Patents by Inventor Andreas Brunnert

Andreas Brunnert has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20150012181
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle has steerable front and rear wheels and a steering control unit for controlling a steering pole of the wheels on a basis of direction-of-travel information. The steering control unit is configured to switch between two or more steering programs that respectively implement different interrelationships between the direction-of-travel information and the steering pole. The steering control unit switches between the two or more steering programs in an event-dependent manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Andreas Brunnert, DANIEL IRMER, BASTIAN BORMANN
  • Patent number: 8606469
    Abstract: A method for controlling an agricultural working machine includes the step of assigning a route planning system (7) to the agricultural working machine (2) for generating driving routes (8) in a territory (1). The route planning system (7) subdivides the territory (1) into a worked territory (13) and a remaining territory area (14), and at least one parameter (17) of the agricultural working machine (2) is adapted as a function of the shape of the worked territory (13) and/or the remaining territory area (14). In this manner it is ensured that the working method of the agricultural working machine (2) or its working attachments (6) is adaptable to the shape of the particular territory (13, 14) to ensure economically efficient use of the agricultural working machine (2). A device for controlling an agricultural working machine also is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Brunnert
  • Patent number: 8428829
    Abstract: Vehicles, in particular self-propelled agricultural harvesting machines such as forage harvesters or combine harvesters designed to pick up and process crops, include transfer devices that transfer all of the harvested crop material to a hauling vehicle or an attached hauling container. The discharge device is equipped with a control device for performing automatic or manual adjustments, and the self-propelled agricultural harvesting machine is equipped with a navigation system for determining the positions of the vehicles involved. To transfer the crop material to the hauling vehicle without loss, the crop discharge flow is directed only to a defined permissible tolerance region on the hauling container. The tolerance region is located within the hauling container contour and is bounded by edge zones, which are “keep-out” zones for the transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Brunnert, Lars Meyer Zu Helligen, Gerhard Nienaber, Norbert Diekhans
  • Patent number: 8285459
    Abstract: In a route planning system and method for agricultural working machines, a defined working width is assigned to the agricultural working machines to generate driving routes in a territory, and dynamic adaptation of the planned driving route is carried out thereby ensuring that the driving route to be covered is flexibly adaptable to changing external conditions such as driving around obstacles, thereby largely relieving the operator of the agricultural working machine of the task of performing laborious steering maneuvers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert
  • Patent number: 8170785
    Abstract: For creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, the machine systems include route planning data determination devices and they exchange data with each other and, based on exchanged route planning data, one shared route plan is created for the particular territory. For controlling a group of agricultural working machine systems while it works a territory, one shared route plan—which has been created accordingly—is used, and a route planning system is provided for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems to be used to work a territory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert, Lars-Peter Meyer Zu Helligen
  • Patent number: 8046139
    Abstract: For controlling several agricultural machine systems during operation on a territory, based on a reference line, an optimized route for working the territory is determined for the particular machine system, and the particular machine system is driven along this route. The reference line is determined by recording a reference path that was driven along with a first machine system, and the first machine system is controlled based on this reference line with consideration for the working conditions of the first machine system. This reference line is also transmitted by the first machine system to at least one second machine system, which is controlled based on this reference line of the first machine system and with consideration for the working conditions of the second machine system. A corresponding control system for controlling several agricultural machine systems during operation of a territory is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert, Lars-Peter Meyer Zu Helligen
  • Patent number: 7756624
    Abstract: A route planning system for an agricultural working machine including at least one crop material storage unit for storing quantities of crop material transferable to forage vehicles, has a unit for generating driving routes in a territory based on a defined working width assigned to the agricultural working machine, a unit for reconciling a crop material quantity stored in the crop material storage unit depending on at least one characteristic parameter, and a unit for dynamically adapting the reconciliation to changes in the at least one characteristic parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert
  • Patent number: 7742860
    Abstract: In a route planning system and method for agricultural working machines, a defined working width is assigned to the agricultural working machines to generate driving routes in a territory, and dynamic adaptation of the planned driving route is carried out thereby ensuring that the driving route to be covered is flexibly adaptable to changing external conditions such as driving around obstacles, thereby largely relieving the operator of the agricultural working machine of the task of performing laborious steering maneuvers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert
  • Patent number: 7729834
    Abstract: A route planning system for agricultural working machines with a defined working width assigned to the agricultural working machine to generate driving routes in a territory includes a navigation module configured to generate the driving routes and having at least one automatic driving mode and at least one recording mode, such that said at least one automatic driving mode and the at least one recording mode are activatable independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Lars Peter Meyer Zu Helligen, Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert, Ingo Beermann
  • Patent number: 7502678
    Abstract: For controlling an agricultural machine system while it works a territory, which a route (R) is created for the machine system, which includes working tracks (FN) along which the machine system is driven while the territory (S) is being worked, and which includes headland tracks (FV), along which the machine system is driven when it travels from one working track (FN) to the next working track (FN) to be driven along. The machine system automatically processes a sequence of headland working steps at the end of one working track (FN) and/or while a subsequent headland track (FV) is being driven along, and/or at the beginning of a subsequent working track (FN). The sequence of headland working steps is updated and carried out dynamically depending on the current position of the machine system and depending on the next working track (FN) to be driven along. A related automatic control system for controlling an agricultural machine system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert, Lars Peter Meyer Zu Helligen, Gerhard Nienaber
  • Publication number: 20080245042
    Abstract: Vehicles, in particular self-propelled agricultural harvesting machines such as forage harvesters or combine harvesters designed to pick up and process crops, include transfer devices that transfer all of the harvested crop material to a hauling vehicle or an attached hauling container. The discharge device is equipped with a control device for performing automatic or manual adjustments, and the self-propelled agricultural harvesting machine is equipped with a navigation system for determining the positions of the vehicles involved. To transfer the crop material to the hauling vehicle without loss, the crop discharge flow is directed only to a defined permissible tolerance region on the hauling container. The tolerance region is located within the hauling container contour and is bounded by edge zones, which are “keep-out” zones for the transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Andreas Brunnert, Lars Meyer Zu Helligen, Gerhard Nienaber, Norbert Diekhans
  • Publication number: 20080195270
    Abstract: In a route planning system and method for agricultural working machines, a defined working width is assigned to the agricultural working machines to generate driving routes in a territory, and dynamic adaptation of the planned driving route is carried out thereby ensuring that the driving route to be covered is flexibly adaptable to changing external conditions such as driving around obstacles, thereby largely relieving the operator of the agricultural working machine of the task of performing laborious steering maneuvers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert
  • Patent number: 7324881
    Abstract: Transformation of differently structured signals of different track guidance systems for automatic control of a steering device in an agricultural working machine includes supplying the differently structured signals of different track guidance systems to a transformation device, and generating by the transformation device from each of the different structured signals a uniform output signal to be used for automatically controlling a steering device of an agricultural working machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Brunnert, Jochen Huster, Norbert Diekhans
  • Publication number: 20070282523
    Abstract: In a method and a device for visualizing the movement of a vehicle, the vehicle includes at least one display unit coupled with a control and evaluation unit, and the control and evaluation unit is coupled with at least one track-following system for guiding the vehicle along driving routes, and the control and evaluation unit detects at least one characteristic orientation parameter that describes the orientation of the vehicle, and the control and evaluation unit—with consideration for the at least one characteristic orientation parameter of the vehicle—determines a virtual future driving track of the vehicle and this virtual future driving track is visualized in the display unit. In this manner, the operator of the vehicle obtains information about, at the least, which future driving track his vehicle will move on if the current vehicle orientation is maintained, and with consideration for characteristic parameters of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert, Lars Peter Meyer Zu Helligen, Gerhard Nienaber
  • Publication number: 20070255470
    Abstract: For controlling an agricultural machine system while it works a territory, which a route (R) is created for the machine system, which includes working tracks (FN) along which the machine system is driven while the territory (S) is being worked, and which includes headland tracks (FV), along which the machine system is driven when it travels from one working track (FN) to the next working track (FN) to be driven along. The machine system automatically processes a sequence of headland working steps at the end of one working track (FN) and/or while a subsequent headland track (FV) is being driven along, and/or at the beginning of a subsequent working track (FN). The sequence of headland working steps is updated and carried out dynamically depending on the current position of the machine system and depending on the next working track (FN) to be driven along. A related automatic control system for controlling an agricultural machine system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert, Lars Peter Meyer Zu Helligen, Gerhard Nienaber
  • Publication number: 20070233348
    Abstract: For controlling several agricultural machine systems during operation on a territory, based on a reference line, an optimized route for working the territory is determined for the particular machine system, and the particular machine system is driven along this route. The reference line is determined by recording a reference path that was driven along with a first machine system, and the first machine system is controlled based on this reference line with consideration for the working conditions of the first machine system. This reference line is also transmitted by the first machine system to at least one second machine system, which is controlled based on this reference line of the first machine system and with consideration for the working conditions of the second machine system. A corresponding control system for controlling several agricultural machine systems during operation of a territory is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert, Lars-Peter Meyer Zu Helligen
  • Publication number: 20070233374
    Abstract: For creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems for working a territory, the machine systems include route planning data determination devices and they exchange data with each other and, based on exchanged route planning data, one shared route plan is created for the particular territory. For controlling a group of agricultural working machine systems while it works a territory, one shared route plan—which has been created accordingly—is used, and a route planning system is provided for creating a route plan for a group of agricultural working machine systems to be used to work a territory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Jochen Huster, Andreas Brunnert, Lars-Peter Meyer Zu Helligen
  • Publication number: 20070179704
    Abstract: A method for controlling an agricultural working machine includes the step of assigning a route planning system (7) to the agricultural working machine (2) for generating driving routes (8) in a territory (1). The route planning system (7) subdivides the territory (1) into a worked territory (13) and a remaining territory area (14), and at least one parameter (17) of the agricultural working machine (2) is adapted as a function of the shape of the worked territory (13) and/or the remaining territory area (14). In this manner it is ensured that the working method of the agricultural working machine (2) or its working attachments (6) is adaptable to the shape of the particular territory (13, 14) to ensure economically efficient use of the agricultural working machine (2). A device for controlling an agricultural working machine also is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventor: Andreas Brunnert
  • Publication number: 20070168116
    Abstract: A route planning system for agricultural working machines with a defined working width assigned to the agricultural working machine to generate driving routes in a territory includes a navigation module configured to generate the driving routes and having at least one automatic driving mode and at least one recording mode, such that said at least one automatic driving mode and the at least one recording mode are activatable independently of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: Lars Peter Meyer zu Helligen, Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert, Ingo Beermann
  • Publication number: 20070135190
    Abstract: A route planning system for an agricultural working machine including at least one crop material storage unit for storing quantities of crop material transferable to forage vehicles, has a unit for generating driving routes in a territory based on a defined working width assigned to the agricultural working machine, a unit for reconciling a crop material quantity stored in the crop material storage unit depending on at least one characteristic parameter, and a unit for dynamically adapting the reconciliation to changes in the at least one characteristic parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Norbert Diekhans, Andreas Brunnert