Raven Industries, Inc.

Alex John Weidenbach

John D Preheim

Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel

Jesse Lee Wagers

Drew John Waltner

Joel Quentin Quanbeck

John Earl Acheson

Jonathan Eugene Mathews

A row steering system of an agricultural machine is provided. The row steering system includes a first sensor assembly configured to detect a first orientation of the agricultural machine relative to a path reference in a field using a first sensor configured to measure a first characteristic. The system also includes a second sensor assembly configured to detect a second orientation of the agricultural machine using a second sensor configured to measure a second characteristic. The system further includes a control module including a first evaluation module to obtain a first confidence in the detected first orientation, a second evaluation module to obtain a second confidence in the detected second orientation, and a selector module to selectively provide one or more of the detected first orientation or the detected second orientation to a machine controller of the agricultural machine based on the first and second confidences.

Sensor fusion in agricultural vehicle steering

A semi-active suspension system includes a suspension element having a damping coefficient range. The suspension element optionally includes an implement end and a chassis end. The semi-active suspension system includes a suspension control circuit in communication with the suspension element. The suspension control circuit optionally includes a kinematic assessment circuit in communication with one or more sensors. The kinematic assessment circuit is configured to measure or determine kinematic characteristics of one or more of the agricultural implement and the chassis. The suspension control circuit optionally includes a damping control circuit, and the damping control circuit generates a specified damping characteristic based on the measured or determined kinematic characteristics. The damping control circuit optionally directs the suspension element to operate within the damping coefficient range based on the specified damping characteristic.

Agricultural implement suspension system

An agricultural vehicle monitoring system includes first and second noncontact sensors configured for coupling with an agricultural vehicle, where the first and second noncontact sensors are configured to sense respective first and second environmental characteristics for determining a position of the agricultural vehicle in a field. The system further includes a comparative vehicle monitor in communication with the first and second noncontact sensors. The comparative vehicle monitor includes a filter module to filter outputs of the first and second noncontact sensors based on an indicator of a relative quality of the output of each sensor. The comparative vehicle monitor additionally includes an evaluation module to determine a vehicle position of the agricultural vehicle relative to at least one of the first and second environmental characteristics according to filtered outputs of the first and second noncontact sensors.

Comparative agricultural obstacle monitor and guidance system and method for same

An automated implement control system includes one or more distance sensors configured for coupling with an agricultural implement. The one or more distance sensors are configured to measure a ground distance and a canopy distance from the one or more sensors to the ground and crop canopy, respectively. An implement control module is in communication with the one or more distance sensors. The implement control module controls movement of the agricultural implement. The implement control module includes a confidence module configured to determine a ground confidence value based on the measured ground distance and a canopy confidence value based on the measured canopy distance. A target selection module of the implement control module is configured to select one of the measured ground or canopy distances as a control basis for controlling movement of the agricultural implement based on the comparison of confidence values.

Implement position control system and method for same

An agricultural vehicle monitoring system includes one or more noncontact sensors configured to sense multiple objects along a scanline. A comparative vehicle monitor is in communication with the one or more noncontact sensors. The comparative vehicle monitor is configured to provide a specified row width and to identify one or more crop rows from the scan line and determine one or more lengths of scan line segments between identified crop rows. The comparative vehicle monitor is further configured to determine a vehicle position including one or more of a vehicle angle or a vehicle location according to the specified row width and the one or more determined lengths of scan line segments between the identified crop rows.

The systems and methods described herein adjust harvest characteristics by selecting one or more harvest characteristics according to the location of a harvester within a field. For example, the selection includes determining the location of the harvester within the field, associating the location with a corresponding zone of a plurality of zones in the field where each of the plurality of zones corresponds to a respective crop planted within the field (for instance a hybrid type), and assigning one or more harvest characteristics to a harvest operation according to at least the corresponding zone and the respective crop within the corresponding zone. Harvest operations are conducted with the assigned one or more harvest characteristics. The systems and methods described repeat selecting the one or more harvest characteristics as the harvester changes location within the field according to further examples.

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Brandon, SD, United States of America

Alex John Weidenbach