Self-propelled agricultural harvester and method for operating a self-propelled agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12490670-B2
Application number	US-202217888620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2022
Priority date	Aug 17, 2021
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A method for operating a self-propelled agricultural harvester with a cutting unit and a self-propelled agricultural harvester are disclosed. A driver assistance system associated with the agricultural harvester includes a memory that saves data and a computing unit for processing data saved in the memory. The driver assistance system and the cutting unit form an automated cutting unit. A harvesting process strategy is selected from a plurality of harvesting process strategies saved in the memory and at least one cutting unit parameter is selected. The at least one cutting unit parameter may be determined autonomously by the computing unit to implement the at least one selected harvesting process strategy and may be specified to the cutting unit. While the automated cutting unit is being controlled according to the selected harvesting process strategy, responsive to detecting a harvesting process situation on a field to be worked, with the harvesting process situation indicative of deviating from the at least one harvesting process strategy, regulation sequences, which temporarily override the execution of the harvesting process strategy, are executed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for operating a self-propelled agricultural harvester with a cutting unit for cutting and picking up harvested material, the method comprising:
selecting, by a driver assistance system that is associated with the agricultural harvester and forms together with the cutting unit an automated cutting unit, at least one harvesting process strategy, from a plurality of harvesting process strategies, in performing an automatic harvesting process on a field; autonomously selecting, by the driver assistance system, at least one cutting unit parameter, the at least one cutting unit parameter for implementing the selected at least one harvesting process strategy and being specified to the cutting unit, wherein the cutting unit is controlled according to the selected at least one harvesting process strategy; autonomously detecting a respective harvesting process deviation, from a plurality of potential harvesting process deviations from the automatic harvesting process on the field, on the field that is being worked or to be worked, with the plurality of harvesting process deviations indicative of different deviations from regulating the cutting unit according to the selected at least one harvesting process strategy in performing the automatic harvesting process on the field; and responsive to autonomously detecting the respective harvesting process deviation:
autonomously selecting, from a plurality of deviation regulation sequences, a respective deviation sequence correlated to the respective harvesting process deviation that is detected; and
autonomously implementing the respective deviation sequence overriding control by the cutting unit according to the selected at least one harvesting process strategy.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of potential harvesting process deviations indicative of different deviations from regulating the cutting unit according to the selected at least one harvesting process strategy in performing the automated harvesting process on the field comprises at least two of: entering a crop, driving with a spray trail, exiting a crop, or driving in a headland; and
wherein the respective deviation sequence comprises one or more commands tailored to the respective harvesting process deviation.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein autonomously detecting the respective harvesting process deviation is based on detecting the agricultural harvester in a predefined position in or with respect to the field.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein autonomously detecting the agricultural harvester in a predefined position in or with respect to the field comprises detecting each of:
entering a crop; exiting the crop; or driving in a headland.

5 . The method claim 1 , wherein the cutting unit automatically controls one or more of a reel, a cutter bar, a cutting table, an intake auger, or conveyor belts as components of the cutting unit by setting one or more associated cutting unit parameters; and
wherein the one or more associated cutting unit parameters comprise one or more of: cutter bar height; cutting angle; cutting table length; horizontal reel position; vertical reel position; reel speed; cutting frequency; intake auger height; or belt speed.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, responsive to autonomously detecting driving into a crop, which is indicative of the respective harvesting process deviation that is detected, autonomously executing a regulation sequence to control the cutting unit parameter of vertical reel position in order to set the reel lower, thereby deviating from the selected at least one harvesting process strategy.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, responsive to autonomously detecting driving with a spray trail, which is indicative of respective harvesting process deviation that is detected, autonomously executing a regulation sequence to control the cutting unit parameters of vertical reel position and cutting table length in order to lower the reel cyclically and reduce an extension length of the cutting table, thereby deviating from the selected at least one harvesting process strategy.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, responsive to autonomously detecting exiting a crop, which is indicative of the respective harvesting process deviation that is detected, autonomously executing a regulation sequence to control the cutting unit parameter of vertical reel position in order to set the reel lower, thereby deviating from the selected at least one harvesting process strategy.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein, responsive to autonomously detecting driving into a headland, which is indicative of the respective harvesting process deviation that is detected, autonomously executing a regulation sequence to control the cutting unit parameters of horizontal reel position and cutting table length in order to lower the reel cyclically and then reduce reel extension length at the same time as cutting table extension length, thereby deviating from the selected at least one harvesting process strategy.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to autonomously detecting the respective harvesting process deviation, autonomously recording forefield information and machine-specific parameters by at least one sensor assembly;
wherein the forefield information comprises one or more of: a crop height; a crop edge; reaching standing crop when driving into a crop; and leaving the standing crop when driving out of the crop; and wherein the machine-specific parameters comprises one or more of: a set cutting unit height; a layer height in a conveying device downstream from the cutting unit; a steering angle; a driving speed; or a set steering mode for lane guidance.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the crop edge or a spray trail is used as a control variable for controlling or regulating the lane guidance in a respective steering mode.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the driver assistance system includes a sensor assembly for generating forefield information;
wherein the sensor assembly has a laser-based sensor system which scans a forefield area with electromagnetic transmission beams running in a plurality of scanning planes in order to generate distance information on a predetermined, relevant forefield area of the agricultural harvester; wherein a respective contact line is calculated by the laser-based sensor system for the plurality of scanning planes from the distance information; and wherein a three-dimensional nature of the forefield area is inferred from one or both of an arrangement or a shape of the contact lines associated with the plurality of scanning planes.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a laser-based sensor system detects harvested crop in a headland area, standing crop, a transition from standing crop into the headland area, or from the headland area into the standing crop.

14 . A self-propelled agricultural harvester comprising:
a cutting unit configured to cut and pick up harvested material; and a driver assistance system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory for storing data, wherein the driver assistance system together with the cutting unit form an automated cutting unit that is configured to:
select, by a driver assistance system that associated with the agricultural harvester and forms together with the cutting unit an automated cutting unit, at least one harvesting process strategy from a plurality of harvesting process strategies, in performing an automatic harvesting process on a field;
autonomously select, by the driver assistance system, at least one cutt

Assignees

• Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh
• Claas Selbstfahrende Emtemaschinen Gmbh

Inventors

• Spiekermann Sebastian
• Irmer Daniel
• Neitemeier Dennis
• Bormann Bastian
• Baumgarten Joachim
• Wilken Andreas

Classifications

• A01D61/02

  Endless belts · CPC title

• A01D57/12

  Rotating rakes · CPC title

• A01D34/14

  Knife-bars · CPC title

• A01D57/04

  Arrangements for changing the position of the reels · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title