Patent · US Expired

Guidance assist system for agricultural machines

US4077488A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
8References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 15, 1976
Grant dateMar 7, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 15, 1996

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S56/15
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A guidance assist system is mounted on an agricultural machine for directing the lateral movement thereof with respect to the severed edge of the crop material being harvested thereby. The crop, including the severed edge, is periodically, optically, scanned and an output signal, in response to the reflected illumination therefrom, is generated having a discontinuity therein representative of the severed crop edge. The deviation of this discontinuity from a predetermined point along the scan is determined by the apparatus and an error signal representative thereof is coupled to the utilization means for directing the lateral movement of the agricultural machine such that the error signal is reduced towards zero.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.