US 12,213,408 B2
Combine harvester operation based on windrow data stream
Craig S. Morris, Galesburg, IL (US)
Assigned to DEERE & COMPANY, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by DEERE & COMPANY, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Dec. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/553,430.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/277,779, filed on Nov. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0142286 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. A01D 41/127 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01D 41/1278 (2013.01) [A01D 41/1271 (2013.01); G05D 1/0219 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for providing machine guidance to a combine harvester for a harvesting operation, the system comprising:
an electronic controller configured to:
receive an input data stream from a windrower, wherein the input data stream includes a chronologically ordered series of location points, wherein each location point is indicative of a location of the windrower at different times during performance of a windrowing operation in a field;
identify a plurality of data points from the input data stream corresponding to a first windrow of crops cut by the windrower and left in the field during the windrowing operation;
determine, based on the plurality of data points, a centerline of the first windrow;
generate a path plan for the combine harvester based at least in part on the centerline of the first windrow, wherein the path plan includes an indication of a target route to be travelled by the combine harvester while harvesting the cut crops in the first windrow, wherein the path plan aligns the combine harvester to the centerline of the first windrow; and
control the combine harvester to perform the harvesting operation based at least in part on a generated path plan.