Headland guidance tracks for farm machinery

A method of generating and at least partially implementing a work plan for a headland of an agricultural field, the headland positioned adjacent to a work partition of the agricultural field and is used by an agricultural machine to perform edge turns while performing a work task in the work partition of the agricultural field, the method comprising:

• determining a field boundary polygon indicative of a workable area of the agricultural field, wherein the field boundary polygon is segmented into a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including a headland polygon defining a shape and a size of the headland and a work partition polygon defining a shape and a size of the work partition;
• identifying a segment of a boundary of the headland polygon that is shared in common with a field edge boundary of the field boundary polygon;
• generating, by trimming the identified segment on at least one end based on a defined lateral trim buffer width, a seed track based on a shape of at least a portion of the identified segment;
• defining a plurality of guidance tracks for the headland by replicating the seed track at a defined spacing throughout the headland polygon, wherein each guidance track is indicative of a path to be followed by the agricultural machine while performing the work task in the headland of the agricultural field;
• generating headland work plans for each of one or more headland candidate polygons with an area exceeding a minimum headland area threshold, wherein the one or more headland candidate polygons includes the headland polygon;
• and
• transmitting, based on a predefined geospatial position of the agricultural machine and the generated work plan, one or more control signals to a steering system of the agricultural machine in order to direct the agricultural machine along a guidance track of the plurality of guidance tracks.

A system for operating an agricultural machine to perform a work task on an agricultural field, the system comprising one or more electronic controllers configured to:

• determine a field boundary polygon indicative of a workable area of the agricultural field;
• segment the field boundary polygon into a plurality of work area polygons including a work partition polygon, a top headland polygon, and a bottom headland polygon, wherein the top headland polygon and the bottom headland polygon are positioned on opposite sides of the work partition polygon;
• define a work plan for the work partition polygon, wherein the work plan for the work partition polygon includes a first plurality of work partition guidance tracks each indicative of a path to be followed by the agricultural machine while performing the work task in a portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the work partition polygon;
• define a work plan for the top headland polygon by
• identifying a segment of a boundary of the top headland polygon that includes an entire portion of the boundary of the top headland polygon that is shared in common with a field edge boundary of the field boundary polygon,
• generating a top headland seed track by trimming the segment of the boundary of the top headland polygon on both ends based on a defined lateral trim buffer width,
• extending the top headland seed track on both ends such that a total lateral width of the extended top headland seed track exceeds a maximum width of the top headland polygon, and
• defining a plurality of top headland guidance tracks for the work plan for the top headland by replicating the extended top headland seed track at a defined spacing throughout the top headland polygon and trimming any portion of the replicated extended top headland seed tracks that extend beyond the boundary of the top headland polygon;
• defining a work plan for the bottom headland polygon by
• identifying a segment of a boundary of the bottom headland polygon that includes an entire portion of the boundary of the bottom headland polygon that is shared in common with the field edge boundary of the field boundary polygon,
• generating a bottom headland seed track by trimming the segment of the boundary of the bottom headland polygon on both ends based on a defined lateral trim buffer width,
• extending the bottom headland seed track on both ends such that a total length of the extended bottom headland seed track exceeds a maximum width of the bottom headland polygon, and
• defining a plurality of bottom headland guidance tracks for the work plan for the bottom headland by replicating the extended bottom headland seed track at the defined spacing throughout the bottom headland polygon and trimming any portion of the replicated extended bottom headland seed tracks that extend beyond the boundary of the bottom headland polygon;
• and
• operating the agricultural machine by transmitting control signals to a steering system of the agricultural machine to cause the agricultural machine to follow the work partition guidance tracks while performing the work task in the portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the work partition polygon, to follow the top headland guidance tracks while performing the work task in a portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the top headland polygon, and to follow the bottom headland guidance tracks while performing the work task in a portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the bottom headland polygon,
• wherein the agricultural machine performs edge turns within the portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the top headland polygon or within the portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the bottom headland polygon while transitioning from one work partition guidance track to another work partition guidance track.

A system for operating an agricultural machine to perform a work task on an agricultural field, the system comprising one or more electronic controllers configured to:

• determine a field boundary polygon indicative of a workable area of the agricultural field;
• segment the field boundary polygon into a plurality of work area polygons including a work partition polygon and at least one of a top headland polygon or a bottom headland polygon;
• define a work plan for the work partition polygon, wherein the work plan for the work partition polygon includes a first plurality of work partition guidance tracks each indicative of a path to be followed by the agricultural machine while performing the work task in a portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the work partition polygon;
• define a work plan for a top headland polygon of the at least one of the top headland polygon or the bottom headland polygon by
• identifying a segment of a boundary of the top headland polygon that includes an entire portion of the boundary of the top headland polygon that is shared in common with a field edge boundary of the field boundary polygon,
• generating a top headland seed track by trimming the segment of the boundary of the top headland polygon on at least one end based on a defined lateral trim buffer width,
• extending the top headland seed track on at least one end such that a total lateral width of the extended top headland seed track exceeds a maximum width of the top headland polygon, and
• based on the boundary of the top headland polygon, defining a plurality of top headland guidance tracks for the work plan for the top headland by replicating the extended top headland seed track at a defined spacing throughout the top headland polygon;
• and
• operating the agricultural machine by transmitting control signals to a steering system of the agricultural machine to cause the agricultural machine to follow the work partition guidance tracks while performing the work task in the portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the work partition polygon and to follow the top headland guidance tracks while performing the work task in a portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the top headland polygon.

A system for operating an agricultural machine to perform a work task on an agricultural field, the system comprising one or more electronic controllers configured to:

• determine a field boundary polygon indicative of a workable area of the agricultural field;
• segment the field boundary polygon into a plurality of work area polygons including a work partition polygon and a headland polygon;
• define a work plan for the work partition polygon, wherein the work plan for the work partition polygon includes a first plurality of work partition guidance tracks each indicative of a path to be followed by the agricultural machine while performing the work task in a portion of the agricultural field corresponding to the work partition polygon;
• and
• define a work plan for the headland polygon by
• identifying a segment of a boundary of the headland polygon that is shared in common with a field edge boundary of the field boundary polygon,
• generating a headland seed track by trimming the identified segment of the boundary of the headland polygon based on a defined lateral trim buffer width, and
• defining a plurality of headland guidance tracks for the work plan for the headland by replicating the headland seed track at a defined spacing throughout the headland polygon and trimming any portion of the replicated headland seed tracks based on the boundary of the headland polygon;
• and
• transmitting one or more control signals to a steering system of the agricultural machine in order to direct the agricultural machine to along a work partition guidance track of the first plurality of work partition guidance tracks or a headland guidance track of the plurality of headland guidance tracks.