Predictive Transport Vehicle Control for Harvesting Machine Unloading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for controlling the transfer of harvested crops from self-propelled agricultural harvesting machines into transport vehicles react delayed to changes in the harvesting machine's driving status, leading to inaccuracies in maintaining the relative position of the loading container due to reliance on external recognition of current speed and steering angle.

Innovation Solution

A system that includes a detection device on the harvesting machine to predict future changes in its driving status, such as speed and direction, and communicates this information to a drive controller for the transport vehicle, allowing for proactive adjustments in speed and steering to maintain the target position of the loading container.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the transport vehicle reacts to changes in the harvesting machine's driving status based on current speed and steering angle detection, then the system can maintain basic positioning, but the reaction is delayed leading to inaccuracies in maintaining the relative position of the loading container

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidreaction delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary action by using prediction algorithms to forecast future driving status changes of the harvesting machine before they actually occur. The controller calculates anticipated speed and steering angle changes based on current trajectory and operational patterns, enabling the transport vehicle to prepare corrective actions in advance. This eliminates the reactive delay inherent in traditional systems that only respond after deviations are detected, thereby maintaining precise positioning accuracy without time loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If the system uses external recognition to detect current speed and steering angle of the harvesting machine, then the control system can function with simple sensors, but the transport vehicle can only react with delay to position deviations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor system simplicityVSAvoidposition maintenance reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculation of future driving status changes using the harvesting machine's current trajectory, speed, and steering angle data. By predicting where the machine will be in the near future rather than reacting to where it is now, the system compensates for the inherent delay in external recognition sensors. This predictive approach maintains reliability of position maintenance while keeping the sensor system relatively simple, as it builds intelligence into the control algorithm rather than requiring complex sensor arrays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If the transport vehicle adjusts its position based on detected deviations from the target position, then the system can correct positioning errors, but by the time correction occurs the deviation has already increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition correction accuracyVSAvoidcorrection delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control system executes preliminary action by calculating and preparing position correction movements before actual deviations from the target position become significant. Using prediction algorithms that analyze the harvesting machine's driving pattern, the system anticipates upcoming position requirements and adjusts the transport vehicle's position proactively. This prevents the need for large corrective movements later, maintaining high positioning precision while eliminating the time loss associated with reactive correction of already-established deviations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3970471A1Method for controlling overloading of harvested material
Publication Date: 2022.03.23 CLAAS E SYSTEMS GMBH
  • EP3970471A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3970471A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3970471A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Method for controlling the unloading of harvested crops from a self-propelled agricultural harvesting machine into the loading container of a transport vehicle, wherein the harvesting machine comprises an unloading device with which the harvested crop is transferred from the harvesting machine into the loading container, wherein a relative position of the loading container relative to the harvesting machine is determined, wherein a relative target position of the loading container is determined, wherein the transport vehicle is controlled such that the relative position of the loading container substantially corresponds to the relative target position, and wherein at least one piece of information about a future change in the driving state of the harvesting machine is taken into account during the control.