IP Library Granted Patent US 11,926,333
Granted Patent B2
US 11,926,333 · App. 17/564,063 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Compensatory actions for automated farming machine failure

Inventors: John William Peake (Mountain View, CA); James Patrick Ostrowski (Mountain View, CA); Erik Ehn (Sunnyvale, CA); Kent Michael Anderson (Signal Mountain, TN); Benjamin Ray Chostner (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
B60W50/035B60W50/0205G06T7/0004G07C5/085B60W2300/15B60W2420/42G06T2207/30164
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,926,333
App. No.
17/564,063
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

As a farming machine travels through a field of plants, the farming machine operates in a normal operational state to perform one or more farming operations. The farming machine detects an operational failure of a component of the farming machine using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine. The operational failure of the component impacts performance of a first farming operation of the farming operations. The farming machine configures the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state. In the remedial operational state, the farming machine diagnoses the operational failure of the component using the obtained measurements. In the remedial operational state, the farming machine selects a solution operation to address the operational failure of the component based on the diagnosis. The farming machine performs the determined solution operation.

Claims (54)

1. A method for a farming machine to autonomously address an operational failure of a component of the farming machine, the method comprising:

performing, by the component of the farming machine, farming operations in a field while the farming machine is configured to operate in a normal operational state;

detecting, by the farming machine, the operational failure of the component using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine, the operational failure a mechanical failure of the component that impacts performance of a first farming operation of the farming operations;

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state;

diagnosing, by the farming machine while configured to operate in the remedial operational state, the operational failure of the component using the obtained measurements;

selecting, by the farming machine while configured to operate in the remedial operational state, a solution operation from a set of potential solution operations for mechanical failures of the component to address the operational failure of the component based on the diagnosis, and wherein the selected solution operation includes modifying, based on the selected solution and the mechanical failure of the component, at least some of the farming operations performed by the farming machine; and

performing, by the farming machine while configured to operate in the remedial operational state, the selected solution operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected solution operation comprises:

performing, by the farming machine, a sequence of potential solution operations to the operational failure of the component in a preset order until the operational failure of the component is resolved.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

responsive to determining, by the farming machine, that the sequence of potential solution operations failed to resolve the operational failure of the component:

returning, by the farming machine, to a designated location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state comprises:

ceasing, by the farming machine, performance of the farming operations while configured to operate in the remedial operational state.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state comprises:

ceasing, by the farming machine, travel through the field while configured to operate in the remedial operational state.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting, by the farming machine, the operational failure of the component using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine, comprises:

analyzing data received from a camera of the farming machine.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying, by the farming machine, the selected solution operation resolved the operational failure of the component; and

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in the normal operational state.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the solution operation comprises referencing, by the farming machine, a data store that indexes operational failures and respective potential solution operations.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the selected solution operation comprises:

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a recovery operational state to resolve the operational failure of the component by fixing the component.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the selected solution operation comprises:

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a redundancy operational state to resolve the operational failure of the component by employing other components of the farming machine to perform the first farming operation.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the selected solution operation comprises:

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a reduced operational state to resolve the operational failure of the component by adjusting the farming operations performed by the farming machine.

12. A system, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by the computer processor to perform steps of a farming machine traveling in a field to autonomously address a particular operational failure of a component of the farming machine, the steps comprising:

performing, by the component of the farming machine, farming operations in a field while the farming machine is configured to operate in a normal operational state;

detecting, by the farming machine, the operational failure of the component using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine, the operational failure a mechanical failure of the component that impacts performance of a first farming operation of the farming operations;

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state;

diagnosing, by the farming machine while configured to operate in the remedial operational state, the operational failure of the component using the obtained measurements;

selecting, by the farming machine while configured to operate in the remedial operational state, a solution operation from a set of potential solution operations for mechanical failures of the component to address the operational failure of the component based on the diagnosis, and wherein the selected solution operation includes modifying, based on the selected solution and the mechanical failure of the component, at least some of the farming operations performed by the farming machine; and

performing, by the farming machine while configured to operate in the remedial operational state, the selected solution operation.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the selected solution operation comprises:

performing, by the farming machine, a sequence of potential solution operations to the operational failure of the component in a preset order until the operational failure of the component is resolved.

14. The system of claim 13 , the steps further comprising:

responsive to determining, by the farming machine, that the sequence of potential solution operations failed to resolve the operational failure of the component:

returning, by the farming machine, to a designated location outside the field.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein detecting, by the farming machine, the operational failure of the component using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine, comprises:

analyzing data received from a camera of the farming machine.

16. The system of claim 12 , the steps further comprising:

verifying, by the farming machine, the selected solution operation resolved the operational failure of the component; and

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in the normal operational state.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein determining the solution operation comprises referencing, by the farming machine, a data store that indexes operational failures and respective potential solution operations.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein performing the selected solution operation comprises:

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a recovery operational state to resolve the operational failure of the component by fixing the component.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein performing the selected solution operation comprises:

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a redundancy operational state to resolve the operational failure of the component by employing other components of the farming machine to perform the first farming operation.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein performing the selected solution operation comprises:

configuring, by the farming machine, the farming machine to operate in a reduced operational state to resolve the operational failure of the component by adjusting the farming operations performed by the farming machine.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2024
From: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
To: DEERE & COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069164/0195 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: PEAKE, JOHN WILLIAM; OSTROWSKI, JAMES PATRICK; EHN, ERIK; ANDERSON, KENT MICHAEL; CHOSTNER, BENJAMIN RAY
To: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
Reel/Frame 061261/0826 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230202495A1 · Jun 29, 2023