Method and system for controlling the height of an agricultural implement relative to the ground

A height control system for an implement of an agricultural work vehicle, the control system comprising:

• an implement connected with the agricultural work vehicle;
• an implement height sensor configured to detect a height of the implement relative to a ground surface;
• a controller communicatively coupled to the implement height sensor, the controller including a processor and associated memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the implement controller to:
• monitor each of a vehicle speed of the work vehicle relative to the ground surface and a height of the implement relative to the ground surface based on signals received from the implement height sensor;
• determine an implement height error by comparing the height of the implement with a predetermined target height;
• calculate a sensitivity factor based on a sensitivity setting, and wherein, when the monitored vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined speed threshold, the sensitivity factor equals a first constant sensitivity value that is proportional to the sensitivity setting;
• reduce the sensitivity factor to less than the first constant sensitivity value when the monitored vehicle speed becomes less than the predetermined speed threshold;
• and
• adjust the height of the implement relative to the ground surface based on the implement height error and the sensitivity factor.

A method for automatically controlling a height of an implement of an agricultural work vehicle relative to a ground surface, the method comprising:

• monitoring, with one or more computing devices, each of the height of the implement relative to the ground surface and a vehicle speed of the work vehicle relative to the ground surface;
• determining, with the one or more computing devices, an implement height error by comparing a height of the implement with a predetermined target height;
• calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a sensitivity factor based on a sensitivity setting;
• and
• adjusting, with the one or more computing devices, the height of the implement relative to the ground surface based on the implement height error and the sensitivity factor;
• wherein:
• when a speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed threshold, the sensitivity factor is calculated using a first relationship between the sensitivity setting and the sensitivity factor, and
• when the speed of the vehicle is less than the predetermined speed threshold, the sensitivity factor is calculated using a second relationship between the sensitivity setting and the sensitivity factor such that the sensitivity factor is less than when the speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed threshold.