Apparatus and method for monitoring and coordinating the harvesting and transporting operations of an agricultural crop by multiple agricultural machines on a field

A method for monitoring and coordinating the harvesting and transporting operations of an agricultural crop by multiple agricultural machines on a field, comprising the steps of:

• determining a level of crop harvested by a first agricultural machine;
• determining position data associated with the first agricultural machine;
• updating a site database as a function of the position data;
• and
• determining an expected time at which the level of harvested crop will reach a predetermined desired level on the first agricultural machine and determining an expected location of the first agricultural machine at the expected time.

An apparatus for monitoring and coordinating the harvesting and transporting operations of an agricultural crop by multiple agricultural machines on a field, comprising:

• means for determining a level of crop harvested by a first agricultural machine;
• means for determining position data associated with each of a first agricultural machine and a second agricultural machine;
• means for updating a site database as a function of the position data;
• and
• means for determining an expected time at which the level of harvested crop will reach a predetermined desired level on the first agricultural machine;
• means for determining an expected location of the first agricultural machine at the expected time;
• means for directing the operation of the second agricultural machine to travel to the expected location of the first agricultural machine at the expected time.

An apparatus for monitoring and coordinating the harvesting and transporting operations of an agricultural crop by multiple agricultural machines on a field, comprising:

• a first position determining system located on a first agricultural machine;
• a second position determining system located on a second agricultural machine;
• a third position determining system located on a third agricultural machine;
• a site database adapted for storing a dynamic model of the field;
• a harvest volume indicating system located on each of the first agricultural machine and the third agricultural machine;
• a control system for receiving information from each of the first position determining system, the second position determining system, the third position determining system, the site database, the harvest volume indicating system located on the first agricultural machine, and the harvest volume indicating system located on the third agricultural machine, and responsively determining an expected time at which the harvested crop will reach a predetermined desired level on each of the first agricultural machine and the third agricultural machine, the control system being further adapted for determining an expected location of the first agricultural machine at the expected time and an expected location of the third agricultural machine at the expected time;
• and
• a machine controller adapted for directing the operation of the second agricultural machine to travel to at least one of the expected location of the first agricultural machine and the expected location of the third agricultural machine.

A method for monitoring and coordinating the harvesting and transporting operations of an agricultural crop by multiple agricultural machines on a field, comprising the steps of:

• determining a level of crop harvested by a first agricultural machine;
• determining a level of crop harvested by a third agricultural machine
• determining position data associated with each of the first agricultural machine, the third agricultural machine, and a second agricultural machine;
• updating a site database as a function of the position data;
• determining an expected time at which the harvested crop will reach a predetermined desired level on the first agricultural machine;
• determining an expected location of the first agricultural machine at the expected time;
• determining an expected time at which the harvested crop will reach a predetermined desired level on the third agricultural machine;
• determining an expected location of the third agricultural machine at the expected time;
• and
• directing the operation of the second agricultural machine to travel to at least one of the expected location of the first agricultural machine and the expected location of the third agricultural machine.