Dynamic Swath Line Adjustment for Consistent Field Passes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural work vehicles face challenges in maintaining consistent and uniformly spaced passes across fields, leading to inefficient operations and lower crop yields due to inconsistent swath lines, which existing guidance systems fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A work vehicle system equipped with sensors to capture operating parameters and a computing system that adjusts swath lines in real-time based on vehicle dynamics and loading conditions, ensuring the vehicle can traverse the field effectively despite varying conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a work vehicle uses a fixed guidance system to follow pre-generated swath lines, then the system structure is simple and easy to operate, but the passes become inconsistent and non-uniformly spaced when vehicle operating conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic swath line adjustment by continuously monitoring vehicle operating parameters (speed, steering angle, implement position) and modifying the guidance path in real-time. The computing system recalculates swath line coordinates based on current vehicle state, transforming the static guidance system into a dynamic one that adapts to changing conditions, thereby maintaining pass consistency without requiring overly complex hardware modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms by continuously sensing vehicle operating parameters through sensors and using this information to adjust the swath line guidance. The computing system receives feedback from sensors about vehicle speed, steering angle, and implement position, then uses this feedback to recalculate and update the guidance path, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains pass uniformity while managing system complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If the work vehicle operates under varying loading conditions and field conditions, then the vehicle must adapt to maintain performance, but fixed swath lines cannot accommodate these variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts swath line coordinates based on real-time vehicle operating conditions including speed, steering angle, and implement position. This dynamic recalculation allows the guidance system to adapt to varying loading conditions and field conditions while maintaining accurate pass spacing and alignment, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the swath line (coordinates, curvature, spacing) based on vehicle operating parameters. When vehicle speed, steering angle, or implement position changes due to varying field conditions or loading, the system modifies the swath line parameters accordingly, enabling the system to maintain manufacturing precision across different operating conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A work vehicle includes a computing system is configured to access a swath line corresponding to a pass to be made across a field by the work vehicle. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to control the operation of the work vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the swath line to make the pass across the field. Additionally, the computing system is configured to determine an operating parameter of the work vehicle as the vehicle travels along the swath line. Moreover, the computing system is configured to adjust a portion of the swath line positioned forward of the work vehicle relative to a direction of travel of the vehicle based on the determined operating parameter as the vehicle travels along the swath line.