US 12,344,202 B2
Selectively implementing automated cleaning routines during unloading cycles for transport vehicles
Michael D. Peat, Dubuque, IA (US)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Jun. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/746,682.
Application 18/746,682 is a continuation of application No. 17/477,632, filed on Sep. 17, 2021, granted, now 12,036,958.
Prior Publication US 2024/0336236 A1, Oct. 10, 2024
Int. Cl. B60S 3/04 (2006.01); B60P 1/28 (2006.01); B65G 67/24 (2006.01)
CPC B60S 3/04 (2013.01) [B60P 1/286 (2013.01); B65G 67/24 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for automated cleaning of a loading container of a transport vehicle, the loading container comprising one or more controllable elements for transitioning between a loaded state and an unloaded state, the method comprising:
estimating one or more characteristics of carryback material remaining in the loading container during a detected unloaded state of the transport vehicle, wherein the estimated one or more characteristics of the carryback material includes a weight and/or a volume of the carryback material remaining in the loading container;
determining whether to initiate an automated cleaning stage based at least in part on a calculated aggregation trend for the estimated weight and/or volume of the carryback material over a plurality of unloading cycles; and
upon determining to initiate the automated cleaning stage, automatically directing performance of a cleaning routine during an unloading stage for the loading container, wherein the cleaning routine is performed by controlling via the one or more controllable elements in accordance with a severity level selected from among a plurality of progressively increasing severity levels based at least in part on at least one of the estimated one or more characteristics.