Automatic fill control based on visual identification of grain receiving vehicles
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsKellen O'Connor, Scott Miller, Jeremy J. Faust, Zachary T. Bonefas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A camera captures an image of a portion of a cart and accesses stored maps that map visual features of carts to a set of settings that are applied to an automatic fill control system. A map that matches visual features of the cart, in the captured image, is identified and the settings in that map are applied to the automatic fill control system.
Claims20
A harvester control system that controls a harvester to load a receiving vehicle with harvested material, the harvester control system comprising:
- an optical sensor that generates an image of a portion of the receiving vehicle;
- an automated settings control system that:
- identifies an optical characteristic of the receiving vehicle based on the image of the portion of the receiving vehicle;
- searches, based on the optical characteristic, a data store to identify a map, the map including fill settings;
- and
- identifies fill settings based on the identified map;
- and
- a settings output component that outputs the fill settings;
- and
- an automatic cart filling control system that automatically controls a position of a spout on the harvester during a filling operation, during which the harvester fills the receiving vehicle with the harvested material, based on the fill settings.
A computer implemented method of controlling a harvester to fill a receiving vehicle with harvested material, the computer implemented method comprising:
- generating an image of a portion of a receiving vehicle;
- identifying an optical characteristic of the receiving vehicle based on the image of the portion of the receiving vehicle;
- searching a data store to identify a map based on the optical characteristic of the receiving vehicle, the map including fill settings;
- obtaining fill settings corresponding to the optical characteristic of the receiving vehicle, based on the identified map;
- and
- automatically controlling a position of a spout on the harvester during a filling operation, during which the harvester fills the receiving vehicle with harvested material, based on the till settings.
A computer implemented method of controlling a harvester to fill a receiving vehicle with harvested material, the computer implemented method comprising:
- generating an image ala portion of a receiving vehicle;
- identifying an optical feature of the receiving vehicle based on the image of the portion of the receiving vehicle;
- searching a data store and determining whether a matching feature-to-fill settings map is identifiable in the data store based on the optical feature;
- if a matching feature-to-fill settings map is identifiable, obtaining fill settings in the matching feature-to-fill settings map as selected fill settings;
- if a matching feature-to-fill settings map is not identifiable, then determining whether a cart type-to-till settings map is identifiable based on the optical feature;
- if a matching cart type-to-fill settings map is identifiable, then obtaining fill settings in the matching cart type-to-fill settings map as selected fill settings;
- if a matching cart type-to-fill settings map is not identifiable, then obtaining operator input fill settings as selected fill settings;
- and
- automatically controlling a position of a spout on the harvester during a filling operation, during which the harvester fills the receiving vehicle with harvested material, based on the selected fill settings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.