System and method for coordinating movement of agricultural machines and irrigation systems
OwnerMark William Millerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and method for coordinating movements of agricultural machines and irrigation systems on irrigated fields to avoid collisions and other interferences between the equipment may be implemented with a mobile irrigation system, a number of agricultural machines, and a processing system. The processing system receives and analyzes data from an irrigation schedule for the irrigation system and location data from the agricultural machines to detect possible interferences between the equipment and takes corrective action if likely interferences are detected.
Claims13
A method of coordinating movements of a mobile irrigation system and a mobile agricultural machine in an irrigated field to avoid interference between the mobile irrigation system and the mobile agricultural machine, the mobile irrigation system having a fixed central pivot and a main section that pivots about the fixed central pivot, the method comprising:
- operating the mobile irrigation system in accordance with an irrigation schedule, the irrigation schedule determining a speed and pivot direction of the main section;
- determining with a processing system in communication with a control system of the mobile irrigation system a location of the main section of the mobile irrigation system as it is being operated in accordance with the irrigation schedule;
- receiving at the processing system a field entry request from the mobile agricultural machine, the field entry request including data identifying the mobile agricultural machine, data representative of an entry location of the mobile agricultural machine before the mobile agricultural machine has entered the field, and data representative of a planned route of the mobile agricultural machine in the irrigated field after the mobile agricultural system has entered the field;
- determining with the processing system whether the entry location of the mobile agricultural machine or the planned route of the mobile agricultural machine interferes with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule;
- if the processing system determines the entry location of the mobile agricultural machine or the planned route of the mobile agricultural machine interferes with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule, sending a denied entry message from the processing system to the mobile agricultural machine to deny entry of the mobile agricultural machine onto the irrigated field before the mobile agricultural machine has entered the field;
- if the processing system determines the entry location of the mobile agricultural machine and the planned route of the mobile agricultural machine do not interfere with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule, sending an authorized entry message from the processing system to the mobile agricultural machine to authorize entry of the mobile agricultural machine onto the irrigated field.
A method of coordinating movements of a mobile irrigation system and a mobile agricultural machine in an irrigated field to avoid interference between the mobile irrigation system and the mobile agricultural machine, the mobile irrigation system having a fixed central pivot and a main section that pivots about the fixed central pivot, the method comprising:
- operating the mobile irrigation system in accordance with an irrigation schedule, the irrigation schedule determining a speed and pivot direction of the main section;
- determining with a processing system in communication with a control system of the mobile irrigation system a location of the mobile irrigation system as it is being operated in accordance with the irrigation schedule to apply selected amounts of water to locations within the irrigated field;
- receiving at the processing system a field entry request from a first mobile agricultural machine, the field entry request including data identifying the first mobile agricultural machine, data representative of an entry location of the first mobile agricultural machine, and data representative of a planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine in the irrigated field;
- determining with the processing system whether the entry location of the first mobile agricultural machine or the planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine interferes with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule;
- if the processing system determines the entry location of the first mobile agricultural machine or the planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine interferes with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule, sending a denied entry message from the processing system to the first mobile agricultural machine to deny entry of the first mobile agricultural machine onto the irrigated field;
- if the processing system determines the entry location of the first mobile agricultural machine and the planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine do not interfere with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule, sending an authorized entry message from the processing system to the first mobile irrigation system to authorize entry of the first mobile agricultural machine onto the irrigated field;
- receiving at the processing system a field entry request from a second mobile agricultural machine, the field entry request including data identifying the second mobile agricultural machine, data representative of an entry location of the second mobile agricultural machine, and data representative of a planned route of the second mobile agricultural machine in the irrigated field;
- determining with the processing system whether the entry location of the second mobile agricultural machine or the planned route of the second mobile agricultural machine interferes with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule or operation of the first mobile agricultural system in accordance with the planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine;
- if the processing system determines the entry location of the second mobile agricultural machine or the planned route of the second mobile agricultural machine interferes with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule or the operation of the first mobile agricultural system in accordance with the planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine, sending a denied entry message from the processing system to the second mobile agricultural machine to deny entry of the second mobile agricultural machine onto the irrigated field;
- and
- if the processing system determines the entry location of the second mobile agricultural machine and the planned route of the second mobile agricultural machine do not interfere with operation of the mobile irrigation system in accordance with the irrigation schedule or the operation of the first mobile agricultural system in accordance with the planned route of the first mobile agricultural machine, sending an authorized entry message from the processing system to the second mobile irrigation system to authorize entry of the second mobile agricultural machine onto the irrigated field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.