Fill profile and tracking control during an unloading operation based on a CAD file

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12588593-B2
Application number	US-202318465580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2023
Priority date	Oct 27, 2022
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

Computer aided design (CAD) files for a plurality of different kinds of receiving vehicles are loaded to a remote server. Based on a receiving vehicle identifier, a corresponding CAD file or information derived from a CAD file is sent to a leading vehicle that is performing an unloading operation to load material into the receiving vehicle. An unloading control system controls the unloading operation based on the CAD file or information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling an unloading operation, comprising:
detecting a receiving vehicle identifier at a leading vehicle, the receiving vehicle identifier corresponding to a receiving vehicle that receives material from the leading vehicle during the unloading operation; accessing, based on the receiving vehicle identifier, computer aided design (CAD) file information corresponding to a CAD file representing the receiving vehicle; and controlling the unloading operation based on the CAD file information.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the unloading operation comprises:
identifying a position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle based on the CAD file information; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein identifying a position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle comprises:
detecting an image of the receiving vehicle with an optical sensor;
generating point cloud data corresponding to the receiving vehicle based on the image;
comparing the point cloud data to the CAD file information to generate a comparison result; and
identifying the position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle based on the comparison result.

4 . The method of claim 3 and further comprising:
iteratively performing the steps comprising detecting an image of the receiving vehicle, generating point cloud, comparing the point cloud data to the CAD file information, and identifying the position of the receiving vehicle to track the position of the receiving vehicle during the unloading operation; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the tracked position.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the unloading operation comprises:
identifying a volume profile corresponding to the receiving vehicle based on the CAD file information; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the volume profile.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein controlling the unloading operation based on the volume profile comprises:
detecting a fill level of material in the receiving vehicle based on the volume profile; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the detected fill level.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein controlling the unloading operation based on the detected fill level comprises:
identifying discrete fill locations based on the volume profile; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the discrete fill locations.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein controlling the unloading operation based on the discrete fill locations comprises:
identifying a discrete volume corresponding to each of the discrete fill locations;
detecting a fill level at each of the discrete fill locations based the corresponding discrete volume; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the detected fill level at each of the discrete fill locations.

9 . The method of claim 5 wherein controlling the unloading operation comprises:
identifying a volume capacity corresponding to the receiving vehicle based on the volume profile; and
generating a logistic control signal based on the volume capacity.

10 . The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
generating the CAD file information from the CAD file, wherein generating the CAD file information comprises at least one of:
generating receiving vehicle dimension information; or
generating receiving vehicle volume information.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the CAD file information comprises:
receiving, at a remote server system, the CAD file;
generating the CAD file information, based on the CAD file, at the remote server system;
receiving, at the remote server system, the receiving vehicle identifier from the leading vehicle; and
sending the CAD file information to the leading vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the receiving vehicle identifier comprises:
obtaining a vehicle identifier for a following vehicle that provides propulsion to the receiving vehicle.

13 . A machine unloading system comprising:
at least one processor; memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine unloading system to:
detect a receiving vehicle identifier at a leading vehicle, the receiving vehicle identifier corresponding to a receiving vehicle that receives material from the leading vehicle during an unloading operation;
access, based on the receiving vehicle identifier, CAD file information corresponding to a CAD file representing the receiving vehicle; and
control an unloading operation based on the CAD file information.

14 . The machine unloading system of claim 13 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine unloading system to:
iteratively identify a position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle based on the CAD file information to track the position of the receiving vehicle during the unloading operation; and
control the unloading operation based on the tracked position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle.

15 . The machine unloading system of claim 13 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine unloading system to:
identify a volume profile corresponding to the receiving vehicle based on the CAD file information; and
control the unloading operation based on the volume profile.

16 . The machine unloading system of claim 15 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine unloading system to:
identify discrete fill locations in the receiving vehicle and to identify a discrete volume corresponding to each of the discrete fill locations based on the volume profile; and
control the unloading operation based on the discrete fill locations and corresponding volumes.

17 . The machine unloading system of claim 16 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine unloading system to:
generate an output indicative of a volume of material unloaded at each of the discrete fill locations; and
control the unloading operation based on the volume of material unloaded at each of the discrete fill locations.

18 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at a remote server system, a computer aided design (CAD) file representing a receiving vehicle that receives material from a leading vehicle during an unloading operation; processing the CAD file to extract CAD file information representing the receiving vehicle; obtaining a receiving vehicle identifier from the leading vehicle, the receiving vehicle identifier corresponding to the receiving vehicle; and controlling an unloading operation based on the CAD file information.

19 . The computer implemented method of claim 18 and further comprising:
identifying a position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle based on the CAD file information;
identifying a volume profile corresponding to the receiving vehicle based on the CAD file information; and
controlling the unloading operation based on the position of the receiving vehicle relative to the leading vehicle and based on the volume profile.

20 . The computer implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising: sending the CAD file information to the receiving vehicle for controlling the unloading operation.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Faust Jeremy J
• O'Connor Kellen E

Classifications

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title

• A01D41/1275

  for the level of grain in grain tanks · CPC title

• A01B69/008

  automatic · CPC title