# US 12,108,736 B2 · Method and control arrangement for operating an autonomous agricultural vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,108,736 B2 - Document ID: US12108736B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/780,802 - Filed: 2020-11-24 - Published: 2022-12-29 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-28 - Assignees: DeLaval Holding AB - Applicants: Delaval Holding AB - Inventors: Marek Brink; Bartlomiej Jaklik; Bartlomiej Slusarczyk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108736B2 ## CPC - A01K 1/01: Removal of dung or urine {; Removal of manure from stables}(A01K1/015 takes precedence) - A01B 69/008: {automatic} - G05D 1/0217: {in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria} - G05D 1/644: Optimisation of travel parameters, e.g. of energy consumption, journey time or distance - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract An autonomous agricultural vehicle that operates in accordance with a cleaning plan, a method for operating the vehicle, and a computer program related to operating the vehicle, wherein while the vehicle is operated, a load quantity representing an amount of material moved by the cleaning device is monitored at a plurality of individual times, and the cleaning plan of the autonomous agricultural vehicle is adjusted based on a variation in the monitored load quantity among the individual times. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating an autonomous agricultural vehicle that includes a cleaning device and a load sensor, the method comprising: while operating the autonomous agricultural vehicle in accordance with a cleaning plan, monitoring by the load sensor at a plurality of individual times a load quantity representing an amount of manure moved by the cleaning device, wherein the cleaning plan defines at least one of a cleaning schedule and one or more cleaning routes of the autonomous agricultural vehicle; adjusting the cleaning plan of the autonomous agricultural vehicle based on a variation in the monitored load quantity among the plurality of individual times; and moving the manure in a livestock area in accordance with the cleaning plan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting causes the variation in the monitored load quantity to be reduced. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting causes the monitored load quantity to stay below a predefined load threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the variation is defined over a certain time period, and wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a cleaning schedule of the autonomous agricultural vehicle for the certain time period, based on a variation over one or more previous certain time periods. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the time period is a working day or 24 hours. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the cleaning schedule of the autonomous agricultural vehicle such that during one cleaning period cleaning is performed more frequently during a time interval corresponding to a first average monitored load, than during a time interval corresponding to a second average monitored load, wherein the first average monitored load is higher than the second average monitored load. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, for each individual time of the individual times, a corresponding position of the autonomous agricultural vehicle in the livestock area, and wherein the variation is defined by the load quantity among different positions in the livestock area, and wherein the adjusting of the cleaning plan comprises adjusting the cleaning schedule of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, based on the variation in the monitored load quantity among the different positions in the livestock area. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the cleaning route of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, such that cleaning is performed by the autonomous agricultural vehicle more frequently in areas corresponding to a first average monitored load, than in areas corresponding to second average monitored load, wherein the first average monitored load is higher than the second average monitored load. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: calculating, based on the monitored load quantity, a material accumulation pattern representing a material accumulation rate in the livestock area, and wherein the adjusting adjusts the cleaning plan based on the calculated material accumulation pattern. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the material accumulation pattern describes a variation in material accumulation over time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the material accumulation pattern comprises a load accumulation map describing a variation in material accumulation among different positions in the livestock area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: calibrating the monitoring by monitoring the load quantity while operating the autonomous agricultural vehicle in the livestock area while the livestock area is considered being free from manure to be removed, the calibrating based on the monitored load quantity representing the livestock area free from manure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: estimating, based on the monitored load quantity, a historical material accumulation rate in the livestock area; and predicting, based on the historical material accumulation rate, a future material accumulation rate in the livestock area, wherein the adjusting adjusts the cleaning plan based on the predicted future material accumulation rate in the livestock area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining a user input indicative of a desired cleanliness level, and wherein the adjusting adjusts the cleaning plan based on the obtained cleanliness level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the load quantity is indicative of an amount of energy required to move manure being accumulated during a certain time period. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the load quantity comprises at least one from the group consisting of: a power quantity, a pressure quantity, a weight quantity, and a flow quantity. ### Claim 17 A control arrangement for operating an autonomous agricultural vehicle, comprising: a processor, the processor configured to: while operating the autonomous agricultural vehicle in accordance with a cleaning plan, monitor by a load sensor at a plurality of individual times a load quantity representing an amount of manure moved by a cleaning device, wherein the cleaning plan defines at least one of a cleaning schedule and one or more cleaning routes of the autonomous agricultural vehicle; adjust the cleaning plan of the autonomous agricultural vehicle based on a variation in the monitored load quantity among the monitored load quantities among the plurality of individual times; and clean a livestock area in accordance with the cleaning plan. ### Claim 18 An autonomous agricultural vehicle, the autonomous agricultural vehicle comprising: a motor configured to propel the autonomous agricultural vehicle; a power storage configured to supply energy to the motor; a cleaning device comprising at least one of a scraper and vacuum cleaner configured to move dirt from a livestock area; a load sensor configured to obtain a load quantity indicative of an amount of manure moved by the cleaning device; and a control arrangement, comprising a processor, configured to: operate the autonomous agricultural vehicle in accordance with a cleaning plan, monitor, during the operating of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, at a plurality of individual times a load quantity representing an amount of material manure moved by the cleaning device, wherein the cleaning plan defines at least one of a cleaning schedule and one or more cleaning routes of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, adjust the cleaning plan of the autonomous agricultural vehicle based on a variation in the monitored load quantity among the monitored load quantities among the plurality of individual times; and clean the livestock area in accordance with the cleaning plan. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1.