Combine harvester operation based on windrow data stream
Systems and methods for providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for collecting windrowed crops from a field. An input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points and other operational data from the windrower. A centerline of each swath in the field is determined based on the plurality of data points. Guidance information to be used by the combine harvester is then generated based at least in part on the determined centerline of the first swath and other information derived from the input data stream. The guidance information (or path plan) may be used, for example, for manual, autonomous, or semi-autonomous operation of the combine harvester.
1. A system for providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for a harvesting operation, the system comprising:
an electronic controller configured to:
receive an input data stream from a windrower, wherein the input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points, wherein each location point is indicative of a location of the windrower at different times during performance of a windrowing operation in a field;
identify a plurality of data points from the input data stream corresponding to a first windrow of crops cut by the windrower and left in the field during the windrowing operation;
determine, based on the plurality of data points, a centerline of the first windrow;
generate a path plan for the combine harvester based at least in part on the centerline of the first windrow, wherein the path plan includes an indication of a target route to be travelled by the combine harvester while harvesting the cut crops in the first windrow, wherein the path plan aligns the combine harvester to the centerline of the first windrow; and
control the combine harvester to perform the harvesting operation based at least in part on a generated path plan.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to determine, based on the plurality of data points, a windrower heading for the first windrow, wherein the windrower heading is indicative of a direction of travel of the windrower while cutting the crops in the first windrow, and wherein the electronic controller is configured to generate the path plan for the combine harvester based at least in part on the centerline of the first windrow and the windrower heading for the first windrow.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input data stream from the windrower further includes data indicative of a ground speed of the windrower,
wherein the electronic controller is further configured to estimate variations in crop density along the first windrow based on variations in the ground speed of the windrower along the first windrow, and
wherein the path plan further includes an indication of adjustments to one or more actuators of the combine harvester based on the estimated variations in the crop density along the first windrow.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the indication of the adjustment to the one or more actuators of the combine harvester includes an indication of an adjustment to a ground speed of the combine harvester based on the estimated variations in the crop density along the first windrow.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input data stream from the windrower further includes a chronologically ordered series of ground speed values of the windrower, a chronologically ordered series of cutter bar lift values for the windrower, and a chronologically ordered series of cutter bar speed values for the windrower.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the location points, the ground speed values, the cutter bar lift values, and the cutter bar speed values in the input data stream are all sampled at a same defined sampling frequency during the windrowing operation.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote computer including the electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to transmit the generated path plan from the remote computer to a combine harvester electronic controller.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a combine harvester controller configured to automatically adjust a steering of the combine harvester based on the generated path plan while harvesting the cut crops of the first windrow to automatically align the combine harvester with the centerline of the first windrow as the combine harvester moves along the first windrow.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the combine harvester includes a belt pick-up unit, and wherein the combine harvester controller is configured to automatically adjust the steering to align the centerline of the first windrow with a center of the belt pick-up unit.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a combine harvester controller configured to autonomously control the combine harvester to perform the harvesting operation based at least in part on the generated path plan.
11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a combine harvester controller configured to:
output on a display unit guidance to an operator of the combine harvester based on the generated path plan for the harvesting operation; and
update the path plan based on deviations from the generated path plan during operator-controller performance of the harvesting operation.
12. A method of providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for a harvesting operation, the method comprising:
receiving, by an electronic controller, an input data stream from a windrower, wherein the input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points, wherein each location point is indicative of a location of the windrower at different times during performance of a windrowing operation in a field;
identifying, by the electronic controller, a plurality of data points from the input data stream corresponding to a first windrow of crops cut by the windrower and left in the field during the windrowing operation;
determining, by the electronic controller, a centerline of the first windrow based on the plurality of data points;
generating, by the electronic controller, a path plan for the combine harvester based at least in part on the centerline of the first windrow, wherein the path plan includes an indication of a target route to be travelled by the combine harvester while harvesting the cut crops in the first windrow, wherein the path plan aligns the combine harvester to the centerline of the first windrow; and
controlling, by the electronic controller, the combine harvester to perform the harvesting operation based at least in part on a generated path plan.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining, based on the plurality of data points, a windrower heading for the first windrow, wherein the windrower heading is indicative of a direction of travel of the windrower while cutting the crops in the first windrow, and wherein generating the path plan for the combine harvester includes generating the path plan based at least in part on the centerline of the first windrow and the windrower heading for the first windrow.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the input data stream from the windrower further includes data indicative of a ground speed of the windrower,
the method further comprising estimating variations in crop density along the first windrow based on variations in the ground speed of the windrower along the first windrow, and
wherein the path plan further includes an indication of adjustments to one or more actuators of the combine harvester based on the estimated variations in the crop density along the first windrow.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the input data stream from the windrower further includes a chronologically ordered series of ground speed values of the windrower, a chronologically ordered series of cutter bar lift values for the windrower, and a chronologically ordered series of cutter bar speed values for the windrower.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a remote computer including the electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to transmit the generated path plan from the remote computer to a combine harvester electronic controller.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising automatically adjusting a steering of the combine harvester based on the generated path plan while harvesting the cut crops of the first windrow to automatically align the combine harvester with the centerline of the first windrow as the combine harvester moves along the first windrow.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the combine harvester includes a belt pick-up unit, and wherein automatically adjusting the steering of the combine harvester includes automatically adjusting the steering to align the centerline of the first windrow with a center of the belt pick-up unit.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising autonomously controlling the combine harvester to perform the harvesting operation based at least in part on the generated path plan.
20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
outputting on a display unit guidance to an operator of the combine harvester based on the generated path plan for the harvesting operation; and
updating the path plan based on deviations from the generated path plan during operator- controller performance of the harvesting operation.