A method to enable a human operator to have a piece of land cultivated, and a method and system for generating a cultivation plan

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a method to enable a human operator to have a piece of land cultivated, the method comprising providing an autonomous agricultural vehicle that is able to perform an agricultural operation, providing a processing unit to generate a cultivation plan for the piece of land, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel, providing input data to the processing unit, on the basis of which input data the processing unit calculates for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of each of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which all of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle, and controlling the autonomous agricultural vehicle such that it autonomously crosses the land by moving over each of the said multiple distinct paths in the said order, while performing the agricultural operation in order to cultivate the piece of land, wherein in the method, before the agricultural vehicle is controlled to cross the land, the human operator is provided the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle. The invention also pertains to a method and system for generating a cultivation plan for such an autonomous vehicle.

Description

[0001] A METHOD TO ENABLE A HUMAN OPERATOR TO HAVE A PIECE OF LAND CULTIVATED, AND A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING A CULTIVATION PLAN

[0002] GENERAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention pertains to a method to enable a human operator to have a piece of land, in particular farmland, cultivated using an autonomous agricultural vehicle. In such a method a processing unit is used to generate a cultivation plan for the piece of land, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel. Thereafter, the autonomous agricultural vehicle is controlled (via the same or another processing unit) such that it autonomously crosses the land by moving over each of the said multiple distinct paths in the said order, while performing the agricultural operation in order to cultivate the piece of land. The invention also pertains to a method and system for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle for cultivating a piece of land as described here above.

[0004] BACKGROUND ART

[0005] The adoption of technology in agriculture has improved the approaches that farmers use in the farmland nowadays. Modern agriculture has made it easy for farmers to achieve high produce while using less input, in particular less labour. According to the trends in the use of technology in agriculture, there are high concerns whether or not the future of agriculture is bright. For example, mechanization in agriculture has reduced the overuse of manpower in doing some of the farming activities. As a consequence, agricultural machines have become bigger and bigger and more dedicated towards performing one type of cultivation. The introduction of autonomous agricultural vehicles, such as an autonomous tractor that is operatively connected to an agricultural implement such as a plough, is considered a next step into the future of farming and it is expected that using autonomous vehicles there is more freedom to cultivate the land using even less labour. Self-driving cars are common these days. Based on the trends in regards to the advancement of technology, it is expected that the technology will also be used on a wide scale for cultivating farmland. At present farmers in advanced countries are giving a tactical approach to how they plant, harvest, as well as maintain their crops. A good example of new tactical approaches is the use of autonomous vehicles in agriculture. The concept of autonomous vehicles (form now on also denoted as autonomous tractors) can be traced back prior to the introduction of the concept of precision farming in the eighties. During these days, farmers used GPS technology as a guide to the tractors driving across the farmland. The aim of such an approach was the reduction of fuel consumption and enhancing the efficiency of the tractors and the farming activities. As such, these initial steps formed the basis for the development of autonomous tractors, following the introduction of technologies that improved communication over wireless devices. Autonomous tractors employ much the same approach as the driverless vehicles, i.e. using advanced control systems and sensors. With the inclusion of auto-steering abilities, such tractors have added control abilities. Evidently, the launch of the autonomous tractors is considerably a manifestation of the extended use of this technology in farming.

[0006] Benefits to farmers are obvious. It is an undeniable fact that farming is not an easy undertaking, it involves working for long hours and the subscription to hard labour in harsh weather conditions. Taking into consideration the common state of farmers, the majority of them have no employees to task them in the farmland and hence, have to do everything all by themselves, the autonomous tractors obviously can be a positive outcome. Next to this, accuracy and precision are important aspects in agriculture in various aspects such as planting. All in all, the use of such tractors may lead to higher return on investment since accuracy is enhanced.

[0007] It is generally recognised that data plays a significant role in determining the farmers’ decisions. Usually, the absence of clear and reliable data can interfere with the decisions farmers make, and subsequently, have adverse impacts on the amount of outcome obtained from the fields. There are diverse sources and types of data that a farmer needs to succeed in their farming activities. For example, data on soil is important in that it helps farmers in determining what crops will do well in a given piece of land by establishing the moisture content, and the amount of nutrients. The autonomous vehicles are typically be fitted with various sensors that can be used in the collection of data on the conditions of the soil, and hence, offer a platform for improving the outcome of the available crops. The elimination of the human interaction in farming following the use of autonomous vehicles may thus be advantageous. Stressed employees cannot achieve the required efficiency level in the fields. Similarly, it is often hard for humans to manage diverse tasks on the farm especially where a large farmland is involved. Autonomous vehicles have the appropriate sensors to offer the necessary help in the management of a several tasks in the farmland hence reducing stress and the workload in the farm.

[0008] The autonomous agricultural vehicles run on high level technology that can be used in gathering high profile information. For example, some models have automatic steering abilities and GPS or GNSS technologies which enhance the control of the vehicles’ course. The advanced sensors come in handy in the determination of soil moisture level, activities around planting and harvesting, present yield, as well as the amount of fuel needed for a given area of land. Additionally, other models of autonomous vehicles can guide farmers on how to apply fertilizers.

[0009] Autonomous agricultural vehicles allow precise control of work and farm equipment by at least minimising or even ruling out human errors. It makes it possible for farmers to extend their working hours. The sensors fitted in the vehicles can guide it in the right course even in conditions of reduced visibility and at night: work continues even during windy, dusty, and foggy conditions. Additionally, the ability of the vehicles to reduce workload and stress on employees comes in handy in increased working hours in a day since the farmer has a greater flexibility in the management of growing tasks.

[0010] It has thus become a common understanding that the best way for using an autonomous vehicle is to establish a cultivation plan for the piece of land, which plan comprises generating multiple paths that spatially extend over the piece of land along particular coordinates, and after the plan has been generated, controlling the autonomous vehicle such that it crosses the land by moving over each of the multiple paths autonomously. Also, the way the actual agricultural implement (which may be part of the vehicle or coupled thereto) is operated (for example its driving speed, its height with respect to the land, its angle with respect to the land etc.), may be controlled autonomously, for example using the sensor technology to adapt the predetermined plan to the particular circumstances of the moment in time the land is actually cultivated. Such circumstances can for example be objects that were not present at the piece of land at the time the plan was made, the weather conditions, etc. In particular US2023 / 0284548 and US2023 / 0284549 (both assigned to Krone Agricultural and Lemken GmbH & Co, KG), disclose a way to automatically generate a cultivation plan, needing as little input form a human operator as possible, wherein based on particular input data, such as field data, data regarding the agricultural vehicle, or any other data, the processing unit automatically calculates for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of each of the paths on the piece of farmland, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of farmland (i.e. the orientation of the paths on the land, defined for example by their coordinates along their length, or starting position and angle, etc) and c) the order in which all of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle.

[0011] This is a convenient and consistent way to determine which route the agricultural vehicle needs to take for cultivating the land, minimising or even excluding human interference and thus minimising operator time needed and potentially even excluding human error. For an operator, a fully automatic determination of the multiple distinct paths, their position, orientation and order in which these paths are to be crossed, thus in particular means operator interference and time is saved, which is the essence of having land cultivated autonomously.

[0012] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0013] It is an object of the invention to devise an improved method for enabling a human operator to have a piece of land, in particular farmland, cultivated using an autonomous agricultural vehicle.

[0014] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In order to meet the object of the invention, a method as described here above in the General Field of the Invention section has been devised, the method comprising (as known from the prior art) providing an autonomous agricultural vehicle that is able to perform an agricultural operation, providing a processing unit to generate a cultivation plan for the piece of land, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel, providing input data to the processing unit, on the basis of which input data the processing unit, preferably automatically, calculates for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle, and then controlling the autonomous agricultural vehicle such that it autonomously crosses the land by moving over the said multiple distinct paths in the said order, while performing the agricultural operation in order to cultivate the piece of land, the method being improved in that before the agricultural vehicle is controlled to cross the land, the human operator is provided the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the said multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle. In other words, the human operator is able to determine the order in which these paths are to be crossed, not only the for example the path to start or end with, but also of the paths in between the first and last of the said paths for which an order is determined.

[0016] The invention is based on the recognition that in real life circumstances it is hardly possible, if possible at all, that all relevant variables are known in each and all circumstances, to devise an optimal routing, i.e. an optimal grid of paths (in agricultural practice also denoted as a “waylines"), their position, orientation and order in which they are to be crossed. It was recognised that despite using sophisticated programs, input data that seems to be complete, and algorithms that are dedicated for their task, in some cases the outcome regarding the order in which the paths are to be crossed is not optimal, or not even suitable for the planned cultivation task, according to the human operator. This may be due to any unforeseen circumstances, unforeseen constraints, incomplete input data, past experience of the operator that has not been taken into account etc. By providing at least the option to the human operator to manually determine the order in which the paths are to be taken (which may be as simple as only indicating which path has to be taken as the first path, or for example which path has to be taken as the last path), any variable, constraint or other type of knowledge that is in the head of the operator, and which is relevant for a successful generation of a cultivation plan, in particular the order in which the paths are to be taken, can be taken into account.

[0017] It is noted that it is in particular essential in the method according to the invention that the manual determination is not obligated, but provided as an option to the human operator. So the operator may choose to exercise that option, or choose not to, in which case the order is calculated by the processing unit, preferably automatically, based on the input data. For the majority of the cultivation plans this may lead to a satisfactory outcome for the operator, but if not, the operator at least has the choice to manually determine the order for at least part of the multiple paths that are to be crossed by the vehicle. This is an important advantage over the prior art, where in case of an unsatisfactory result in the order, the operator would have to change the input data, or otherwise manipulate the system, in the hope the result would satisfy the operator’s expectation or wish. However, it may simply be that this expectation or wish simply cannot be met, even after a long iteration process. The current method is able to swiftly accommodate to such expectation or wish if deemed necessary by the operator. Thus, by going against the tendency in the art to have plans generated automatically by the system with the aim to save operator time, it some case operator time can actually be saved by allowing an operator to manually determine the order of at least part of the paths.

[0018] It is also noted that another essential feature of the invention is to let the processing unit generate the cultivation plan, including all of the multiple distinct paths (including the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle), and independently thereof, the human operator decides whether or not to exercise the option provided by the present invention. Thus, the operator can determine the sequence in which these (pre) generated paths (or at least part of these paths) are to be crossed. So, the possibility of the option per se, and whether it is or will be exercised or not, has no influence on the generation of the paths as such by the processing unit. So all of the paths are generated anyway, and only then the operator acts to determine definitively the order in which (at least part of these) pregenerated paths are to be crossed.

[0019] It is further noted that it is known in general that a human operator may act in order to have an influence on the way a land is cultivated autonomously. For example, EP 3427562 (assigned to Yanmar Corp ltd) discloses a method which is aimed at a reduction of a burden in work of placing an autonomous vehicle at a particular start position. As a result, a number of paths may be skipped, by skipping one of a multitude or work routes, thereby altering the start position of the vehicle. However, it is not disclosed that an operator has the option to determine the order in which a certain number of (pre-generated) paths is to be crossed.

[0020] The invention is also embodied in a method for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle for cultivating a piece of land, in particular farmland, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel, the method comprising providing a processing unit to generate the cultivation plan, and providing input data to the processing unit, on the basis of which input data the processing unit, preferably automatically, calculates for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle, wherein in the method, a human operator is provided the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle.

[0021] The invention is also embodied in a system for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle for cultivating a piece of land, in particular farmland, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel, the system comprising a processing unit to generate the cultivation plan, means to provide input data to the processing unit (for example digital means for automatic uploading of data from a memory, or tactile, visual or auditory means to allow a human operator to input data), on the basis of which input data the processing unit is able to , preferably automatically, calculate for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle, and a user interface (III) for communication between the processing unit and a human operator of the system, wherein the system is configured (for example by appropriate programming of the processing unit, either by hardware, software or both) to provide to the human operator via the III, the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle.

[0022] DEFINITIONS

[0023] An agricultural vehicle is a vehicle that is used cultivate land, typically composed of a tractor and a coupled agricultural implement, pulled or carried by the tractor which is used to generate the actual energy to propel the complete vehicle and cultivate the land. However, the implement and tractor may also be constituted as one single unit, such as a harvester. The vehicle typically has a gasoline or electric engine and large (rear) wheels or endless belt tracks (so called caterpillar tracks).

[0024] An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that can move over a piece of land according to a predetermined cultivation plan without a human operator controlling (i.e. actively running) its instant movement. Such a vehicle is typically able to automatically perceive its environment, make decisions based on what it perceives and recognizes, and then actuate a movement or manipulation within that environment. These decision-based actions may include, but are not limited to, starting, stopping, and maneuvering around obstacles that are in its way. Such a vehicle can cross land without needing continuous control of a human operator, and thus is able to autonomously cultivate the land. It is not excluded however, that the movement of the autonomous vehicle is monitored by a human operator, for example in order to meet local safety legislation. Such monitoring can for example take place by an operator taking place on the vehicle, or monitoring the vehicle at the land from an observation post, or from a remote location via one or more cameras.

[0025] A path of a cultivation plan is a line along which a vehicle crosses a piece of land from one end to the other (not excluding that the path does not start or end adjacent an actual boundary of the land). Such a path is typically denoted as a wayline in the art of cultivation, and typically is the route to be taken for a single crossing of the piece of land. Such a path may be straight, but can also be (partly) curved, depending mainly on the shape of the piece of land and the most optimal way of crossing the complete land. Neighbouring (or adjacent) paths are typically connected by turning paths.

[0026] For lines to extend in parallel, means that the lines along their length in essence keep the same distance to each other. Parallel lines are not necessarily straight lines, they may be curved or include curves.

[0027] A processing unit is the part of a computing system (which may be a local system or a distributed system) that performs logical and arithmetical operations on data as specified in the instructions for this unit. A processing unit is generally composed of hardware (one or more processors) and instructions programmed therein. To calculate means to determine or ascertain by mathematical methods such as by using a computer. To establish a value by calculation may be as simple as determining by a processing unit what an input value is and using that value as such for further processing.

[0028] To manually determine means that a human person by acts of its own makes a determination.

[0029] An option is one thing that can be chosen from a set of possibilities.

[0030] Farmland is land that is used for or suitable for farming. A piece of farmland is a part or the totality of a farmland plot.

[0031] A human operator of a machine or device is a real-life person that has the skills to control this machine or device.

[0032] Cultivating is the act of preparing land for improving its properties, in particular for growing something, improving the growth, or harvesting thereof, especially crops. Typical cultivation acts include tillage, seeding, fertilising, spraying, harvesting etc. but also simply moving from one point to another point on the land when this is part of the said act.

[0033] A cultivation plan for a vehicle to cultivate a piece of land, is a plan which defines at least the position, direction and speed of the corresponding agricultural vehicle when crossing the land such that the land in essence can be cultivated completely.

[0034] Automatically means without the need of (human) operator intervention. The term automatically does not exclude that something is operator initiated or operator stopped as long the process can be completed without needing operator intervention.

[0035] A user interface (III) is the space where interactions between a human operator and a machine occurs. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine from the human end, while the machine simultaneously feeds back information that aids the operators' decision-making process. A III typically includes hardware such as for example a display screen, a keyboard, a hand held controller, a mouse, a smart phone and the appearance of a desktop. A user interface interacts with one or more human senses, typically via touch (a tactile III), sight (a visual III) and sound (an auditory III), but also smell (an olfactory III), balance, (an equilibria III), and taste (a gustatory III) are options for a III.

[0036] EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0037] In a first further embodiment of the method according to the invention, if the said option is chosen by the human operator, the vehicle is controlled to cross only the paths for which the human operator has manually determined the order, or next to the paths for which the human operator has manually determined the order, also one or more of the remainder of the multiple distinct paths, wherein the order for the remainder of the paths is calculated by the processing unit, preferably automatically, based on the input data. Thus, this embodiment in fact holds two sub-embodiments, in first of these subembodiments the vehicle will only cross the paths for which the operator has determined the order. This might be helpful, for example when the field has mixed crops and the operator only desires to cultivate the waylines of one particular crop. Other circumstances might also be thinkable. In any case, all waylines could still be crossed in this first sub-embodiment, in which case the operator simply has to determine the order for all waylines. In the second sub-embodiment, the other paths will also be crossed and thus made part of the overall plan. For these other paths, in the method the order is calculated by the processing unit, based on the input data and preferably automatically.

[0038] In a further embodiment of the above described second sub-embodiment, the calculation of the order for the remainder of the multiple distinct paths is also based on the order manually determined for the at least part of the said multiple distinct paths. This embodiment has the advantage that for the remainder of the paths, the order as manually determined for one or more paths can be taken into account for devising an optimal cultivation plan for the totality of paths.

[0039] In another embodiment the manual determination is at least for one path of the multiple distinct paths, or at least two or more paths of the multiple distinct paths, one or more ranges of paths out of the multiple distinct paths, or all of the multiple distinct paths. In particular the option for manually determining the order for one or more ranges of paths is found to be advantageous in every day practice. For example, when a cultivation plan as calculated automatically has 100 paths, and the operator knows that there are particular circumstances which are relevant for the order of paths 10-16 and 80-85, the operator may choose to exercise the option for the manual determination for these paths only. For the remainder of the paths, the processing unit may automatically calculate the order in which the paths are taken when the vehicle crosses the land. Again, the invention may also be used by only having the paths for which the order is manually determined, made part of the overall cultivation plan. In that case it is likely that the operator will determine the order for the majority of not all of the paths.

[0040] In yet another embodiment, the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle is provided to the human operator before the processing unit (e.g. automatically) calculates for the multiple distinct paths, the above features a), b) and c). This embodiment has proven to be ideally suitable for autonomous cultivation. This way, the operator can choose to exercise the option either before or after the automatic calculation. If done before, as indicated here above, this means that for the remainder of the paths, the order as manually determined for one or more paths can be taken into account for devising an optimal cultivation plan for the totality of paths. If done afterwards, an operator can first assess what the (automatically) calculated plan, including an order for the paths is, and then decide whether or not to go through the process of manual determination for one or more of the paths. This also shows what the influence of such manual determination is on the whole of the plan (e.g. the time needed, the fuel costs, the starting and end points etc.). Based on this, the operator than can still decide to leave the manual determination by choosing not to exercise the option.

[0041] In again another embodiment, the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle is provided to the human operator as a binary choice for the human operator, to either activate the manual determination or not. For example, the human operator can be shown a toggle button on a user interface that provides the option to either “yes” or “no” exercise the option for manual determination of the order. In a further embodiment, the default value for the binary choice is not to activate the manual determination.

[0042] In yet again another embodiment the input data input for the processing unit are either actively put in by the human operator, automatically retrieved from a digital source (such as a memory, which could be part of the processing unit, or the internet - for example the weather conditions or forecast- , or for example generated by artificial intelligence), or both. This provides optimal flexibility, depending on the needs of the human operator.

[0043] In still another embodiment, wherein a user interface (III) is provided for communication between the human operator and the processing unit, the III includes a display that visually shows the multiple distinct paths to the human operator, including each of the features a), b) and c). This provides the operator whit a simple and effective means to control the generation of the plan, since the outcome is visible on a display. In a further embodiment, if the option to manually determine the order is chosen by the human operator, the human operator manually determines this order by indicating this order on the III, for example using a key-board, a mouse, by touching a screen, or via voice control etc.

[0044] In addition to the option to manually determine the order of at least part of the paths, it has found to be advantageous if the input data themselves includes a routing pattern. This means that the processing unit calculates the actual order for the multiple distinct paths using this pattern. Such a pattern for example can be a pattern wherein every other path is skipped, or two or more paths are skipped, where neighbouring paths are crossed in opposite directions etc. Preferably, there are a number of default patterns stored in a memory of the system and the human operator selects the routing pattern out of a plurality of such stored routing patterns.

[0045] Preferably, the processing unit is operatively coupled to the agricultural vehicle, typically wireless. This means that the unit and vehicle can communicate for optimal cultivation. Optionally, the processing unit is permanently operatively coupled to the agricultural vehicle while cultivating the piece of land.

[0046] Preferably, the autonomous agricultural vehicle comprises an autonomous tractor and operatively coupled thereto an agricultural implement that performs the agricultural operation. The implement can be chosen from a group of multiple different agricultural implements.

[0047] It is noted that any and all embodiments as described here above or exemplified here after in the examples section for the method to enable a human operator to have a piece of land cultivated according to the invention, can also be embodied in the method for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to the invention, and in the system according to the invention.

[0048] The invention will now be further illustrated using the following specific examples.

[0049] EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Figure 1 schematically shows a system according to the invention.

[0051] Figure 2 schematically shows a human operator interacting with the system. Figure 3 schematically shows III options for a method according to the invention. Figure 4 schematically shows how a cultivation plan is displayed on a III.

[0052] Figure 1

[0053] Figure 1 schematically shows a system 1 according to the invention. The system 1 has a central processing unit 2, that is operatively coupled (wireless connection) to local processing unit 11 of vehicle 10 (schematically depicted as a dashed box; such a vehicle is commonly known in the art and for example depicted in more detail for example in WO2023 / 191616)). Note that any connection between electronic components as indicated in figure lean be wired or wireless as commonly known in the art. The system 1 further comprises a memory unit 3 that holds data regarding a piece of land to be cultivated (such as the GPS coordinates, the type of soil, objects in the piece of land, etc), the vehicle (lists with tractor types and implement types), a list with (standard) routing options and all kinds of other data than can be used as input data such that the CPU 2 can generate a particular cultivation plan.

[0054] Unit 4 is a unit that is able to retrieve data from the internet, such as the weather force cast or any other conditions that apply during the period of time estimated to be needed for cultivating the land. The CPU 2 is connected to a desk top computer 5 that can be used by a human operator of the system to input various data needed for planning the cultivation of the piece of farmland, for example by having the operator making choices from the lists as stored in memory unit 3, by putting in additional data, and by retrieving data from the internet. This process as such is known from the art. For example, a process as described in US2020033143 in conjunction with figures 6-11 therein. This way, the system 1 is able to generate a cultivation plan for the vehicle 10, taking into account all input data.

[0055] For the actual operation to perform this plan, the local processing unit of vehicle 10 is connected to engine 12 and steering unit 13. The cultivation plan as generated by system 1 is stored in unit 14 and may be adapted when needed for example when a sensor picks up an object (e.g. a fallen tree) or person standing in the way of the vehicle when crossing the land. The local processing unit 11 is able to let the vehicle perform this plan via control of the engine 12 and steering unit 13.

[0056] The generation of the cultivation plan comprises the determination of multiple distinct paths that extend over the piece of farmland (see figure 5), their position, the direction in which they extend and an order in which the paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle. Based on the available information, the CPU 2 receives the minimal required data for generating a cultivation plan via unit 3, and generates a travel route that fits to this field and the cultivation needed. This travel route may be generated automatically based on basic, initial parameters entered via units 3 and 4, and / or based on input parameters substantially defining a travel route entered by an operator via computer 5.

[0057] Figure 2

[0058] Figure 2 schematically shows a human operator interacting with the system via the desk top computer 5. The human operator 15 that is seated behind desk top computer 5, for example at a central office of a large farm (remote from the piece of farmland), having a display 50 as user interface. This user interface allows communication between the human operator and the system 1 (as with any display): the human operator can provide all kinds of input data, for example via keyboard 51 or mouse 52, and is provided with a schematic view of the resulting cultivation plan on the display 50. This way and operator can see a schematic representation of the cultivation plan that has been generated by system 1 (see figure 4).

[0059] Figure 3

[0060] Figure 3, having sub figures 3A and 3B, schematically shows what is shown to a human operator on the display 50 when working through a program to input the data needed for the system 1 to generate a cultivation plan for a piece of farmland, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of farmland in parallel. In figure 3A, indicating on the III 50’, is the part of the program title “Plan generation”, comprising the display of three distinct setting options, namely the “Tractor setting” 55, the “Field setting” 56 and the “Path setting” 57. These settings can be chosen one after another to make sure the system gets the desired input data regarding the type of tractor and implement (setting 55), the data regarding the farmland to be cultivated (setting 56) and data regarding the routing (setting 57). After this, by hitting the Calculate button 100, the system will generate a cultivation plan, including plan multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of farmland in parallel, and for these multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of each of the paths on the piece of farmland, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of farmland and c) the order in which all of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle (see figure 4). It is also possible to skip one or more of these settings 55, 56 and 57, that is, if the system has default input values for the data required to determine a cultivation plan.

[0061] In figure 3B, what is shown on the display 50” is the box an operator sees when he hits the Path setting button 57. There is a Routing pattern box 58, which provides the option to select via a dropdown menu 59, various standard (predetermined) routing options such as “consecutive”, “alternating”, “Skip N” etc). Box 60 indicates the option for manual wayline (path) determination. As a default, this option is not activated (so the system automatically generates the order for all of the waylines in this default setting). If the toggle button 61 is put to the right, and thus the option for manual wayline determination is chosen, the operator will be provided the opportunity to manual determine the order for one or more waylines, using the III 50. For this we refer to figure 4.

[0062] Figure 4

[0063] Figure 4A shows how a plan, including the multiple distinct cultivation paths 1-13 on a piece of farmland 70, is displayed on the III after the calculate button 100 (see figure 3A) is hit by the operator. In this case, the plan is generated while the option for manual wayline determination is not exercised. As can be seen, the piece of farmland is in essence rectangular, with one corner being cut along inclined border 71. Using all of the input data regarding the type of tractor and implement, the field, the weather, the direction in which the first line should be crossed (in this case from headland section 73 towards headland section 72; chosen by the operator) etc, a plan is generated which includes the multiple distinct paths, the positioning of each of the paths on the piece of farmland, the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of farmland and the order in which all of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle. In the present case, the plan is such that the vehicle (tractor plus implement) travels over the piece of farmland in the shortest direction, starting with a first path on the left and working to the right by crossing in each case over a neighbouring path in the opposite direction, such that the whole of the land is cultivated. The paths are connected via sharp turns 80 that run on the headland sections 72 and 73. This is the automatically generated plan that the human operator is presented on the display 50.

[0064] However, in the present case the human operator is aware that directly next to inclined border 71, although being an empty piece of land, since a couple of weeks sometimes wild animals are present to graze. This means that the operator desires to prevent that the implement when the vehicle turns, swings over the piece of this piece of land. This can be accomplished by making sure the turns are less sharp. The operator therefore goes back in the program, and switches toggle button 61 to the right, indicating that he desires to manually determine the order of the first four waylines. This can be done by firstly by double clicking on the display wayline 1 and then double clicking on wayline 4. This way the operator indicates to the system that he desires to set the order for this range of four waylines. After that, he firstly clicks once on wayline 1 , then once on wayline 3, then once on wayline 2 and lastly once on way line 4, which sets the order for this sub-range of waylines. This way, the turns 80’ adjacent incline border 71 are less sharp, and there is a lower risk that the implement swings over the neighbouring land. If the operator now hits the calculate button, the system generates a new order for all of the waylines (see figure 4B), wherein the thirteen distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle equal to the manual determination of the human operator for first four paths (first the most lefthand wayline, then the third wayline (now denoted as “2”), then the second wayline (now denoted as “3”) and then the fourth wayline (denoted as “4”). If no further action is taken by the operator, only these four waylines are made part of the ultimate plan. If the operator indicates via the III (not depicted in any of the figures) that the other waylines also need to be part of the overall plan, the order for these waylines (paths 5-13) is automatically calculated by the processing unit based on the input data and the position where the vehicle is when leaving path 4. This overall result is depicted in figure 4B. If satisfied, the operator can initiate the actual cultivation by instructing the system (after the operator has brought the vehicle to the piece of farmland 70) to control the autonomous agricultural vehicle such that it autonomously crosses the land by moving over each of the said multiple distinct paths 1-13 in the determined order as displayed in figure 4B, while performing the agricultural operation in order to cultivate the piece of farmland.

[0065] In other variants, the human operator manually selects the order for all waylines, or for two or more ranges, depending entirely on what the operator desires for the cultivation plan for this piece of farmland.

[0066] It is also foreseen that the whole plot of farmland is divided into multiple smaller pieces of farmland, each having their own set of waylines with their own direction of extension.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method to enable a human operator to have a piece of land cultivated, the method comprising:- providing an autonomous agricultural vehicle that is able to perform an agricultural operation,- providing a processing unit to generate a cultivation plan for the piece of land, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel,- providing input data to the processing unit, on the basis of which input data the processing unit calculates for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle,- controlling the autonomous agricultural vehicle such that it autonomously crosses the land by moving over the said multiple distinct paths in the said order, while performing the agricultural operation in order to cultivate the piece of land, characterised in that in the method, before the agricultural vehicle is controlled to cross the land, the human operator is provided the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the said multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle.

2. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that if that option is chosen by the human operator, the vehicle is controlled to cross only the paths for which the human operator has manually determined the order, or next to the paths for which the human operator has manually determined the order, also one or more of the remainder of the multiple distinct paths, wherein the order for the remainder of the paths is calculated by the processing unit based on the input data.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the calculation of the order for the remainder of the multiple distinct paths is also based on the order manually determined for the at least part of the said multiple distinct paths.

4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the manualdetermination is at least for one path of the multiple distinct paths, or at least two or more paths of the multiple distinct paths, one or more ranges of paths out of the multiple distinct paths, or all of the multiple distinct paths.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle is provided to the human operator before the processing unit calculates for the multiple distinct paths, the features a), b) and c).

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle is provided to the human operator as a binary choice for the human operator, to either activate the manual determination or not.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterised in that a default value for the binary choice is not to activate the manual determination.

8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the input data input for the processing unit are either actively put in by the human operator, automatically retrieved from a digital source, or both.

9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a user interface (III) is provided for communication between the human operator and the processing unit, characterised in that the III includes a display that visually shows the multiple distinct paths to the human operator, including each of the features a), b) and c).

10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that if the option to manually determine the order is chosen by the human operator, the human operator manually determines this order by indicating this order on the III.

11. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the input data includes a routing pattern.

12. A method according to claim 11 , characterised in that the human operator selects the routing pattern out of a plurality of routing patterns.

13. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the processing unit is operatively coupled to the agricultural vehicle, preferably permanently operatively coupled while cultivating the piece of land.

14. A method for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle for cultivating a piece of land, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel, the method comprising providing a processing unit to generate the cultivation plan, and providing input data to the processing unit, on the basis of which input data the processing unit calculates for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle, characterised in that in the method, a human operator is provided the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle.

15. A system for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle for cultivating a piece of land, which plan comprises multiple distinct paths that spatially extend over the piece of land in parallel, the system comprising- a processing unit to generate the cultivation plan,- means to provide input data to the processing unit, on the basis of which input data the processing unit is able to calculate for the multiple distinct paths, a) the positioning of the paths on the piece of land, b) the direction in which the paths extend over the piece of land and c) the order in which the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle,- a user interface (III) for communication between the processing unit and a human operator of the system, characterised in that the system is configured to provide to the human operator via the III, the option to manually determine the order in which at least a part of the multiple distinct paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle.

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