System and method of assisted or automated grain unload synchronization

A system comprising:

• an agricultural harvester comprising:
• a crop processor for reducing crop material to processed crop;
• an unload conveyor for transferring a stream of processed crop out of the agricultural harvester;
• a first controller;
• a first communications gateway for sending and receiving wireless signals;
• and
• a camera for capturing images of an area proximate the agricultural harvester and generating image data;
• a receiving vehicle comprising:
• a grain bin for storing processed crop received from the agricultural harvester;
• a visual marker;
• a second controller;
• and
• a second communications gateway for sending and receiving wireless signals,
• wherein the first controller is configured to:
• receive the image data from the camera;
• identify, from the image data, the visual marker;
• generate, from the visual marker, location data indicating a location of the receiving vehicle relative to the agricultural harvester;
• and
• communicate the location data to the receiving vehicle using the first communications gateway, and
• wherein the second controller is configured to:
• receive the location data using the second communications gateway, and
• use the location data to generate a graphical representation of the relative locations of the unload conveyor and at least a portion of the receiving vehicle, the graphical representation based on the location data.

A method comprising:

• providing:
• an agricultural harvester comprising:
• a crop processor for reducing crop material to processed crop;
• an unload conveyor for transferring a stream of processed crop out of the agricultural harvester;
• a first controller;
• a first communications gateway for sending and receiving wireless signals;
• and
• a camera for capturing images of an area proximate the agricultural harvester and generating image data;
• a receiving vehicle comprising:
• a grain bin for storing processed crop received from the agricultural harvester;
• a visual marker;
• a second controller;
• and
• a second communications gateway for sending and receiving wireless signals,
• capturing images of an area proximate the agricultural harvester using the camera of the agricultural harvester and generating image data from the capture images;
• identify from the image data, using the first controller of the agricultural harvester, the visual marker of the receiving vehicle;
• determining from the visual marker, using the first controller, a location of the receiving vehicle relative to the agricultural harvester;
• and
• generating, using the second controller of the receiving vehicle, a graphical representation of the relative locations of the unload conveyor and at least a portion of the receiving vehicle, the graphical representation based on the location of the receiving vehicle relative to the agricultural harvester.