Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-05-22
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S028000, C701S050000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236916
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a system and method for providing autoguidance for an agricultural machine and, more particularly, to a system and method for providing autoguidance for an agricultural machine along parallel swaths in a field.
BACKGROUND ART
Agricultural work often involves long, tedious hours in the fields, driving agricultural machines over all portions of each field to perform various tasks, such as seeding, fertilizing, harvesting, tilling, and the like. In addition, the paths to travel in the field must be carefully followed to cover the entire field efficiently and to avoid damage to the crop that is growing. Such work is highly fatiguing, and chance of error increases dramatically over time.
The advent of modern technologies, such as GPS positioning systems, visual guidance systems, and machine control systems, have opened the door to automating many functions that formerly were required to be performed by the repetitious manual operations of individual workers.
One such function involves the guidance control of mobile machines, such as agricultural machines for use in the fields. However, the tolerances required to guide an agricultural machine along rows of crops for extended periods of time create problems which make practical use of the above technologies difficult, if not impossible. For example, an agricultural machine in a field must traverse difficult terrain and yet maintain tolerances within centimeters to avoid damage to crops.
The addition of visual guidance systems, such as light bar guidance systems, offers some assistance in guiding an agricultural machine along these close tolerances. However, light bar guidance systems must be monitored closely, and maintaining this monitoring over long periods of time is difficult and tiring.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention a system for providing autoguidance for an agricultural machine is disclosed. The system includes a main machine control module to control steering of the agricultural machine, a position determining system, and a guidance map. The system also includes an autoguidance control module to receive a position signal from the position determining system and data from the guidance map, and responsively determine a current position and a desired path to traverse by the agricultural machine, wherein the desired path to traverse is determined with respect to rows of crop in a field, and wherein the main machine control module is adapted to receive a control signal from the autoguidance control module and control steering of the agricultural machine in response to activation of the autoguidance control module control signal.
In another aspect of the present invention a method for providing autoguidance for an agricultural machine is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining a position and a heading of the agricultural machine, compensating the position determination with a roll compensation factor, and determining the location of a plurality of desired paths. The method also includes the steps of enabling autoguidance of the agricultural machine in response to activation of an autoguidance control module, and controlling steering of the agricultural machine with respect to the desired paths.
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“AgGPS 132 Parallel Swathing Option”, Trimble Product Catalog dated Mar. 11, 1999.
“Swath Star III”, Satloc Precision GPS Applications dated Mar. 11, 1999.
Motz Darin S.
Staub Michael D.
Caterpillar Inc.
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Lundquist Steve D.
Marc-Coleman Marthe Y.
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