Sensor fusion system for improved accumulator fill level in a harvester vehicle

A method of operating a harvester vehicle having a crop processing system comprising at least an accumulator and a module builder operable to form a crop module from harvested crop fed to the module builder from the accumulator, and a feedback fusion system that estimates a fill level in the accumulator of the harvester vehicle by fusing feedback data from a plurality of sensors, the method comprising:

• estimating an accumulator fill level in the harvester vehicle by operably providing crop processing data indicative of an accumulator fill level to the fusion feedback system, the crop processing data indicative of the accumulator fill level used by the feedback fusion system to operably control activation and deactivation of a wrap-and-eject cycle, the estimating comprising:
• generating a plurality of feedback signals by the plurality of sensors, the plurality of feedback signals comprising data indicative of:
• a crop mass flow into the accumulator;
• a module builder status;
• and
• a crop module size comprising a diameter and associated growth rate of the crop module as it is being formed by the module builder;
• and
• generating an accumulator fill level signal indicative of an estimated fill level in the accumulator based on:
• the crop mass flow into the accumulator;
• the module builder status;
• and
• the crop module size comprising the diameter and associated growth rate of the crop module as it is being formed by the module builder;
• and
• wrapping and ejecting a completed crop module from the module builder based at least on the accumulator fill level signal.

A system for estimating the accumulator fill level of a vehicle harvester, the system comprising:

• a crop processing system comprising at least an accumulator and a module builder;
• a feedback fusion system that operably provides crop processing data indicative of an accumulator fill level to a crop feed rate control system, the feedback fusion system comprising:
• a plurality of sensors comprising:
• at least one sensor configured to monitor crop mass flow into the accumulator and to operably provide a feedback signal comprising data indicative of the crop mass flow into the accumulator;
• at least one sensor configured to detect size and growth rate of a crop module as it is being formed and to operably provide a feedback signal comprising data indicative of a crop module size and growth rate;
• at least one sensor configured to monitor module builder status and to operably provide a feedback signal comprising data indicative of the module builder status, wherein the module builder status comprises data indicating a stage of module formation which can be used to perform module mass correction;
• and
• a control module operable to receive the feedback signals and generate an accumulator fill level signal based at least upon the crop module size and growth rate, the module builder status, and the crop mass flow into the accumulator, the accumulator fill level signal being indicative of an estimated fill level in the accumulator,
• wherein the crop processing system is operable to wrap and eject a completed module from the module builder based at least on the accumulator fill level signal.