Agricultural Section Control Using Prior Field Operation Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural machines face challenges in performing location-based operations without pre-defined or accurately defined field boundaries, leading to inefficiencies in section control, such as overlapping treatments or incomplete coverage due to changing field conditions.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that uses field map data representing prior agricultural operations to generate control signals for independently controllable sections of agricultural machines, allowing for location-based section control without requiring pre-defined field boundaries, thereby facilitating improved operation and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-defined field boundaries are used for section control, then the control system can operate with simple logic, but the accuracy deteriorates when field conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary mapping of the field by recording the actual operated areas during prior agricultural operations. This historical operation data is stored and used to automatically define treatment zones for subsequent operations, eliminating the need for manual pre-definition of field boundaries and adapting automatically to actual field conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from historical operation data to continuously improve section control accuracy. By analyzing where previous operations were actually performed, the system adjusts and refines the treatment zone definitions for current operations, creating a self-correcting control mechanism that adapts to changing field conditions.
2Ease of operation
If section control is performed without accurate field boundary data, then the system is easier to operate, but overlapping treatments or incomplete coverage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system serves itself by automatically generating accurate treatment zone definitions from its own historical operation data. Instead of requiring external input for field boundary definition, the system uses its recorded past operations to autonomously determine precise treatment areas, maintaining both ease of operation and high precision coverage.
3Reliability
If field boundaries are re-defined each year to accommodate changing conditions, then the accuracy is maintained, but the time and effort required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the boundary definition work preliminarily during actual field operations by automatically recording treatment areas. This preliminary data collection happens during normal operations without requiring separate time for boundary re-definition, and the stored data is automatically reused in subsequent years, eliminating repetitive manual work while maintaining adaptability to field changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method of controlling a mobile agricultural machine includes receiving field map data representing a first agricultural operation performed on a field, receiving a location sensor signal indicative of a sensed geographic location of the mobile agricultural machine on the field, the mobile agricultural machine having a plurality of sections that are independently controllable to perform a second agricultural operation on the field that is different than the first agricultural operation, and generating a control signal to control the plurality of sections based on the field map data and the location sensor signal.