IP Library Granted Patent US 12,496,971
Granted Patent B2
US 12,496,971 · App. 18/368,869 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Systems and methods for work vehicles

Inventors: Pius Ng (Fremont, CA); Shan Wan (Fremont, CA); Kotaro Shimada (Fremont, CA); Shankar Radhakrishnan (Fremont, CA); William Ng (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
B60R1/23A01B69/008G01C21/3667G01C21/3697G05D1/0212A01G3/08B60R2300/207
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,496,971
App. No.
18/368,869
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes selecting a registered route of a work vehicle system, the registered route including one or more task points each of which including a geographical location, capturing first data of an agricultural item before a particular agricultural task is performed by a work vehicle at a particular task point of the one or more task points, capturing second data of the agricultural item after the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point, and displaying the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item on a display.

Claims (73)

1 . A method comprising:

selecting a registered route of a work vehicle system, the registered route including one or more task points each of which including a geographical location;

capturing first data of an agricultural item before a particular agricultural task is performed by a work vehicle at a particular task point of the one or more task points;

controlling, by a processor, the work vehicle to perform the particular agricultural task at the particular task point;

capturing second data of the agricultural item after the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point; and

displaying the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item on a display; wherein

the work vehicle is controlled to stop at the particular task point for a predetermined period of time and the work vehicle remains stopped and does not move between a time when the first data of the agricultural item is captured and a time when the second data of the agricultural item is captured.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the particular agricultural task includes pruning the agricultural item.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the first data of the agricultural item includes first image data of the agricultural item before the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point; and

the second data of the agricultural item includes second image data of the agricultural item after the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the first data of the agricultural item includes first three-dimensional data of the agricultural item before the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point; and

the second data of the agricultural item includes second three-dimensional data of the agricultural item after the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing third data of the agricultural item during the particular agricultural task being performed at the particular task point.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the third data of the agricultural item includes image data of the agricultural item and/or three-dimensional data of the agricultural item.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting the particular agricultural task for the work vehicle to perform at the one or more task points when the work vehicle follows the registered route.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item are displayed on a same screen of the display.

9 . A method comprising:

selecting a registered route of a work vehicle system, the registered route including one or more task points each of which including a geographical location;

capturing first data of an agricultural item before a particular agricultural task is performed by a work vehicle at a particular task point of the one or more task points;

controlling, by a processor, the work vehicle to perform the particular agricultural task at the particular task point;

capturing second data of the agricultural item after the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point; and

displaying the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item on a display; wherein

each of the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item is associated with an agricultural item identifier of the agricultural item; and

the agricultural item identifier is displayed on the display when the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item are displayed on the display; and

the work vehicle is controlled to stop at the particular task point for a predetermined period of time and the work vehicle remains stopped and does not move between a time when the first data of the agricultural item is captured and a time when the second data of the agricultural item is captured.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying, on the display, the second data of the agricultural item superimposed on the first data of the agricultural item.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

controlling the work vehicle to stop at each of the one or more task points to perform the particular agricultural task.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

registering the registered route in the work vehicle system; wherein

the registering the registered route in the work vehicle system includes:

controlling a route recording work vehicle to record a new route, the route recording work vehicle being the work vehicle or another work vehicle different from the work vehicle; and

saving the new route as the registered route in the work vehicle system.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein

the registering the registered route in the work vehicle system includes:

receiving an instruction to start recording the new route; and

receiving an instruction to stop recording the new route;

when the instruction to start recording the new route is received, a position of the route recording work vehicle is saved as a location of a start point of the new route; and

when the instruction to stop recording the new route is received, a position of the route recording work vehicle is saved as a location of an end point of the new route.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

displaying an agricultural field map including a position of the route recording work vehicle, an area surrounding the route recording work vehicle, and the location of the start point of the new route when the instruction to start recording the new route is received; and

displaying an agricultural field map including a position of the route recording work vehicle, an area surrounding the route recording work vehicle, and the location of the end point of the new route when the instruction to stop recording the new route is received.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

displaying an agricultural field map; wherein

the registering the registered route in the work vehicle system includes receiving an instruction to add the one or more task points to the new route;

when the instruction to add the one or more task points to the new route is received, a position of the route recording work vehicle is saved as a location of the one or more task points of the new route;

the agricultural field map includes a position of the route recording work vehicle, an area surrounding the route recording work vehicle, and the location of the one or more task points; and

the agricultural field map is displayed when the instruction to add the one or more task points to the new route is received.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein

the controlling the route recording work vehicle to record the new route includes manually, remotely, or autonomously controlling the route recording work vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

registering the registered route in the work vehicle system; wherein

the registering the registered route in the work vehicle system includes adding the one or more task points to the registered route using at least one of artificial intelligence or an object detection system.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

registering the registered route in the work vehicle system; wherein

the registering the registered route in the work vehicle system includes adding the one or more task points to the registered route using a user interface.

19 . A work vehicle system comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface including an input to receive one or more inputs from a user and a display; wherein

the one or more processors are operatively connected to the input and the display of the user interface; wherein

the one or more processors are configured or programmed to:

select, based on the one or more inputs received by the input, a registered route of the work vehicle system, the registered route including one or more task points each of which including a geographical location;

receive first data of an agricultural item before a particular agricultural task is performed by a work vehicle at a particular task point of the one or more task points;

control the work vehicle to perform the particular agricultural task at the particular task point;

receive second data of the agricultural item after the particular agricultural task is performed at the particular task point; and

control the display to display the first data of the agricultural item and the second data of the agricultural item; and

the work vehicle is controlled to stop at the particular task point for a predetermined period of time and the work vehicle remains stopped and does not move between a time when the first data of the agricultural item is received and a time when the second data of the agricultural item is received.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 064924 FRAME: 0468. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: NG, PIUS; WAN, SHAN; SHIMADA, KOTARO; RADHAKRISHNAN, SHANKAR; NG, WILLIAM
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065228/0509 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2023
From: NG, PIUS; WAN, SHAN; SHIMADA, KOTARO; RADHAKRISHNAN, SHANKAR; NG, WILLIAM
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION, GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 064924/0468 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250091514A1 · Mar 20, 2025
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