WO2018226139A1 - Method and control arrangement for loading - Google Patents

Method and control arrangement for loading Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2018226139A1
WO2018226139A1 PCT/SE2018/050544 SE2018050544W WO2018226139A1 WO 2018226139 A1 WO2018226139 A1 WO 2018226139A1 SE 2018050544 W SE2018050544 W SE 2018050544W WO 2018226139 A1 WO2018226139 A1 WO 2018226139A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bucket
harvester
determined
vehicle
conveyor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE2018/050544
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Marcello CIRILLO
Magnus GRANSTRÖM
Mattias Nilsson
Jiwung CHOI
Rui OLIVEIRA
Julien BIDOT
Original Assignee
Scania Cv Ab
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Scania Cv Ab filed Critical Scania Cv Ab
Priority to DE112018002261.7T priority Critical patent/DE112018002261T5/en
Publication of WO2018226139A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018226139A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D41/00—Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices
    • A01D41/12—Details of combines
    • A01D41/1208—Tanks for grain or chaff
    • A01D41/1217—Unloading mechanisms
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D43/00—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing
    • A01D43/06—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing with means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material
    • A01D43/07—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing with means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material in or into a trailer
    • A01D43/073—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing with means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material in or into a trailer with controllable discharge spout
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D43/00—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing
    • A01D43/08—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing with means for cutting up the mown crop, e.g. forage harvesters
    • A01D43/086—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing with means for cutting up the mown crop, e.g. forage harvesters and means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material
    • A01D43/087—Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing with means for cutting up the mown crop, e.g. forage harvesters and means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material with controllable discharge spout
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G67/00—Loading or unloading vehicles
    • B65G67/02—Loading or unloading land vehicles
    • B65G67/04—Loading land vehicles
    • B65G67/22—Loading moving vehicles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G69/00—Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with loading or unloading
    • B65G69/04—Spreading out the materials conveyed over the whole surface to be loaded; Trimming heaps of loose materials
    • B65G69/0408—Spreading out the materials conveyed over the whole surface to be loaded; Trimming heaps of loose materials by relatively moving an endless feeding means

Definitions

  • This document discloses a control arrangement and a method. More particularly, a control arrangement and a method are provided, for loading of a vehicle bucket.
  • a truck with one or several buckets may be loaded directly from a harvester.
  • the loading from the harvester to the truck's buckets is done by means of a conveyor belt on the harvester.
  • the truck moves its relative position to the harvester so as to start filling the next bucket, etc.
  • the relative velocity between the truck and the harvester then remains constant while loading the next bucket etc., until all buckets of the truck have been loaded; where after the truck leaves the harvesting zone and the harvester continues loading of a bucket of another truck.
  • the bucket is typically not homogeneously filled and the bucket capacity is not optimally used. Also, or alternatively, the loaded material may spill on the ground and is thereby wasted.
  • the loaded material may be e.g. salt, sand, stones, ore and other minerals, chemical compounds, etc.
  • Document US201431 1 1 13 discloses an automated unloading system. A receiving vehicle temporarily increases its ground speed, or alternately a relative speed to the harvesting vehicle, when necessary. Conversely, the receiving vehicle temporarily decreases its ground speed, or alternately a relative speed to the harvesting vehicle when necessary. Thereby an even distribution of material in the container is realised.
  • this objective is achieved by a method for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor of a harvester and a bucket of a vehicle in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester, via the conveyor, into the bucket.
  • the method comprises determining a first longitudinal limit of the bucket. Further, the method comprises determining a second longitudinal limit of the bucket.
  • the method in addition also comprises providing material from the harvester, via the conveyor, to the bucket, at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit. Furthermore, the method comprises adjusting the relative position between the conveyor of the harvester and the bucket of the vehicle within the determined first longitudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit.
  • a control ar- rangement aims at adjusting a relative position between a conveyor of a harvester and a bucket of a vehicle in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester, via the conveyor, into the bucket.
  • the control arrangement is configured to determine a first longitudinal limit of the bucket. Further, the control arrangement is additionally configured to determine a second longitudinal limit of the bucket.
  • the control arrangement is also configured to send a control signal for triggering provision of material from the harvester, via the conveyor, to the bucket, at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit.
  • the control arrangement is configured to send a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor of the harvester and the bucket of the vehicle within the determined first longi- tudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit.
  • the material is more evenly distributed in the bucket.
  • the bucket fill may be optimised, leading to enhanced effi- ciency of the mining process as more material per time unit may be transported from the mining area/ agricultural area to the destination of the collected minerals/ crops by a more homogeneous spreading.
  • material is distributed evenly in the bucket, less material is falling off the bucket during transportation, leading to less material waste. Material that falls off the bucket may also disturb transportations of other vehicles and may have to be collected and transported off.
  • less material falling off the bucket during transportation also means less work for cleaning the road.
  • loading of the vehicle bucket is improved.
  • Figure 1 A illustrates an embodiment of a group of coordinated vehicles according to a side view
  • Figure 1 B illustrates an embodiment of a group of coordinated vehicles according to a top view
  • Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a group of coordinated vehicles according to a beneath view
  • Figure 3 illustrates a vehicle interior according to an embodiment
  • Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of the method
  • Figure 5 illustrates a system according to an embodiment.
  • Embodiments of the invention described herein are defined as a control arrangement and a method in a control arrangement, which may be put into practice in the embodiments de- scribed below. These embodiments may, however, be exemplified and realised in many different forms and are not to be limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these illustrative examples of embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete. Still other objects and features may become apparent from the following detailed description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the herein disclosed embodiments, for which reference is to be made to the appended claims. Further, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and, unless oth- erwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
  • FIG. 1 A illustrates a scenario of a harvester 100 and a vehicle 102, driving in a driving direction 105, with an inter-vehicular lateral distance.
  • the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be coordinated and organised in a group of coordinated vehicles, which may comprise more than two vehicles 100, 102 in some embodiments.
  • the harvester 100 comprises a conveyor 101 , such as a conveyor belt or similar construction.
  • the vehicle 102 has one or several buckets 103 for carrying material such as salt, ore, stones, pebbles, crops, etc., in a mining/ agricultural environment, provided by the conveyor 5 101 of the harvester 100.
  • the bucket 103 may typically have a longitudinal extension which exceeds a lateral extension of the bucket 103, in some embodiments.
  • the vehicles 100, 102 may be described as a group of coordinated, inter-communicating vehicles 100, 102 travelling at given inter-vehicular distances and direction. However, in0 some embodiments, one vehicle out of the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be stationary while the other vehicle is moving.
  • the inter-vehicular distances may be the same between the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the inter-vehicular distances may be dif-5 ferent for different vehicles 100, 102; or different at distinct moments in time. Further, the lateral inter-vehicular distances may be fixed or variable in different embodiments. Thus, the lateral distances may be e.g. some centimetres, some decimetres, some meters or some tenths of meters in various embodiments, e.g. depending on the size of the conveyor 101 . 0
  • the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may cooperate in performing an operation, such as mining/ collecting salt/ ore, harvesting/ collecting minerals and similar. Further, the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 102 may be driver controlled or driverless autonomously controlled vehicles in different embodiments. However, in some embodiments, the harvester 100 may be driven by a driver while the vehicle 102 is autonomous; or vice versa.
  • the vehicle 102 typically has one or several forwardly and/ or laterally directed sensors, in order to perform the autonomous driving.
  • the harvester 100 may also have a sensor 107 configured to detect limits of the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102.
  • the sensor 107 may comprise e.g. a camera, a stereo camera, an infrared camera, a video camera, a radar, a lidar, an0 ultrasound device, a time-of-flight camera, or similar device, in different embodiments.
  • the vehicle 102, or the harvester 100 may comprise a plurality of sensors 107 which may be of the same, or different kinds, such as e.g. a radar and a camera; a lidar and a radar, etc.
  • the relative velocity of the vehicle 102 and the harvester 100 is altered while loading the material.
  • the oscillations may be such that the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 all the time during the loading remains within/ over the bucket 103 being filled, thus allowing for a more homogeneous spreading of the material.
  • an oscillating relative movement in at least the longitudinal direction, i.e. in the driving direction 105 is created, creating an even distribution of the loaded material into the bucket 103, leading to a better filling up of the bucket 103 and less material wasted on the ground.
  • Figure 1 B depicts a top view of the vehicles 100, 102 previously illustrated in Figure 1 A.
  • the vehicles 100, 102 are driving in the driving direction 105 while the harvester 100 is loading material into the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 via the conveyor 101 .
  • the bucket 103 comprises a first longitudinal limit 110 and a second longitudinal limit 120, in the driving direction 105.
  • the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be situated substantially at the forward and rear ends, respectively, of the bucket 103; or alternatively be situated with a safety margin, i.e. a predetermined or configurable distance, within said respective forward and rear ends of the bucket 103.
  • the bucket 103 may comprise a first lateral limit 130 and a second lateral limit 140 in some embodiments.
  • the lateral limits 130, 140 may be substantially perpendicular to the previously defined longitudinal limits 1 10, 120.
  • the lateral limits 130, 140 may be situated substantially at the right-side end and left-side end, respectively, of the bucket 103 (in the driving direction 105 of the vehicle 102); or alternatively be situated with a safety margin, i.e. a predetermined or configurable distance, within said respective right side end/ left side end of the bucket 103.
  • Material may be provided from the harvester 100 to the bucket 103, via the conveyor 101 , at a longitudinal position between the first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the second longitudinal limit 120, whereas the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 is adjusted in an oscillating manner, thereby distributing the material evenly between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 of the bucket 103.
  • the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be made by adjusting (continuously increasing/ decreasing) the speed of the vehicle 102, in relation to the speed of the harvester 100, while the harvester 100 is driving in the driving direction 105 in a constant speed.
  • An advantage with this embodiment may be that the harvester 100 may be driven by a driver while the vehicle 102 is autonomous and adapt to the speed of the harvester 100 by performing the oscillating movement pattern for distributing the load.
  • Yet an advantage is 5 that the harvester 100 may be immobile while the oscillation yet is created.
  • the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be made by adjusting (continuously increasing/ decreasing) the speed of the harvester 100, in relation to the speed of the vehicle 102, while the vehicle 102 is driving in the driving direction 105 in 10 a constant speed.
  • This embodiment may be an advantage in case the harvester 100 is an autonomous vehicle, following the vehicle 102.
  • the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be made by adjusting (continuously increasing/ decreasing) both the speed of the harvester 15 100, in relation to the speed of the vehicle 102, and the speed of the vehicle 102, in relation to the speed of the harvester 100, in a synchronised way.
  • the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be 20 made by adjusting the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100, e.g. by a rotating and/ or transla- tional movement of the conveyor 101 , within the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120.
  • the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be driving in the driving direction 105 in a constant speed. This embodiment may be advantageous, as both the vehicles 100, 102 then may drive at a constant speed or alternatively, the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 25 102 may not have to drive at all.
  • the harvester 100 may for example be static.
  • the speed of the harvester 100, and/ or the speed of the vehicle 102 may be oscillated in a synchronised manner; i.e. synchronised with each other and also with the movement of the conveyor 101 . Thereby less adjustment is made at each respective vehicle 100, 102 and at the conveyor 101 .
  • the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may oscillate in the driving direction 105, in relation to the vehicle 102 and/ or the harvester 100.
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may be made within the first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the second longitudinal limit 120, and also within the first lateral limit 130 and the second lateral limit 140; i.e. by also creating a lateral oscillating relative movement between the bucket 103 and the conveyor 101 .
  • This embodiment may be in particular advantageous when the bucket 103 has a quadratic shape, or when the bucket 103 has a larger extension in lateral direction than in longitudinal direction.
  • the lateral oscillating movement for distributing material between lateral limits 130, 140 may be created in various manners, e.g. by oscillating the conveyor 101 laterally between the lateral limits 130, 140; by oscillating the bucket 103 and/ or vehicle 102 laterally; and/ or by oscillating the harvester 100 laterally in relation to the vehicle 102/ bucket 103.
  • the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 102 may be stationary.
  • the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 and/ or the lateral limits 130, 140 of the bucket 103 may be made by adjusting the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100, e.g. by a rotating and/ or translational movement of the conveyor 101 in some embodiments.
  • the material loading of the conveyor 101 may be halted and the vehicle 102 may be transported for placing another bucket of the vehicle 102 under the conveyor 101 .
  • the vehicle 102 may 25 drive away and another vehicle with a bucket may arrive, where after the harvester 100 and the conveyor 101 may continue filling the bucket of the newly arrived vehicle according to any of the above described embodiments.
  • FIG 2 depicts yet a view of the vehicles 100, 102 previously illustrated in Figure 1A and 30 Figure 1 B, as regarded from beneath.
  • the vehicles 100, 102 are driving in the driving direction 105 while the harvester 100 is loading material into the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 via the conveyor 101 .
  • the vehicle 102 comprises at least two wheel axles 35 210, 220 beneath the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102, such as a forward wheel axle 210 and a rear wheel axle 220.
  • the weight of the load on the respective wheel axle 210, 220 may be estimated, e.g. by pressure sensors arranged at each respective wheel axle 210, 220.
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may in some embodiments be made in order to equal the respective axle loads of the wheel axles 210, 220.
  • the loaded material of the bucket 103 may be evenly distributed in longitudinal direction, based on the weight distribution of the bucket 103 as determined at the forward wheel axle 210 and the rear wheel axle 220.
  • Figure 3 illustrates an example of a scenario as previously illustrated in Figure 1A, Figure 1 B, and Figure 2 as it may be perceived by a hypothetical driver of the vehicle 102 with the bucket 103, keeping in mind that the vehicle 102 may be an autonomous vehicle without a driver.
  • the vehicle 102 may comprise a control arrangement 310, for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor 101 of a harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103.
  • the vehicle 102 may comprise a wireless communication device 320, configured to provide various information related to the inter-vehicular cooperation between the vehicle 102 and the harvester 100.
  • This information may for example comprise a lateral distance between the bucket 103 and the harvester 100 to keep by the follower vehicle 102; a longitudinal velocity interval, to alter the vehicle speed within for creating the oscillating movement when loading material into the bucket 103, and other similar information for coordinating and cooperating the movements between the vehicle 102 and the harvester 100.
  • the control arrangement 310 may also interpret the received signals into information, and also apply this received information, e.g. by adjusting the speed of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute the load on the bucket 103.
  • This information may in some embodiments be outputted to the driver via an output unit 330, 340 of the vehicle 102.
  • the output unit 330, 340 may comprise a display, a loudspeaker, a projector, a head-up display, a display integrated in the windshield of the vehicle 102, a display integrated in the dashboard of the vehicle 102, a tactile device, a portable device of the vehicle driver/ owner, intelligent glasses, i.e. an optical head-mounted display, that is designed in the shape of a pair of eyeglasses of the vehicle driver/ owner, etc., an augmented reality device, an intelli- gent watch, etc.; or a combination thereof.
  • the vehicle 102 may further comprise an adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e.
  • the adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e may comprise e.g. a driving wheel 350a for making lateral adjustments; and/ or a brake 350b, a clutch pedal 350c, an accelerator 350d and/ or gearbox 350e for making a longitudinal adjustment of the vehicle position in relation to the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100.
  • the adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e may be configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 5 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, and/ or the first lateral limit 130 and the second lateral limit 140 of the bucket 103.
  • the adjustment devices 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e in the illustration have a design adapted for humanoid driver intervention. In other embodiments however, the same functionalities may be applied in an au- 10 tonomous vehicle 102, possibly having a distinct design.
  • the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be driving in the same driving direction 105 while the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 is loaded by the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100.
  • the harvester 100, or the driver of the harvester 100 may determine 15 the harvester 100 speed and send the result to the vehicle 102 via the wireless communication device 320.
  • the vehicle 102 may then determine an appropriate speed interval to oscillated within, in order to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester
  • the 101 of the harvester 100 may be provided via a loudspeaker 330, while the conveyor position and the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 of the bucket 103 is provided on a display 340.
  • the various entities on-board the vehicle 102 may communicate with each other via e.g. a wired or wireless communication bus.
  • the communication bus may comprise e.g. a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus, or similar.
  • CAN Controller Area Network
  • MOST Media Oriented Systems Transport
  • the communication may alternatively be made over a wireless connection com- 30 prising, or at least be inspired by any of the previously discussed wireless communication technologies.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method 400 according to an embodiment.
  • the flow chart in Figure 4 shows the method 400 in a control arrangement 310.
  • the control arrangement 35 310 may be situated in a vehicle 102, comprised in a group of coordinated vehicles 100, 102 in a formation for performing a task.
  • the control arrangement 310 may be situated in a vehicle external structure, or in a harvester 100.
  • the method 400 aims at adjusting a relative position between a conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103.
  • the vehicles 100, 102 in the coordinated group may be driving at a lateral distance in relation to each other, e.g. in a mine, agricultural field or similar environment.
  • the method 400 may comprise a num- ber of steps 401-407. Further, the described steps 401 -407 may be performed in a somewhat different chronological order than the numbering suggests. Some method steps such as e.g. step 403-404, or 406 may be performed only in some embodiments.
  • the method 400 may comprise the subsequent steps: Step 401 comprises determining a first longitudinal limit 1 10 of the bucket 103.
  • the first longitudinal limit 1 10 may be situated at the most forward situated limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined distance from the most forward situated limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
  • Step 402 comprises determining a second longitudinal limit 120 of the bucket 103.
  • the second longitudinal limit 120 may be situated at the most rear situated limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined dis- tance from the most rear situated limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
  • Step 403 which only may be comprised in some embodiments, comprises determining a first lateral limit 130 of the bucket 103.
  • the first lateral limit 130 may be situated at the right-side limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined distance from the right- side limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
  • Step 404 which only may be comprised in some embodiments, comprises determining a second lateral limit 140 of the bucket 103.
  • the second lateral limit 140 may be situated at the left-side limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined distance from the left-side limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
  • Step 405 comprises providing material from the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , to the bucket 103, at a longitudinal position between the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
  • Step 406 which only may be comprised in some embodiments, comprises determining axle load on at least two wheel axles 210, 220 beneath the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102.
  • the respective axle loads may be measured e.g. by one or several load sensors in some embodiments.
  • Step 407 comprises adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may comprise oscillating the conveyor 101 of the harvester
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may in some embodiments comprise oscillating the speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the deter- mined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 comprises oscillating both the conveyor
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may alternatively be made within the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120, and also within the determined 403 first lateral limit 130 and the determined 404 second lateral limit 140.
  • the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 is made in order to equal the respective determined 406 axle loads of the wheel axles 210, 220.
  • the adjustment may comprise adjustment of speed of the vehicle 102.
  • Figure 5 illustrates a system 500 for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor 101 of a harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of a vehicle 100 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103.
  • the system 500 comprises a control arrangement 310, which may be comprised in the vehicle 102, in the harvester 100, or at a vehicle external structure in different embodiments.
  • the control arrangement 310 may be configured for performing the described method 400 according to at least some of the previously described method steps 401 -407.
  • the control arrangement 310 is configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103.
  • the control arrangement 310 is configured to determine a first longitudinal limit 1 10 of the bucket 103. Further, the control arrangement 310 is configured to determine a second longitudinal limit 120 of the bucket 103.
  • the control arrangement 310 is in addition configured to send a control signal for triggering provision of material from the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , to the bucket 103, at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120. Furthermore, the control arrangement 310 is con- figured to send a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 100 within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120.
  • the control arrangement 310 may in some embodiments be further configured to send the control signal for oscillating the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, thereby adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102. In some embodiments, the control arrangement 310 may be further configured to send the control signal for oscillating the speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120.
  • the control arrangement 310 may in some embodiments be configured to send the control signal for oscillating both the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, and oscillating the 5 speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120.
  • control arrangement 310 may be configured to determine a first lateral limit 130 of the bucket 103. Also, the control arrangement 310 may be configured to determine a
  • control arrangement 310 may be configured to transmit a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 comprises information for performing the adjustment within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, and also within the determined first lateral limit 130 and
  • the control arrangement 310 may also in some embodiments be configured to determine axle load on at least two wheel axles 210, 220 beneath the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102. Also, the control arrangement 310 may be configured to transmit a control signal for adjusting 20 the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 comprises information for equalling the respective determined axle loads of the wheel axles 210, 220.
  • the system 500 also comprises a sensor 107 configured to detect a first longitudinal limit 25 1 10 and a second longitudinal limit 120 of the bucket 103.
  • the system 500 furthermore comprises an adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the deter- 30 mined second longitudinal limit 120.
  • control arrangement 310 may be further configured to obtain information via a wireless communication interface, from a wireless communication device of the harvester 100.
  • the control arrangement 310 may further comprise a processing circuit 520, configured for performing various calculations and computations in order to perform the method 400, according to the previously described steps 401 -407.
  • processing circuit 520 may comprise one or more instances of a processing circuit, i.e. a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a processing unit, a processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, or other processing logic that may interpret and 5 execute instructions.
  • CPU Central Processing Unit
  • ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
  • microprocessor or other processing logic that may interpret and 5 execute instructions.
  • the herein utilised expression "processing circuit” may thus represent a processing circuitry comprising a plurality of processing circuits, such as, e.g., any, some or all of the ones enumerated above.
  • control arrangement 310 may comprise a memory 525 in some embodi- 10 ments.
  • the optional memory 525 may comprise a physical device utilised to store data or programs, i.e., sequences of instructions, on a temporary or permanent basis.
  • the memory 525 may comprise integrated circuits comprising silicon- based transistors.
  • the memory 525 may comprise e.g. a memory card, a flash memory, a USB memory, a hard disc, or another similar volatile or non-volatile storage unit for storing 15 data such as e.g. ROM (Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable PROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), etc. in different embodiments.
  • a computer program product comprising instructions for performing the method steps 401 -407 in the control arrangement 310 may perform the method 400 comprising at least some of the method steps 401 -407 for adjusting 25 a relative position between a conveyor 101 of a harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of a vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103, when the computer program is loaded into the one or more processing circuits 520 of the control arrangement 310.
  • the described method steps 401 -407 may thus be performed by a computer algorithm, a machine executable code, a non-transitory computer- 30 readable medium, an appropriately configured hardware or a software instructions programmed into a suitable programmable logic such as the processor in the control arrangement 310.
  • the computer program product mentioned above may be provided for instance in the form 35 of a data carrier carrying computer program code for performing at least some of the method step 401 -407 according to some embodiments when being loaded into the one or more processors of the control arrangement 310.
  • the data carrier may be, e.g., a hard disk, a CD ROM disc, a memory stick, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device or any other appropriate medium such as a disk or tape that may hold machine readable data in a non- transitory manner.
  • the computer program product may furthermore be provided as computer program code on a server and downloaded to the control arrangement 310 remotely, e.g., over an Internet or an intranet connection.
  • the term “and/ or” comprises any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
  • the term “or” as used herein, is to be interpreted as a mathematical OR, i.e., as an inclusive disjunction; not as a mathematical exclusive OR (XOR), unless expressly stated otherwise.
  • the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are to be interpreted as “at least one”, thus also possibly comprising a plurality of entities of the same kind, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Abstract

Method (400) and control arrangement (310) for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor (101) of a harvester (100) and a bucket (103) of a vehicle (102) in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101), into the bucket (103). The method (400) comprises determining (401) a first longitudinal limit (110) of the bucket (103); determining (402) a second longitudinal limit (120) of the bucket (103); providing (405) material from the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101), to the bucket (103), at a longitudinal position between the determined (401) first longitudinal limit (110) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120); and adjusting (407) the relative position between the conveyor (101) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) within the determined (401) first longitudinal limit (110) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120).

Description

METHOD AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR LOADING
TECHNICAL FIELD
This document discloses a control arrangement and a method. More particularly, a control arrangement and a method are provided, for loading of a vehicle bucket.
BACKGROUND
In e.g. salt mines, a truck with one or several buckets may be loaded directly from a harvester. The loading from the harvester to the truck's buckets is done by means of a conveyor belt on the harvester. When the driver of the harvester or the driver of the truck observes that one of the buckets is filled, the truck moves its relative position to the harvester so as to start filling the next bucket, etc. The relative velocity between the truck and the harvester then remains constant while loading the next bucket etc., until all buckets of the truck have been loaded; where after the truck leaves the harvesting zone and the harvester continues loading of a bucket of another truck.
However, when the truck with the bucket and the harvester are driving in parallel with constant velocity, the bucket is typically not homogeneously filled and the bucket capacity is not optimally used. Also, or alternatively, the loaded material may spill on the ground and is thereby wasted.
The loaded material may be e.g. salt, sand, stones, ore and other minerals, chemical compounds, etc. Document US201431 1 1 13 discloses an automated unloading system. A receiving vehicle temporarily increases its ground speed, or alternately a relative speed to the harvesting vehicle, when necessary. Conversely, the receiving vehicle temporarily decreases its ground speed, or alternately a relative speed to the harvesting vehicle when necessary. Thereby an even distribution of material in the container is realised.
The methodology which is presented in the document is however limited to usage for agricultural material in an agricultural environment.
It appears that further development is required for improving bucket loading from a harvester.
SUMMARY
It is therefore an object of this invention to solve at least some of the above problems and improve loading of a vehicle bucket.
According to a first aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a method for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor of a harvester and a bucket of a vehicle in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester, via the conveyor, into the bucket. The method comprises determining a first longitudinal limit of the bucket. Further, the method comprises determining a second longitudinal limit of the bucket. The method in addition also comprises providing material from the harvester, via the conveyor, to the bucket, at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit. Furthermore, the method comprises adjusting the relative position between the conveyor of the harvester and the bucket of the vehicle within the determined first longitudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit.
According to a second aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a control ar- rangement. The control arrangement aims at adjusting a relative position between a conveyor of a harvester and a bucket of a vehicle in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester, via the conveyor, into the bucket. The control arrangement is configured to determine a first longitudinal limit of the bucket. Further, the control arrangement is additionally configured to determine a second longitudinal limit of the bucket. The control arrangement is also configured to send a control signal for triggering provision of material from the harvester, via the conveyor, to the bucket, at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit. In further addition, the control arrangement is configured to send a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor of the harvester and the bucket of the vehicle within the determined first longi- tudinal limit and the determined second longitudinal limit.
Thanks to the described aspects, by adjusting the relative position between the conveyor of the harvester and the bucket of the vehicle during loading, the material is more evenly distributed in the bucket. Thereby, the bucket fill may be optimised, leading to enhanced effi- ciency of the mining process as more material per time unit may be transported from the mining area/ agricultural area to the destination of the collected minerals/ crops by a more homogeneous spreading. In addition, as material is distributed evenly in the bucket, less material is falling off the bucket during transportation, leading to less material waste. Material that falls off the bucket may also disturb transportations of other vehicles and may have to be collected and transported off. Thus, less material falling off the bucket during transportation also means less work for cleaning the road. Thereby, loading of the vehicle bucket is improved. Other advantages and additional novel features will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description.
FIGURES
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
Figure 1 A illustrates an embodiment of a group of coordinated vehicles according to a side view;
Figure 1 B illustrates an embodiment of a group of coordinated vehicles according to a top view;
Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a group of coordinated vehicles according to a beneath view;
Figure 3 illustrates a vehicle interior according to an embodiment;
Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of the method;
Figure 5 illustrates a system according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments of the invention described herein are defined as a control arrangement and a method in a control arrangement, which may be put into practice in the embodiments de- scribed below. These embodiments may, however, be exemplified and realised in many different forms and are not to be limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these illustrative examples of embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete. Still other objects and features may become apparent from the following detailed description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the herein disclosed embodiments, for which reference is to be made to the appended claims. Further, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and, unless oth- erwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
Figure 1 A illustrates a scenario of a harvester 100 and a vehicle 102, driving in a driving direction 105, with an inter-vehicular lateral distance. The harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be coordinated and organised in a group of coordinated vehicles, which may comprise more than two vehicles 100, 102 in some embodiments. The harvester 100 comprises a conveyor 101 , such as a conveyor belt or similar construction. The vehicle 102 has one or several buckets 103 for carrying material such as salt, ore, stones, pebbles, crops, etc., in a mining/ agricultural environment, provided by the conveyor 5 101 of the harvester 100. The bucket 103 may typically have a longitudinal extension which exceeds a lateral extension of the bucket 103, in some embodiments.
The vehicles 100, 102 may be described as a group of coordinated, inter-communicating vehicles 100, 102 travelling at given inter-vehicular distances and direction. However, in0 some embodiments, one vehicle out of the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be stationary while the other vehicle is moving.
The inter-vehicular distances may be the same between the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the inter-vehicular distances may be dif-5 ferent for different vehicles 100, 102; or different at distinct moments in time. Further, the lateral inter-vehicular distances may be fixed or variable in different embodiments. Thus, the lateral distances may be e.g. some centimetres, some decimetres, some meters or some tenths of meters in various embodiments, e.g. depending on the size of the conveyor 101 . 0 The harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may cooperate in performing an operation, such as mining/ collecting salt/ ore, harvesting/ collecting minerals and similar. Further, the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 102 may be driver controlled or driverless autonomously controlled vehicles in different embodiments. However, in some embodiments, the harvester 100 may be driven by a driver while the vehicle 102 is autonomous; or vice versa.
5
The vehicle 102 typically has one or several forwardly and/ or laterally directed sensors, in order to perform the autonomous driving. The harvester 100 may also have a sensor 107 configured to detect limits of the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102. The sensor 107 may comprise e.g. a camera, a stereo camera, an infrared camera, a video camera, a radar, a lidar, an0 ultrasound device, a time-of-flight camera, or similar device, in different embodiments. In some embodiments, the vehicle 102, or the harvester 100 may comprise a plurality of sensors 107 which may be of the same, or different kinds, such as e.g. a radar and a camera; a lidar and a radar, etc. 5 It is desired to enable homogeneous and efficient load of each bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 when loaded by the harvester 100, for enhanced efficiency when filling up the bucket 103 as much as possible. It is also desired to avoid that loaded material falls of the bucket 103, as it decreases efficiency. The fallen off material may be wasted when laying on the ground and being surpassed by the vehicle 102, the harvester 100 and/ or other vehicles around.
The relative velocity of the vehicle 102 and the harvester 100, or rather: the relative velocity between the bucket 103 and the conveyor 101 is altered while loading the material. The oscillations may be such that the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 all the time during the loading remains within/ over the bucket 103 being filled, thus allowing for a more homogeneous spreading of the material. Thereby, an oscillating relative movement in at least the longitudinal direction, i.e. in the driving direction 105 is created, creating an even distribution of the loaded material into the bucket 103, leading to a better filling up of the bucket 103 and less material wasted on the ground.
Figure 1 B depicts a top view of the vehicles 100, 102 previously illustrated in Figure 1 A. The vehicles 100, 102 are driving in the driving direction 105 while the harvester 100 is loading material into the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 via the conveyor 101 .
The bucket 103 comprises a first longitudinal limit 110 and a second longitudinal limit 120, in the driving direction 105. The longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be situated substantially at the forward and rear ends, respectively, of the bucket 103; or alternatively be situated with a safety margin, i.e. a predetermined or configurable distance, within said respective forward and rear ends of the bucket 103.
Further, the bucket 103 may comprise a first lateral limit 130 and a second lateral limit 140 in some embodiments. The lateral limits 130, 140 may be substantially perpendicular to the previously defined longitudinal limits 1 10, 120. The lateral limits 130, 140 may be situated substantially at the right-side end and left-side end, respectively, of the bucket 103 (in the driving direction 105 of the vehicle 102); or alternatively be situated with a safety margin, i.e. a predetermined or configurable distance, within said respective right side end/ left side end of the bucket 103.
Material may be provided from the harvester 100 to the bucket 103, via the conveyor 101 , at a longitudinal position between the first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the second longitudinal limit 120, whereas the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 is adjusted in an oscillating manner, thereby distributing the material evenly between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 of the bucket 103.
The oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be made by adjusting (continuously increasing/ decreasing) the speed of the vehicle 102, in relation to the speed of the harvester 100, while the harvester 100 is driving in the driving direction 105 in a constant speed. An advantage with this embodiment may be that the harvester 100 may be driven by a driver while the vehicle 102 is autonomous and adapt to the speed of the harvester 100 by performing the oscillating movement pattern for distributing the load. Yet an advantage is 5 that the harvester 100 may be immobile while the oscillation yet is created.
In other embodiments, the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be made by adjusting (continuously increasing/ decreasing) the speed of the harvester 100, in relation to the speed of the vehicle 102, while the vehicle 102 is driving in the driving direction 105 in 10 a constant speed. This embodiment may be an advantage in case the harvester 100 is an autonomous vehicle, following the vehicle 102.
In yet other embodiments, the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be made by adjusting (continuously increasing/ decreasing) both the speed of the harvester 15 100, in relation to the speed of the vehicle 102, and the speed of the vehicle 102, in relation to the speed of the harvester 100, in a synchronised way. An advantage with this embodiment is that less speed adjustment is made at each respective vehicle 100, 102.
In yet other embodiments, the oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 may be 20 made by adjusting the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100, e.g. by a rotating and/ or transla- tional movement of the conveyor 101 , within the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120. In some embodiments, the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be driving in the driving direction 105 in a constant speed. This embodiment may be advantageous, as both the vehicles 100, 102 then may drive at a constant speed or alternatively, the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 25 102 may not have to drive at all. The harvester 100 may for example be static. Alternatively, also the speed of the harvester 100, and/ or the speed of the vehicle 102 may be oscillated in a synchronised manner; i.e. synchronised with each other and also with the movement of the conveyor 101 . Thereby less adjustment is made at each respective vehicle 100, 102 and at the conveyor 101 .
30
In some further embodiments, the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may oscillate in the driving direction 105, in relation to the vehicle 102 and/ or the harvester 100. An advantage is that both the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may drive at a constant speed; or alternatively, the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 102 may not have to drive at all.
35
In some embodiments, the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may be made within the first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the second longitudinal limit 120, and also within the first lateral limit 130 and the second lateral limit 140; i.e. by also creating a lateral oscillating relative movement between the bucket 103 and the conveyor 101 . This embodiment may be in particular advantageous when the bucket 103 has a quadratic shape, or when the bucket 103 has a larger extension in lateral direction than in longitudinal direction.
5
The lateral oscillating movement for distributing material between lateral limits 130, 140 may be created in various manners, e.g. by oscillating the conveyor 101 laterally between the lateral limits 130, 140; by oscillating the bucket 103 and/ or vehicle 102 laterally; and/ or by oscillating the harvester 100 laterally in relation to the vehicle 102/ bucket 103.
10
As previously mentioned, the harvester 100 and/ or the vehicle 102 may be stationary. The oscillation between the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 and/ or the lateral limits 130, 140 of the bucket 103 may be made by adjusting the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100, e.g. by a rotating and/ or translational movement of the conveyor 101 in some embodiments.
15
All, or a subset of the various enumerated described embodiments may with advantage be combined, in some embodiments.
When the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 has been filled according to any of the above de- 20 scribed embodiments, or any combination of them (which may be determined e.g. based on sensor detection, by weight measurement of the bucket 103/ vehicle 102, by visual inspection, etc.) the material loading of the conveyor 101 may be halted and the vehicle 102 may be transported for placing another bucket of the vehicle 102 under the conveyor 101 . Alternatively, in case the vehicle 102 does not have any empty buckets to fill, the vehicle 102 may 25 drive away and another vehicle with a bucket may arrive, where after the harvester 100 and the conveyor 101 may continue filling the bucket of the newly arrived vehicle according to any of the above described embodiments.
Figure 2 depicts yet a view of the vehicles 100, 102 previously illustrated in Figure 1A and 30 Figure 1 B, as regarded from beneath. The vehicles 100, 102 are driving in the driving direction 105 while the harvester 100 is loading material into the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 via the conveyor 101 .
In the illustrated non-limiting example, the vehicle 102 comprises at least two wheel axles 35 210, 220 beneath the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102, such as a forward wheel axle 210 and a rear wheel axle 220.
The weight of the load on the respective wheel axle 210, 220 may be estimated, e.g. by pressure sensors arranged at each respective wheel axle 210, 220. The adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may in some embodiments be made in order to equal the respective axle loads of the wheel axles 210, 220. Thereby, the loaded material of the bucket 103 may be evenly distributed in longitudinal direction, based on the weight distribution of the bucket 103 as determined at the forward wheel axle 210 and the rear wheel axle 220.
Figure 3 illustrates an example of a scenario as previously illustrated in Figure 1A, Figure 1 B, and Figure 2 as it may be perceived by a hypothetical driver of the vehicle 102 with the bucket 103, keeping in mind that the vehicle 102 may be an autonomous vehicle without a driver.
The vehicle 102 may comprise a control arrangement 310, for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor 101 of a harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103.
Further the vehicle 102 may comprise a wireless communication device 320, configured to provide various information related to the inter-vehicular cooperation between the vehicle 102 and the harvester 100. This information may for example comprise a lateral distance between the bucket 103 and the harvester 100 to keep by the follower vehicle 102; a longitudinal velocity interval, to alter the vehicle speed within for creating the oscillating movement when loading material into the bucket 103, and other similar information for coordinating and cooperating the movements between the vehicle 102 and the harvester 100. The control arrangement 310 may also interpret the received signals into information, and also apply this received information, e.g. by adjusting the speed of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute the load on the bucket 103. This information may in some embodiments be outputted to the driver via an output unit 330, 340 of the vehicle 102. The output unit 330, 340 may comprise a display, a loudspeaker, a projector, a head-up display, a display integrated in the windshield of the vehicle 102, a display integrated in the dashboard of the vehicle 102, a tactile device, a portable device of the vehicle driver/ owner, intelligent glasses, i.e. an optical head-mounted display, that is designed in the shape of a pair of eyeglasses of the vehicle driver/ owner, etc., an augmented reality device, an intelli- gent watch, etc.; or a combination thereof.
The vehicle 102 may further comprise an adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e. The adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e may comprise e.g. a driving wheel 350a for making lateral adjustments; and/ or a brake 350b, a clutch pedal 350c, an accelerator 350d and/ or gearbox 350e for making a longitudinal adjustment of the vehicle position in relation to the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100. Thus, the adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e may be configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 5 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, and/ or the first lateral limit 130 and the second lateral limit 140 of the bucket 103. The adjustment devices 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d, 350e in the illustration have a design adapted for humanoid driver intervention. In other embodiments however, the same functionalities may be applied in an au- 10 tonomous vehicle 102, possibly having a distinct design.
In some embodiments, the harvester 100 and the vehicle 102 may be driving in the same driving direction 105 while the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 is loaded by the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100. The harvester 100, or the driver of the harvester 100, may determine 15 the harvester 100 speed and send the result to the vehicle 102 via the wireless communication device 320. The vehicle 102 may then determine an appropriate speed interval to oscillated within, in order to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester
100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the second longitudinal limit 120.
20
In this illustrated non-limiting embodiment, an instruction to adjust the speed of the vehicle 102 in order to adjust the longitudinal position of the vehicle 102 in relation to the conveyor
101 of the harvester 100 may be provided via a loudspeaker 330, while the conveyor position and the longitudinal limits 1 10, 120 of the bucket 103 is provided on a display 340.
25
The various entities on-board the vehicle 102 may communicate with each other via e.g. a wired or wireless communication bus. The communication bus may comprise e.g. a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus, or similar. However, the communication may alternatively be made over a wireless connection com- 30 prising, or at least be inspired by any of the previously discussed wireless communication technologies.
Figure 4 illustrates an example of a method 400 according to an embodiment. The flow chart in Figure 4 shows the method 400 in a control arrangement 310. The control arrangement 35 310 may be situated in a vehicle 102, comprised in a group of coordinated vehicles 100, 102 in a formation for performing a task. In other alternative embodiments, the control arrangement 310 may be situated in a vehicle external structure, or in a harvester 100. The method 400 aims at adjusting a relative position between a conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103. The vehicles 100, 102 in the coordinated group may be driving at a lateral distance in relation to each other, e.g. in a mine, agricultural field or similar environment.
In order to correctly be able to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102, the method 400 may comprise a num- ber of steps 401-407. Further, the described steps 401 -407 may be performed in a somewhat different chronological order than the numbering suggests. Some method steps such as e.g. step 403-404, or 406 may be performed only in some embodiments. The method 400 may comprise the subsequent steps: Step 401 comprises determining a first longitudinal limit 1 10 of the bucket 103.
The first longitudinal limit 1 10 may be situated at the most forward situated limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined distance from the most forward situated limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
Step 402 comprises determining a second longitudinal limit 120 of the bucket 103.
The second longitudinal limit 120 may be situated at the most rear situated limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined dis- tance from the most rear situated limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
Step 403, which only may be comprised in some embodiments, comprises determining a first lateral limit 130 of the bucket 103. The first lateral limit 130 may be situated at the right-side limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined distance from the right- side limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
Step 404, which only may be comprised in some embodiments, comprises determining a second lateral limit 140 of the bucket 103.
The second lateral limit 140 may be situated at the left-side limit of the bucket 103, as regarded in the direction of transportation 105, or situated at a predetermined distance from the left-side limit of the bucket 103, within the bucket 103.
Step 405 comprises providing material from the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , to the bucket 103, at a longitudinal position between the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
Step 406, which only may be comprised in some embodiments, comprises determining axle load on at least two wheel axles 210, 220 beneath the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102. The respective axle loads may be measured e.g. by one or several load sensors in some embodiments.
Step 407 comprises adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
The adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may comprise oscillating the conveyor 101 of the harvester
100 between the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
The adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may in some embodiments comprise oscillating the speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the deter- mined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
Furthermore, the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 comprises oscillating both the conveyor
101 of the harvester 100 between the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120, and oscillating the speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120.
The adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 may alternatively be made within the determined 401 first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined 402 second longitudinal limit 120, and also within the determined 403 first lateral limit 130 and the determined 404 second lateral limit 140. In addition, the adjustment of the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 is made in order to equal the respective determined 406 axle loads of the wheel axles 210, 220. Further, in some embodiments, the adjustment may comprise adjustment of speed of the vehicle 102.
Figure 5 illustrates a system 500 for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor 101 of a harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of a vehicle 100 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103.
The system 500 comprises a control arrangement 310, which may be comprised in the vehicle 102, in the harvester 100, or at a vehicle external structure in different embodiments. The control arrangement 310 may be configured for performing the described method 400 according to at least some of the previously described method steps 401 -407. The control arrangement 310 is configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103. The control arrangement 310 is configured to determine a first longitudinal limit 1 10 of the bucket 103. Further, the control arrangement 310 is configured to determine a second longitudinal limit 120 of the bucket 103. The control arrangement 310 is in addition configured to send a control signal for triggering provision of material from the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , to the bucket 103, at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120. Furthermore, the control arrangement 310 is con- figured to send a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 100 within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120.
The control arrangement 310 may in some embodiments be further configured to send the control signal for oscillating the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, thereby adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102. In some embodiments, the control arrangement 310 may be further configured to send the control signal for oscillating the speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120. The control arrangement 310 may in some embodiments be configured to send the control signal for oscillating both the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, and oscillating the 5 speed of the vehicle 102 for maintaining the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 between the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120.
Additionally, the control arrangement 310 may be configured to determine a first lateral limit 130 of the bucket 103. Also, the control arrangement 310 may be configured to determine a
10 second lateral limit 140 of the bucket 103. Further, the control arrangement 310 may be configured to transmit a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 comprises information for performing the adjustment within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the determined second longitudinal limit 120, and also within the determined first lateral limit 130 and
15 the determined second lateral limit 140.
The control arrangement 310 may also in some embodiments be configured to determine axle load on at least two wheel axles 210, 220 beneath the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102. Also, the control arrangement 310 may be configured to transmit a control signal for adjusting 20 the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 comprises information for equalling the respective determined axle loads of the wheel axles 210, 220.
The system 500 also comprises a sensor 107 configured to detect a first longitudinal limit 25 1 10 and a second longitudinal limit 120 of the bucket 103.
The system 500 furthermore comprises an adjustment device 350a, 350b, 350c, 350d configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor 101 of the harvester 100 and the bucket 103 of the vehicle 102 within the determined first longitudinal limit 1 10 and the deter- 30 mined second longitudinal limit 120.
In some embodiments, the control arrangement 310 may be further configured to obtain information via a wireless communication interface, from a wireless communication device of the harvester 100.
35
The control arrangement 310 may further comprise a processing circuit 520, configured for performing various calculations and computations in order to perform the method 400, according to the previously described steps 401 -407. Such processing circuit 520 may comprise one or more instances of a processing circuit, i.e. a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a processing unit, a processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, or other processing logic that may interpret and 5 execute instructions. The herein utilised expression "processing circuit" may thus represent a processing circuitry comprising a plurality of processing circuits, such as, e.g., any, some or all of the ones enumerated above.
Furthermore, the control arrangement 310 may comprise a memory 525 in some embodi- 10 ments. The optional memory 525 may comprise a physical device utilised to store data or programs, i.e., sequences of instructions, on a temporary or permanent basis. According to some embodiments, the memory 525 may comprise integrated circuits comprising silicon- based transistors. The memory 525 may comprise e.g. a memory card, a flash memory, a USB memory, a hard disc, or another similar volatile or non-volatile storage unit for storing 15 data such as e.g. ROM (Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable PROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), etc. in different embodiments.
The previously described method steps 401 -407 to be performed in the control arrangement 20 310 may be implemented through the one or more processing circuits 520 within the control arrangement 310, together with computer program product for performing at least some of the functions of the method steps 401 -407. Thus, a computer program product, comprising instructions for performing the method steps 401 -407 in the control arrangement 310 may perform the method 400 comprising at least some of the method steps 401 -407 for adjusting 25 a relative position between a conveyor 101 of a harvester 100 and a bucket 103 of a vehicle 102 in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester 100, via the conveyor 101 , into the bucket 103, when the computer program is loaded into the one or more processing circuits 520 of the control arrangement 310. The described method steps 401 -407 may thus be performed by a computer algorithm, a machine executable code, a non-transitory computer- 30 readable medium, an appropriately configured hardware or a software instructions programmed into a suitable programmable logic such as the processor in the control arrangement 310.
The computer program product mentioned above may be provided for instance in the form 35 of a data carrier carrying computer program code for performing at least some of the method step 401 -407 according to some embodiments when being loaded into the one or more processors of the control arrangement 310. The data carrier may be, e.g., a hard disk, a CD ROM disc, a memory stick, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device or any other appropriate medium such as a disk or tape that may hold machine readable data in a non- transitory manner. The computer program product may furthermore be provided as computer program code on a server and downloaded to the control arrangement 310 remotely, e.g., over an Internet or an intranet connection.
The terminology used in the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the described method 400, control arrangement 310, computer program, harvester 100, and/ or vehicle 102. Various changes, substitutions and/ or alterations may be made, without departing from invention embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Further, the herein described different embodiments, illustrated in Figures 1 -5 may be combined and exchanged without limitations in various other embodiments, within the scope of the independent claims.
As used herein, the term "and/ or" comprises any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "or" as used herein, is to be interpreted as a mathematical OR, i.e., as an inclusive disjunction; not as a mathematical exclusive OR (XOR), unless expressly stated otherwise. In addition, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are to be interpreted as "at least one", thus also possibly comprising a plurality of entities of the same kind, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "includes", "comprises", "including" and/ or "comprising", specifies the presence of stated features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/ or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/ or groups thereof. A single unit such as e.g. a processor may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. A computer program may be stored/ distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms such as via Internet or other wired or wireless communication system.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS
1 . A method (400) for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor (101 ) of a harvester (100) and a bucket (103) of a vehicle (102) in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101 ), into the bucket (103); wherein the method (400) comprises:
determining (401 ) a first longitudinal limit (1 10) of the bucket (103);
determining (402) a second longitudinal limit (120) of the bucket (103);
providing (405) material from the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101 ), to the bucket (103), at a longitudinal position between the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120); and
adjusting (407) the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) within the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120).
2. The method (400) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment (407) of the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) comprises oscillating the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120).
3. The method (400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjustment (407) of the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) comprises oscillating the speed of the vehicle (102) for maintaining the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120).
4. The method (400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjustment (407) of the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) comprises oscillating both the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120), and oscillating the speed of the vehicle (102) for maintaining the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120).
5. The method (400) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: determining (403) a first lateral limit (130) of the bucket (103);
determining (404) a second lateral limit (140) of the bucket (103); and
wherein the adjustment (407) of the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) is made within the determined (401 ) first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined (402) second longitudinal limit (120), and also within the determined (403) first lateral limit (130) and the determined (404) second lateral limit (140).
6. The method (400) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: determining (406) axle load on at least two wheel axles (210, 220) beneath the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102); and
wherein the adjustment (407) of the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) is made in order to equal the respective determined (406) axle loads of the wheel axles (210, 220).
7. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the computer program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method (400) according to any one of the preceding claims.
8. A control arrangement (310), for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor (101 ) of a harvester (100) and a bucket (103) of a vehicle (102) in order to distribute material loaded by the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101 ), into the bucket (103); wherein the control arrangement (310) is configured to:
determine a first longitudinal limit (1 10) of the bucket (103);
determine a second longitudinal limit (120) of the bucket (103);
send a control signal for triggering provision of material from the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101 ), to the bucket (103), at a longitudinal position between the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120); and
send a control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (100) within the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120).
9. The control arrangement (310) according to claim 8, further configured to send the control signal for oscillating the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120), thereby adjusting the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102).
10. The control arrangement (310) according to any one of claim 8 or claim 9, further configured to send the control signal for oscillating the speed of the vehicle (102) for maintaining the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120).
1 1 . The control arrangement (310) according to any one of claim 8-10, further configured to send the control signal for oscillating both the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) 5 between the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120), and oscillating the speed of the vehicle (102) for maintaining the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) between the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120).
10 12. The control arrangement (310) according to any one of claim 8-1 1 , further configured to:
determine a first lateral limit (130) of the bucket (103);
determine a second lateral limit (140) of the bucket (103); and
wherein the control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 15 (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) comprises information for performing the adjustment within the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120), and also within the determined first lateral limit (130) and the determined second lateral limit (140).
20 13. The control arrangement (310) according to any one of claims 8-12, further configured to:
determine axle load on at least two wheel axles (210, 220) beneath the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102); and
wherein the control signal for adjusting the relative position between the conveyor 25 (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) comprises information for equalling the respective determined axle loads of the wheel axles (210, 220).
14. A system (500) for adjusting a relative position between a conveyor (101 ) of a harvester (100) and a bucket (103) of a vehicle (100) in order to distribute material loaded by 30 the harvester (100), via the conveyor (101 ), into the bucket (103); wherein system (500) comprises:
a control arrangement (310) according to any one of claims 8-13;
a sensor (107) configured to detect a first longitudinal limit (1 10) and a second longitudinal limit (120) of the bucket (103);
35 an adjustment device (350a, 350b, 350c, 350d) configured to adjust the relative position between the conveyor (101 ) of the harvester (100) and the bucket (103) of the vehicle (102) within the determined first longitudinal limit (1 10) and the determined second longitudinal limit (120).
PCT/SE2018/050544 2017-06-05 2018-05-30 Method and control arrangement for loading WO2018226139A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE112018002261.7T DE112018002261T5 (en) 2017-06-05 2018-05-30 Method and control arrangement for loading

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE1750709-6 2017-06-05
SE1750709A SE542261C2 (en) 2017-06-05 2017-06-05 Method and control arrangement for loading

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2018226139A1 true WO2018226139A1 (en) 2018-12-13

Family

ID=64565955

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE2018/050544 WO2018226139A1 (en) 2017-06-05 2018-05-30 Method and control arrangement for loading

Country Status (3)

Country Link
DE (1) DE112018002261T5 (en)
SE (1) SE542261C2 (en)
WO (1) WO2018226139A1 (en)

Cited By (34)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112997678A (en) * 2021-03-01 2021-06-22 潍柴雷沃重工股份有限公司 Automatic grain unloading control system and method for harvester and harvester
US11079725B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2021-08-03 Deere & Company Machine control using real-time model
US11178818B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2021-11-23 Deere & Company Harvesting machine control system with fill level processing based on yield data
US11234366B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2022-02-01 Deere & Company Image selection for machine control
US11240961B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2022-02-08 Deere & Company Controlling a harvesting machine based on a geo-spatial representation indicating where the harvesting machine is likely to reach capacity
US20220110251A1 (en) 2020-10-09 2022-04-14 Deere & Company Crop moisture map generation and control system
US11467605B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2022-10-11 Deere & Company Zonal machine control
US11474523B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2022-10-18 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive speed map
US11477940B2 (en) 2020-03-26 2022-10-25 Deere & Company Mobile work machine control based on zone parameter modification
US11491904B1 (en) 2019-12-23 2022-11-08 Amity Technology, Llc Material collection and transfer cart
US11589509B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2023-02-28 Deere & Company Predictive machine characteristic map generation and control system
US11592822B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-02-28 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11635765B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-04-25 Deere & Company Crop state map generation and control system
US11641800B2 (en) 2020-02-06 2023-05-09 Deere & Company Agricultural harvesting machine with pre-emergence weed detection and mitigation system
US11650587B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-05-16 Deere & Company Predictive power map generation and control system
US11653588B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2023-05-23 Deere & Company Yield map generation and control system
US11675354B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-06-13 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11672203B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2023-06-13 Deere & Company Predictive map generation and control
US11711995B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-08-01 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11727680B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-08-15 Deere & Company Predictive map generation based on seeding characteristics and control
US11778945B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2023-10-10 Deere & Company Machine control using real-time model
US11825768B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-11-28 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11844311B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-19 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11845449B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-19 Deere & Company Map generation and control system
US11849671B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-26 Deere & Company Crop state map generation and control system
US11849672B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-26 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11864483B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-01-09 Deere & Company Predictive map generation and control system
US11874669B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-01-16 Deere & Company Map generation and control system
US11889787B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-02-06 Deere & Company Predictive speed map generation and control system
US11889788B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-02-06 Deere & Company Predictive biomass map generation and control
US11895948B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-02-13 Deere & Company Predictive map generation and control based on soil properties
US11927459B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-03-12 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11946747B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-04-02 Deere & Company Crop constituent map generation and control system
US11957072B2 (en) 2020-02-06 2024-04-16 Deere & Company Pre-emergence weed detection and mitigation system

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060094487A1 (en) * 2004-10-06 2006-05-04 Jochen Huster Transfer-assistance system
US20060150584A1 (en) * 2002-05-31 2006-07-13 Heinz Weiss Combination of a self-moving harvesting and a transport vehicle
US20090099775A1 (en) * 2007-10-15 2009-04-16 Cameron Ray Mott Method And System For Controlling The Loading Of A Container Associated With A Vehicle
US20100274452A1 (en) * 2009-04-28 2010-10-28 Ringwald Justin R Grain transfer control system and method
US20130211658A1 (en) * 2012-02-10 2013-08-15 Deare & Company Method and stereo vision system for facilitating the unloading of agricultural material from a vehicle
US20130211675A1 (en) * 2012-02-10 2013-08-15 Zachary T. Bonefas Method and stereo vision system for managing the unloading of an agricultural material from a vehicle
US20140311113A1 (en) * 2013-04-22 2014-10-23 Deere & Company Methods for improving the robustness of an automated unloading system
US20150025754A1 (en) * 2013-07-19 2015-01-22 Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh Vehicle network, device and method for the coordination thereof
US20150094944A1 (en) * 2013-10-01 2015-04-02 Jaybridge Robotics, Inc. Computer-implemented method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion for on-the-fly offloading operations
US20150264866A1 (en) * 2014-03-24 2015-09-24 Cnh Industrial America Llc System for Coordinating Agricultural Vehicle Control for Loading a Truck
EP3095315A1 (en) * 2015-05-21 2016-11-23 CLAAS Saulgau GmbH Method and control device for operating an agricultural loader wagon

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060150584A1 (en) * 2002-05-31 2006-07-13 Heinz Weiss Combination of a self-moving harvesting and a transport vehicle
US20060094487A1 (en) * 2004-10-06 2006-05-04 Jochen Huster Transfer-assistance system
US20090099775A1 (en) * 2007-10-15 2009-04-16 Cameron Ray Mott Method And System For Controlling The Loading Of A Container Associated With A Vehicle
US20100274452A1 (en) * 2009-04-28 2010-10-28 Ringwald Justin R Grain transfer control system and method
US20130211658A1 (en) * 2012-02-10 2013-08-15 Deare & Company Method and stereo vision system for facilitating the unloading of agricultural material from a vehicle
US20130211675A1 (en) * 2012-02-10 2013-08-15 Zachary T. Bonefas Method and stereo vision system for managing the unloading of an agricultural material from a vehicle
US20140311113A1 (en) * 2013-04-22 2014-10-23 Deere & Company Methods for improving the robustness of an automated unloading system
US20150025754A1 (en) * 2013-07-19 2015-01-22 Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh Vehicle network, device and method for the coordination thereof
US20150094944A1 (en) * 2013-10-01 2015-04-02 Jaybridge Robotics, Inc. Computer-implemented method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion for on-the-fly offloading operations
US20150264866A1 (en) * 2014-03-24 2015-09-24 Cnh Industrial America Llc System for Coordinating Agricultural Vehicle Control for Loading a Truck
EP3095315A1 (en) * 2015-05-21 2016-11-23 CLAAS Saulgau GmbH Method and control device for operating an agricultural loader wagon

Cited By (37)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11178818B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2021-11-23 Deere & Company Harvesting machine control system with fill level processing based on yield data
US11240961B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2022-02-08 Deere & Company Controlling a harvesting machine based on a geo-spatial representation indicating where the harvesting machine is likely to reach capacity
US11672203B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2023-06-13 Deere & Company Predictive map generation and control
US11653588B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2023-05-23 Deere & Company Yield map generation and control system
US11589509B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2023-02-28 Deere & Company Predictive machine characteristic map generation and control system
US11650553B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2023-05-16 Deere & Company Machine control using real-time model
US11079725B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2021-08-03 Deere & Company Machine control using real-time model
US11234366B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2022-02-01 Deere & Company Image selection for machine control
US11829112B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2023-11-28 Deere & Company Machine control using real-time model
US11467605B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2022-10-11 Deere & Company Zonal machine control
US11778945B2 (en) 2019-04-10 2023-10-10 Deere & Company Machine control using real-time model
US11491904B1 (en) 2019-12-23 2022-11-08 Amity Technology, Llc Material collection and transfer cart
US11641800B2 (en) 2020-02-06 2023-05-09 Deere & Company Agricultural harvesting machine with pre-emergence weed detection and mitigation system
US11957072B2 (en) 2020-02-06 2024-04-16 Deere & Company Pre-emergence weed detection and mitigation system
US11477940B2 (en) 2020-03-26 2022-10-25 Deere & Company Mobile work machine control based on zone parameter modification
US11844311B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-19 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11849671B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-26 Deere & Company Crop state map generation and control system
US11675354B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-06-13 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11592822B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-02-28 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11711995B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-08-01 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11727680B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-08-15 Deere & Company Predictive map generation based on seeding characteristics and control
US11474523B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2022-10-18 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive speed map
US11825768B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-11-28 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US20220110251A1 (en) 2020-10-09 2022-04-14 Deere & Company Crop moisture map generation and control system
US11635765B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-04-25 Deere & Company Crop state map generation and control system
US11845449B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-19 Deere & Company Map generation and control system
US11650587B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-05-16 Deere & Company Predictive power map generation and control system
US11849672B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2023-12-26 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11864483B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-01-09 Deere & Company Predictive map generation and control system
US11874669B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-01-16 Deere & Company Map generation and control system
US11871697B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-01-16 Deere & Company Crop moisture map generation and control system
US11889787B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-02-06 Deere & Company Predictive speed map generation and control system
US11889788B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-02-06 Deere & Company Predictive biomass map generation and control
US11895948B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-02-13 Deere & Company Predictive map generation and control based on soil properties
US11927459B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-03-12 Deere & Company Machine control using a predictive map
US11946747B2 (en) 2020-10-09 2024-04-02 Deere & Company Crop constituent map generation and control system
CN112997678A (en) * 2021-03-01 2021-06-22 潍柴雷沃重工股份有限公司 Automatic grain unloading control system and method for harvester and harvester

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE542261C2 (en) 2020-03-31
DE112018002261T5 (en) 2020-01-23
SE1750709A1 (en) 2018-12-06

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
WO2018226139A1 (en) Method and control arrangement for loading
CA2865238C (en) Systems and methods for analyzing machine performance
US10001783B2 (en) Method for controlling a work train
US10062287B2 (en) Contention avoidance
CN107925800B (en) System for communication between a plant and a machine
US8386134B2 (en) Machine to-machine communication system for payload control
CN104709279B (en) The automatic guidance system with stability control for agri-vehicle
KR101351919B1 (en) Lane Keeping Assist System and Method
JP6934782B2 (en) Mining vehicle monitoring and control system
SE1350332A1 (en) Control system for autonomous vehicles, and a method for the control system
EP3303085A1 (en) Automated vehicle with erratic other vehicle avoidance
US11661087B2 (en) Target arrangement, method, and control unit for following a target vehicle
US20200324985A1 (en) Support vehicle for an agricultural system
US11475763B2 (en) Semantic information sharing in autonomous vehicles
CN111971632A (en) Method and system for determining a target vehicle speed of a vehicle operating at a work site
US20220363314A1 (en) Method for visualizing a steering angle and lateral boundaries for driver assist and safer driving
JP6159698B2 (en) Transport vehicle operation management system
BR112019015869B1 (en) TARGET ARRANGEMENT, METHOD AND CONTROL UNIT FOR FOLLOWING A TARGET VEHICLE

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 18812851

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

DPE1 Request for preliminary examination filed after expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed from 20040101)
122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 18812851

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1