# US 12,178,158 B2 · Predictive map generation and control system for an agricultural work machine

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- Number: US 12,178,158 B2
- Document ID: US12178158B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/067,475
- Filed: 2020-10-09
- Published: 2022-04-14
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-09
- Assignees: Deere & Company
- Applicants: Deere & Company
- Inventors: Nathan R Vandike; Bhanu Kiran Reddy Palla; Duane M. Bomleny; Colin D. Engel; Stephen R. Corban
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178158B2

## CPC

- A01D 41/141: {Automatic header control}
- G05D 1/0221: {involving a learning process}
- A01D 41/127: Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- B60K 35/22: Display screens
- B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
- B60K 35/85: Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
- G01C 21/3826: {Terrain data}
- G01C 21/3841: {Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles}
- G01C 21/3848: {Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors}
- G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target}
- G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)}
- G05D 1/0223: {involving speed control of the vehicle (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00)}
- G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)}
- G05D 1/689: Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672)
- B60K 35/25: using haptic output
- B60K 35/26: using acoustic output
- B60K 35/80: Arrangements for controlling instruments
- B60K 2360/166: Navigation
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS

## Abstract

One or more information maps are obtained by an agricultural work machine. The one or more information maps map one or more agricultural characteristic values at different geographic locations of a field. An in-situ sensor on the agricultural work machine senses an agricultural characteristic as the agricultural work machine moves through the field. A predictive map generator generates a predictive map that predicts a predictive agricultural characteristic at different locations in the field based on a relationship between the values in the one or more information maps and the agricultural characteristic sensed by the in-situ sensor. The predictive map can be output and used in automated machine control.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An agricultural work machine comprising:
a communication system that receives an information map that includes values of a first agricultural characteristic corresponding to a set of locations in a field, wherein the first agricultural characteristic comprises cut height or cut height variability;
an in-situ sensor that detects a value of a second agricultural characteristic, different than the first agricultural characteristic, corresponding to a first location of the set of locations in the field;
a predictive model generator that generates a predictive model that models a relationship between values of the first characteristic and values of the second characteristic based, at least, on a value of the first agricultural characteristic, in the information map, corresponding to the first location and the detected value of the second agricultural characteristic corresponding to the first location;
a predictive map generator that maps a predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic at a second location of the set of locations in the field based on a value of the first agricultural characteristic, in the map, corresponding to the second location and the model;
a controllable subsystem; and
a control system that generates, as the agricultural work machine performs the operation at the field, a control signal to control the controllable subsystem based on the mapped predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic corresponding to the second location.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The agricultural work machine of claim 1, wherein the in-situ sensor detects, as the value of the second agricultural characteristic, a value of an operator command indicative of a commanded action of the agricultural work machine at the first location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The agricultural work machine of claim 2, wherein the predictive map generator comprises;
a predictive operator command map generator that generates, as a functional predictive agricultural map, a functional predictive operator command map that maps, as the predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic, a predictive operator command value to the second location in the field.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The agricultural work machine of claim 3, wherein the control system comprises:
a settings controller that generates, as the control signal, an operator command control signal indicative of an operator command based on the functional predictive operator command map and controls the controllable subsystem based on the operator command control signal to execute the operator command.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The agricultural work machine of claim 1, wherein the control system generates the control signal to control the controllable subsystem to adjust a setting of a header on the agricultural work machine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The agricultural work machine of claim 1, wherein the predictive model is configured to receive the value of the first agricultural characteristic in the map corresponding the second geographic location as a model input and provide the predictive value of the agricultural characteristic at the second geographic location as a model output.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The agricultural work machine of claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises:
an operator interface controller that generates a user interface map representation based on the mapped predictive value, the user interface map representation comprising a field portion with a marker indicating the mapped predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic at the second location on the field portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The agricultural work machine of claim 7, wherein the operator interface controller generates the user interface map representation to include an interactive display portion that displays a value display portion indicative of a selected value, an interactive threshold display portion indicative of an action threshold, and an interactive action display portion indicative of a control action to be taken when the predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic satisfies the action threshold in relation to the selected value, the control system generating the control signal to control the controllable subsystem based on the control action.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The agricultural work machine of claim 1, wherein the communication system receives the information map that includes values of a third agricultural characteristic corresponding to the set of locations in the field, the work machine further comprising;
an in-situ cut height characteristic sensor that detects a value of the cut height characteristic corresponding to a third geographic location;
a predictive cut height characteristic map generator predictive values of the cut height characteristic corresponding to the set of locations in the field based on the detected value of the cut height characteristic corresponding to the third geographic location and based on a value of the third agricultural characteristic in the information map at the third geographic location.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The agricultural work machine of claim 9, wherein the information map comprises:
a speed map that maps, as the values of the third agricultural characteristic, values of a speed characteristic of the agricultural work machine to the set of locations in the field.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The agricultural work machine of claim 1, wherein the controllable subsystem comprises a first controllable subsystem and wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the one or more processors to:
generate, during a current operation at the field, a functional predictive control zone map of the field that maps a first plurality of control zones corresponding to the first controllable subsystem and a second plurality of control zones corresponding to a second controllable subsystem;
generate, as the control signal, a first control signal to control the first controllable subsystem based on a first a control zone, of the first plurality of control zones, in the functional predictive control zone map and based on a geographic position of the agricultural work machine; and
generate a second control signal to control the second controllable subsystem based on a second control zone, of the second plurality of control zones, in the functional predictive control zone map and based on the geographic position of the agricultural work machine.

### Claim 12

A computer implemented method of controlling an agricultural work machine comprising;
obtaining an information map that includes values of a first agricultural characteristic; corresponding to a set of geographic locations in a field, wherein the first agricultural characteristic comprises cut height or cut height variability;
detecting, with an in-situ sensor, a value of a second agricultural characteristic, different than the first agricultural characteristic, corresponding to a first geographic location of the set of geographic locations in the field;
generating a predictive model that models a relationship between values of the first characteristic and values of the second characteristic based, at least, on a value of the first agricultural characteristic, in the information map, corresponding to the first location and the detected value of the second agricultural characteristic corresponding to the first location;
mapping a predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic at a second location of the set of locations in the field based on a value of the first agricultural characteristic, in the map, corresponding to the second location and the model; and
controlling a controllable subsystem based on the mapped predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic corresponding to the second geographic location.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein detecting, with the in-situ sensor, the value of the second agricultural characteristic comprises:
detecting, with the in-situ sensor, as the value of the second agricultural characteristic, an operator command indicative of a commanded action of the agricultural work machine corresponding to the first geographic location.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:
generating a functional predictive operator command map that maps, as the predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic, a predictive operator command value to the second geographic location in the field.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The computer implemented method of claim 14, wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises:
generating an operator command control signal indicative of an operator command based on the functional predictive operator command map; and
controlling the controllable subsystem based on the operator command control signal to execute the operator command.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises:
controlling the controllable subsystem to adjust a setting of a header on the agricultural work machine.

### Claim 17

An agricultural system comprising:
a communication system that receives an information map that includes, as values of a first agricultural characteristic corresponding to a set of geographic locations in a field, wherein the map is generated as an agricultural work machine performs a current operation in the field wherein first agricultural characteristic comprises one of cut height and cut height variability;
an in-situ sensor that detects a value of a second agricultural characteristic, different than the first agricultural characteristic, corresponding to a first geographic location of the set of geographic locations in the field;
a controllable subsystem;
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions, executable by the one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
model, during the current operation, a relationship between the values of the first agricultural characteristic and values of the second agricultural characteristic based, at least, on a value of the first agricultural characteristic in the information map corresponding to the first geographic location and the detected value of the second agricultural characteristic corresponding to the first geographic location;
predict, during the current operation and prior to the agricultural work machine operating at a second geographic location during the current operation, a value of the second agricultural characteristic at a second geographic location of the set of geographic locations in the field based on a value of the first agricultural characteristic in the information map, corresponding to the second geographic location, and the modeled relationship; and
control the controllable subsystem, as the agricultural work machine performs the current operation in the field, based on the predicted value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The agricultural system of claim 17, wherein the memory storing instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to control the controllable subsystem to adjust a setting of a header on the agricultural work machine based on the predictive value of the second agricultural characteristic in the functional predictive agricultural map.