Field navigation system

Claim 1

A location system for use in a farm implement vehicle moving within an agricultural field having a perimeter and moving in a selected direction, the location system comprising: heading sensor means including a satellite sensor and a second heading sensor for providing a plurality of current heading signals representative of the current selected direction of movement of the vehicle from those available to be chosen during the operation of the vehicle in the agricultural field; a signal selector adapted to select between the plurality of current heading signals; speed sensor means for providing a current speed signal based on available reference signals, the speed signal representative of a current selected speed of the vehicle; storage means for storing initial position data indicative of a selected initial position of the vehicle and for storing checkpoint data indicative of a position of a navigation checkpoint location; database means including a digital memory for storing a plurality of records, each record including geographic information data representing selected aspects of the field comprising soil attributes and corresponding positional data; processor means for estimating a current position signal representing an estimated current position of the vehicle based on values of the selected heading signal, values of the speed signal, the initial position data, and on previous values of the current position signal, wherein values of the current position signal correspond to records stored in the database means; correction means for selectively correcting the current position signal based on selected position inputs which indicate an approximate vehicle position relative to the position of the navigation checkpoint location; alerting means for delivering an alerting signal to an operator of the vehicle based on the current position signal and the geographic information data stored in the database means, the alerting signal indicative of the vehicle reaching a selected region of predetermined stored geographic data within the field; and a user interface adapted to receive position inputs from the operator.

Claim 33

A method of ascertaining a current position of a farm implement vehicle moving within an agricultural field having a perimeter at a selected speed and moving in a selected direction, the method comprising: providing a plurality of current heading signals including at least one satellite signal representative of a current selected direction of movement from those available to be chosen during the operation of the vehicle in the agricultural field; selecting between the plurality of current heading signals based upon the quality of the satellite signal; providing a current speed signal based on available reference signals, the speed signal representative of a current selected speed of the vehicle; storing initial position data indicative of a selected initial position of the vehicle and for storing checkpoint data indicative of a position of a navigation checkpoint location in a digital memory; storing a plurality of records, each record including geographic information data representing selected aspects of the field comprising soil attributes and corresponding positional data; estimating a current position signal representing an estimated current position of the vehicle based on values of the selected heading signal, values of the speed signal, the initial position data, and on previous values of the current position signal, wherein values of the current position signal correspond to records stored in the database means; selectively correcting the current position signal based on selected position inputs which indicate an approximate vehicle position relative to the position of the navigation checkpoint location; delivering an alerting signal to an operator of the vehicle based on the current position signal and the geographic information data stored in the database means, the alerting signal indicative of the vehicle reaching a selected region of predetermined stored geographic data within the field; and receiving position inputs from the operator of the vehicle.

Claim 34

A method of ascertaining a current position of a farm implement vehicle moving within an agricultural field having a perimeter at a selected speed and moving in a selected direction, the method comprising: providing a plurality of current heading signals including at least one satellite signal representative of a current selected direction of movement from those available to be chosen during the operation of the vehicle in the agricultural field; selecting between the plurality of current heading signals based upon the quality of the satellite signal; providing a current speed signal based on available reference signals, the speed signal representative of a current selected speed of the vehicle; storing initial position data indicative of a selected initial position of the vehicle and for storing checkpoint data indicative of a position of a navigation checkpoint location in a digital memory; storing a plurality of records, each record including geographic information data representing selected aspects of the field comprising soil attributes and corresponding positional data; estimating a current position signal representing an estimated current position of the vehicle based on values of the selected heading signal, values of the speed signal, the initial position data, and on previous values of the current position signal, wherein values of the current position signal correspond to records stored in the database means; selectively correcting the current position signal based on selected position inputs which indicate an approximate vehicle position relative to the position of the navigation checkpoint location; delivering an alerting signal to an operator of the vehicle based on the current position signal and the geographic information data stored in the database means, the alerting signal indicative of the vehicle reaching a selected region of predetermined stored geographic data within the field; and receiving position inputs from the operator of the vehicle.