US 12,717,327 B2 · Automated cart operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for automated cart operation. The automated cart operation may include determining whether a container is full at a first unloading location and, if so, moving the cart from the first unloading location to a second unloading location. The automated cart operation may include moving the cart to a container, determining whether the cart is near the container, and, if the cart is determined to be near the container, stopping the cart. The automated cart operation may include determining a route from a current location to the location of a farm implement that avoids one or more permanent obstacles and areas of the field that have not been harvested and moving the cart to the farm implement on the determined route.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a cart, wherein the cart includes a hopper;
one or more load sensors, one or more hopper cameras, one or more gyro meters, one or more accelerometers, one or more steering angle sensors, and/or one or more suspension height position sensors;
and
one or more computers configured to:
use the one or more load sensors, the one or more hopper cameras, the one or more gyro meters, the one or more accelerometers, the one or more steering angle sensors, and/or the one or more suspension height position sensors to determine whether a load imbalance condition exists with respect to material in the hopper while the cart is receiving material from a moving combine harvester;
and
if the load imbalance condition is determined to exist, adjust a positioning of the hopper relative to a discharge end of an offloading conveyor of the combine harvester to correct the load imbalance by filling a different portion of the hopper with material from the combine harvester.

4 more elements

A system comprising:

a cart, wherein the cart includes a hopper;
a vehicle controller;
one or more vehicle components, wherein the one or more vehicle components comprise a power source, a steering component, a transmission component, a braking component, an acceleration component, a power takeoff, a prime mover, and/or an engine;
and
one or more computers configured to:
cause the vehicle controller to control one or more of the one or more vehicle components to maintain the cart at an offset position relative to a moving combine harvester, wherein the hopper of the cart is positioned below a discharge end of an offloading conveyor of the combine harvester at the offset position;
detect uneven ground and/or different elevations between the combine harvester and the cart;
use the detected uneven ground and/or different elevations to determine an adjusted offset position for the cart relative to the moving combine harvester;
and
causing the vehicle controller to control one or more of the one or more vehicle components to maintain the cart at the adjusted offset position relative to the combine harvester.

7 more elements

A method performed by a system, the method comprising:

causing a vehicle controller of the system to control one or more vehicle components of the system to maintain a cart of the system at an offset position relative to a moving combine harvester, wherein the hopper of the cart is positioned below a discharge end of an offloading conveyor of the combine harvester at the offset position, and the one or more vehicle components comprise a power source, a steering component, a transmission component, a braking component, an acceleration component, a power takeoff, a prime mover, and/or an engine;
detecting uneven ground and/or different elevations between the combine harvester and the cart;
using the detected uneven ground and/or different elevations to determine an adjusted offset position for the cart relative to the moving combine harvester;
and
causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to maintain the cart at the adjusted offset position relative to the combine harvester.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated cart operation

Life of this patent

Automated cart operation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22