Agricultural harvesting machine cutter height control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023270043-A1
Application number	US-202217682419-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Feb 28, 2022
Publication date	Aug 31, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of controlling an agricultural harvesting machine having a harvesting device configured to engage and cut crop on a field. The method includes receiving an indication of field topography in a first area of the field prior to the first area being harvested, controlling a position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the first area based on the indication of field topography in the first area, receiving in-situ data from the first area of the field after the first area is harvested by the harvesting device, receiving an indication of field topography in a second area of the field prior to the second area being harvested, and controlling the position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the second area based on the in-situ data and the indication of field topography in the second area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling an agricultural harvesting machine having a harvesting device configured to engage and cut crop on a field, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of field topography in a first area of the field prior to the first area being harvested; controlling a position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the first area based on the indication of field topography in the first area; receiving in-situ data from the first area of the field after the first area is harvested by the harvesting device; receiving an indication of field topography in a second area of the field prior to the second area being harvested; and controlling the position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the second area based on the in-situ data and the indication of field topography in the second area.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvesting device comprises a front-end assembly having a cutting device, and further comprising:
determining a height of a crop bed in the first area based on the first indication of field topography; and setting a cutting height of the cutting device based on the height of the crop bed.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the indication of field topography in the first area comprises:
receiving, from a first sensor on the agricultural harvesting machine, a first sensor signal indicative of a distance from the first sensor to the crop bed.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving in-situ data comprises receiving a second sensor signal from a second sensor on the agricultural harvesting machine.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second sensors comprises at least one of:
a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor; an ultrasonic sensor; or an imaging sensor.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second sensor signal is indicative of crop stubble height in the first area, and the method further comprises:
determining that the crop stubble height is above a threshold; and adjusting a height of the cutting device based on the determination.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second sensor signal is indicative of a distance from the second sensor to the crop bed.

8 . The method of claim 7 , and further comprising:
determining that the front-end assembly contacted a ground surface in the first area based on the first and second sensor signals; and controlling the position based on the determination.

9 . The method of claim 4 , and further comprising:
adjusting a height of the cutting device based on the second sensor signal.

10 . The method of claim 4 , and further comprising:
calibrating the first sensor based on the second sensor signal.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first area of the field comprises a first crop row of a plurality of crop rows in the field, the second area of the field comprises a second crop row, of the plurality of crop rows, that is adjacent to the first crop row, and the method further comprises:
generating, based on the in-situ data, a predicted crop bed height in the second crop row; and
controlling the position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the second crop row based on the predicted crop bed height and the indication of field topography in the second crop row.

12 . The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:
detecting furrow depth between first and second crop rows based on the field topography; and based on the detected furrow depth, controlling height of a crop collecting and gathering device of the agricultural harvesting machine.

13 . The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:
detecting a first depth of a furrow between a first crop row and a second crop row prior to the first crop row being harvested by the agricultural harvesting machine; detecting a second depth of the furrow after the first crop row is harvested by the agricultural harvesting machine; generating a compaction factor based on the first and second depths; and controlling the agricultural harvesting machine based on the compaction factor.

14 . An agricultural harvesting machine comprising:
a set of ground engaging traction elements; a propulsion subsystem configured to drive one or more of the ground engaging traction elements over a field; a harvesting device configured to engage and cut crop on the field; and a control system configured to:
receive an indication of field topography in a first area prior to the first area being harvested by the harvesting device;
control a position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the first area based on the indication of field topography in the first area;
receive in-situ data from the first area of the field after the first area is harvested by the harvesting device;
receive an indication of field topography in a second area prior to the second area being harvested by the harvesting device; and
control the position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the second area based on the in-situ data and the indication of field topography in the second area.

15 . The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 14 , wherein the harvesting device comprises a front-end assembly having a cutting device, and the control system is configured to:
determine a height of a crop bed in the second area based on the in-situ data and the indication of field topography in the second area; and set a cutting height of the cutting device based on the height of the crop bed.

16 . The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 14 , and further comprising:
a first sensor configured to generate the indication of field topography in the first area, the indication representing a height of a crop bed in the first area prior to the crop bed being harvested by the harvesting device; and a second sensor configured to generate the in-situ data representing the crop bed after the crop bed is harvested by the harvesting device.

17 . The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 16 , wherein the in-situ data is indicative of crop stubble height in the first area, and the control system is configured to:
determine that the crop stubble height is above a threshold; adjust a height of the cutting device based on the determination; calibrate the first sensor; and receive the indication of field topography in the second area from the calibrated first sensor.

18 . The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 14 , wherein
the indication of field topography in the first area is indicative of a location of a crop bed in the first area relative to the agricultural harvesting machine, and the control system is configured to:
determine that the harvesting device contacted a ground surface in the first area based on the in-situ data.

19 . A control system for an agricultural harvesting machine having a harvesting device, the control system comprising:
at least one processor; and memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the control system to:
receive a first indication of field topography in a first area to be harvested in a path of the agricultural harvesting machine;
control a position of the harvesting device to harvest the crop in the first area based on the first indication of field topography;
receive in-situ data from the first area of the field after the first area is harvested by the harvesting device;
receive a second indication of field topography in a second area of t

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Dugas Bryan E
• Louviere Mark S
• Dighton John A

Classifications

• G01C21/3833

  characterised by the source of data · CPC title

• G01C21/3826

  Terrain data · CPC title

• A01D34/006 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D45/10

  of sugar cane {(for digging sugar cane A01D31/00)} · CPC title