System and method employing short range communications for interactively coordinating unloading operations between a harvester and a grain transport

A method for interactively coordinating and effecting crop material transfer operations between a pair of agricultural vehicles, comprising

• providing at least one agricultural vehicle of a first vehicle type configured to have a crop material holding bin in which crop material may be retained and crop material transfer apparatus operable to effect the transfer of the retained crop material out of said crop material holding bin, said vehicle designated as a transferor type vehicle,
• providing at least one agricultural vehicle of a second vehicle type configured to have a crop material receptor bin into which crop material may be deposited during a crop material transfer operation, said vehicle designated as a transferee type vehicle,
• each of said transferor type and transferee type vehicles having an operating system that includes an operator interface portion, a sensor input portion, a master machine control portion, and an operation performance portion,
• said master machine control portion operatively connected to said operator interface portion, said sensor input portion, and said operation performance portion,
• said operator interface portion including operator input controls operable to provide operator input data to said master machine control portion,
• said sensor input portion operable to monitor certain operational conditions and to provide sensor input data to said master machine control portion,
• said output performance portion operable to effect performance of certain actions by such individual agricultural vehicle under control of said master machine control portion thereof,
• each said individual agricultural vehicle also having associated therewith a communications control portion operable to transmit and receive short distance communication signals, said communications control portion operatively connected to said master machine control portion to effect the communication therefrom and thereto of communications data,
• said master machine control portion responsive to said data provided thereto from said operator interface portion, said sensor portion, and said communications control portion to establish operational parameters for said individual agricultural vehicle, at least a portion of which operational parameters define a logistical data set,
• said transferor type vehicle and said transferee type vehicle each being individually operable to enable vehicle to vehicle communications, designated V2V communications, thereby, each vehicle that is so operated to enable V2V Communications thereby being a V2V enabled vehicle,
• said V2V enabled transferor type vehicles and said V2V enabled transferee type vehicles operable, when located within a given area and positioned with respect to one another to be within range of said short distance communication signals, to communicate with one another,
• enabling a transferor type vehicle and a transferee type vehicle for V2V communications,
• positioning said V2V enabled transferor-type vehicle and said V2V enabled transferee type vehicle within range of said short distance communications signals,
• operating said operator interface portion of said V2V enabled transferor type vehicle to effect transmission as a short distance communication signal of a crop material transfer request by said transferor type vehicle,
• operating said V2V enabled transferor-type vehicle and said V2V enabled transferee-type vehicle to communicate and exchange data, including logistical data sets, therebetween in order to negotiate and establish a linked pairing between said V2V enabled transferor-type vehicle and said V2V enabled transferee-type vehicle for the purpose of effecting a transfer of crop material from the linked transferor type vehicle to the linked transferee-type vehicle, said linked transferor type vehicle and linked transferee type vehicle defining a linked vehicle pair having a paired short range communication link therebetween,
• further operating said V2V enabled transferor type vehicle and said V2V enabled transferee type vehicle, when in said linked pairing, to communicate and exchange data between said linked vehicle pair,
• to establish a unified speed and positioning control for said linked vehicle pair and to effect a positioning of said linked transferee type vehicle closely adjacent to said linked transferor type vehicle suitable for transfer of crop material from said linked transferor type vehicle to said linked transferee type vehicle and the maintenance of said relative positioning therebetween, such closely adjacent positioning designated a transfer position,
• to determine, when said linked vehicle pair are in said transfer position, the continuing viability of conditions for the transfer of crop material from said linked transferor type vehicle to said linked transferee type vehicle,
• to commence, when conditions for the transfer of crop material from said linked transferor type vehicle to said linked transferee type vehicle are determined to be viable, a transfer of crop material from said linked transferor type vehicle to said linked transferee type vehicle,
• to communicate and exchange data between said linked vehicle pair during said crop material transfer, with said linked transferor type vehicle and said linked transferee type vehicle being operable to monitor the continuing viability of conditions suitable for the transfer, of crop material and to effect a termination of crop material transfer therebetween in the event of detection of non viability of conditions suitable for the continued transfer of crop material,
• said linked transferor type vehicle and said linked transferee type vehicle also being responsive to sensor inputs indicative of a crop material transfer completion condition to effect a termination of crop material transfer therebetween, and
• said linked transferor type vehicle and said linked transferee type vehicle additionally being responsive to vehicle operator inputs to effect a termination of crop material transfer therebetween,
• whereby crop material is transferable between a pair of agricultural vehicles that employ short range communications therebetween to interactively exchange data to coordinate the crop material transfer.