Agricultural Vehicle Coordination Control for Harvester Speed Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The efficiency of the harvesting process is reduced due to the complexity of aligning a mobile storage compartment with a harvester and matching speeds, which requires highly skilled drivers, increasing costs and potentially leading to agricultural product loss when less skilled drivers are employed.
Innovation Solution
A control system for agricultural vehicles that includes a spatial locating device, automated steering control, and automated speed control, allowing the vehicle to automatically align with the harvester and maintain synchronization, enabling efficient unloading while reducing the need for skilled operators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual alignment and speed matching are used to transfer agricultural product from harvester to mobile storage compartment, then the process requires highly skilled drivers, but this increases operational costs and reduces availability of operators
Solution Approach 1:
The haul vehicle autonomously performs alignment and speed matching operations without requiring skilled human operators. The vehicle uses its own sensors, transceiver, and control systems to automatically navigate to the harvester, align the storage compartment with the conveyor outlet, and match speeds for product transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control operations with an automated electronic control system. The transceiver communicates position and velocity data between vehicles, and the control system automatically adjusts steering and speed, substituting human operator skills with automated electronic-mechanical systems
2Productivity
If less skilled drivers operate the haul vehicles, then operational costs are reduced, but misalignment and speed mismatch occur leading to agricultural product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver continuously exchanges position and velocity data between the harvester and haul vehicle. The control system uses this feedback information to make real-time adjustments to steering and speed, ensuring accurate alignment and speed matching throughout the approach and transfer process
Solution Approach 2:
The automated control system replaces manual driver control, eliminating human error in alignment and speed matching. The electronic control system precisely manages the vehicle's movement and positioning, preventing product loss that would otherwise result from operator inaccuracy
3Ease of operation
If automated control systems are implemented for alignment and speed matching, then skilled operators are not needed reducing costs, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver serves multiple functions: it transmits position data, velocity information, and control signals between the harvester and haul vehicle. The control system integrates navigation, alignment, and speed matching operations into a single automated system, reducing the need for separate specialized components
Solution Approach 2:
The transceiver acts as an intermediary device that facilitates communication and data exchange between the harvester and haul vehicle. This single intermediary component enables the automated control system to obtain necessary position and velocity information without requiring complex direct sensor connections between vehicles
Data Source
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AI summary
A control system for an agricultural vehicle includes a first transceiver configured to receive a first signal from a second transceiver of a target vehicle. The first signal is indicative of a first determined position and a first determined velocity of the target vehicle. The control system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first transceiver. The controller is configured to automatically control the agricultural vehicle by determining a target position and a target velocity of the agricultural vehicle based at least in part on the first determined position and the first determined velocity of the target vehicle, instructing an automated steering control system and an automated speed control system to direct the agricultural vehicle toward the target position, and instructing the automated steering control system and the automated speed control system to substantially maintain the target position and the target velocity upon substantially reaching the target position.