# US 2017/0280614 A1 · Multiple harvester planner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0280614 A1 - Document ID: US20170280614A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/085,295 - Filed: 2016-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Autonomous Solutions, Inc.; CNH Industrial America LLC - Applicants: Autonomous Solutions, Inc.; CNH Industrial America LLC - Inventors: Bret T. Turpin; Daniel J. Morwood; Christopher Alan Foster - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280614A1 ## CPC - A01B 79/005: {Precision agriculture} - G06Q 10/0633: Workflow analysis - G06Q 50/02: Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining - 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) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system has an algorithm for organizing the actions of agricultural machines and servicing vehicles in a field. The algorithm divides the field into logical chunks of work, including at least one swath within at least one headland and within at least one land, which it then assigns to the agricultural machines in order. Priority is first given to working the headlands, then to working swaths within lands where an agricultural machine can perform its function while remaining accessible to the servicing vehicles. When the agricultural machine is in an area where it is not accessible to a servicing vehicle and needs service, the agricultural machine creates an impromptu servicing area. This may be an area within a swath that the agricultural machine has cleared of crops in order to provide the servicing vehicle, such as a haul vehicle or grain cart, access to the agricultural machine and space to turn around. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for organizing the actions of agricultural machines, comprising: at least one agricultural machine performing a primary agricultural function in at least one field; at least one servicing vehicle performing a servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine on an as-needed basis; an algorithm running on at least one computer, said algorithm dividing said at least one field into logical chunks of work, said logical chunks of work including at least one swath within at least one headland and at least one swath within at least one land, said algorithm further determining the assignment of each of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function upon said logical chunks of work in order of: first, upon said at least one swath within said at least one headland if all of said swaths within said at least one headland have not already received said primary agricultural function or are not already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines; second, upon one of said at least one swaths within one of said at least one lands that is already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines, and in which said at least one agricultural machine can perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function; and third, upon one of said at least one swaths within one of said at least one lands that has not already received said primary agricultural function or is not already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines, and in which said at least one agricultural machine cannot perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said at least one agricultural machine further comprises at least one agricultural harvesting machine; said at least one servicing vehicle further comprises a grain cart or haul vehicle; said primary agricultural function further comprises harvesting crop; and said servicing function further comprises unloading said at least one agricultural harvesting machine into said grain cart or haul vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said algorithm being further operable to assign said at least one agricultural machine to create an impromptu servicing area by performing said primary agricultural function therein, after which said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine in said impromptu servicing area, when: said at least one agricultural machine is within one of said at least one swaths in which said at least one agricultural machine cannot perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can otherwise perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function; and said at least one agricultural machine requires said servicing function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said algorithm further determining the assignment of each of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function upon said logical chunks of work according to at least one of the individual capacities of said at least one agricultural machines, the field conditions, and the field geometry. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein: said algorithm further iteratively simulating the assignment of said logical chunks of work to different permutations of said at least one agricultural machines as said at least one agricultural machines are available, and determining an efficient assignment of said logical chunks of work to said available at least one agricultural machines. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said algorithm further running on one of at least one remotely located computer and at least one computer located on at least one of said at least one agricultural machine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said algorithm receiving status information from said at least one agricultural machine and from said at least one servicing vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said algorithm providing assignment information to the operator of said at least one agricultural machine by way of an interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said algorithm providing assignment information directly to an autonomous control system of said at least one agricultural machine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: upon said algorithm assigning one of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function upon one of said at least one swaths within one of said at least one lands that has not already received said primary agricultural function or is not already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines, and in which said at least one agricultural machine cannot perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function, said algorithm assigns said one of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function starting with an approximately center most swath and thereafter assigning said swaths incrementally outwards. ### Claim 11 A method for organizing the actions of agricultural machines, comprising the steps of: providing at least one agricultural machine capable of performing a primary agricultural function in at least one field; providing at least one servicing vehicle capable of performing a servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine on an as-needed basis; running an algorithm on at least one computer, said algorithm further taking the steps of: dividing said at least one field into logical chunks of work, including at least one swath within at least one headland and at least one swath within at least one land; determining the assignment of each of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function upon said logical chunks of work in order of: first, upon said at least one swath within said at least one headland if all of said swaths within said at least one headland have not already received said primary agricultural function or are not already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines; second, upon one of said at least one swaths within one of said at least one lands that is already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines, and in which said at least one agricultural machine can perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function; and third, upon one of said at least one swaths within one of said at least one lands that has not already received said primary agricultural function or is not already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines, and in which said at least one agricultural machine cannot perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: said at least one agricultural machine further comprises at least one agricultural harvesting machine; said at least one servicing vehicle further comprises a grain cart or haul vehicle; said primary agricultural function further comprises harvesting crop; and said servicing function further comprises unloading said at least one agricultural harvesting machine into said grain cart or haul vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, said algorithm further taking the steps of: assigning said at least one agricultural machine to create an impromptu servicing area by performing said primary agricultural function therein; and assigning said at least one servicing vehicle to perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine in said impromptu servicing area, when: said at least one agricultural machine is within one of said at least one swaths in which said at least one agricultural machine cannot perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can otherwise perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function; and said at least one agricultural machine requires said servicing function. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, said algorithm further taking the steps of: further determining the assignment of each of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function upon said logical chunks of work according to at least one of the individual capacities of said at least one agricultural machines, the field conditions, and the field geometry. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, said algorithm further taking the steps of: further iteratively simulating the assignment of said logical chunks of work to different permutations of said at least one agricultural machines as said at least one agricultural machines are available; and determining an efficient assignment of said logical chunks of work to said available at least one agricultural machines. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: said algorithm further running on one of at least one remotely located computer and at least one computer located on at least one of said at least one agricultural machine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, said algorithm further taking the steps of: receiving status information from said at least one agricultural machine and from said at least one servicing vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, said algorithm further taking the steps of: providing assignment information to the operator of said at least one agricultural machine by way of an interface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, said algorithm further taking the steps of: providing assignment information directly to an autonomous control system of said at least one agricultural machine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, said algorithm further taking the steps of: upon assigning one of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function upon one of said at least one swaths within one of said at least one lands that has not already received said primary agricultural function or is not already receiving said primary agricultural function from another of said at least one agricultural machines, and in which said at least one agricultural machine cannot perform said primary agricultural function in such an orientation that said at least one servicing vehicle can perform said servicing function in connection with said at least one agricultural machine by way of said at least one servicing vehicle passing over an area that has already received said primary agricultural function, further assigning said one of said at least one agricultural machines to perform said primary agricultural function starting with an approximately center most swath and thereafter assigning said swaths incrementally outwards.