Headland Route Control for Autonomous Farm Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies do not provide a detailed method for creating a route for a headland region, which differs from a work region, making it difficult to apply methods from the work region to the headland region effectively.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous traveling control system that selects a selective edge in the headland region based on distance and angle calculations, allowing the work vehicle to autonomously travel by creating headland traveling auxiliary routes, considering the vehicle's position and orientation, and includes units for route creation, determination, and display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a route creation method from the work region is applied to the headland region, then the route creation process becomes simpler, but the route cannot be created accurately because the headland region has different characteristics from the work region

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute creation simplicityVSAvoidroute creation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a dedicated route creation method specifically for the headland region, recognizing that this region has different characteristics from the work region. The system selectively applies different route creation strategies: using work region methods for straight-line work areas and a new edge-based method for headland turning areas, ensuring each region receives the appropriate creation approach for its specific needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the field into distinct work region and headland region, applying different route creation methods to each segment. The headland region is further segmented by identifying multiple candidate edges, and the system selects the most appropriate edge for route creation based on specific criteria, allowing precise route generation for each spatial segment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple edges are considered for headland traveling, then the route can accommodate various operator intentions, but the determination process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute adaptability to operator intentionVSAvoidedge determination process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using the work vehicle's current position and orientation as input to the edge determination process. The system continuously monitors vehicle state and uses this feedback to select the most appropriate edge from multiple candidates, ensuring the route adapts to the vehicle's actual state and the operator's intended direction while maintaining a systematic determination process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the determination parameters by considering both position (distance from edges) and orientation (angle with respect to edges) simultaneously. This multi-parameter approach allows the system to evaluate multiple edges comprehensively and select the most appropriate one, balancing adaptability with a structured decision-making process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4068036B1Autonomous travelling control system
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 YANMAR POWER TECH CO LTD
  • EP4068036B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4068036B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4068036B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This autonomous traveling control system is capable of generating, in a headland region which is in a farm field surrounded by peripheries formed from a plurality of edges and which is formed between the peripheries and a work region in which a work vehicle works while traveling autonomously, a headland traveling auxiliary route along which the work vehicle travels autonomously. The autonomous traveling control system selects, from among the plurality of edges, a selective edge for generating the headland traveling auxiliary route, on the basis of the distance between the edges and the vehicle position of the work vehicle and of the angles formed between the edges and the vehicle orientation of the work vehicle.