Patents by Inventor Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel

Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel 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: 20230273614
    Abstract: A control system includes an agricultural output characteristic input configured to receive a progressing agricultural output characteristic of a first vehicle performing an agricultural operation. The system includes a second vehicle characteristic input having one or more second vehicle characteristics. A companion guidance controller is configured for communication with the second vehicle. The companion guidance controller includes a companion guidance line generator configured to recursively generate companion guidance line indicia based on the associated progressing agricultural output characteristic and the one or more second vehicle characteristics. A control interface is configured to communicate the companion guidance line indicia to one or more of driving or implement operation elements of the second vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Stephen Filip Fjelstad, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel, Jared Ernest Kocer
  • Patent number: 11704810
    Abstract: System and techniques for detecting a crop related row from an image are described herein. An image that includes several rows—where the several rows including crop rows and furrows—can be obtained. The image can be segmented to produce a set of image segments. A filter can be shifted across respective segments of the set of image segments to get a set of positions. A line can be fit members of the set of positions, the line representing a crop row or furrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Patent number: 11687083
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle monitoring system includes first and second noncontact sensors configured for coupling with an agricultural vehicle, where the first and second noncontact sensors are configured to sense respective first and second environmental characteristics for determining a position of the agricultural vehicle in a field. The system further includes a comparative vehicle monitor in communication with the first and second noncontact sensors. The comparative vehicle monitor includes a filter module to filter outputs of the first and second noncontact sensors based on an indicator of a relative quality of the output of each sensor. The comparative vehicle monitor additionally includes an evaluation module to determine a vehicle position of the agricultural vehicle relative to at least one of the first and second environmental characteristics according to filtered outputs of the first and second noncontact sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel, Alex John Weidenbach, John D. Preheim, Drew John Waltner, Joel Quentin Quanbeck
  • Patent number: 11659783
    Abstract: System and techniques for calibrating a crop row computer vision system are described herein. An image set that includes crop rows and furrows is obtained. Models of the field are searched to find a model that best fits the field. A calibration parameter is extracted from the model and communicated to a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Patent number: 11606478
    Abstract: System and techniques for adaptive color transformation to aid computer vision are described herein. Colors from an image are mapped into a multi-dimensional space to create a distribution of colors in the image. A line can be fit to the distribution. Here, the line includes an angle relative to a coordinate system of the multi-dimensional space. A transformation to colors can then be applied to the image based on the angle of the line. The transformation producing a reduced image where a color complexity of the original image is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20220397906
    Abstract: A system having a guidance module to obtain a travel path from an agricultural machine to a target. The guidance module including a perception module to determine target line that extends from the machine to the target, and obstacle detection module to detect an obstacle in the first target line, the obstacle having an obstacle boundary that intersects the target line. The guidance module including a mitigation module to obtain a mitigation path around the obstacle based on the target line and the obstacle boundary, the mitigation path including a mitigation segment. The mitigation module including an entrance module configured to determine a starting position of the mitigation path based on a second target line and an exit module configured to determine the ending position of the mitigation path based on a third target line. The guidance module including convergence module to combine the mitigation path with the travel path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel, Matthew K. Rust, Rahul Ramakrishnan, Jared Ernest Kocer, Anthony Douglas Johnson Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11470760
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle monitoring system includes one or more noncontact sensors configured to sense multiple objects along a scanline. A comparative vehicle monitor is in communication with the one or more noncontact sensors. The comparative vehicle monitor is configured to provide a specified row width and to identify one or more crop rows from the scan line and determine one or more lengths of scan line segments between identified crop rows. The comparative vehicle monitor is further configured to determine a vehicle position including one or more of a vehicle angle or a vehicle location according to the specified row width and the one or more determined lengths of scan line segments between the identified crop rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel, Alex John Weidenbach, John D. Preheim, Drew John Waltner, Joel Quentin Quanbeck
  • Publication number: 20220189063
    Abstract: System and techniques for calibrating a crop row computer vision system are described herein. An image set that includes crop rows and furrows is obtained. Models of the field are searched to find a model that best fits the field. A calibration parameter is extracted from the model and communicated to a receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20220124221
    Abstract: System and techniques for adaptive color transformation to aid computer vision are described herein. Colors from an image are mapped into a multi-dimensional space to create a distribution of colors in the image. A line can be fit to the distribution. Here, the line includes an angle relative to a coordinate system of the multi-dimensional space. A transformation to colors can then be applied to the image based on the angle of the line. The transformation producing a reduced image where a color complexity of the original image is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20220066453
    Abstract: A device for steering an agricultural machine having independently steerable axles includes first and second steerable axle interface to couple with a first steering mechanism of a first steerable axle and a second a second steering mechanism of a second steerable axle. The device includes a planning module having a guidance path for the agricultural machine, and a steering control module to coordinate steering of the steering mechanisms. The steering control module includes a translational comparator to determine a translational difference between a location of the agricultural machine relative to the guidance path, an angular comparator to determine an angular difference between an angular orientation of the agricultural machine relative to the guidance path, and a translation steering controller to actuate the first and second steering mechanisms according to the translational difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20220044411
    Abstract: System and techniques for detecting a crop related row from an image are described herein. An image that includes several rows—where the several rows including crop rows and furrows—can be obtained. The image can be segmented to produce a set of image segments. A filter can be shifted across respective segments of the set of image segments to get a set of positions. A line can be fit members of the set of positions, the line representing a crop row or furrow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Patent number: 11184507
    Abstract: System and techniques for adaptive color transformation to aid computer vision are described herein. Colors from an image are mapped into a multi-dimensional space to create a distribution of colors in the image. A line can be fit to the distribution. Here, the line includes an angle relative to a coordinate system of the multi-dimensional space. A transformation to colors can then be applied to the image based on the angle of the line. The transformation producing a reduced image where a color complexity of the original image is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Patent number: 11170530
    Abstract: System and techniques for calibrating a crop row computer vision system are described herein. An image set that includes crop rows and furrows is obtained. Models of the field are searched to find a model that best fits the field. A calibration parameter is extracted from the model and communicated to a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Patent number: 11100648
    Abstract: System and techniques for detecting a crop related row from an image are described herein. An image that includes several rows where the several rows including crop rows and furrows can be obtained. The image can be segmented to produce a set of image segments. A filter can be shifted across respective segments of the set of image segments to get a set of positions. A line can be fit members of the set of positions, the line representing a crop row or furrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Raven Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20210195824
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle monitoring system includes one or more noncontact sensors configured to sense multiple objects along a scanline. A comparative vehicle monitor is in communication with the one or more noncontact sensors. The comparative vehicle monitor is configured to provide a specified row width and to identify one or more crop rows from the scan line and determine one or more lengths of scan line segments between identified crop rows. The comparative vehicle monitor is further configured to determine a vehicle position including one or more of a vehicle angle or a vehicle location according to the specified row width and the one or more determined lengths of scan line segments between the identified crop rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel, Alex John Weidenbach, John D. Preheim, Drew John Waltner
  • Publication number: 20210132618
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle monitoring system includes first and second noncontact sensors configured for coupling with an agricultural vehicle, where the first and second noncontact sensors are configured to sense respective first and second environmental characteristics for determining a position of the agricultural vehicle in a field. The system further includes a comparative vehicle monitor in communication with the first and second noncontact sensors. The comparative vehicle monitor includes a filter module to filter outputs of the first and second noncontact sensors based on an indicator of a relative quality of the output of each sensor. The comparative vehicle monitor additionally includes an evaluation module to determine a vehicle position of the agricultural vehicle relative to at least one of the first and second environmental characteristics according to filtered outputs of the first and second noncontact sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel, Alex John Weidenbach, John D. Preheim, Drew John Waltner, Joel Quentin Quanbeck
  • Publication number: 20200334859
    Abstract: System and techniques for calibrating a crop row computer vision system are described herein. An image set that includes crop rows and furrows is obtained. Models of the field are searched to find a model that best fits the field. A calibration parameter is extracted from the model and communicated to a receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20200020103
    Abstract: System and techniques for detecting a crop related row from an image are described herein. An image that includes several rows where the several rows including crop rows and furrows can be obtained. The image can be segmented to produce a set of image segments. A filter can be shifted across respective segments of the set of image segments to get a set of positions. A line can be fit members of the set of positions, the line representing a crop row or furrow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Prehim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel
  • Publication number: 20200021716
    Abstract: System and techniques for adaptive color transformation to aid computer vision are described herein. Colors from an image are mapped into a multi-dimensional space to create a distribution of colors in the image. A line can be fit to the distribution. Here, the line includes an angle relative to a coordinate system of the multi-dimensional space. A transformation to colors can then be applied to the image based on the angle of the line. The transformation producing a reduced image where a color complexity of the original image is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Yuri Sneyders, John D. Preheim, Jeffrey Allen Van Roekel