Granted Patent B2

US 12,245,549 · App. 17/572,901 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Inventors: Nathan R. Vandike (Geneseo, IL); Bhanu Kiran Reddy Palla (Bettendorf, IA)

Assignee: Deere & Company

A01D41/1275B60N2/501B60W10/04B60W10/22G01C21/3826B60W2420/403B60W2530/10B60W2552/35B60W2555/20B60W2556/40

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. An agricultural work machine, comprising:

a communication system that receives a prior information map that includes values of a terrain feature characteristic corresponding to different geographic locations;

a geographic position sensor that detects a geographic location of the agricultural work machine;

an in-situ sensor that detects a value of a dynamic response characteristic of the agricultural work machine corresponding to the geographic location;

a predictive model generator that generates a predictive model that models a relationship between the terrain feature characteristic and the dynamic response characteristic based on a value of the terrain feature characteristic in the prior information map at the geographic location and the value of the dynamic response characteristic sensed by the in-situ sensor at the geographic location;

a predictive map generator that generates a functional predictive dynamic response map, that maps predictive values of the dynamic response characteristic to the different geographic locations, based on the values of the terrain feature characteristic in the prior information map and based on the predictive model;

wherein the predictive map generator configures the functional predictive dynamic response map for consumption by a control system that generates control signals to control a controllable subsystem on the agricultural work machine based on the functional predictive dynamic response map; and

wherein the agricultural work machine has a mass characteristic that changes as the agricultural work machine operates, and the agricultural work machine further comprises a mass-related sensor that detects a mass-related value related to a mass of an implement towed by the agricultural work machine, and wherein the predictive map generator is further configured to generate the functional predictive response map based, in part, on the mass-related value.

2. The agricultural work machine of claim 1 , wherein the controllable subsystem is selected from the group consisting of: a vehicle propulsion subsystem, an active suspension system, and an active seat subsystem.

3. The agricultural work machine of claim 1 , wherein the mass-related sensor is a sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a load cell; and

a camera disposed to provide an image of an amount of material housed within at least one of the agricultural work machine and the implement towed by the agricultural work machine to provide an indication of mass of the at least one agricultural work machine and implement that changes during operation of the agricultural work machine.

4. The agricultural work machine of claim 1 , wherein the mass-related sensor comprises logic configured to compute mass based on operation of the agricultural work machine.

5. The agricultural work machine of claim 4 , wherein the logic computes mass based on operating time.

6. The agricultural work machine of claim 4 , wherein the logic computes mass based on distance travelled.

7. The agricultural work machine of claim 1 , wherein the mass-related sensor is selected from the group consisting of: a plurality of load cells disposed to provide an indication related to mass distribution, and a plurality of cameras disposed to provide images of an amount of material housed within at least one of the agricultural work machine and the implement towed by the agricultural work machine that changes during operation of the agricultural work machine, the images being indicative of mass distribution of the material.

8. The agricultural work machine of claim 1 , wherein the prior information map comprises a terrain map that maps terrain at different geographic locations, and wherein the predictive model generator is configured to identify the relationship between the terrain and the dynamic response characteristic based on the dynamic response characteristic sensed at the geographic location, the predictive model being configured to receive the geographic location as a model input and generate the dynamic response characteristic as a predictive model generator output based on the identified relationship.

9. The agricultural work machine of claim 8 , wherein the predictive dynamic response characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: a predictive vehicle dynamic response characteristic, an implement dynamic response characteristic, and a seat dynamic response characteristic.

10. The agricultural work machine of claim 1 , wherein the in-situ sensor is selected from the group consisting of a motion sensor, a vertical displacement sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

11. An agricultural harvester, comprising:

a cutter configured to harvest a crop;

a tank operably coupled to the cutter and configured to receive the harvested crop;

a communication system that receives a prior information map that includes values of a terrain feature characteristic corresponding to different geographic locations;

a geographic position sensor that detects a geographic location of the agricultural harvester;

an in-situ sensor that detects a value of a dynamic response characteristic of the agricultural harvester corresponding to the geographic location;

a predictive model generator that generates a predictive model that models a relationship between the terrain feature characteristic and the dynamic response characteristic based on a value of the terrain feature characteristic in the prior information map at the geographic location and the value of the dynamic response characteristic sensed by the in-situ sensor at the geographic location;

a predictive map generator that generates a functional predictive dynamic response map, that maps predictive values of the dynamic response characteristic to the different geographic locations, based on the values of the terrain feature characteristic in the prior information map and based on the predictive model;

wherein the predictive map generator configures the functional predictive dynamic response map for consumption by a control system that generates control signals to control a controllable subsystem on the agricultural harvester based on the functional predictive dynamic response map; and

wherein the agricultural harvester has a mass characteristic that changes as the crop accumulates in the tank, and the agricultural harvester further comprises a mass-related sensor that detects a mass-related value related to a mass of the agricultural harvester, and wherein the predictive map generator is further configured to generate the functional predictive response map based, in part, on the mass-related value.

12. The agricultural harvester of claim 11 , wherein the controllable subsystem is selected from the group consisting of: a vehicle propulsion subsystem, an active suspension system, and an active seat subsystem.

13. The agricultural harvester of claim 11 , wherein the prior information map includes surface roughness.

14. The agricultural harvester of claim 11 , wherein the prior information map includes road characteristics.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (400)