Granted Patent B2

US 12,342,756 · App. 18/171,559 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Inventors: Nathan R. Vandike (Geneseo, IL); Noel W. Anderson (Fargo, ND)

Assignee: Deere & Company

A01D41/1278A01D41/1277A01D90/105G05D1/0219G05D1/0274G05D1/0287

Abstract

Claims (87)

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a map that maps values of a crop characteristic to different locations across a field;

receiving harvester route data indicative of a planned route of a harvester at the field;

identifying a crop characteristic threshold;

identifying a material transfer end location indicative of a location, along the planned route of the harvester, at which a material transfer operation between the harvester and a receiving machine is to end, based on the map, the planned route of the harvester, and the crop characteristic threshold;

identifying a material transfer start location range indicative of a geographic area, along the planned route of the harvester, at which the material transfer operation is to start based on the material transfer end location, wherein the material transfer start location range is separated, along the planned route of the harvester, from the material transfer end location; and

generating a route for the receiving machine to travel based on the material transfer end location and the material transfer start location range.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the material transfer end location comprises:

identifying a location along the planned route of the harvester at which a value of the crop characteristic of the crop material harvested by the harvester will cross the crop characteristic threshold; and

identifying, as the material transfer end location, a location along the planned route of the harvester relative to the location at which the value of the crop characteristic of the crop material harvested by the harvester will cross the crop characteristic threshold.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the material transfer start location range comprises:

identifying an end of range location, along the planned route of the harvester, at which the material transfer operation can start based on the material transfer end location, a current location of the harvester, a predictive yield of the crop along the planned route of the harvester from the current location of the harvester to the material transfer end location, and a current fill level of the harvester; and

identifying a start of range location, along the planned route of the harvester, at which the material transfer operation can start, wherein the material transfer start location range stretches from the start of range location to the end of range.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the route for the receiving machine further comprises:

identifying the receiving machine as a receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the harvester during the material transfer operation;

receiving a current location of the designated receiving machine; and

generating the route for the designated receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated receiving machine to the material transfer start location range and the material transfer end based on the material transfer end location, the material transfer start location range, and the current location of the designated receiving machine.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the designated receiving machine comprises a designated first receiving machine and wherein generating the route for the designated first receiving machine further comprises:

identifying a second receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the harvester during the material transfer operation; and

generating the route for the designated first receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated first receiving machine to the material transfer start location range and the material transfer end location, and to travel to the designated second receiving machine, based on the material transfer end location, the material transfer start location range, the current location of the designated first receiving machine, and a current location of the designated second receiving machine.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the harvester comprises a first harvester, the method further comprising:

receiving harvester route data indicative of a planned route of a second harvester at the field;

identifying a second material transfer end location indicative of a location, along the planned route of the second harvester, at which a second material transfer operation between the second harvester and a third receiving machine is to end, based on the map, the planned route of the second harvester, and the crop characteristic threshold;

identifying a second material transfer start location range indicative of a geographic area, along the planned route of the second harvester, at which the second material transfer operation is to start; and

generating a route for the third receiving machine to travel based on the second material transfer end location and the second material transfer start location range.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 , wherein generating the route for the third receiving machine further comprises:

identifying the third receiving machine as a receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the second harvester during the second material transfer operation;

receiving a current location of the designated third receiving machine; and

generating the route for the designated third receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated third receiving machine to the second material transfer start location range and the second material transfer end location, based on the second material transfer end location, the second material transfer start location range, and the current location of the designated third receiving machine.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , wherein generating the route for the designated third receiving machine further comprises:

identifying a fourth receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the second harvester during the material transfer operation; and

generating the route for the designated third receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated third receiving machine to the second material transfer start location range and the second material transfer end location, and to travel to the designated fourth receiving machine, based on the second material transfer end location, the second material transfer start location range, the current location of the designated third receiving machine, and a current location of the designated fourth receiving machine.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the crop characteristic is one of:

a crop constituent;

a crop moisture; or

a crop quality.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising:

controlling a steering subsystem and a propulsion subsystem of the receiving machine to cause the receiving machine to travel along the generated route.

11. An agricultural harvesting system comprising:

a harvesting logistics module configured to:

receive a map that maps values of a crop characteristic to different locations across a field;

receive harvester route data indicative of a planned route of a harvester at the field;

identify a crop characteristic threshold;

identify a material transfer end location indicative of a location, along the planned route of the harvester, at which a material transfer operation between the harvester and a receiving machine is to end, based on the map, the planned route of the harvester, and the crop characteristic threshold;

identify a material transfer start location range indicative of a geographic area, along the planned route of the harvester, at which the material transfer operation is to start, wherein the material transfer start location range is separated, along the planned route of the harvester, from the material transfer end location; and

generate a route for the receiving machine to travel based on the material transfer end location and the material transfer start location range.

12. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 11 , wherein the harvesting logistics module is further configured to:

identify a location, along the planned route of the harvester, at which a value of the crop characteristic of the crop material harvested by the harvester satisfies the crop characteristic threshold; and

identify the material transfer end location based on the location at which the value of the crop characteristic of the crop material harvested by the harvester satisfies the crop characteristic threshold.

13. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 12 , wherein harvesting logistic module is further configured to:

identify an end of range location along the planned route of the harvester at which the material transfer operation can start based on the material transfer end location, a current location of the harvester, a predictive yield of the crop along the planned route of the harvester from the current location of the harvester to the material transfer end location, and a current fill level of the harvester;

identify a start of range location along the planned route of the harvester at which the material transfer operation can start; and

identify, as the material transfer start location range, an area that stretches from the start of range location to the end of range location.

14. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 11 , wherein the harvesting logistics module is further configured to:

identify the receiving machine as a receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the harvester during the material transfer operation;

receive a current location of the designated receiving machine; and

generate the route for the designated receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated receiving machine to the material transfer start location range and the material transfer end location, based on the material transfer end location, the material transfer start location range, and the current location of the designated receiving machine.

15. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 14 , wherein the designated receiving machine comprises a designated first receiving machine and wherein the harvesting logistics module is further configured to:

identify a second receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the harvester during the material transfer operation; and

generate the route for the designated first receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated first receiving machine to the material transfer start location range and the material transfer end location, and to travel to the designated second receiving machine, based on the material transfer end location, the material transfer start location range, the current location of the designated first receiving machine, and a current location of the designated second receiving machine.

16. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 15 , wherein the harvester comprises a first harvester, the harvesting logistics module further configured to:

receive harvester route data indicative of a planned route of a second harvester at the field;

identify a second material transfer end location indicative of a location, along the planned route of the second harvester, at which a second material transfer operation between the second harvester and a third receiving machine is to end, based on the map, the planned route of the second harvester, and the crop characteristic threshold;

identify a second material transfer start location range indicative of a geographic area, along the planned route of the second harvester, at which the second material transfer operation is to start; and

generating a route for the third receiving machine to travel based on the second material transfer end location and the second material transfer start location range.

17. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 16 , wherein the harvesting logistics module is further configured to:

identify the third receiving machine as a receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the second harvester during the second material transfer operation;

receiving a current location of the designated third receiving machine; and

generating the route for the third designated third receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated third receiving machine to the second material transfer start location range and the second material transfer end location, based on the second material transfer end location, the second material transfer start location range, and the current location of the designated third receiving machine.

18. The agricultural harvesting system of claim 17 , wherein the harvesting logistics module is further configured to:

identify a fourth receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material transferred by the second harvester during the second material transfer operation; and

generate the route for the designated third receiving machine to travel from the current location of the designated third receiving machine to the second material transfer start location range and the second material transfer end location, and to travel to the designated fourth receiving machine, based on the second material transfer end location, the second material transfer start location range, the current location of the designated third receiving machine, and a current location of the designated fourth receiving machine.

19. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a predictive crop characteristic map that maps predictive values of a crop characteristic to different locations across a field;

receiving harvester route data indicative of a planned route of a harvester at the field;

identifying a crop characteristic threshold;

identifying, a location along the planned route of the harvester at which crop material harvested by the harvester will cross the crop characteristic threshold based on the predictive map, the planned route of the harvester, and the crop characteristic threshold;

identifying a material transfer end location, along the planned route of the harvester, indicative of a location at which a material transfer operation is to end based on the location along the planned route of the harvester at which crop material harvested by the harvester will cross the crop characteristic threshold;

identifying a material start location indicative of a location, separated from the material end location along the planned route of the harvester, at which the material transfer operation must start based on the material transfer end location, a current fill level of the harvester, and a predictive yield of the crop along the planned route of the harvester from a current location of the harvester to the material transfer end location; and

identifying a receiving machine as a receiving machine designated to receive crop material having the crop characteristic value of the crop material to be transferred by the harvester during the material transfer operation;

generating a route for the designated receiving machine to travel based on the material transfer end location and the material transfer start location; and

controlling the receiving machine to travel along the generated route.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19 , wherein receiving the predictive crop characteristic map comprises:

receiving an information map that maps values of a characteristic to different locations across the field;

detecting, with an in-situ sensor, a value of the crop characteristic corresponding to a geographic location in the field;

generating, based on the detected value of the crop characteristic corresponding to the geographic location and a value of the characteristic in the map at the geographic location to which the detected value of the crop characteristic corresponds, a predictive crop characteristic model that is configured to receive a value of the characteristic as an input and generate a predictive crop characteristic value as an output; and

generating the crop characteristic map based on the values of the characteristic in the information map and the predictive crop characteristic model.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (28)