US 2024/0254731 A1Published application

Terrain Measurement for Automation Control and Productivity Tracking of Work Machine

AssigneeDeere & Company

InventorBryan D. Sulzer

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Abstract

A work machine configured to operate on the ground comprises a body, an operating apparatus, a point measuring assembly, a kinematic position sensing assembly, and a controller. The operating apparatus is moveably coupled to the body and has a tool selectively engaging or passing over the ground. The point measuring assembly is coupled to the operating apparatus, is moved together with the operating apparatus and measure distances. The kinematic position sensing assembly is coupled to at least one of the operating apparatus and the body of the work machine, measures positions of the operating apparatus, and transmits signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus. The controller receives the signals indicative of the distances from the point measuring assembly and the signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus from the kinematic position sensing assembly to calculate at least one simulated surface.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A work machine configured to operate on the ground, comprising:

a body;
an operating apparatus moveably coupled to the body and having a tool selectively engaging or passing over the ground;
a point measuring assembly coupled to the operating apparatus and moved together with the operating apparatus and configured to measure distances, each of which is between the point measuring assembly and one of range finding points designated on the ground by the point measuring assembly and to transmit signals indicative of the distances, wherein distributions of the range finding points are in response to a motion of the operating apparatus;
a kinematic position sensing assembly coupled to at least one of the operating apparatus and the body of the work machine and configured to measure positions of the operating apparatus and to transmit signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus;
and
a controller configured to receive the signals indicative of the distances from the point measuring assembly and the signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus from the kinematic position sensing assembly and to calculate at least one simulated surface of the ground based on the signals indicative of the distances and the signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus.

3 more elements

A method of measuring terrain by a work machine configured to operate on the ground, the method comprising:

moving an operating apparatus moveably coupled to a body of the work machine and having a tool selectively engaging or passing over the ground;
measuring distances via a point measuring assembly coupled to the operating apparatus and moved together with the operating apparatus, wherein each of the distance is between the point measuring assembly and one of range finding points designated on the ground by the point measuring assembly, and distributions of the range finding points are in response to a motion of the operating apparatus;
transmitting signals indicative of the distances from the point measuring assembly;
measuring positions of the operating apparatus by a kinematic position sensing assembly coupled to at least one of the operating apparatus and the body of the work machine;
transmitting signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus;
receiving the signals indicative of the distances from the point measuring assembly and the signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus from the kinematic position sensing assembly by a controller to calculate at least one simulated surface of the ground based on the signals indicative of the distances and the signals indicative of the positions of the operating apparatus.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.