SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ASSISTED OR AUTOMATED GRAIN UNLOAD SYNCHRONIZATION

FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for assisted or automatic synchronization of agricultural machine operations. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for assisted or automatic synchronization of machine movement during transfer of crop material from one machine to another.

BACKGROUND

Combine harvesters are used in agricultural production to cut or pick up crops such as wheat, corn, beans and milo from a field and process the crop to remove grain from stalks, leaves and other material other than grain (MOG). Processing the crop involves gathering the crop into a crop processor, threshing the crop to loosen the grain from the MOG, separating the grain from the MOG and cleaning the grain. The combine harvester stores the clean grain in a clean grain tank and discharges the MOG from the harvester onto the field. The cleaned grain remains in the clean grain tank until it is transferred out of the tank through an unload conveyor into a receiving vehicle, such as a grain truck or a grain wagon pulled by a tractor.

To avoid frequent stops during a harvesting operation it is common to unload the grain from a harvester while the combine harvester is in motion harvesting crop. Unloading the harvester while it is in motion requires a receiving vehicle to drive alongside the combine harvester during the unload operation. This requires the operator driving the receiving vehicle to align a grain bin of the receiving vehicle with the spout of an unload conveyor of the combine for the duration of the unload operation. Aligning the two vehicles in this manner is laborious for the operator of the receiving vehicle and, in some situations, can be particularly challenging. Some circumstances may limit the operator's visibility, for example, such as where there is excessive dust in the air or at nighttime. Furthermore, if the receiving vehicle has a large or elongated grain bin, such as a large grain cart or a grain truck, it is desirable to shift the position of the grain bin relative to the spout during the unload operation to evenly fill the grain bin and avoid spilling grain.

Forage harvesters also process crop but function differently from combine harvesters. Rather than separating grain from MOG, forage harvesters chop the entire plant-including grain and MOG-into small pieces for storage and feeding to livestock. Forage harvesters do not store the processed crop onboard the harvester during the harvest operation, but rather transfer the processed crop to a receiving vehicle by blowing the crop material through a discharge chute to the receiving vehicle, such as a silage wagon pulled by a tractor, without storing it on the harvester. Thus, a receiving vehicle must closely follow the forage harvester during the entire harvester operation. This presents similar challenges to those discussed above in relation to the combine harvester.

The above section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

SUMMARY

A combine harvester according to first embodiment of the invention comprises a crop processor for separating grain from material other than grain, a grain tank for collecting grain, an unloading conveyor for transferring grain out of the grain tank, an electromagnetic detecting and ranging module positioned at or above a top of the grain tank for detecting a fill level of the grain tank and the location of a receiving vehicle relative to the combine harvester and one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices are configured for receiving data from the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module, the data indicating the fill level of the grain tank and the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the combine harvester, and generating automated navigation data based on the data received from the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module, the automated navigation data to automatically control operation of at least one of the combine harvester and the receiving vehicle to align the unloading conveyor with the grain bin of the receiving vehicle.

A combine harvester according to another embodiment comprises an operator cabin, a crop processor for separating grain from material other than grain, a grain tank for collecting grain, an unloading conveyor for transferring grain out of the grain tank, an electromagnetic detecting and ranging module positioned on top of the operator cabin for detecting a fill level of the grain tank and the location of a receiving vehicle relative to the combine harvester, and one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices are configured for receiving data from the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module, the data indicating the fill level of the grain tank and the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the combine harvester, and generating automated navigation data based on the data received from the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module, the automated navigation data to automatically control operation of at least one of the combine harvester and the receiving vehicle to align the unloading conveyor with the grain bin of the receiving vehicle.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an agricultural harvester constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic system of the agricultural harvester of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the agricultural harvester of FIG. 1 and a receiving vehicle, with the agricultural harvester in position to transfer grain to the receiving vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an empty grain tank of the harvester of FIG. 1 illustrating an electromagnetic detecting and ranging module and a scan area of the module.

FIG. 5 illustrates data collected by the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the grain tank, partially filled, of FIG. 4, illustrating the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module and the scan area of the module.

FIG. 7 illustrates data collected by the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the grain tank, mostly filled, of FIG. 4, illustrating the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module and the scan area of the module.

FIG. 9 illustrates data collected by the electromagnetic detecting and ranging module of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the agricultural harvester of FIG. 1 illustrating data points collected by a first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the agricultural harvester and receiving vehicle of FIG. 3 illustrating a scan area of a second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module on the agricultural harvester.

FIG. 12 illustrates data points collected by the second electromagnetic detecting and ranging sensor when placed over an empty receiving vehicle.

FIG. 13 illustrates data points collected by the second electromagnetic detecting and ranging sensor when placed over a partially filled receiving vehicle.

FIG. 14 illustrates movement of the agricultural harvester relative to the receiving vehicle during a process of collecting data from the first and second electromagnetic detecting and ranging sensors.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the agricultural harvester of FIG. 1 illustrating data points collected by the first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment wherein the agricultural harvester shares data wirelessly with the receiving vehicle and another embodiment wherein the agricultural harvester shares data wirelessly with the receiving vehicle and a portable electronic device.

FIG. 17 illustrates a first graphical user interface including a graphical representation of the relative positions of the agricultural harvester and the receiving vehicle.

FIG. 18 illustrates a second graphical user interface including a graphical representation of the relative positions of the agricultural harvester and the receiving vehicle.

FIG. 19 is an agricultural harvester constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 20-21 depict a graphical representation of a grain tank of the agricultural harvester of FIG. 1 including a graphical indication of a fill level of the tank.

FIG. 22 illustrates the agricultural harvester of FIG. 1 and the receiving vehicle, with an unload conveyor of the agricultural harvester between a stowed position and a deployed position.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention references the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. Further, it will be appreciated that the claims are not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments set out in this description.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

When elements or components are referred to herein as being “connected” or “coupled,” the elements or components may be directly connected or coupled together or one or more intervening elements or components may also be present. In contrast, when elements or components are referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled,” there are no intervening elements or components present.

Given the challenges of synchronizing operation of harvesters and receiving vehicles during unload operations it is desirable to assist machine operators in manually controlling the machines or to fully automate movement of at least one of the harvester and the receiving vehicle to maintain the desired relative positions of the two vehicles. Assisting operation and fully automating movement of at least one of the machines in this way requires continuously generating position data, in real time or nearly in real time, indicating the relative positions of the machines. Generating and communicating position data presents various technical challenges that make it difficult to reliably acquire accurate position data. During harvest operations, for example, the machines operate in remote locations where data communications with external networks, such as the cellular communications network, are often limited or nonexistent; mountains, trees or other obstacles may limit the number of reliable GNSS satellite signals the machines can receive; harvesting environments are often dusty which can interfere with the operation of some types of sensors (such as optical sensors); harvesting operations may be performed at various times throughout the day (and even at nighttime) that present different and sometimes challenging ambient light situations that can limit the effectiveness of optical sensors; and harvesting operations may involve multiple harvesters and multiple receiving vehicles, wherein each harvester works with multiple receiving vehicles. Various embodiments of the present invention solve the technical problems associated with detecting the relative positions of the harvesters and receiving vehicles during unload operations and provide assisted or fully automated operation of at least one of the machines to synchronize movement during unload operations.

A system according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a combine harvester including a crop processor for separating grain from material other than grain; a grain tank for collecting grain, an unloading conveyor for transferring grain out of the grain tank, and an electromagnetic detecting and ranging module positioned at or above a top of the grain tank. The electromagnetic detecting and ranging module is configured to detect a fill level of the grain tank, detect a location of a receiving vehicle relative to the combine harvester, and generate data indicative of the fill level of the grain tank and the location of the receiving vehicle. The system further comprises an electronic device including a graphical user interface, the electronic device being configured to receive the data from the combine harvester, use the data to generate a graphical representation illustrating the relative positions of the unload conveyor and the grain bin and illustrating a fill level of the grain tank, and present the graphical representation on the graphical user interface.

Turning now to the drawing figures, and initially FIGS. 1-3, an agricultural harvester 10 constructed in accordance with the first embodiment is illustrated. The harvester 10 is a combine harvester that cuts or picks up crop from a field, threshes the crop to loosen the grain from material other than grain (MOG), separates the grain from the MOG, cleans the grain, stores the clean grain in a clean grain tank and transfers the clean grain out of the clean grain tank to a receiving vehicle or other receptacle. The illustrated harvester 10 includes a pair of front wheels 12 and a pair of rear wheels 14 that support the harvester 10 on a ground surface, propel it along the ground surface and provide steering. A header 16 cuts crop standing in a field (or picks up crop that was previous cut) as the harvester 10 moves through the field and gathers the cut crop to be fed to a processor housed within a body 18 of the harvester 10.

The processor threshes the grain, separates the grain from the MOG, cleans the grain and stores the grain in a clean grain tank 20. Thus, the processor reduces crop material (plants or portions of plants cut or picked up from the field) to processed crop (grain). An unload conveyor 22 transfers grain from the clean grain tank 20 to a receiving vehicle or other receptacle using one or more augers, belts or similar mechanisms to move grain out of the clean grain tank 20, through the unload conveyor 22 and out a spout 24 positioned at an end of the unload conveyor 22 distal the body 18 of the harvester 10. The unload conveyor 22 is illustrated in a stowed position in FIG. 1 used when the harvester 10 is not transferring grain out of the grain tank 20. The unload conveyor 22 is moveable between the stowed position and a deployed position, illustrated in FIG. 3, used to transfer grain from the grain tank 20 to a receiving vehicle or other receptacle. The receiving vehicle illustrated in FIG. 3 is a tractor 34 and grain cart 36 combination. The grain cart 36 includes a grain bin 38 for holding crop transferred out of the harvester 10. When the unload conveyor 22 is in the deployed position it is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the harvester 10, the longitudinal axis being parallel with line 40. When the unload conveyor 22 is in the fully stowed position (FIG. 1) it is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the harvester.

An operator cabin 26 includes a seat and a user interface for enabling an operator to control various aspects of the harvester 10. The user interface includes mechanical components, electronic components, or both such as, for example, knobs, switches, levers, buttons, dials as well as electronic touchscreen displays that both present information to the operator in graphical form and receive information from the operator. The use interface is described further below as part of the electronic system 42 of the harvester 10. The harvester 10 includes a first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 28 mounted at or above a top of the grain tank 20 and a second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 32 mounted at or near an end of the unload conveyor 22 distal the body 18 of the combine 10. The first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 28 is configured and positioned for detecting a fill level of the grain tank 20, the location of a receiving vehicle relative to the agricultural harvester and the position of the unload conveyor 22. The second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 32 is configured and positioned for detecting at least one of a fill level and a distribution of processed crop in the receiving vehicle.

The harvester 10 includes an electronic system 42 illustrated in FIG. 2. The system 42 broadly includes a controller 44, a position determining device 46, a user interface 48, one or more sensors 50, one or more actuators 52, one or more storage components 54, one or more input/out ports 56, a communications gateway 58, the first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 28 and the second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 32.

The position determining device 46 includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, such as a device configured to receive signals from one or more positioning systems such as the United States' global positioning system (GPS), the European GALILEO system and/or the Russian GLONASS system, and to determine a location of the machine using the received signals. The user interface 48 includes components for receiving information, instructions or other input from a user and may include buttons, switches, dials, and microphones, as well as components for presenting information or data to users, such as displays, light-emitting diodes, audio speakers and so forth. The user interface 48 may include one or more touchscreen displays capable of presenting visual representations of information or data and receiving instructions or input from the user via a single display surface.

The sensors 50 may be associated with any of various components or functions of the harvester 10 including, for example, various elements of the engine, transmission(s), and hydraulic and electrical systems. One or more of the sensors 50 may be configured and placed to detect environmental or ambient conditions in, around or near the harvester 10. Such environmental or ambient conditions may include temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. The actuators 52 are configured and placed to drive certain functions of the harvester 10 including, for example, moving the unload conveyor 22 between the stowed and deployed positions, driving an auger or belt associated with the unload conveyor 22 and steering the rear wheels 14. The actuators 52 may take virtually any form but are generally configured to receive control signals or instructions from the controller 44 (or other component of the system 42) and to generate a mechanical movement or action in response to the control signals or instructions. By way of example, the sensors 50 and actuators 52 may be used in automated steering of the harvester 10 wherein the sensors 50 detect a current position or state of the steered wheels 14 and the actuators 52 drive steering action of the wheels 14. In another example, the sensors 50 collect data relating to the operation of the harvester 10 and store the data in the storage component 54, communicate the data to a remote computing device via the communications gateway 58, or both.

The controller 44 is a computing device and includes one or more integrated circuits programmed or configured to implement the functions described herein and associated with the harvester 10. By way of example the controller 44 may be a digital controller and may include one or more general purpose microprocessors or microcontrollers, programmable logic devices, application specific integrated circuits or other computing devices. The controller 44 may include multiple computing components, such as electronic control units, placed in various different locations on the harvester 10, and may include one or more computing devices connected to the system 42 through the I/O ports 56. The controller 44 may also include one or more discrete and/or analog circuit components operating in conjunction with the one or more integrated circuits or computing components. Furthermore, the controller 44 may include or have access to one or more memory elements operable to store executable instructions, data, or both. The storage component 54 stores data and preferably includes a non-volatile storage medium such as solid state, optic or magnetic technology. The communications gateway 58 includes one or more wireless transceivers configured to communicate with external machines or devices using wireless communications technology. The communications gateway 58 may include one or more wireless transceivers configured to communicate according to one or more wireless communications protocols or standards, such as one or more protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards (“Wi-Fi”), the Bluetooth wireless communications standard, a 433 MHz wireless communications protocol or a protocol for communicating over a cellular telephone network. Alternatively or additionally, the communications gateway 58 may include one or more wireless transceivers configured to communicate according to one or more proprietary or non-standardized wireless communication technologies or protocols, such as proprietary wireless communications protocols using 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz radio signals. Thus, the communications gateway 58 enables wireless communications with other machines such as other harvesters or tractors, with external devices such as laptop or tablet computers or smartphones, and with external communications networks such as a cellular telephone network or Wi-Fi network.

It will be appreciated that, for simplicity, certain elements and components of the system 42 have been omitted from the present discussion and from the diagram illustrated in FIG. 2. A power source or power connector is also associated with the system 42, for example, but is conventional in nature and, therefore, is not discussed herein.

In the illustrated embodiment all of the components of the system 42 are contained on or in the harvester 10. The present invention is not so limited, however, and in other embodiments one or more of the components of the system 42 may be external to the harvester 10. In one embodiment, for example, some of the components of the system 42 are contained on or in the harvester 10 while other components of the system are contained on or in an implement associated with the harvester 10. In that embodiment, the components associated with the harvester 10 and the components associated with the implement may communicate via wired or wireless communications according to a local area network such as, for example, a controller area network. The system may be part of a communications and control system conforming to the ISO 11783 (also referred to as “ISOBUS”) standard. In yet another embodiment, one or more components of the system 42 may be located separately or remotely from the harvester 10 and any implements associated with the harvester 10. In that embodiment, the system 42 may include wireless communications components (e.g., the gateway 58) for enabling the harvester 10 to communicate with another machine or a remote computer, computer network or system. It may be desirable, for example, to use one or more computing devices external to the harvester 10 to determine, or assist in determining, the location of a receiving vehicle, a fill level of the receiving vehicle and/or the distribution of processed crop in the receiving vehicle, as explained below.

In this first embodiment the one or more computing devices has reference to the controller 44, including multiple devices that, taken together, may constitute the controller 44 as explained above. It will be appreciated, though, that in other embodiments the one or more computing devices may be separate from, but in communication with, the harvester 10. In those embodiments the one or more computing devices may include computing devices associated with a portable electronic device, such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer or a smartphone, may include computing devices embedded in another agricultural machine, such as a receiving vehicle, or both. Furthermore, in some embodiments the one or more computing devices may include computing devices from multiple machines or devices, such as a computing device on the harvester 10 and a computing device on the receiving vehicle. By way of example, a computing device on the harvester 10 may receive and process data from the modules 28 and 32 to generate location information and may communicate the location information to the tractor 34 via the communications gateway 58, wherein another computing device on the tractor 34 generates automated guidance data for guiding the tractor 34 or generates graphic data for presentation on a user interface in the tractor 34. In that scenario the one or more computing devices comprise both the computing device on the harvester 10 and the computing device on the tractor 34.

The tractor 34 also includes an electronic system similar to the system 42 of the harvester 10, except that the electronic system of the tractor 34 does not include electromagnetic detecting and ranging modules. The electronic system of the tractor 34 broadly includes a controller, a position determining device, a user interface, one or more sensors, one or more actuators, one or more storage components, one or more input/out ports a communications gateway similar or identical to those described above as part of the system 42.

Each of the electromagnetic detecting and ranging modules 28 and 32 use reflected electromagnet waves to generate a digital representation of objects within a field of view of the respective modules 28 or 32. More particularly, each of the modules 28, 32 includes an emitter for emitting electromagnetic waves and a sensor for detecting reflected waves. Data generated by the sensor includes such information as an angle and a distance for each data point that indicate a point in space where the wave encountered and reflected off of an object. Thus, the digital representations generated by the modules 28, 32 include distances to and relative locations of objects and surfaces within the field of view. Technologies that may be used in the modules 28 and 32 include LiDAR and RADAR.

Light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) is a method for measuring distances (ranging) by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor. Differences in laser return times and wavelengths can then be used to make digital three-dimensional or two-dimensional representations of the area scanned. LiDAR may use ultraviolet, visible, or near infrared light to image objects and can target a wide range of materials, including metallic and non-metallic objects.

Radio detecting and ranging (RADAR) is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, angle, and/or velocity of objects. A RADAR system includes a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave domains, a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna (often the same antenna is used for transmitting and receiving) and a receiver and processor to determine properties of the object(s) within the scan zone of the system. Radio waves (pulsed or continuous) from the transmitter reflect off the object and return to the receiver, giving information about the object's location, direction of travel and speed.

The electromagnetic detecting and ranging modules 28, 32 collect data that define a digital representations of the area within the field of view of the modules 28, 32 and communicate that data to the controller 44. The data collected by the modules 28, 32 includes location information for each of a plurality of points making up a point cloud. The location information is relative to the module 28 or 32 generating the data and may include a set of two-dimensional Cartesian coordinates, such as X and Y coordinates of the point relative to the module 28 or 32; a set of three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates such as X, Y and Z coordinates; a set of polar coordinates such as a radial coordinate (r) indicating a distance from the module 28 or 32 and an angular coordinate (θ) indicating an angle from a reference direction; a set of spherical coordinates such as a radial coordinate (r) indicating a distance of the point from the module 28 or 32, a polar angle coordinate (θ) measured from a fixed zenith direction, and an azimuthal angle coordinate (φ) of its orthogonal projection on a reference plane that passes through the origin and is orthogonal to the zenith, measured from a fixed reference direction on that plane; or a set of cylindrical coordinates such as a distance (r) to the point from a reference axis (typically corresponding to a location of the module 28 or 32), a direction (φ) from the reference axis, and a distance (Z) from a reference plane that is perpendicular to the reference axis.

The first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 28 is positioned and configured for detecting the location of a receiving vehicle relative to the agricultural harvester 10, a fill level of the grain tank 20 and a position of the unload conveyor 22. The second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 32 is positioned and configured for detecting at least one of a fill level and a distribution of processed crop in the receiving vehicle.

The first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 28 is located at or above a top of the grain tank 20, such as on a rim thereof. It includes a three-dimensional light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) scanner configured to scan 3600 about a vertical axis 29 with a scan area broad enough to include at least a portion of the inside of the grain tank 20 and a receiving vehicle proximate the harvester 10. FIG. 4 illustrates the shape of a scan area 60 of the module 28 with the grain tank 20 within the scan area 60. The scan area 60 also includes at least portions of the tractor 34 and the grain cart 36 when the tractor 34 and grain cart 36 are positioned proximate the harvester 10, such as is illustrated in FIG. 3. As explained above, the module 28 generates a plurality of data points constituting a point cloud representative of points on surfaces within the scan area 60, including points on surfaces of the grain tank 20, a heap of grain in the grain tank 20, surfaces of the grain cart 36, the tractor 34 pulling the grain cart 36, the ground and other objects within the scan area 60.

A cross section of the grain tank 20 is illustrated in FIG. 4 illustrating the module 28 and the scan area 60 of the module 28, the tank 20 being empty of contents. A cross section of a point cloud 62 generated by the module 28 is illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein a pattern corresponding to a side of the grain tank 20 is discernible. It will be appreciated that the module 28 generates a three dimensional point cloud and that the point cloud 62 illustrated in FIG. 5 is only a cross-section area of the three dimensional point cloud. The grain tank 20 is illustrated partially filled with grain in FIG. 6, and a cross section of a point cloud 64 generated by the module 28 is illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein a pattern corresponding to a side of the grain tank 20 is discernible as well as a portion 66 corresponding to a surface of a heap of grain in the grain tank 20. The grain tank 20 is illustrated nearly filled with grain in FIG. 8, and a cross section of a point cloud 68 generated by the module 28 is illustrated in FIG. 9 wherein a pattern 70 corresponding to a side of the grain tank 20 is discernible as well as a portion 72 corresponding to a surface of a heap of grain in the grain tank 20. The one or more computing devices determine the fill level of the grain tank 20 by comparing a point cloud generated by the module 28 (for example, one of the point clouds illustrated in FIG. 7 or 9) with a point cloud corresponding to an empty tank 20 (for example, the point cloud illustrated in FIG. 5).

The one or more computing devices may use the data collected by the module 28 indicating the fill level of the grain tank 20 to communicate an indication of the fill level to an operator via the user interface. A graphical depiction 100 of the grain tank is illustrated in FIG. 20 with a portion 102 shaded to indicate a fill level of the grain tank 20. The depiction 100 is presented to the operator via a display. FIG. 21 illustrates the graphical depiction 100 when the data collected by the module 28 indicates that the grain tank 20 is mostly full.

A portion of a point cloud 74 is depicted in FIG. 10 illustrating some of the data points corresponding to the grain cart 36 and the tractor 34. The point cloud 74 is also generated by the module 28. The one or more computing devices receive the data generated by the module 28 and use the data to detect the presence of the grain cart 36 (or other receiving vehicle) and to determine the location of the grain cart 36 relative to the harvester 10. To detect the presence of the grain cart 36 the one or more computing devices process the data received from the module 28 to determine whether one or more features or characteristics of the grain cart 36 are present in the data. The point cloud 74 depicted in FIG. 10, for example, illustrates various features of the grain cart 36 that may be reflected in the data collected by the module 28. A pattern 76 in the point cloud 74 corresponding to an exterior side surface of the grain cart 36 is visible including a front edge, a top edge, a rear edge and a bottom edge of the surface 76. The one or more computing devices process the data to identify the presence of a surface that approximately matches the anticipated shape, size, angle and/or location of a surface of the grain cart 36. It does this by looking for a pattern in the point cloud corresponding to a flat surface. Once it detects a flat surface it processes the data to identify additional features or patterns that correspond to a receiving vehicle, such as a total length of the surface, a total height of the surface, a particular length-to-height ratio of the surface or another pattern indicating another feature or characteristic of the receiving vehicle such as a circular pattern indicating a wheel. The one or more computing devices may use preexisting data sets corresponding to the particular receiving vehicle to identify patterns from the data acquired by the electromagnetic detecting and ranging modules, as explained below. The one or more computing devices use the data from the module 28 to determine the orientation and the dimensions of the receiving vehicle. Using data from the point cloud 74, for example, the one or more computing devices determine whether the surface corresponding to the size of the grain cart 36 is parallel with the harvester 10 (that is, a front portion of the grain cart is approximately the same distance from the module 28 as a rear portion), or whether a front portion of the grain cart 36 is further from or closer to the module 28 than a rear portion of the grain cart 36. The one or more computing devices can use the orientation of the grain cart 36 to determine, for example, if the grain cart 36 is following parallel with the harvester 10 or is separating from the harvester 10. The one or more computing devices determine the dimensions (or approximate dimensions) of the grain cart 36 by identifying a front edge, rear edge and top edge of the point cloud 74. The one or more computing devices may use the dimensions of the grain cart 36 in determining where the spout 24 of the unload conveyor 22 is located relative to the edges of grain bin 38 to accurately generate a graphical depiction of the relative positions of the unload conveyor 22 and the grain cart 36 and present the graphical depiction on a graphical user interface, as explained below. In some embodiments, the one or more computing devices use the dimensions of the grain cart 36 to determine where the spout 24 of the unload conveyor 22 is located relative to the edges of grain bin 38 in automatically controlling grain transfer to only transfer grain from the harvester 10 to the grain cart 36 while the spout 24 is over the grain bin 38.

Once the one or more computing devices have identified the patterns and features in the point cloud sufficiently to determine that the object is the grain cart 36, the one or more computing devices use data from the module 28 to determine and track the location of the grain cart 36 relative to the harvester 10. Tracking the location of the grain cart 36 relative to the harvester 10 may involve determining two variables—the lateral distance of the grain cart 36 from the harvester 10 and the longitudinal offset of the grain cart relative to the harvester 10.

Each of the data points making up the point cloud 74 includes a distance value indicating a distance from the module 28, therefore determining the lateral distance of the grain cart 36 from the harvester 10 involves using the distance values of the relevant points in the point cloud 74, such as the points defining the pattern 76 corresponding to the exterior surface of the grain cart 36. If the average distance of to the data points corresponding to the surface is six meters, for example, the lateral distance of the grain cart 36 from the harvester 10 is six meters.

To determine the longitudinal offset of the grain cart from the harvester 10 the one or more computing devices determine the location of one or more features of the grain cart 36 within the field of view of the module 28 and, in particular, whether the feature(s) is to the left or to the right of a center of the scan area of the module 28. If the center of the exterior surface of the grain cart 36 is determined to be at the center of the field of view of the module 28, for example, the grain cart 36 is determined to have a longitudinal offset of zero. If the center of the exterior surface of the grain cart 36 is determined to be ten degrees to the left of the center of the field of view, the grain cart 36 has a negative longitudinal offset corresponding to a distance that is determined using the lateral distance and the angle of ten degrees. If the center of the exterior surface of the grain cart 36 is determined to be ten degrees to the right of the center of the field of view, the grain cart 36 has a positive longitudinal offset corresponding to a distance that is determined using the lateral distance and the angle of ten degrees.

The second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 32 is located at or near an end of the unload conveyor 22 corresponding to the spout 24 and distal the body 18 of the harvester 10. The module 32 includes a two-dimensional light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) scanner positioned to scan an area extending downwardly from the end of the unload conveyor 22 that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the unload conveyor 22. This scan area includes an area inside the grain bin 38 of the receiving vehicle when the grain bin 38 is positioned below the spout 24 of the unload conveyor 22. FIG. 11 illustrates a scan area 78 of the module 32 with a grain cart within the scan area.

The module 32 includes a two-dimensional light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) scanner that generates a plurality of data points within the plane corresponding to the scan area 78, each data point including a distance value corresponding to a distance from the module 32. As with the data from the first module 28, the one or more computing devices process the data from the module 32 to identify patterns. A series of data points generated by the module 32 when the grain bin of the receiving vehicle is empty is illustrated in FIG. 12. A first pattern 80 of the data points corresponds to an interior surface of a front wall of the grain bin, a second pattern 82 corresponds to an interior surface of a floor of the grain bin and a third pattern 84 corresponds to an interior surface of a rear wall of the grain bin. A series of data points generated by the module 32 when the grain bin is partially filled is illustrated in FIG. 13. In FIG. 13 the generally vertical patterns near the front 86 and the near the rear 88 of the data set correspond to the front and rear walls of the grain bin while the data points 90 corresponding to the generally diagonal angled and curved patterns between the front and rear walls correspond to a top surface of a quantity of grain heaped in the grain bin.

The one or more computing devices use this data generated by the module 32 to determine the fill level of the grain cart 36, the distribution of grain (or other processed crop material) within the grain cart 36, or both. To determine the fill level of the grain cart 36 the one or more computing devices identify data points 90 corresponding to grain (verses data points corresponding to walls or the floor of the grain bin), determine a fill height of each of the data points corresponding to grain, and then average the fill height of the data points corresponding to grain to generate an average fill level of the grain bin.

To identify data points corresponding to grain the one or more computing devices may use patterns in the data, receiving vehicle location information generated using data from the module 28, or both. The one or more computing devices may use patterns in the data by identifying patterns corresponding to certain parts of the grain bin such as a front wall (for example, pattern 80), rear wall (for example, pattern 84) and floor (for example, pattern 82) or a combination of two or more of these features. In the collection of data illustrated in FIG. 12, for example, the walls and floor are identified from the data patterns 80, 82, 84 and it is determined that none of the data points correspond to grain. In the collection of data illustrated in FIG. 13, the front wall and the rear wall are identified from the data patterns 86, 88. When the data patterns detected in FIG. 13 are compared to a data pattern corresponding to an empty grain bin (FIG. 12) it is determined that most of the data points between the front wall and the rear wall do not match the expected location and shape of a data pattern corresponding to the floor and, therefore, correspond to grain. The one or more computing devices then determine a fill height of each of the data points corresponding to grain, wherein the fill height is the distance of the data point from the floor of the grain bin to the data point. The fill height may be determined by comparing the location of the data point to the anticipated location of the floor. In the illustrated data patterns, this may involve comparing the data points 90 to data points 82. Once the fill height is determined for all of the data points an average fill height of all of the data points is determined and used as the overall grain bin fill level, as stated above.

The one or more computing devices may also use receiving vehicle location information from the module 28 to determine or assist in determining the fill level of the grain bin of the receiving vehicle. If the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the harvester 10 is known the vehicle's location relative to the unload conveyor may be used to determine the height of the data points corresponding to grain relative to the floor of the grain bin by comparing the location of the data point to the location of the floor of the grain bin determined using the location of the receiving vehicle.

Additionally or alternatively the one or more computing devices determine a distribution of grain in the grain bin. Using the data pattern illustrated in FIG. 13, for example, the fill height of each data point 90 is determined as explained above and a fill height value and longitudinal (distance from the rear wall or from the front wall) is stored for each data point. That information may then be used by the one or more computing devices to depict a fill level at various locations in the grain bin in a graphical user interface, as discussed below.

While the description above describes a technique of determining the fill level and distribution of crop material in the receiving vehicle by comparing differences between a measured surface of the crop with an anticipated floor of the receiving vehicle, it will be appreciated that other techniques may be used to determine the fill level and the distribution. The one or more computers may compare the measured surface of crop material with a top of the receiving vehicle, for example. The top of the receiving vehicle may be determined using the data 74 generated by the module 28, using the data 80, 84 generated by the module 32, using data provided by an operator or manufacturer of the grain cart 36, or a combination thereof.

The one or more computing devices may detect patterns in the data generated by the modules 28, 32 by comparing data generated by the modules 28 and 32 with preexisting data corresponding to the receiving vehicle. The preexisting data is collected by the modules 28, 32 (or similar modules), or is generated by another sensor or a computer to simulate such data, and provides the one or more computing devices known data patterns corresponding to the receiving vehicle. During operation the one or more computing devices compare the data generated by the modules 28 and 32 with the preexisting data to identify such patterns as the exterior side surface of the grain cart, edges of the grain cart, the interior surfaces of the front wall, floor and rear wall of the grain bin, or features of the tractor such as the rear and front wheels. Preexisting data may be similar to the data set depicted in FIG. 12, for example, and data generated by the modules 28 and 32 during an operation may be similar to the data set depicted in FIG. 13.

The preexisting data may be provided by a machine manufacturer or may be captured using the harvester 10 and the receiving vehicle. FIG. 14 illustrates the position and movement of the harvester 10 relative to a receiving vehicle during a process of capturing electromagnetic detecting and ranging data. The harvester 10 is positioned to the side of and behind the grain cart 36 when data capture begins using both modules 28, 32. The harvester 10 is gradually moved forward relative to the grain cart 36 until it reaches a second position to the side of and in front of the grain cart 36. The modules 28, 32 capture data during the operation and store the data for use in pattern recognition. This process may be repeated multiple times with the receiving vehicle at different lateral distances from, and different angles to, the harvester 10.

During a harvest operation, the one or more computing devices continuously or periodically receive data from the module 28 and determine the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the harvester 10. The one or more computing devices use the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the harvester 10 to generate a graphic representation of at least portions of the harvester 10 and the receiving vehicle that illustrate, in an intuitive way, the relative positions of the unload conveyor 22 and the grain bin of the receiving vehicle. The graphic representation is presented on a graphical user interface in the operator cabin of the tractor (or the harvester 10), typically located toward the front or side of the operator when he or she is facing forward, thereby allowing the operator to see the position of the grain bin relative to the unload auger and steer the tractor so that the grain bin is located beneath the spout of the unload conveyor. This relieves the operator(s) of the need to try to look backward to see the position of the unload conveyor while also watching the field ahead of the machine. The graphical representation has the further advantage of enabling the operator(s) to see the relative positions of the machines even in situations with limited visibility outside the operator cabin.

The one or more computing devices may use the second data from the second module 32 to confirm that an object reflected in the first data from the first module 28 is a receiving vehicle. If it is unclear from the data 74 whether the object reflected in the data is a receiving vehicle (if only portions of data patterns are detected, for example), the one or more computing devices may analyze data points generated by the second module 32 (FIG. 12) to determine whether those data points include one or more characteristics of a receiving vehicle. If so, the one or more computing devices determine that the object is a receiving vehicle.

Data from the first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module 28 may be used to detect the position of the unload conveyor 22 and, in particular, whether the unload conveyor 22 is in a deployed position as illustrated in FIG. 3. With reference to FIG. 15, to determine whether the unload conveyor 22 is in the deployed position, the one or more computing devices process the data 74 to determine whether it includes patterns corresponding to the unload conveyor 22, such as the patterns 92. The one or more computing devices use the position of the unload conveyor 22 to provide an indication to an operator of the position of the unload conveyor 22, such as via the graphic depicted in FIG. 22 illustrating the position of the unload conveyor between a fully stowed position and a fully deployed position.

The one or more computing devices use the data generated by the modules 28 and 32 to generate graphic data defining a graphical representation illustrating the relative positions of the unload conveyor 22 and the grain bin 38 and illustrating at least one of the fill level and the distribution of processed crop in the grain bin 38. This graphical representation assists an operator in manually guiding either the tractor 34 or the harvester 10 to align the unload conveyor 22 with the grain bin 38. A visual representation of the fill level of the grain bin allows the operator to see whether or not the receiving vehicle is full and to estimate how much time is required to completely fill the receiving the vehicle. A visual representation of the distribution of crop in the grain bin allows the operator to see which portions of the grain bin are full and to adjust the position of the receiving vehicle relative to the unload conveyor 22 of the harvester 10 to fill portions of the grain bin with less grain.

The graphical representation may be presented on the user interface 48 of the harvester 10, on a user interface of the tractor 34, on a user interface of a portable electronic device such as a table computer or a smartphone, or on any combination thereof. As depicted in a first diagram of FIG. 16 the harvester 10 may be in wireless communication with the receiving vehicle wherein a computing device on the harvester 10 generates and communicates the graphical representation to the receiving vehicle as a wireless communication. The tractor includes an electronic system similar to that of the harvester 10 and illustrated in FIG. 2, as explained above, including a communications gateway, a controller and a user interface. The harvester 10 communicates the graphic data via the communications gateway of the harvester 10 and the tractor receives the graphic data via the communications gateway of the tractor 34, wherein the user interface on the tractor 34 generates the graphical representation from the graphic data and presents the graphical representation to the operator on the user interface.

As depicted in a second diagram of FIG. 16 the harvester may be in wireless communication with the receiving vehicle and with a portable electronic device 94 wherein a computing device on the harvester 10 generates and communicates the graphical representation to the receiving vehicle, to the portable electronic device, or both as a wireless communication. The portable electronic device 94 may be placed in the operator cabin 26 of the harvester 10, in the operator cabin of the tractor 34, or another location that is not in the harvester 10 or in the tractor 34. The portable electronic device 94 receives the graphic data from the harvester 10 through a wireless transceiver on the portable electronic device.

The graphical representation is presented as part of a graphical user interface on a portable electronic device in FIGS. 17 and 18 for illustration purposes, with the understanding that the graphical representation may be presented on a display that is part of a display console in the receiving vehicle or in the harvester 10. The graphical representation of the grain cart 36, the harvester 10 and their relative positions enables the operator of the tractor 34 to guide the tractor to a location relative to the harvester 10 where the grain bin 38 of the grain cart 36 is properly aligned with the unload auger 22. The grain cart 36 and the harvester 10 are depicted in plan view (that is, from a perspective directly above the machines and looking down) so that the operator can clearly see from the graphic representation the relative positions of the grain cart and the harvester 10.

The fill level and distribution of the grain are also presented to the operator via the graphical user interface via an image such as that depicted in FIG. 17. The straight line 96 depicts the fill level of the grain bin 38 if the grain in the bin were evenly distributed. The curved line 98 depicts the distribution of the grain enabling the operator to adjust the position of the grain bin 38 relative to the unload conveyor 22 to fill areas of the grain bin where the level of the grain is lower. FIG. 18 depicts an alternative implementation of the graphical representation similar to that of FIG. 17, but where the graphical depiction of the grain cart does not include the distribution of grain (only the fill level) and where the depiction of the grain cart and the harvester 10 includes concentric target lines 99 around the graphical depiction of the spout of the unload conveyor 22 to assist the operator in aligning the unload conveyor 22 with the grain bin.

The embodiments of the graphical user interface depicted in FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate the unload conveyor 22 in a deployed position. As explained above, however, the one or more computing devices may use data from the module 28 to detect the position of the unload conveyor 22 relative to the body 18 of the harvester 10. The one or more computing devices may use the data generated by the module 28 to determine the position of the unload conveyor 22 and generate the graphic data such that the graphical representation indicates the position of the unload conveyor 22 relative to the body of the harvester 10. A visual indication of the position of the unload conveyor 22 helps the operator know when it is safe to begin unloading grain by enabling him to see when the spout 24 is positioned over the grain bin 38 of the receiving vehicle. In a fully or partially automated system the one or more computing devices use data from the module 28 to determine the position of the unload conveyor 22 to ensure that crop transfer begins only when the conveyor 22 is in the proper position, to confirm the position of the unload conveyor 22 as detected by other sensors, or both.

A second embodiment of the invention is identical to the first embodiment described above, except that the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the harvester 10 is used to automatically guide the harvester 10, the tractor, or both to align the grain bin of the receiving vehicle with the unload conveyor 22 during an unload operation.

A system according to the second embodiment of the invention comprises an agricultural harvester including a crop processor for reducing crop material to processed crop, an unloading conveyor for transferring a stream of processed crop out of the harvester, a first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module for detecting the location of a receiving vehicle relative to the agricultural harvester, and a second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module for detecting at least one of a fill level and a distribution of processed crop in the receiving vehicle. The system according to the second embodiment further comprises one or more computing devices for receiving first data from the first electromagnetic detecting and ranging module, the first data indicating the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the combine harvester, receiving second data from the second electromagnetic detecting and ranging module, the second data indicating at least one of a fill level and a distribution of grain in the grain bin of the receiving vehicle, and generating automated navigation data based on the first data and the second data. The automated navigation data automatically controls operation of at least one of the agricultural harvester and the receiving vehicle to align the unloading conveyor with the grain bin of the receiving vehicle.

Automated guidance of a machine involves generating or acquiring a target travel path known as a wayline, determining a geographic location of the machine, comparing the machine's geographic location to the location of the wayline and automatically steering the machine to travel along the wayline. The wayline may be generated by an operator of the machine by, for example, designating a starting point and an ending point of the wayline or designing a start point and a direction of travel. The wayline may also be stored and retrieved from a previous operation, received from another agricultural machine or imported from an external computer device, such as an external computer running farm management software that generates the wayline. The wayline is represented by two or more geographic locations or points known as waypoints. The automated guidance system is part of the machine and is included in the electronic system described above. Automated guidance software stored in the storage component, for example, enables the controller to determine or acquire the wayline, determine the machine's location using the position determining component, compare the machine's location with the location of the wayline, and automatically steer the machine using data from the one or more sensors to determine a steering angle of the wheels and using the actuators to change the steering angle of the wheels, if necessary, to steer the machine to or along the wayline.

During operation the machine's geographic location is continuously determined using a GNSS receiver, and the location of a navigation point of the machine (for example, a point located between the rear wheels of a tractor or between the front wheels of a harvester) is continuously compared with the location of the wayline. Steering of the machine is automatically controlled so that the navigation point of the machine follows the wayline.

The automated guidance system of the tractor 34 automatically aligns the grain bin 38 of the grain cart 36 with the unload conveyor 22 by generating a wayline that corresponds to a path that will place the grain bin 38 beneath the spout 24 of the unload conveyor 22. By way of example, the one or more computing devices may determine from the data generated by the modules 28, 32 that the lateral distance of the grain cart 36 from the harvester 10 is seven meters. If the lateral distance required to align the grain bin 38 with the spout 24 is six meters, the automated guidance system of the tractor 34 generates a wayline that is one meter closer to the harvester 10 and steers the tractor 34 to follow the wayline. Similarly, if the one or more computing devices determine that the lateral distance is four meters, the automated guidance system of the tractor 34 generates a wayline that is two meters further away from the harvester 10 and steers the tractor 34 to follow the wayline.

The automated guidance system further controls the propulsion of the tractor 34 to shift the tractor's position forward or rearward relative to the harvester 10 to maintain a proper longitudinal position of the tractor 34 relative to the harvester 10 such that the grain cart 36 presents a proper front to back position relative to the unload conveyor 22. If the one or more computing devices determines that the grain cart 36 has a negative longitudinal offset relative to the harvester 10 (in other words, the position of the grain cart 36 is behind a desire position relative to the harvester 10) the automated guidance system causes the tractor 34 to speed up until it is at the desire position, then causes it to match the speed of the harvester 10. Similarly, if the one or more computing devices determines that the grain cart 36 has a positive longitudinal offset relative to the harvester 10 (in other words, the position of the receiving vehicle is ahead of a desire position relative to the harvester 10) the automated guidance system causes the tractor 34 to slow down until it is at the desire position, then causes it to match the speed of the harvester 10.

According to another embodiment the module 28 may be placed on top of the operator cabin 26 as illustrated in FIG. 19, where the module 28 is placed near a front edge of the operator cabin 26. When the module 28 is placed on top of the operator cabin 26 its scan area does not extend into the grain tank 20 but it does still include the unload conveyor 20 and a receiving vehicle positioned alongside the harvester 10.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

The claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for” or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ASSISTED OR AUTOMATED GRAIN UNLOAD SYNCHRONIZATION

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