The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 30, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 15, 1997
John D Watt, Davenport, IA (US);
Richard E McMillen, Sherrard, IL (US);
Gerald E Salzman, Libertyville, IL (US);
Jesse H Orsborn, Port Byron, IL (US);
Stephen M Faivre, DeKalb, IL (US);
James G Morrow, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Peter J Vogel, Whitefish Bay, WI (US);
Case Corporation, Racine, WI (US);
Abstract
A control system for controlling a vehicle system at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the vehicle's course of travel is disclosed herein. The vehicle includes a drive train powered by an engine, and the anticipated condition may affect engine load. The control system includes a location signal generation circuit for receiving positioning signals and generating location signals therefrom, a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including map data indicative of anticipated conditions along the course of travel which may affect engine load, and a control circuit. The control circuit predicts the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, generates a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition, and applies the control signal to the vehicle system. The prediction of the anticipated condition can be calibrated using results of a comparison between a sensed actual condition and an earlier-predicted anticipated condition. Anticipated conditions include anticipated slopes, crop conditions and soil conditions. Crop conditions can be anticipated using aerial photography. The controlled vehicle systems include speed actuators, transmissions, crop processors, energy exchangers, clutches and differential locks.