# US 11,299,088 B2 · Adaptive work vehicle lighting system and method of adaptively illuminating a work area

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- Number: US 11,299,088 B2
- Document ID: US11299088B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/415,230
- Filed: 2019-05-17
- Published: 2020-11-19
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-17
- Assignees: Deere & Company
- Applicants: Deere & Company
- Inventors: Jayachandra Malavatu; Sesha Sai Deepika Rani Ravuri
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299088B2

## CPC

- A01G 23/083: Feller-delimbers
- B60Q 1/08: automatically
- B60Q 1/24: for lighting other areas than only the way ahead
- B60Q 1/245: {Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle (adjustable headlights B60Q1/06)}
- F21V 21/15: specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
- B60Q 2800/20: Utility vehicles, e.g. for agriculture, construction work
- F21W 2131/40: Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS

## Abstract

An adaptive lighting system for a work vehicle controlled by an operator from an operator station and having a work tool and a method for illuminating a work area are provided. The system includes at least one lighting member configured to illuminate at least one portion of a work area, an actuator coupled to the at least one lighting member and configured to position the at least one lighting member relative to the operator station, and a controller in communication with the actuator and configured to control positioning of the at least one lighting member via the actuator based on an operator control position and a position of the work tool.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An adaptive lighting system for a work vehicle controlled by an operator from an operator station and having a work tool, the system comprising:
at least one lighting member configured to illuminate at least one portion of a work area;
an actuator coupled to the at least one lighting member and configured to position the at least one lighting member relative to the operator station;
a controller in communication with the actuator and configured to control positioning of the at least one lighting member via the actuator based on an operator control position and a position of the work tool.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control positioning of the at least one lighting member via the actuator based on a comparison of the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control positioning of the at least one lighting member via the actuator based on a correction of one of the operator control position and the position of the work tool using the other of the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control positioning of the at least one lighting member via the actuator based on an average position between the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a work vehicle boom coupling the work tool to the work vehicle, wherein the position of the work tool is at least partially determined by a position of the work vehicle boom.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the work vehicle boom comprises a plurality of positionable portions, the position of the work tool being determined by positions of each of the plurality of positionable portions of the work vehicle boom.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control illumination of the at least one lighting member based on a location of the at least one lighting member on the work vehicle and a desired illumination area of the work area.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The lighting system of claim 7, wherein the desired illumination area is determined by the operator control position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The lighting system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to control illumination of a plurality of lighting members based on locations of each of the plurality of lighting members on the work vehicle and the desired illumination area of the work area.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting member comprises a plurality of lighting members configured to illuminate the at least one portion of the work area, each of the plurality of lighting members being coupled to at least one of a plurality of actuators, each of the at least one of the plurality of actuators being configured to position each of the plurality of lighting members relative to the operator station, the controller being in communication with the plurality of actuators and being configured to control positioning of the plurality of lighting members via the plurality of actuators based on the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to position the plurality of lighting members via the plurality of actuators such that illumination of each of the plurality of lighting members is aligned to focus on the at least one portion of the work area.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to position an angle of each of at least two of the plurality of lighting members spaced from each other such that each of the at least two of the plurality of lighting members is aligned for illumination in a direction of the at least one portion of the work area.

### Claim 13

An adaptive lighting system for a work vehicle controlled by an operator and having a work tool, the system comprising:
at least one lighting member configured to illuminate at least one portion of a work area with a beam of light;
a focus member establishing a focus of the beam of light;
a focus member actuator coupled to the focus member and configured to adjust the focus of the beam of light;
a controller in communication with the focus member actuator and configured to control the focus of the beam of light from the at least one lighting member via the focus member actuator based on an operator control position and a position of the work tool such that the focus of the beam of light corresponds to the position of the work tool.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to control the focus of the beam of light via the focus member actuator based on a comparison of the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to control the focus of the beam of light via the focus member actuator based on a correction of one of the operator control position and the position of the work tool using the other of the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to control the focus of the beam of light via the focus member actuator based on an average position between the operator control position and the position of the work tool.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the operator control position comprises a joystick position.

### Claim 18

A method of adaptively illuminating a work area with a work vehicle having a work tool, the method comprising:
receiving an operator control position signal corresponding to an operator control position of an operator control member;
receiving a work tool position signal corresponding to a work tool position of the work tool;
determining a lighting member position based on the operator control position and the work tool position;
positioning a lighting member at the lighting member position via a lighting member actuator coupled to the lighting member.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein determining the lighting member position comprises comparing the operator control position to the work tool position.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein determining the lighting member position comprises correcting one of the operator control position and the work tool position with the other of the operator control position and the work tool position.