# US 12,757,828 B2 · Automatic auger engagement for unloading operation

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,757,828 B2
- Document ID: US12757828B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/438,093
- Filed: 2024-02-09
- Published: 2025-01-09
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-07-07
- Assignees: Deere & Company
- Applicants: Deere & Company
- Inventors: Kellen E. O'Connor; Sara C. O'Connor; Jeremy J. Faust; Ryan R. White
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12757828B2

## CPC

- A01D 41/1275: {for the level of grain in grain tanks}
- A01D 41/1217: {Unloading mechanisms}
- A01D 90/10: Unloading means
- A01D 43/087: {with controllable discharge spout}
- Y10S 56/15: Condition responsive
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

On a harvester, unload conditions are detected to determine whether an unloading operation should be commenced. If so, once a receiving vehicle is in a target position relative to a spout, an unloading auger is automatically engaged to unload harvested material from a clean grain tank, through the spout, into the receiving vehicle. When stop criteria are detected, then the unloading auger is automatically disengaged.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer implemented method, comprising:
automatically detecting that an unload commencement criterion is present based on a determination that a detected level of harvested material in a storage tank of a harvester meets a target level;
based on detecting that the unload commencement criterion is present, automatically generating a spout swing control signal to control a spout swing actuator to move a spout from a retracted position to a deployed position;
after detecting that the unload commencement criterion is present, automatically detecting an engagement criterion indicating that an unloading conveyor on the harvester is to be engaged; and
automatically generating a conveyor start control signal to control the unloading conveyor to unload at least a portion of the harvested material from the harvester through the spout based on detection of the engagement criterion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising:
automatically detecting a disengagement criterion indicating that the unloading conveyor on the harvester is to be disengaged; and
automatically generating a conveyor stop control signal to control the unloading conveyor to stop unloading harvested material from the harvester based on detection of the disengagement criterion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein automatically detecting a disengagement criterion comprises:
detecting a fill level in a clean grain tank of the harvester;
determining whether the fill level in the clean grain tank is at a predefined stop level; and
if so, generating an output indicating that the disengagement criterion is detected.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein automatically detecting a disengagement criterion comprises:
detecting a fill level in a receiving vehicle;
determining whether the fill level in the receiving vehicle is at a target level; and
if so, generating an output indicating that the disengagement criterion is detected.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein automatically detecting a disengagement criterion comprises:
detecting a material spill condition; and
generating an output indicating that the disengagement criterion is detected.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein automatically detecting a disengagement criterion comprises:
detecting an operator stop input; and
generating an output indicating that the disengagement criterion is detected.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein automatically detecting an engagement criterion comprises:
detecting a position of an outlet end of the spout relative to a receiving vehicle;
determining whether the outlet end of the spout is in a target position relative to the receiving vehicle; and
if so, generating an output indicating that the engagement criterion is detected.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the storage tank comprises a receiving vehicle, and further comprising:
prior to automatically detecting the engagement criterion and after detecting the unload commencement criterion, automatically detecting a receiving vehicle position criterion; and
generating the spout swing control signal based on both the unload commencement criterion and the receiving vehicle position criterion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8, and further comprising:
prior to automatically detecting the engagement criterion and after detecting the unload commencement criterion, automatically detecting a swing path criterion; and
generating the spout swing control signal based on each of the unload commencement criterion, the receiving vehicle position criterion, and the swing path criterion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein automatically detecting the swing path criterion comprises:
prior to automatically generating the spout swing control signal, detecting whether an obstacle is present in a spout swing path through which the spout moves between the retracted position and the deployed position; and
if not, generating an output indicating that the spout swing path is unobstructed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein automatically detecting the receiving vehicle position criterion comprises:
automatically detecting a location of a receiving vehicle; and
determining that the receiving vehicle position criterion is met based on the location of the receiving vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein automatically detecting the receiving vehicle position criterion comprises:
automatically detecting that a position of the receiving vehicle is within a desired proximity relative to a position of the harvester; and
if so, automatically generating the spout swing control signal to control the spout swing actuator to move the spout from the retracted position to the deployed position.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computer implemented method of claim 12 and further comprising:
automatically detecting whether a spout retraction criterion is present; and
if so, automatically generating the spout swing control signal to move the spout from the deployed position to the retracted position.

### Claim 14

An agricultural system, comprising:
an unloading conveyor on a harvester configured to convey harvested material from the harvester to a receiving container;
a spill sensor configured to detect occurrence of material spill from the receiving container;
at least one processor;
an engagement criterion detection system, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to automatically detect an engagement criterion indicating that an unloading conveyor on a harvester is to be engaged;
a disengagement criteria detection system, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to automatically detect a disengagement criterion based on the material spill detected by the spill sensor, the disengagement criterion indicating that the unloading conveyor on the harvester is to be disengaged; and
an output generator, implemented by the at least one processor, configured to automatically generate a conveyor start control signal to control the unloading conveyor to unload harvested material from the harvester to the receiving container through a spout based on detection of the engagement criterion and to automatically generate a conveyor stop control signal to control the unloading conveyor to stop unloading harvested material from the harvester based on detection of the disengagement criterion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The agricultural system of claim 14 and further comprising:
a spout swing actuator configured to move the spout from a retracted position to a deployed position;
an unload commencement criteria detection system configured to automatically detect whether an unload commencement criterion is present; and
a spout deployment control system configured to automatically generate a spout control signal, based on detection of the unload commencement criterion, to control the spout swing actuator to move the spout from a retracted position to a deployed position.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The agricultural system of claim 15 and further comprising:
a spout swing path processing system configured to automatically detect, and generate a swing path signal indicative of, whether an obstacle is present in a spout swing path through which the spout moves between the retracted position and the deployed position, the spout deployment control system generating the spout control signal based on the swing path signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The agricultural system of claim 16 and further comprising:
a spout retraction control system configured to automatically detect whether a spout retraction criterion is present and to automatically generate the spout control signal to move the spout from the deployed position to the retracted position based on detection of the spout retraction criterion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The agricultural system of claim 14 and further comprising:
at least one sensor configured to sense a variable indicative of the engagement criterion and generate a sensor signal having a first value indicative of the sensed variable, the engagement criterion detection system being configured to automatically detect the engagement criterion based on the first value, the at least one sensor being configured to sense a variable indicative of the disengagement criterion and generate a sensor signal having a second value indicative of the sensed variable, the disengagement criteria detection system being configured to automatically detect the disengagement criterion based on the second value.