# US 12,602,049 B2 · Autonomous driving system through rows of a plantation

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- Number: US 12,602,049 B2
- Document ID: US12602049B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/787,535
- Filed: 2020-12-21
- Published: 2022-12-01
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-19
- Applicants: CNH Industrial America LLC
- Inventors: Luca Ferrari; Luca Di Cecilia; Alessandro Davoli; Giorgio Guerzoni; Pasquale Di Viesti; Emilio Sirignano; Giorgio Matteo Vitetta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602049B2

## CPC

- A01B 69/00: Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
- G05D 1/0257: {using a radar (radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931)}
- A01B 69/008: {automatic}
- G01S 13/08: Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S13/46)
- G01S 13/89: for mapping or imaging
- G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)}
- G05D 1/242: Means based on the reflection of waves generated by the vehicle (using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle G05D1/247)
- G05D 1/2462: {using feature-based mapping}
- G05D 2105/15: for harvesting, sowing or mowing in agriculture or forestry
- G05D 2107/21: {Farming, e.g. fields, pastures or barns}
- G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles
- G05D 2111/30: Radio signals
- 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
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A method for identifying a trajectory between rows of a plantation using a radar interfaced with a processing means of an agricultural vehicle includes acquisition of an approximate distance between two consecutive rows of the plantation, acquisition of signals by the radar, processing of the signals to obtain a two-dimensional map of points corresponding to reflections picked up by the radar. The method further includes first linear interpolation to obtain a first interpolating line on the points of greatest intensity, second windowing of an elongated area of the two-dimensional map having an axis of development approximately parallel to the first interpolating line and at the approximate distance from the first interpolating line, second linear interpolation of a second interpolating line on points of greater intensity in the windowed area, and calculation of a trajectory parallel and intermediate between the first and second interpolating line.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for identifying a trajectory of an agricultural vehicle between rows of a plantation by means of a radar interfaced with processing means of the agricultural vehicle, the method comprising:
acquiring, by one or more processors, a known approximate distance (D) between two consecutive rows of the plantation;
acquiring, by the one or more processors, signals by the radar;
processing, by the one or more processors, of the signals to obtain a two-dimensional map of points corresponding to reflections picked up by the radar by deleting points whose intensity is outside of a pre-established range;
performing, by the one or more processors, a first linear interpolation to obtain a first interpolating line (IN1) on points of greatest intensity;
generating, by the one or more processors, a window of an elongated area of the two-dimensional map having an axis of development approximately parallel to the first interpolating line;
performing, by the one or more processors, a second linear interpolation of a second interpolating line (IN2), approximately parallel to the first interpolating line (IN1), on points of greater intensity in the window;
in response at least in part to the second interpolating line (IN2) being positioned outside a distance threshold of the known approximate distance (D) from the first interpolating line (IN1):
adjusting, by the one or more processors, the pre-established range and reperforming the first linear interpolation or the second linear interpolation by deleting points whose intensity is outside of the adjusted pre-established range to calculate an updated first interpolating line or an updated second interpolating line, and
selecting, by the one or more processors, a pair of the updated interpolating line and the second updated interpolating line (i) having a mutual distance within the distance threshold of the known approximate distance (D) or (ii) maximizing interpolation coefficients of the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2);
in response at least in part to the second interpolating line (IN2) being positioned within the distance threshold from the first interpolating line (IN2), calculating, by the one or more processors, a trajectory (T) parallel and intermediate between the first and second interpolating lines; and
autonomously operating, by the one or more processors, one or more of a propulsion system, a braking system, or a steering system of the agricultural vehicle to advance the agricultural vehicle between the two consecutive rows along the trajectory (T).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising filtering, by the one or more processors, the two-dimensional map prior to performing the first linear interpolation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the filtering is performed by application of a Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) algorithm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the filtering is performed by an additional windowing, by the one or more processors, through an area of longitudinal shape having an axis of development aligned with an ordinate axis of the two-dimensional map.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein when the first interpolating line forms an angle with an ordinate axis of the two-dimensional map, the computer-implemented method further comprising storing, by the one or more processors, the angle in the processing means and performing a preliminary alignment maneuver of the agricultural vehicle with the rows of the plantation based on the stored angle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the processing of the signals comprises a thresholding procedure which includes deleting points whose intensity is outside of a pre-established range, and the method further comprises:
varying, by the one or more processors, the pre-established range; and
recalculating the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, further comprising stopping, by the one or more processors, the recalculation of the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2) and of selecting a pair of interpolating lines having a mutual distance close to the known approximate distance (D) or maximizing interpolation coefficients of the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2).

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a recorded program that, when executed, causes a computer to:
acquire a known approximate distance (D) between two consecutive rows of a plantation;
acquire signals by a radar;
process of the signals to obtain a two-dimensional map of points corresponding to reflections picked up by the radar by deleting points whose intensity is outside of a pre-established range;
perform a first linear interpolation to obtain a first interpolating line (IN1) on points of greatest intensity;
generate a window of an elongated area of the two-dimensional map having an axis of development approximately parallel to the first interpolating line;
perform a second linear interpolation of a second interpolating line (IN2), approximately parallel to the first interpolating line (IN1), on points of greater intensity in the window;
in response at least in part to the second interpolating line (IN2) being positioned outside a distance threshold of the known approximate distance (D) from the first interpolating line (IN1):
adjust the pre-established range and reperform the first linear interpolation or the second linear interpolation by deleting points whose intensity is outside of the adjusted pre-established range to calculate an updated first interpolating line or an updated second interpolating line, and
select a pair of the updated interpolating line and the second updated interpolating line (i) having a mutual distance within the distance threshold of the known approximate distance (D) or (ii) maximizing interpolation coefficients of the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2);
in response at least in part to the second interpolating line (IN2) being positioned within the distance threshold from the updated first interpolating line (IN2), calculate a trajectory (T) parallel and intermediate between the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2); and
autonomously operate one or more of a propulsion system, a braking system, or a steering system of an agricultural vehicle to advance the agricultural vehicle between the two consecutive rows along the trajectory (T).

### Claim 9

An autonomous drive system comprising:
a radar; and
processing means operatively connected to the radar, wherein the processing means is configured to control a propulsion system, a braking system, and a vehicular steering system of an agricultural vehicle, wherein the processing means is configured to:
acquire a known approximate distance (D) between two consecutive rows of a plantation;
acquire signals by the radar;
process of the signals to obtain a two-dimensional map of points corresponding to reflections picked up by the radar by deleting points whose intensity is outside of a pre-established range;
perform a first linear interpolation to obtain a first interpolating line (IN1) on points of greatest intensity;
generate a window of an elongated area of the two-dimensional map having an axis of development approximately parallel to the first interpolating line;
perform a second linear interpolation of a second interpolating line (IN2), approximately parallel to the first interpolating line (IN1), on points of greater intensity in the window;
in response at least in part to the second interpolating line (IN2) being positioned outside a distance threshold of the known approximate distance (D) from the first interpolating line (IN1):
adjust the pre-established range and reperform the first linear interpolation or the second linear interpolation by deleting points whose intensity is outside of the adjusted pre-established range to calculate an updated first interpolating line or an updated second interpolating line, and
select a pair of the updated interpolating line and the second updated interpolating line (i) having a mutual distance within the distance threshold of the known approximate distance (D) or (ii) maximizing interpolation coefficients of the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2);
in response at least in part to the second interpolating line (IN2) being positioned within the distance threshold from the first interpolating line (IN2), calculate a trajectory (T) parallel and intermediate between the first and second interpolating lines (IN1, IN2); and
autonomously operate one or more of the propulsion system, the braking system, or the vehicular steering system of the agricultural vehicle to advance the agricultural vehicle between the two consecutive rows along the trajectory (T).