Combine harvester operation based on windrow data stream
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorCraig S. Morris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for collecting windrowed crops from a field. An input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points and other operational data from the windrower. A centerline of each swath in the field is determined based on the plurality of data points. Guidance information to be used by the combine harvester is then generated based at least in part on the determined centerline of the first swath and other information derived from the input data stream. The guidance information (or path plan) may be used, for example, for manual, autonomous, or semi-autonomous operation of the combine harvester.
Claims20
A system for providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for a harvesting operation, the system comprising an electronic controller configured to:
- receive an input data stream from a windrower, wherein the input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points, wherein each location point is indicative of a location of the windrower at different times during performance of a windrowing operation in a field;
- identify a plurality of data points from the input data stream corresponding to a first swath of crops cut by the windrower and left in the field during the windrowing operation;
- determine, based on the plurality of data points, a centerline of the first swath;
- and
- generate a path plan for the combine harvester based at least in part on the centerline of the first swath, wherein the path plan includes an indication of a target route to be travelled by the combine harvester while harvesting the cut crops in the first swath.
A method of providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for a harvesting operation, the method comprising:
- receiving, by an electronic controller, an input data stream from a windrower, wherein the input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points, wherein each location point is indicative of a location of the windrower at different times during performance of a windrowing operation in a field;
- identifying, by the electronic controller, a plurality of data points from the input data stream corresponding to a first swath of crops cut by the windrower and left in the field during the windrowing operation;
- determining, by the electronic controller, a centerline of the first swath based on the plurality of data points;
- and
- generating, by the electronic controller, a path plan for the combine harvester based at least in part on the centerline of the first swath, wherein the path plan includes an indication of a target route to be travelled by the combine harvester while harvesting the cut crops in the first swath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.