Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the precise location of a target on a surface by utilizing a plurality of objects that are fixed in their position proximate to the location, thereby constituting a plurality of fixed reference points, upon which the target(s) resides or is otherwise located. The plurality of fixed references points are used either in conjunction with images of the target or certain distance measurements between the target and the fixed reference points to determine the precise location of the target(s) on the surface.

Abstract: A laser measuring system including first and second laser base stations and a laser receiver is provided. The laser receiver detects a first laser signal from the first laser base station. Location information associated with the first laser base station is extracted from the detected first laser signal. The laser receiver detects a second laser signal from the second laser base station. Location information associated with the second laser base station is extracted from the detected second laser signal. A position of the laser receiver is determined based on the extracted location information associated with the first laser base station and the extracted location information associated with the second laser base station.

Abstract: Navigation receiver includes antennas receiving signals from different satellite constellations, Low Noise Amplifiers, a Block of Analog Filters, a Block of Quadrature mixers (BQM) translating in phase and quadrature signals to an intermediate frequency, analog converters digitizing the in phase and quadrature signals, a Block of Digital Quadrature Mixers (BDQM) shifting the digitized signals to zero frequency, a Set Block of Digital Filters (SBDF) band-pass filtering the shifted signals, and reducing a sampling rate, and a Block of Digital Processing (BDP) calculating coordinates, all series-connected; a Block of Digital Generators (BDG) for fine control of the BDQM; and a Block of Analog Generators (BAG) that defines which signal is processed by its corresponding BQM; SBDF including Blocks of Digital Filters (BDFs), each BDF including a chain of Blocks of MultiRate Filters for antialiasing filtering/down-sampling of shifted signals, programmable commutators for controlling decimation, and FIR-filters; each

Abstract: A method of determining coordinates, including receiving GNSS (global navigation satellite system) signals from at least five satellites, wherein at least two of the five satellites belong to one constellation, and the remaining satellites belong to at least one other constellation; processing the GNSS signals to measure code and phase measurements for each of the satellites and each of the GNSS signals; selecting a subset of the GNSS signals as an optimal set for coordinate calculation, where the selecting is based on Semi-Definite Programming (SDP) relaxation as applied to an optimization of a PDOP (positional dilution of precision) criterion; calculating coordinates of a receiver based on the code and phase measurements of the selected subset; and outputting the calculated coordinates. The total number of signals in the optimal set should not exceed the predefined number of m signals.

Abstract: A method for agricultural refill planning determines a refill time and access point for a mobile storage device (e.g., a seed tender) to refill an agricultural distribution device (e.g., planter) with agricultural material (e.g., seed). The refill time and access point are selected so that excess time is not lost and areas, such as planting fields, are not adversely affected by movement of the agricultural distribution device or the mobile storage device.

Abstract: A laser measuring system comprising a laser transmitter and a laser receiver is provided. The laser transmitter includes one or more laser sources for projecting an initial laser pulse and a reflective surface. The laser receiver includes a first reflective surface for reflecting the initial laser pulse to provide a first reflected laser pulse, and a second reflective surface for reflecting the initial laser pulse to provide a second reflected laser pulse. The laser receiver further includes a photo detection unit for receiving 1) a first double reflected laser pulse produced by the first reflected laser pulse reflecting off the reflective surface of the laser transmitter, and 2) a second double reflected laser pulse produced by the second reflected laser pulse reflecting off the reflective surface of the laser transmitter. The laser receiver determines an orientation angle associated with the laser receiver based on the first and second double reflected laser pulse.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a soil roughness measure. A transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal towards a soil surface and receives a first echo signal of the ultrasonic signal and a second echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. A first distance between the transducer and a first point on the soil surface is calculated based on the first echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. A second distance between the transducer and a second point on the soil surface is calculated based on the second echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. A soil roughness measure of the soil surface is determined based on a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing navigation signals with improved stability in a multi-frequency, multi-system environment. Satellite signals, which are transmitted by a plurality of satellites from a plurality of different global navigation satellite systems, are received on a common radio path and processed in separate digital satellite channels, with each of the separate digital satellite channels corresponding to a respective satellite signal. A common quartz-locked-loop (QLL) discriminator signal is generated based on correlation signals from each of the separate digital satellite channels. Based on the common QLL discriminator signal, guiding signals are generated, with each of the guiding signals corresponding to a respective one of the separate digital satellite channels, for reducing phase-related tracking errors in the respective satellite signal processed in its corresponding digital satellite channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dithering hydraulic valves to mitigate static friction (“stiction”) associated with the hydraulic valves. A first hydraulic valve and a second hydraulic valve are dithered to mitigate stiction associated with those valves. The dithering of the first and second hydraulic valves also cause dithering of a main hydraulic valve associated with the first and second hydraulic valves. Accordingly, stiction of three hydraulic valves of a hydraulic system is mitigated.

Abstract: A method for machine grade assist includes determining whether user input will cause an implement of a machine to dig below a desired grade. User input to move a stick of an excavator can be blocked and/or delayed using hydraulic pressure so that movement of both the stick and the boom of the excavator can be synchronized to prevent a bucket of the excavator from digging below a desired grade when the stick is moved.

Abstract: An optical measurement system and method that utilizes a single camera in combination with a specially configured target object which significantly improves optical measuring accuracy with respect to the measurement of distance, height difference and position.

Abstract: A method for coordinating machines to perform a task includes establishing a plurality of communication channels between a plurality of agricultural machines located in a geographic area. Data pertaining to capabilities of each of the plurality of machines, and location in some cases, is received and a collaborative plan to complete a task using the plurality of machines is determined. At least a portion of the collaborative plan is transmitted to each of the plurality of machines. The collaborative plan can be based on the location and capabilities of each of the plurality of machines. The collaborative plan can include a plurality of operations for each of the plurality of machines to perform.

Abstract: A method for determining attitude of an object having multiple GNSS antennas, the method including receiving GNSS signals from at least five satellites, wherein at least 2 of the five belong to a different satellite constellation than the other satellites; processing each of the GNSS signals to generate pseudorange code and carrier phase measurements; resolving carrier phase ambiguities for all the received GNSS signals; generating unbiased carrier phase measurements based on the resolving; determining the attitude, including heading, pitch, and roll angles ?,?,?, respectively, by solving a quadratically constrained quadratic minimization problem through finding a minimum of a linear function subject to a linear matrix inequality constraint; and outputting the attitude.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for processing harvest yield data includes the steps of receiving load data from a grain cart and receiving harvest yield data from a combine harvester. The load data and harvest yield data are post-processed to generate enhanced harvest yield data. The combine harvester and the grain cart can operate in an on-the-go unloading harvest operation or a stationary unloading harvest operation. Post-processing can include creating a field boundary for a harvest area, determining a start time and start position for the combine harvester within the field boundary, and determining an end time and end position for the combine harvester within the field boundary. The total grain yield weight estimated by a yield monitor can be calibrated to match the grain cart total scale weight.

Abstract: A vision laser receiver having a sensing surface with a fixed geometry such that laser light received by the sensing surface will illuminate a particular section of the sensing surface and the precise elevation and/or tilt of the laser receiver will be determined from the illumination of the sensing surface.

Abstract: A GNSS compact antenna comprising a conducting ground plane and a driven element for exciting right hand circularly polarized waves having a multi-segment structure such that the area around the driven element is divided into elementary cells with conductors and circuit elements arranged therein. The antenna includes a set of circuit elements connecting the neighboring elementary cells and the driven element. Each elementary cell has a horizontal conductor over the ground plane, and each elementary cell can have a vertical conductor and a circuit element connecting the horizontal and vertical conductors. The horizontal conductor comprises a set of characteristic points to which circuit elements, connecting neighboring elementary cells or any elementary cell and the driven element, are connected. Both the impedance of each circuit elements and the design of each elementary cell can be different, but the antenna has four-fold rotational symmetry relative to the vertical axis.

Abstract: GNSS receiver includes first type correlators and a maximum selecting unit selecting an output from the first type correlators, and with a common control of all the correlators in code delay, carrier phase and carrier frequency; second type correlators with individual control in code delay of each correlator or each sub-group of second type correlators and with common control of all second type correlators in carrier phase and frequency; and a processor. The first type correlators can convolve one quadrature only, and demodulates CSK symbols, the second type correlators calculate discriminator values for CSK-modulated signal DLL, the demodulated data then is used by the processor to produce improved position and velocity.

Abstract: A vision-based sensor system is provided for heavy equipment or other machinery that determines the pose or position of the blade with respect to the heavy equipment vehicle where the sensor system comprises a vision-based blade position system having an image acquisition device and vision system processor.

Abstract: A GNSS compact antenna comprising a conducting ground plane and a driven element for exciting right hand circularly polarized waves having a multi-segment structure such that the area around the driven element is divided into elementary cells with conductors and circuit elements arranged therein. The antenna includes a set of circuit elements connecting the neighboring elementary cells and the driven element. Each elementary cell has a horizontal conductor over the ground plane, and each elementary cell can have a vertical conductor and a circuit element connecting the horizontal and vertical conductors. The horizontal conductor comprises a set of characteristic points to which circuit elements, connecting neighboring elementary cells or any elementary cell and the driven element, are connected. Both the impedance of each circuit elements and the design of each elementary cell can be different, but the antenna has four-fold rotational symmetry relative to the vertical axis.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for estimating the g-sensitivity of a quartz oscillator, which includes rotating the quartz oscillator successively around each of a plurality of axes constituting a full-rank system, measuring a frequency of the quartz oscillator at a predetermined rate as a function of time during rotation, and estimating an integral g-sensitivity vector while the quartz oscillator is rotated. Estimation can be performed utilizing a data fitting and estimation model, e.g., a Least Square Method (LSM) in one example, using the frequency measurements obtained while the quartz oscillator is in rotation around the axes. The method and system are especially useful for measuring g-sensitivity of quartz oscillators that are incorporated in high-precision systems, such as navigation receivers, which operate in environments that are subjected to vibrational effects and other mechanical forces.