Deere + Company

Southwest Research Institute

Cameron R Mott

Sebastian Blank

Aaron J Bruns

Timothy S Hunt

Stephan J Lemmer

Paul A Avery

Bhanu Kiran Palla

Andrew Karl Wilhem Rekow

Anja Eggerl

A system of autonomous vehicles for forming a team of autonomous vehicles to perform a designated set of tasks. Each vehicle stores data representing its own capabilities that match the tasks, data representing needed capabilities for the team to perform the tasks, and data representing the capabilities of all current team members. Each of the vehicles is equipped with a communications system operable to send and receive join request messages and join response messages. All join request message contain the capabilities of the sending vehicle. All join response messages contain current team capabilities data. Upon receipt of a join request message, a vehicle compares needed capabilities data to the received capabilities data, and if there are matched capabilities, it updates the team capabilities data and transmits a join response message. Upon receipt of a join response message, if the message indicates the sending vehicle has joined the team, the receiving vehicle updates the team capabilities list.

Autonomous team formation and task negotiation among unmanned vehicles

A method for automatically tuning an agricultural combine (), comprises the steps of: receiving () a signal from an operator of the agricultural combine () indicating that current operation of the agricultural combine () operation is acceptable; determining () current performance parameters of the agricultural combine after the step of receiving; calculating () a performance parameter error limit for each of the current performance parameters in the step of determining; again determining () current performance parameters; comparing () the again determined current performance parameters with the performance parameter error limits to thereby determine whether one or more of the again determined current performance parameters falls outside its associated performance parameter error limit; and if at least one of the again determined current performance parameters falls outside its associated performance parameter error limit, then calculating () changes to machine settings of the agricultural combine () that will bring the at least one of the again determined current performance parameters back within its associated performance parameter error limit.

Automatic tuning of an intelligent combine

A system for detecting an operating state of a work machine (), comprises at least two sensors () for sensing parameters affecting an operation state of the machine () and an operating state evaluation circuit () having an output for an operating state signal value (). The operating state evaluation circuit (determines the operating state signal value () based upon fused signals from the sensors and a sensor reliability signal from a weighing function evaluator ().

Operating state detection system for work machine with fusion considering sensor value reliability

A leader location-determining receiver determines a leader location of a lead vehicle. A follower location-determining receiver determines a follower location of a follower vehicle, which has a container for storing a material. A data processor or position module calculates an observed relative position between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle. Target relative positions are established between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle. A data processor or selector selects a preferential one of the established target positions. A data processor or adjuster adjusts the observed relative position of the follower vehicle to achieve the selected preferential one of the established target positions.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Cameron R Mott