Compensatory actions for automated farming machine failure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12265383-B2
Application number	US-202117564076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

As a farming machine travels through a field of plants, the farming machine operates in a normal operational state to perform one or more farming operations. The farming machine detects an operational failure of a component of the farming machine using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine. The operational failure of the component impacts performance of a first farming operation of the farming operations. The farming machine configures the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state. In the remedial operational state, the farming machine diagnoses the operational failure of the component using the obtained measurements. In the remedial operational state, the farming machine selects a solution operation to address the operational failure of the component based on the diagnosis. The farming machine performs the determined solution operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of autonomous operation by a farming machine, the method comprising:
performing, by the farming machine, a plurality of farming operations in a field, the plurality of farming operations selected for treating individual plants in the field, the plurality of farming operations comprising interactions with the field or plants in the field;
determining, using one or more sensors of the farming machine, operational metrics representative of a performance of the plurality of farming operations by the farming machine selected for treating individual plants in the field;
evaluating, by the farming machine, a current operational status of one or more components used for treating individual plants in the field;
in response to determining that one or more additional farming operations of the plurality of farming operations are needed for treating individual plants in the field:
determining, by the farming machine and based on the current operational status of one or more components used for treating individual plants in the field, a probability that performing the one or more additional farming operations causes the farming machine to enter a failure operational state while treating individual plants in the field, in which the farming machine is unable to treat individual plants in the field; and

responsive to the determined probability exceeding a threshold probability, traveling, by the farming machine, to a designated location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the farming machine, an operational failure of a component for treating individual plants in the field, and
wherein evaluating the current operational status of one or more components used for treating individual plants in the field occurs responsive to detecting the operational failure of the component.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the farming machine, to a remote system, a notification that the farming machine is returning to the designated location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein traveling, by the farming machine, to the designated location comprises configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a salvage operational state to override the plurality of farming operations for treating individual plants with an instruction for the farming machine to return to the designated location.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operational metrics further comprises:
determining, by the farming machine, a weather condition in an environment surrounding the farming machine, and
wherein determining the probability is based on the weather condition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operational metrics further comprises:
determining, by the farming machine, a state of soil in the field, and
wherein determining the probability is based on the state of the soil.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operation metrics further comprises:
determining, by the farming machine, a present fuel level of the farming machine in the field, and
wherein determining the probability is based on the fuel level of the farming machine.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the farming machine, one or more operational failures to one or more components of the farming machine; and
wherein determining the probability is based on the one or more operational failures.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the farming machine, a present quantity of a farming material present on the farming machine; and
wherein determining the probability is based on the present quantity of the farming material.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the farming machine, to a remote system, a request to return to the designated location; and
receiving, at the farming machine and from the remote system, instructions to travel to the designated location;
wherein traveling, by the farming machine, to the designated location is responsive to receiving the instructions from the remote system.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the farming machine, a fatigue score of a component of the farming machine;
wherein the probability that performing the one or more additional farming operations causes the farming machine to enter a failure operational state is based on the determined fatigue score.

12. A system, comprising:
a computer processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by the computer processor to perform steps of managing operation of a farming machine to autonomously accomplish treating individual plants as it moves through a field, the steps comprising:
performing, by the farming machine, a plurality of farming operations in a field, the plurality of farming operations selected for treating individual plants in the field, the plurality of farming operations comprising interactions with the field or plants in the field;
determining, using one or more sensors of the farming machine, operational metrics representative of a performance of the plurality of farming operations by the farming machine selected for treating individual plants in the field;
evaluating, by the farming machine, a current operational status of one or more components used for treating individual plants in the field;
in response to determining that one or more additional farming operations of the plurality of farming operations are needed for treating individual plants in the field:
determining, by the farming machine and based on the current operational status of one or more components used for treating individual plants in the field, a probability that performing the one or more additional farming operations causes the farming machine to enter a failure operational state while treating individual plants in the field, in which the farming machine is unable to treat individual plants in the field; and

responsive to the determined probability exceeding a threshold probability, traveling, by the farming machine, to a designated location.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting, by the farming machine, an operational failure of a component of for treating the plant in the field, and
wherein evaluating the current operational status of one or more components used for treating the plant in the field occurs responsive to detecting the operational failure of the component.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein traveling, by the farming machine, to the designated location comprises configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a salvage operational state to override the plurality of farming operations for treating individual plants with an instruction for the farming machine to return to the designated location.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein determining the operational metrics further comprises:
determining, by the farming machine, a weather condition in an environment surrounding the farming machine, and
wherein determining the probability is based on the weather condition.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein determining the operation metrics further comprises:
determining, by the farming machine, a present fuel level of the farming machine in the field, and
wherein determining the probability is based on the fuel level of the farming machine.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
identifying, by the farming machine, one or more operational failures to one or more components

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Peake John William
• Ostrowski James Patrick
• Ehn Erik
• Anderson Kent Michael
• Chostner Benjamin Ray

Classifications

• A01M7/0089 Primary

  Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06) · CPC title

• G05B23/024

  Quantitative history assessment, e.g. mathematical relationships between available data; Functions therefor; Principal component analysis [PCA]; Partial least square [PLS]; Statistical classifiers, e.g. Bayesian networks, linear regression or correlation analysis; Neural networks · CPC title

• G05B23/0235

  based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold · CPC title

• G05B2223/04

  Detection of intermittent failure · CPC title

• G05B2219/45017

  Agriculture machine, tractor · CPC title