# US 12,006,655 B2 · Ground engaging tool contact detection system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,655 B2 - Document ID: US12006655B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/444,213 - Filed: 2021-08-02 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-02 - Assignees: Deere & Company - Applicants: Deere & Company - Inventors: Todd F. Velde; Leonardo M. Messias; Craig Christofferson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006655B2 ## CPC - E02F 3/842: {using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams} - E02F 9/265: {with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)} - E01C 19/15: for laying-down uncoated stone or similar materials, or for striking-off or spreading same without compacting, e.g. for crushed rock base courses, sand cushions for paving ({E01C19/466} , E01C19/52 take precedence; distributing E01C19/20; {laying down and rolling E01C19/482}) - E02F 3/847: {using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams} - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) - E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H) ## Abstract A work vehicle that operates on a surface comprising an implement and an optical sensor. The optical sensor is configured to capture image data that includes the implement. An electronic processor is configured to perform an operation by controllably adjusting a position of the implement relative to the work vehicle, receive image data captured by the optical sensor, apply an artificial neural network to identify whether the implement is in contact with the surface based on the image data from the optical sensor, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive the image data as input and to produce as the output an indication of whether the implement is in contact with the surface, access operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface from a non-transitory computer-readable memory, and automatically adjust an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a work vehicle on a surface, the method comprising: capturing image data with an optical sensor coupled to the work vehicle wherein, the image data includes an implement; identifying whether the implement is in contact with the surface by processing the image data with an electronic processor; accessing, from a non-transitory computer-readable memory, operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface; and automatically adjusting an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface; wherein, when the implement may be at or near the surface increasing a speed of an engine and when the implement is above the surface decreasing the speed of the engine. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the operation of the work vehicle comprises changing a feedback gain. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the operation of the work vehicle comprises transitioning the control of the work vehicle between a manual control and an automatic control. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises a stereo camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the stereo camera is configured to determine a distance from the implement to the surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the distance from the implement to the surface is displayed on an operator interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein automatically adjusting the operation of the work vehicle is based on the operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface and the distance from the implement to the surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises a mono camera. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying whether the implement is in contact with the surface by processing the image data comprises: providing the image data as an input to an artificial neural network, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive as the input, image data including at least a portion of an implement, and to produce as an output, an identification of whether the implement is in contact with the surface; and receiving an indication of the identification of whether the implement is in contact with the surface as the output of the artificial neural network. ### Claim 10 A control system for a work vehicle that operates on a surface, the control system comprising: an optical sensor coupled to the work vehicle, the optical sensor configured to capture image data that includes an implement; a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing operation information; and an electronic processor configured to: perform an operation by controllably adjusting a position of the implement relative to the work vehicle, receive image data captured by the optical sensor, apply an artificial neural network to identify whether the implement is in contact with the surface based on the image data from the optical sensor, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive the image data as input and to produce as the output an indication of whether the implement is in contact with the surface, access, from the non-transitory computer-readable memory, the operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface, and automatically adjust an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface; wherein, when the implement may be at or near the surface increasing a speed of an engine and when the implement is above the surface decreasing the speed of the engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The control system of claim 10, wherein adjusting the operation of the work vehicle comprises changing a feedback gain. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The control system of claim 10, wherein the adjusting the operation of the work vehicle comprises transitioning the control of the work vehicle between a manual control and an automatic control. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The control system of claim 10, wherein the optical sensor comprises a stereo camera. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The control system of claim 13, wherein the stereo camera is configured to determine a distance from the implement to the surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein the distance from the implement to the surface is displayed on an operator interface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The control system of claim 14, wherein automatically adjusting the operation of the work vehicle is based on the operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface and the distance from the implement to the surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The control system of claim 10, wherein the optical sensor comprises a mono camera. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The control system of claim 10, wherein identifying whether the implement is in contact with the surface by processing the image data comprises: providing the image data as an input to an artificial neural network, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive as the input, image data including at least a portion of an implement, and to produce as an output, an identification of whether the implement is in contact with the surface; and receiving an indication of the identification of whether the implement is in contact with the surface as the output of the artificial neural network. ### Claim 19 A work vehicle that operates on a surface, the work vehicle comprising: an implement; an optical sensor coupled to the work vehicle, the optical sensor configured to capture image data that includes the implement; a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing operation information; and an electronic processor configured to: perform an operation by controllably adjusting a position of the implement relative to the work vehicle, receive image data captured by the optical sensor, apply an artificial neural network to identify whether the implement is in contact with the surface based on the image data from the optical sensor, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive the image data as input and to produce as the output an indication of whether the implement is in contact with the surface, access, from the non-transitory computer-readable memory, the operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface, and automatically adjust an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface; wherein, when the implement may be at or near the surface increasing a speed of an engine and when the implement is above the surface decreasing the speed of the engine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The work vehicle of claim 19, wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one of a mono camera or a stereo camera.