Arrangement and method for guiding an agricultural vehicle in a field with sensor fusion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12538859-B2
Application number	US-202418741163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2024
Priority date	Jul 21, 2023
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

An image processing system is configured to identify features of the field in the image signals of the visual sensor system and, on the basis of the identified features, to create a first path for the vehicle. A navigation unit is configured to determine the position of a reference point on the vehicle. An electronic memory is configured to store waypoints for a second path of the vehicle to be driven. A path calculator is configured to convert the first and/or second path into a common coordinate system. A fusion unit is configured to fuse the first path and the second path and, based on the fused path thus obtained, to provide a signal to a steering control system to steer the vehicle along the fused path and/or to store waypoints for positions passed by the vehicle calculated on the basis of the fused path in the memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An arrangement for guiding an agricultural vehicle over a field, the arrangement comprising:
a visual sensor system directed at the field and connected to an image processing system, the image processing system configured to identify features in the field in the image signal of the visual sensor system and to calculate a first path to be driven by the vehicle based on the identified features; a navigation unit is configured to determine the position of a reference point on the vehicle; an electronic memory to store waypoints for a second path of the vehicle to be passed; a path calculator is configured to convert the first path or the second path, or both, into a common coordinate system; and a fusion unit configured to fuse the first path and the second path into a fused path and to feed a signal to a steering control system based on the fused path to control the vehicle to drive along the fused path that comprises a merged path; the fusion unit configured to store fused-path waypoints for positions to be passed by the vehicle calculated on the basis of the fused path in a memory, wherein the first path, the second path, or both, each comprise more than two waypoints.

2 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the path calculator or the image processing system is configured to select features of the field to determine the first path on the basis of the second path.

3 . The arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the path calculator or the image processing system is configured to detect several laterally adjacent features in the field in the first path and to detect in the first path a sudden change between laterally adjacent features used to determine the first path and to correct the first path if necessary on the basis of the second path.

4 . The arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the features are plants arranged in rows.

5 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second path includes one or more curvatures.

6 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the path calculator is configured to convert the first path provided by the image processing system into a georeferenced coordinate system or coordinate system based on a reference point on the vehicle on the basis of the position determined by the navigation unit.

7 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the fusion unit is configured to calculate, on the basis of the fused path and the signals from the navigation unit and from the visual sensor system, a lateral deviation of the vehicle from the fused path and a deviation of the forward direction of the vehicle from the direction suitable for driving the fused path and to feed both deviations to the steering control system.

8 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the fusion unit is configured to take into account the waypoints of the first and second ways weighted by their accuracy during fusing.

9 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the steering control is configured to control a steering actuator.

10 . A method for guiding an agricultural vehicle across a field, comprising the following steps:
a visual sensor system directed at the field transmits signals to an image processing system, the image processing system is configured to identify features of the field in the image signal of the visual sensor system and calculates a first path to be driven by the vehicle; a navigation unit is configured to determine the position of a reference point on the vehicle; an electronic memory to store waypoints for a second path of the vehicle to be covered; a path calculator configured to transform the first path, the second path, or both into a common coordinate system, and a fusion unit is configured to merge the first path and the second path and to feed a signal to a steering controller on the basis of the fused path to steer the vehicle along the fused path and to store waypoints for positions passed by the vehicle, wherein the waypoints are calculated on the basis of the fused path in a memory, and wherein the first path and the second path comprise more than two waypoints and/or that the path calculator or the image processing system is configured to select features of the field to determine the first path on the basis of the second path.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Wolff Kilian
• Anderson Eric R
• Kumar Akshay
• Parage Paul
• Vollmar Uwe

Classifications

• A01B69/008

  automatic · CPC title

• A01B69/001 Primary

  Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras (steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163) · CPC title