US4769700A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Robot tractors
Assignee: LMI Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1984-09-17
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Granted: 1988-09-06
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Expires: 2004-09-17
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is an electro-optical and microcomputer based method and apparatus for automatically guiding tractors and other farm machinery for the purpose of automatic crop planting, tending and harvesting. A target is preferably located at one boundary of the field which serves as a reference. The position of the machinery in the field is determined by electro-optically sensing the target with a sensor located on the machinery. A desired trajectory for the machinery is then determined and the machinery is steered automatically along this trajectory.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy R. Pryor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 21:01
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23P; B23P19/00; B23P19/10; A; A01; A01B; A01B69/00; A01B69/007; A01B69/008; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/16; B25J9/1694; B25J9/1697; B62; B62D; B62D1/00; B62D1/24; B62D1/28; G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0231; G05D1/0246
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
A method for determining the distance of a base to, or the parallelism of a base having a direction of movement relative to, a row of objects located along an axis, comprising the steps of: projecting light at an oblique angle to the axis from the base located at one side of the axis so as to illuminate a limited plurality of objects in a row; imaging the light from the illuminated objects at a location on the base at an oblique angle different from the illuminating oblique angle; detecting the imaged light from the illuminated objects; generating a signal representative of the frequency of the images produced by said objects; and analyzing said signal to determine the distance to the row or the parallelism of the base relative to the row.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
132 words
A method for determining the distance of a base to, or the parallelism of a base having a direction of movement relative to, a row of objects located along an axis, comprising the steps of: projecting light at an oblique angle to the axis from the base located at one side of the axis so as to illuminate a limited plurality of objects in a row; imaging the light from the illuminated objects at a location on the base at an oblique angle different from the illuminating oblique angle; detecting the imaged light from the illuminated objects; generating a signal representative of the frequency of the images produced by said objects; and analyzing said signal to determine the distance to the row or the parallelism of the base relative to the row.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projecting step includes the step of sequentially illuminating objects in the row at a known light projecting angle, and said imaging step includes the imaging of the returned light from the objects sequentially imaged at the known projection angle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imaging step is performed using a TV camera; and further including the steps of moving the TV camera to view targets located at a known position and determining a position of the base relative to the targets.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-09-06 | 1992-03-07 | 1992-09-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-09-06 | 1996-03-07 | 1996-09-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-09-06 | 2000-03-07 | 2000-09-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |