine to aid in acquiring the location of the event.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising sharing the location of the event with a second agricultural machine, wherein a controller of the second agricultural machine uses the location of the event to control an operation of the second agricultural machine.

17. A system for location determination of an agricultural event performed by an agricultural machine, the system comprising:
the agricultural machine comprising:
a satellite-based radio navigation system used to acquire a location for enhancing and/or creating planting yield data or prescription maps, and/or for mitigating later compaction of a planted zone; and
a augmentation system comprising an inertial measurement unit located on the agricultural machine, said inertial measurement unit having a 9-axis inertial measurement unit sensor used for acquiring a specific measurement of a body's force, an angular rate, and/or an orientation of the body, wherein the GPS augmentation system can tether the second location information to the first location information from the GPS

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Schoon Jason
• Nadke Jeremy
• Mcmahan Ryan
• Moeller Matthew

Classifications

• A01B79/005 Primary

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01C21/005

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• G01S19/47

  the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial · CPC title

• G05D1/0077

  using redundant signals or controls · CPC title

• G05D1/0219

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title