US-20260123577-A1 - SPEED CONTROL FOR AGRICULTURAL MATERIAL TRANSFER VEHICLE

US20260123577A1US 20260123577 A1US20260123577 A1US 20260123577A1US-20260123577-A1

Abstract

A speed control system accesses a set of physical factors and a set of job-related factors and computes a target speed for a material transfer vehicle. The speed control system predicts an estimated target speed for the material transfer vehicle based on a route of the material transfer vehicle and terrain along the route. the speed control system generates a speed control signal based on the target speed and the estimated target speed.

Inventors

Stephen R. Corban
Grant J. Wonderlich
Brandon M. McDonald

Assignees

DEERE & COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241101

Claims (20)

1 . A computer implemented method, comprising: detecting a physical speed control factor corresponding to an agricultural material transfer vehicle; obtaining a job-related speed control factor corresponding to the agricultural material transfer vehicle; automatically generating a target speed signal based on the physical speed control factor and the job-related speed control factor; and controlling a propulsion system on the agricultural material transfer vehicle based on the target speed signal.
2 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising: detecting a feedback speed control factor corresponding to the agricultural material transfer vehicle, during operation of the agricultural material transfer vehicle; and wherein automatically generating the target speed signal comprises automatically generating the target speed signal based on the feedback speed control factor.
3 . The computer implemented method of claim 2 and further comprising: detecting a predictive speed control factor corresponding to the agricultural material transfer vehicle; and wherein automatically generating the target speed signal comprises automatically generating the target speed signal based on the predictive speed control factor.
4 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the agricultural material transfer vehicle comprises a cart and a propulsion vehicle and wherein detecting the physical speed control factor comprises: detecting a plurality of cart factors corresponding to the cart; and generating a physical speed control output based on the plurality of cart factors.
5 . The computer implemented method of claim 4 wherein detecting a plurality of cart factors comprises: detecting two or more of cart weight, cart center of gravity, cart pitch and roll orientation, turning angle, yaw rate, acceleration, and drawbar load.
6 . The computer implemented method of claim 4 wherein detecting the physical speed control factor comprises: detecting ground conditions corresponding to ground over which the agricultural material transfer vehicle travels.
7 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the agricultural material transfer vehicle is configured to transfer harvested material from a harvester to a haulage vehicle and wherein obtaining job-related factors comprises: obtaining a haulage vehicle status indicator indicative of whether the haulage vehicle is in position to receive the harvested material from the agricultural material transfer vehicle.
8 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the agricultural material transfer vehicle is configured to transfer harvested material from a harvester to a haulage vehicle and wherein obtaining job-related factors comprises: obtaining a harvester status indicator indicative of whether the harvester is ready to transfer the harvested material to the agricultural material transfer vehicle.
9 . The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein detecting a predictive speed control factor comprises: detecting a route for the agricultural material transfer vehicle; detecting characteristics of the route; and generating a predictive speed control output based on the route and the characteristics of the route.
10 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein automatically generating the target speed signal comprises: applying an indication of the physical speed control factor and an indication of the job-related speed control factor as inputs to a machine learning model; and generating a representation of the target speed signal with the machine learning model.
11 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein automatically generating the target speed signal comprises: applying an indication of the physical speed control factor and an indication of the job-related speed control factor as inputs to a speed control algorithm; and generating a representation of the target speed signal with the speed control algorithm.
12 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein automatically generating the target speed signal comprises: searching a speed control look-up table based on the physical speed control factor and based on an indication of the job-related speed control factor to identify a representation of the target speed signal.
13 . An agricultural system, comprising: an agricultural material transfer vehicle configured to transfer harvested material from a harvester to a haulage vehicle; a physical factor processing system configured to detect a physical speed control factor corresponding to an agricultural material transfer vehicle and generate a physical factor output based on the physical speed control factor; a job-related factor processing system configured to obtain a job-related speed control factor corresponding to the agricultural material transfer vehicle and generate a job-related factor output based on the job-related speed control factor; a current speed generation system automatically generating a target speed signal based on the physical factor output and the job-related factor output; and a current speed control output generator configured to control a propulsion system on the agricultural material transfer vehicle based on the target speed signal.
14 . The agricultural system of claim 13 and further comprising: a feedback processing system configured to detect a feedback speed control factor corresponding to the agricultural material transfer vehicle, during operation of the agricultural material transfer vehicle, and wherein the current speed generation system is configured to automatically generate the target speed signal based on the feedback speed control factor.
15 . The agricultural system of claim 13 and further comprising: a predictive speed control system configured to detect a predictive speed control factor corresponding to the agricultural material transfer vehicle and wherein the current speed generation system is configured to automatically generate the target speed signal based on the predictive speed control factor.
16 . The agricultural system of claim 13 wherein the agricultural material transfer vehicle comprises a cart and a propulsion vehicle and wherein the physical factor processing system comprises: a cart factor processor configured to detect a plurality of cart factors corresponding to the cart and generate a cart factor output based on the cart factors; and a physical factor output generator configured to generate the physical factor output based on the cart factor output.
17 . The agricultural system of claim 13 wherein the job-related factor processing system comprises: a status processor configured to obtain at least one status indicator, the at least one status indicator being at least one of a haulage vehicle status indicator indicative of whether the haulage vehicle is in position to receive the harvested material from the material transfer vehicle or a harvester status indicator indicative of whether the harvester is ready to transfer the harvested material to the material transfer vehicle, the status processor being configured to generate a status processor output based on the at least one status indicator; and a job-related output generator configured to generate the job-related factor output based on the status processor output.
18 . The agricultural system of claim 15 wherein the predictive speed control system comprises: a route processor configured to detect a route for the agricultural material transfer vehicle and a characteristic of the route; and a predictive speed output generator configured to generate the predictive speed control factor based on the route and the characteristic of the route.
19 . An agricultural vehicle control system, comprising: at least one processor; and memory storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, comprising: detecting a physical cart factor corresponding to an agricultural grain cart that is propelled by a propulsion vehicle to transfer harvested material from a harvester to a container during a harvesting operation; obtaining a job-related speed control factor corresponding to the harvesting operation; automatically generating a target speed signal based on the physical cart factor and the job-related speed control factor; and controlling a speed of the propulsion vehicle based on the target speed signal.
20 . The agricultural vehicle control system of claim 19 wherein the computer executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method, comprising: detecting a feedback speed control factor corresponding to the grain cart during the harvesting operation; detecting a predictive speed control factor; and wherein automatically generating the target speed signal comprises automatically generating the target speed signal based on the feedback speed control factor and the predictive speed control factor.

Description

FIELD OF THE DESCRIPTION The present descriptions relate to mobile agricultural machines. More specifically, the present description relates to controlling speed of an agricultural material transfer vehicle. BACKGROUND There is a wide variety of different types of agricultural equipment. Some such agricultural equipment includes agricultural harvesters and material transfer vehicles. Agricultural harvesters often engage crop, process that crop, and unload that crop into a material transfer vehicle, such as a mobile crop cart or trailer (for example). Once the material transfer vehicle is filled to a desired fill level, the material transfer vehicle navigates toward a container, such as a semi-trailer, pulls alongside the container, and transfers the harvested material to the container. As the material transfer vehicle approaches the container, a control system or operator positions an unloading spout or auger, and then, once alongside the container, engages the unloading auger on the material transfer vehicle to unload the harvested material from the material transfer vehicle into the container. The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. SUMMARY A speed control system accesses a set of physical factors and a set of job-related factors and computes a target speed for a material transfer vehicle. The speed control system predicts an estimated target speed for the material transfer vehicle based on a route of the material transfer vehicle and terrain along the route. the speed control system generates a speed control signal based on the target speed and the estimated target speed, This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial pictorial, partial block diagram of one example of an agricultural system. FIG. 2 is a partial pictorial, partial block diagram of one example of an agricultural system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one example of an agricultural system. FIGS. 4A and 4B (collectively referred to herein as FIG. 4) are a block diagram showing one example of a propulsion vehicle speed control system in more detail. FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C (collectively referred to herein as FIG. 5) illustrate a flow diagram showing one example of the operation of the propulsion vehicle speed control system. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing one example of the agricultural system shown in other figures, deployed in a remote server environment. FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 show examples of mobile devices that can be used in the architectures and systems shown in other figures. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing one example of a computing environment that can be used in the systems and architectures shown in other figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the examples illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is intended. Any alterations and further modifications to the described devices, systems, methods, and any further application of the principles of the present disclosure are fully contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates. In particular, it is fully contemplated that the features, components, and/or steps described with respect to one example may be combined with the features, components, and/or steps described with respect to other examples of the present disclosure. As discussed above, agricultural harvesters often unload harvested material into a material transfer vehicle. The material transfer vehicle then transfers the material to the location of a container where the material transfer vehicle unloads the material into the container. The container may be a haulage vehicle (such as semi-trailer or a grain truck) or another type of container. It will be understood that a material transfer vehicle includes a material container or receptacle (e.g., a cart, a trailer, a hopper, etc.) that includes a volume configured to receive and hold material (e.g., crop material such as grain, etc.) and a propulsion system that provides for travel of the material transfer vehicle. In some examples, the material transfer vehicle can include a separate towing vehicle including the propulsion system and a towed material container or receptacle, such as a grain cart