Control of vehicular systems in response to anticipated conditions predicted using predetermined geo-referenced maps

In a vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling a vehicle system at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel which will affect engine load, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions along the course of travel which will affect engine load;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the vehicle system, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition to accommodate the affect on engine load, and to apply the control signal to the vehicle system;
• wherein the vehicle is an agricultural tractor including a hitch assembly configured to pull an implement through soil, and the map data represents anticipated soil conditions along the course of travel.

In a vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling vehicle speed at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel which will affect engine load, the vehicle speed dependent upon settings of a speed actuator, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions along the course of travel which will affect engine load;
• a target speed input device for generating a target speed signal representative of a target speed for the vehicle;
• a speed sense circuit for generating a speed signal representative of vehicle speed;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit, the target speed input device the speed sense circuit and the speed actuator, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition to accommodate the affect on engine load, and to apply the control signal to the speed actuator, wherein the generation of the control signal is further based upon a comparison between the target speed and vehicle speed, and the anticipated condition includes an anticipated slope along the course of travel.

In a vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling vehicle speed at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel which will affect engine load, the vehicle speed dependent upon settings of a speed actuator, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions along the course of travel which will affect engine load;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the speed actuator, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition to accommodate the affect on engine load, and to apply the control signal to the speed actuator;
• wherein the vehicle is an agricultural harvesting vehicle, and the map data represents anticipated conditions of crop along the course of travel.

In an agricultural working vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling a transmission at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel, the transmission having a ratio selected in response to a control signal, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions of crop along the course of travel;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the transmission, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate the control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition, and to apply the control signal to the transmission.

In a vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling a transmission at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel, the transmission having a ratio selected in response to a control signal, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions along the course of travel;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the transmission, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate the control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition, and to apply the control signal to the transmission;
• wherein the control circuit is further configured to predict a turn based upon a change in direction forward of the current position along the course of travel, and the control signal further depends upon the predicted turn.

In an agricultural harvesting vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling a vehicle system at least partly in response to an anticipated condition of crop along the course of travel, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions of crop along the course of travel;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the vehicle system, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition of crop using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition of crop, and to apply the control signal to the vehicle system.

In an agricultural working vehicle driven by a drive train along a course of travel, a control system for controlling an energy exchanger at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel, the energy exchanger configured to exchange energy between an energy storage device and the drive train, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions of crop along the course of travel;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the energy exchanger, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition, and to apply the control signal to the energy exchanger.

In an agricultural harvesting vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel over a field, a method of controlling a vehicle system at least partly in response to an anticipated condition of crop along the course of travel, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a geo-referenced map of the field including data indicative of anticipated conditions of crop along the course of travel by remotely sensing the field prior to harvest, digitizing and geo-referencing the sensed signals, and storing the geo-referenced and digitized signals in a memory circuit;
• receiving positioning signals from an external source as the vehicle travels in the field and generating location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• predicting the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data;
• and
• generating a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition and applying the control signal to the vehicle system.

In an agricultural working vehicle including a drive train powered by an engine for moving along a course of travel, a control system for controlling a device selected from the group consisting of a clutch and a differential at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the course of travel, the device being engaged and disengaged in response to a control signal, comprising:

• a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals therefrom which represent the current position of the vehicle;
• a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including spatially-variable map data indicative of anticipated conditions of crop along the course of travel;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the device, the control circuit being configured to predict the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, to generate the control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition, and to apply the control signal to the device.