Composite Guidance Assembly for Automated Interswath Turning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current agricultural vehicle guidance systems require operator intervention for turning between swaths, leading to potential crop damage, collisions with obstacles, and reduced efficiency in fully autonomous driving.

Innovation Solution

A guidance assembly that includes a composite guidance system with a swath guidance system and a turn guidance system, along with an interswath turning element, which automatically toggles between the two systems to seamlessly guide the agricultural vehicle along swaths and through turns without operator intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If operator manually controls turning between swaths, then vehicle can avoid obstacles and minimize crop damage, but operator workload increases and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperator workloadVSAvoidoperational efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The guidance system is segmented into two distinct functional components: a swath guidance system for linear path following and a turn guidance system for interswath turning maneuvers. This segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized independently, with the turn guidance system automatically handling turning operations to reduce operator workload while maintaining operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

An interswath turning element acts as an intermediary component that automatically toggles between the swath guidance system and turn guidance system. This intermediary enables seamless transitions during turning maneuvers without requiring operator intervention, thereby reducing workload while preserving productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Extent of automation

If automatic turn pattern is used, then turning is automated and operator intervention is reduced, but crop damage increases due to fixed turn patterns ignoring transverse swaths

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturning automationVSAvoidcrop damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The turn guidance system employs dynamic turn profiles that can be selectively modified based on real-time conditions. When transverse swaths are detected, the system dynamically adjusts the turn pattern to avoid them, preventing crop damage while maintaining automated turning operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the agricultural vehicle's position and orientation relative to transverse swaths during turning maneuvers. This feedback enables the turn guidance system to detect transverse swaths and automatically adjust turn profiles to minimize crop damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Object-affected harmful factors

If operator manually navigates turns, then crop damage is minimized through skillful operation, but time is lost due to operator intervention requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop damageVSAvoidturning time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The turn guidance system enables the agricultural vehicle to perform turning maneuvers autonomously without operator intervention. The system serves itself by automatically detecting transverse swaths, selecting appropriate turn profiles, and executing turning maneuvers, thereby eliminating time loss associated with operator intervention while maintaining crop protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Device complexity

If a single guidance system is used for both swath following and turning, then system complexity is reduced, but guidance precision decreases during transition phases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguidance system complexityVSAvoidguidance precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guidance system is divided into two specialized subsystems: swath guidance for linear path following and turn guidance for interswath maneuvers. This segmentation allows each subsystem to maintain high precision for its specific function while the overall system complexity is managed through modular architecture and automatic toggling between modes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12310273B2Guidance systems and methods

Publication Date: 2025.05.27 RAVEN INDUSTRIES INC

AI summary

A guidance assembly for an agricultural vehicle includes a pathing system configured to provide an array of swaths. The guidance assembly includes a composite guidance system in communication with an automated driving interface and the pathing system. The composite guidance system includes a turn guidance system configured to guide the agricultural vehicle along at least one turn segment extending between a first zone swath and a transverse second zone swath, and a swath guidance system configured to guide the agricultural vehicle along the first zone swath and the transverse second zone swath. The system includes a comparator configured to compare the agricultural vehicle position with swath departure and arrival locations. An interswath turning element automatically toggles the turn and swath guidance systems between activated and paused configurations according to the compared agricultural vehicle position and the swath departure and arrival locations.