Automated cart operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for automated cart operation. The automated cart operation may include determining whether a container is full at a first unloading location and, if so, moving the cart from the first unloading location to a second unloading location. The automated cart operation may include moving the cart to a container, determining whether the cart is near the container, and, if the cart is determined to be near the container, stopping the cart. The automated cart operation may include determining a route from a current location to the location of a farm implement that avoids one or more permanent obstacles and areas of the field that have not been harvested and moving the cart to the farm implement on the determined route.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a cart;   one or more vehicle components;   a vehicle controller; and   one or more computers configured to cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cart includes a hopper, the system further comprises one or more sensors, and the one or more computers are configured to:
 use the one or more sensors to determine whether a container is full at a first unloading location; and   if the container is determined to be full at the first unloading location, cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart from the first unloading location to a second unloading location, wherein the first and second unloading locations are different.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the cart comprises an auger assembly that includes a spout, and the first unloading location is a location at which the spout is positioned over an opening of a container. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a spout controller, wherein the cart comprises an auger assembly that includes a spout, and the one or more computers are further configured to:
 use the one or more sensors to determine whether unused container capacity at the first unloading location exists;   if unused container capacity at the first unloading location is determined to exist, cause the spout controller to move the spout to fill or attempt to fill the unused container capacity at the first unloading location.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the cart includes an auger assembly, and the one or more computers are further configured to:
 cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to the first unloading location;   use the one or more sensors to determine whether the cart has reached the first unloading location;   if the cart is determined to have reached the first unloading location, engage an auger of the auger assembly; and   use the engaged auger assembly to discharge material from the hopper to the container.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising one or more load sensors and/or one or more hopper cameras, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 use the one or more load sensors and/or the one or more hopper cameras to determine whether the hopper is empty; and   if the hopper is determined to be empty, shut down the auger assembly.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the cart includes an auger assembly, and the one or more computers are further configured to:
 use the one or more sensors to determine whether the container is full; and   if the container is determined to be full, shut down the auger assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the system further comprises a location and/or navigation system, and the one or more computers are further configured to:
 use the location and/or navigation system to determine a location of the cart;   use the location and/or navigation system to determine a route from the location of the cart to an auger folding location; and   cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to the auger folding location on the determined route.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 use the location and/or navigation system and/or the one or more sensors to determine whether the cart is at the auger folding location;   if the cart is determined to be at the auger folding location, use the location and/or navigation system and/or the one or more sensors to determine whether the cart has proper clearance for the auger assembly to be moved from an operating position to a storage position;   if the cart is determined to not have proper clearance, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to a new auger folding location; and   if the cart is determined to have proper clearance, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 if the cart is determined to have proper clearance, use the one or more sensors to determine whether an obstacle that would interfere with movement of the auger assembly from the operating position to the storage position is present; and   if no obstacle that would interfere with movement of the auger assembly from the operating position to the storage position is determined to be present, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 if an obstacle that would interfere with movement of the auger assembly from the operating position to the storage position is determined to be present, using the one or more sensors to determine whether the obstacle has cleared within a threshold amount of time;   if the obstacle is determined to not have cleared within the threshold amount of time, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to a new auger folding location; and   if the obstacle is determined to have cleared within the threshold amount of time, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more sensors; and   a location and/or navigation system;   wherein the one or more computers are configured to:
 cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to a container; 
 use the location and/or navigation system and/or the one or more sensors to determine whether the cart is near the container; and 
 if the cart is determined to be near the container, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 use the location and/or navigation system to determine a location of the cart;   use the location and/or navigation system to determine a route from the location of the cart to a location of the container; and   cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to the container on the determined route.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising one or more communication interfaces, wherein the one or more computers are configured to use the one or more communication interfaces to receive the location of the container. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the location and/or navigation system determines the route using one or more field maps and/or harvest data. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more of field maps include the locations of one or more permanent obstacles, and the harvest data indicates areas of a field that have been harvested and/or areas of the field that have not been harvested. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the cart includes a hopper and an auger assembly, and the one or more computers are further configured to:
 if the cart is determined to be near the container, use the location and/or navigation system and/or the one or more sensors to determine whether the cart has proper clearance for the auger assembly to be moved from a storage position to an operating position;   if the cart is determined to not have proper clearance, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to a new location that is near the container; and   if the cart is determined to have proper clearance, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 if the cart is determined to have proper clearance, use the one or more sensors to determine whether an obstacle that would interfere with movement of the auger assembly from the storage position to the operating position is present; and   if no obstacle that would interfere with movement of the auger assembly from the storage position to the operating position is determined to be present, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:
 if an obstacle that would interfere with movement of the auger assembly from the storage position to the operating position is determined to be present, using the one or more sensors to determine whether the obstacle has cleared within a threshold amount of time;   if the obstacle is determined to not have cleared within the threshold amount of time, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to a new location that is near the container; and   if the obstacle is determined to have cleared within the threshold amount of time, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more communication interfaces; and   a location and/or navigation system;   wherein the one or more computers are configured to:
 use the location and/or navigation system to determine a current location of the location and/or navigation system; 
 use the one or more communication interfaces to receive a location of a farm implement; 
 use the location and/or navigation system to determine a route from the current location to the location of the farm implement, wherein the location and/or navigation system determines the route using one or more field maps and harvest data, the one or more of field maps include the locations of one or more permanent obstacles, the harvest data indicates areas of a field that have been harvested and areas of the field that have not been harvested, and the determined route avoids the one or more permanent obstacles and the areas of the field that have not been harvested; and 
 cause the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move the cart to the farm implement on the determined route. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the farm implement is a container or a harvester. 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 using one or more sensors to determine that a container is full at a first unloading location; and   in response to determining that the container is full at the first unloading location, causing a vehicle controller to control one or more vehicle components to move a cart from the first unloading location to a second unloading location, wherein the first and second unloading locations are different.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to move a cart to the container;   using a location and/or navigation system and/or one or more sensors to determine that the cart is near the container; and   in response to determining that the cart is near the container, causing the vehicle controller to control the one or more vehicle components to stop the cart.   
     
     
         24 . A method comprising:
 using a location and/or navigation system to determine a current location of the location and/or navigation system;   using one or more communication interfaces to receive a location of a farm implement;   using the location and/or navigation system to determine a route from the current location to the location of the farm implement, wherein the location and/or navigation system determines the route using one or more field maps and harvest data, the one or more of field maps include the locations of one or more permanent obstacles, the harvest data indicates areas of a field that have been harvested and areas of the field that have not been harvested, and the determined route avoids the one or more permanent obstacles and the areas of the field that have not been harvested; and   causing a vehicle controller to control one or more vehicle components to move a cart to the farm implement on the determined route.