Field Route Planning Across Multiple Cultivation Steps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural processing technologies lack an efficient method for optimizing driving routes across multiple machining steps in field processing, leading to suboptimal use of resources and increased operational costs.

Innovation Solution

A procedure for driving route optimization that automatically determines the optimal order and alignment of parallel lanes for each processing step, considering a unified orientation across all steps, and generates control data for agricultural machines to follow the optimized routes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If independent optimization is performed for each processing step, then the route can be optimized for individual machine characteristics, but the overall operational efficiency is reduced due to inconsistent orientations and increased turning maneuvers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoverall operational efficiencyVSAvoidroute planning complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple independent processing steps into a unified route planning process. The server generates a single optimized route that considers all processing steps (primary cultivation, secondary cultivation, harvesting) simultaneously, ensuring consistent orientation across all steps while minimizing total turning maneuvers and travel distance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The route planning system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it optimizes the route for different types of agricultural machines with different working widths, ensures consistent orientation across all processing steps, minimizes turning maneuvers, and reduces travel distance. This universal approach benefits all processing steps without requiring separate optimization for each.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Loss of time

If the orientation is standardized across all processing steps, then the number of turning maneuvers is reduced, but the flexibility to optimize for individual machine characteristics is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime for turning maneuversVSAvoidadaptability to different machine characteristics
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the route parameters within the constraints of unified orientation. While the overall orientation is standardized to reduce turning maneuvers, the server optimizes the specific path, lane positions, and sequence based on individual machine characteristics such as working width and turning radius, achieving both time efficiency and machine adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different optimization strategies to different segments of the route. The overall orientation is standardized globally, but local adjustments are made for each processing step and machine type, such as optimizing lane positions and turning points based on specific machine characteristics, thereby reducing turning time while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Use of energy by moving object

If the driving route is optimized for minimal travel distance, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the number of processing steps that can be completed may be limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidnumber of processing steps completed
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The server performs preliminary optimization of the entire route before execution, calculating the most efficient path that incorporates all necessary processing steps. By planning the complete route in advance with unified orientation and optimized sequencing, the system minimizes total travel distance and fuel consumption while ensuring all processing steps are completed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The optimized route enables continuous processing operations with minimal idle time and reduced turning maneuvers. The unified orientation allows machines to proceed systematically through all processing steps in a continuous flow, maximizing productivity while minimizing energy consumption through efficient path planning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP4245108B1Method for optimizing driving route
Publication Date: 2025.04.30 KRONE AGRI SE
  • EP4245108B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4245108B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4245108B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to methods for optimizing driving routes during field cultivation with a plurality of processing steps, wherein in each processing step a predetermined processing area (21) is traversed by an agricultural machine (10) according to a driving route (F1-F5) with a plurality of parallel driving tracks (S1-S5), wherein the driving route (F1-F5) can be characterized by an orientation (A1, A2) of the driving tracks (S1-S5), a positioning (P1-P4) which determines the positions of all driving tracks (S1-S5), and a sequence (R1-R5) in which the driving tracks (S1-S5) are traversed, wherein the orientation (A1, A2) is the same for all processing steps, wherein - for a plurality of processing steps, an automatic optimization of the sequence (R1-R5) is carried out for each of a plurality of combinations of an orientation (A1, A2) and a positioning (P1-P4) (S150).by determining an optimal sequence (Ropt) for this combination from a plurality of sequences (R1-R5) according to a defined optimization criterion for route optimization, whereby combinations with a matching orientation are used as a basis for all processing steps; - an automatic optimization of the routes (F1-F5) is carried out for each processing step by determining from the plurality of combinations, taking into account the optimal sequence (Ropt) determined for the respective combination, an optimal combination (S100) according to the optimization criterion, which corresponds to an optimal route (Fopt) for this processing step, wherein the orientation (A1, A2) of the optimal routes (Fopt) is the same for all processing steps; and - control data (D) for controlling at least one agricultural machine (10) during each of the processing steps are automatically generated (S230),where the control data represent the optimal driving route (Fopt). In order to enable optimized agricultural cultivation of a given cultivation area in several cultivation steps, the invention provides that the optimization criterion takes each of the cultivation steps into account, so that the optimization of the driving route (F1-F5) for the respective cultivation step is carried out depending on all cultivation steps.