Vehicle Coordination System for Coordinated Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for transferring agricultural material between vehicles lack a reliable and user-friendly mechanism for coordinating unloading activities between pairs of vehicles, leading to inefficiencies in material transfer.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses GPS receivers and wireless communication devices to determine vehicle locations and facilitate coordinated movement between lead and follower vehicles, allowing operators to accept or reject pairing and maintain a target offset for efficient unloading, utilizing a user interface to manage the unloading process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS receivers and wireless communication devices are used to maintain proper spacing between vehicles, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines GPS receivers, wireless communication devices, and user interface elements into an integrated vehicle coordination system. The lead vehicle system and follower vehicle system are merged through wireless communication to share location data and coordinate unloading activities, improving positioning accuracy while managing system complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless communication devices as intermediaries between GPS receivers and the vehicle operators. These devices receive location data from GPS, process it through wireless communication protocols, and present it to operators via user interfaces, thereby improving measurement precision while abstracting away the complexity of direct GPS integration.
2Ease of operation
If a user interface with response mechanisms is provided for coordinating unloading activities, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface enables operators to independently accept or reject pairing requests and control unloading activities without requiring external coordination. The lead vehicle operator can manage follower vehicle pairing and unloading timing through intuitive interface elements, improving ease of operation while keeping the interface self-contained to limit complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The user interface is designed to perform multiple functions: displaying follower vehicle location, presenting pairing requests, accepting or rejecting pairing, controlling unloading timing, and providing feedback. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single interface, improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Productivity
If real-time vehicle pairing and coordinated movement are implemented, then the productivity is improved, but the loss of time for coordination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing pairing between lead and follower vehicles before unloading begins. The wireless communication system exchanges location data and pairing requests in advance, allowing operators to accept pairing and prepare for coordinated movement before the actual unloading process, thereby improving productivity while minimizing coordination time during the critical unloading window.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback through wireless communication between lead and follower vehicles, providing real-time location data and coordination status. This feedback loop allows operators to make quick decisions about pairing and unloading timing, improving productivity by reducing uncertainty and coordination delays.
4Manufacturing precision
If target offset maintenance is implemented between vehicles, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical alignment systems with electronic and software-based solutions. GPS receivers provide location data, wireless communication transmits alignment information, and software algorithms calculate and maintain target offset between vehicles. This substitution improves alignment precision while reducing mechanical complexity by using electronic control and data processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface alerts an operator of the lead vehicle if the follower vehicle location is within a predefined radius of the lead vehicle location and a predetermined angular difference with respect to a heading of the lead vehicle. A user interface response mechanism is configured such that the operator can accept or reject jointly coordinated movement of the lead vehicle and follower vehicle for unloading the lead vehicle during an unloading period. The first wireless communications device is adapted to transmit an alignment data message to the follower vehicle to maintain a target offset between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle, where the target offset is based on a first vehicle identifier of the follower vehicle, a second vehicle identifier of the lead vehicle, and preset target offset stored in at data storage device associated with the lead vehicle.