System And Method Of Material Handling Using One Or More Imaging Devices On The Transferring Vehicle And On The Receiving Vehicle To Control The Material Distribution Into The Storage Portion Of The Receiving Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009509-A1
Application number	US-201314377409-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 10, 2012
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

First imaging device collects first image data, whereas second imaging device collects second image data of a storage portion. A container identification module identifies a container perimeter of the storage portion in at least one of the collected first image data and the collected second image data. A spout identification module is adapted to identify a spout of the transferring vehicle in the collected image data. An image data evaluator determines whether to use the first image data, the second image data, or both based on an evaluation of the intensity of pixel data or ambient light conditions. An alignment module is adapted to determine the relative position of the spout and the container perimeter and to generate command data to the propelled portion to steer the storage portion in cooperative alignment such that the spout is aligned within a central zone or a target zone of the container perimeter.

First claim

1 . A method for facilitating the transfer of material from a transferring vehicle having a material distribution end to a receiving vehicle having a bin to the store transferred material, the method comprising the steps of:
a. identifying and locating the bin; b. detecting a representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin; c. aligning the material distribution end over a current target area of the bin requiring the material; d. determining subsequent target areas of the bin that require material based on the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin; e. transferring the material from the transferring vehicle to the current target area of the bin of the receiving vehicle; f. detecting when the current target area of the bin is filled with the material; g. repeating steps c-f until the subsequent target areas of the bin are filled; and h. terminating the transfer of the material from the transferring vehicle to the receiving vehicle.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin is one-dimensional.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin is two-dimensional.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin is three-dimensional.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin further comprises the steps of:
receiving data from a distributed fill state sensor; and generating the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin based on the distributed fill state sensor.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin further comprises the steps of:
receiving rectified image data from one or more imaging devices; generating disparity image data based on the rectified image data; and generating the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin using range data based on the disparity image data.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining portions of the bin that require material based on the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin comprises the steps of:
developing a target zone matrix of the bin, wherein each target zone of the matrix is identified by a pre-established set of coordinates related to the bin; identifying target zones of the matrix that are filled and not filled based on the representation of the fill level or volumetric distribution of the material in the bin; and determining the pre-established set of coordinates of a subsequent target zone to be filled and the pre-established set of coordinates of the current target zone over which the material distribution end is positioned.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of aligning the material distribution end over a current target area of the bin requiring the material comprises the step of actuating a control mechanism to move the material distribution end over the pre-established set of coordinates of a subsequent target zone to be filled.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the step of actuating a control mechanism to move the material distribution end over the pre-established set of coordinates of a subsequent target zone to be filled comprises the steps of:
establishing a current lateral spout angle of the material distribution end; converting the pre-established set of coordinates between the current target zone and the subsequent target zone to be filled into a change in the current lateral spout angle to form a new lateral spout angle; transmitting the new lateral spout angle to a spout controller of the transferring vehicle; and actuating the spout controller from the current lateral spout angle to the new lateral spout angle, whereby the material distribution end is aligned the over the subsequent target zone to be filled.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of aligning the material distribution end over a current target area of the bin requiring the material comprises the step of changing a linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle to move the material distribution end from over the current target zone to over the subsequent target zone to be filled.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of changing a linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle comprises the step of:
establishing a current linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle; converting the pre-established set of coordinates between the current target zone and the subsequent target zone to be filled into a change in the current linear spatial separation to form a new linear spatial separation; transmitting the new lateral offset to a steering controller of the transferring vehicle; and steering the transferring vehicle to create the new linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle, whereby the material distribution end is aligned the over the subsequent target zone to be filled.

12 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of aligning the material distribution end over a current target area of the bin requiring the material comprises the step of changing a linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle to move the material distribution end from over the current target zone to over the subsequent target zone to be filled.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of changing a linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle comprises the step of:
establishing an initial linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle; converting the pre-established set of coordinates between the current target zone and the subsequent target zone to be filled into a change in the current linear spatial separation to form a new linear spatial separation; transmitting the new linear spatial separation to a propulsion controller of the transferring vehicle or the receiving vehicle or both, or a braking controller of the transferring vehicle or the receiving vehicle or both; and accelerating or braking the transferring vehicle or the receiving vehicle or both to create the new linear spatial separation between the receiving vehicle and the transferring vehicle, whereby the material distribution end is aligned the over the subsequent target zone to be filled.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring the material from the transferring vehicle to the current target area of the bin of the receiving vehicle comprises the step of actuating an auger.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring the material from the transferring vehicle to the current target area of the bin of the receiving vehicle comprises the step of actuating a spout.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting when the current target area of the bin is filled with the material comprises the step of detecting a r

Assignees

• Bonefas Zachary T
• Bartholomew Darin E
• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Bonefas Zachary T
• Bartholomew Darin E

Classifications

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• A01D43/087 Primary

  with controllable discharge spout · CPC title

• G06T7/602

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/6215

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/46

  Physics · mapped topic