Machine control using a predictive map

Abstract

One or more information maps are obtained by an agricultural work machine. The one or more information maps map one or more agricultural characteristic values at different geographic locations of a field. An in-situ sensor on the agricultural work machine senses an agricultural characteristic as the agricultural work machine moves through the field. A predictive map generator generates a predictive map that predicts a predictive agricultural characteristic at different locations in the field based on a relationship between the values in the one or more information maps and the agricultural characteristic sensed by the in-situ sensor. The predictive map can be output and used in automated machine control.

1 . An agricultural system comprising:
 a communication system that receives a map that includes values of a biomass characteristic corresponding to different geographic locations in a field;   a geographic position sensor that detects a geographic location of an agricultural work machine;   an in-situ sensor that detects a value of an agricultural characteristic corresponding to the geographic location;   a predictive map generator that generates a functional predictive agricultural map of the field that maps predictive control values to the different geographic locations in the field based on the values of the biomass characteristic in the map and based on the value of the agricultural characteristic;   a control system that generates aa, control signal to control a controllable subsystem of the agricultural work machine based on the geographic location of the agricultural work machine and based on the control values in the functional predictive agricultural map.   
     
     
         2 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the map is a predictive biomass map generated based on values from a map and, values of a biomass characteristic detected in-situ. 
     
     
         3 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , in the predictive map generator comprises:
 a predictive agricultural characteristic map generator that generates, as the functional predictive agricultural map, a functional predictive agricultural characteristic map that maps, as the predictive control values, predictive values of the agricultural characteristic to the different geographic locations in the field.   
     
     
         4 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the in-situ sensor detects, as the value of the agricultural characteristic, a value of an operator command indicative of a commanded action of the agricultural work machine. 
     
     
         5 . The agricultural system of  claim 4 , wherein the predictive map generator comprises:
 a predictive operator command map that generates, as the functional predictive agricultural map, a functional predictive operator command map that maps, as the predictive control values, predictive operator command values to the different geographic locations in the field.   
     
     
         6 . The agricultural system of  claim 5 , wherein the control system comprises:
 a settings controller that generates an operator command control signal indicative of an operator command based on the detected geographic location and the functional predictive operator command map and controls the controllable subsystem based on the operator command control signal to execute the operator command.   
     
     
         7 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system generates the control signal to control the controllable subsystem to adjust a feed rate of material through the agricultural work machine. 
     
     
         8 . The agricultural system of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 a predictive model generator that generates a predictive agricultural model that models a relationship between the biomass characteristic and the agricultural characteristic based on a value of the biomass characteristic in the map at the geographic location and the value of the agricultural characteristic detected by the in-situ sensor corresponding to the geographic location, wherein the predictive map generator generates the functional predictive agricultural map based on the values of the biomass characteristic in the map and based on the predictive agricultural model. 
 
     
     
         9 . The agricultural system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system further comprises:
 an operator interface controller that generates a user interface map representation of the functional predictive agricultural map, the user interface map representation comprising a field portion with one or more markers indicating the predictive control values at one or more geographic locations on the field portion.   
     
     
         10 . The agricultural system of  claim 9 , wherein the operator interface controller generates the user interface map representation to include an interactive display portion that displays a value display portion-indicative of a selected value, an interactive threshold display portion indicative of an action threshold, and an interactive action display portion indicative of a control action to be taken when one of the predictive control values satisfies the action threshold in relation to the selected value, the control system generating the control signal to control the controllable subsystem based on the control action. 
     
     
         11 . A computer implemented method of controlling an agricultural work machine comprising:
 obtaining a map that includes values of a biomass characteristic corresponding to different geographic locations in a field;   detecting a geographic location of the agricultural work machine;   detecting, with an in-situ sensor, a value of an agricultural characteristic corresponding to the geographic location;   generating a functional predictive agricultural map of the field that maps predictive control values to the different geographic locations in the field based on the values of the biomass characteristic in the map and based on the value of the agricultural characteristic; and   controlling a controllable subsystem based on the geographic location of the agricultural work machine and based on the control values in the functional predictive agricultural map.   
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein obtaining the map comprises:
 obtaining a predictive biomass map that includes, as values of a biomass characteristic, predictive values of the biomass characteristic corresponding to different geographic locations in the field.   
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein generating the functional predictive agricultural map comprises:
 generating a functional predictive agricultural characteristic map that maps, as the predictive control values, predictive agricultural characteristic values to the different geographic locations in the field.   
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein detecting, with an in-situ sensor, the value of an agricultural characteristic comprises:
 detecting, with the in-situ sensor, as the value of the agricultural characteristic, an operator command indicative of a commanded action of the agricultural work machine.   
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein generating the functional predictive agricultural map comprises:
 generating a functional predictive operator command map that maps, as the predictive control values, predictive operator command values to the different geographic locations in the field.   
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises:
 generating an operator command control signal indicative of an operator command based on the detected geographic location and the functional predictive operator command map; and   controlling the controllable subsystem based on the operator command control signal to execute the operator command.   
     
     
         17 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises:
 controlling the controllable subsystem to adjust a feed rate of material through the agricultural work machine.   
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11  and further comprising:
 generating a predictive agricultural model that models a relationship between the biomass characteristic and the agricultural characteristic based on a value of the biomass characteristic in the map at the geographic location and the value of the agricultural characteristic detected by the in-situ sensor corresponding to the geographic location, wherein generating the functional predictive agricultural map comprises generating the functional predictive agricultural map based on the values of the biomass characteristic in the map and based on the predictive agricultural model. 
 
     
     
         19 . An agricultural system comprising:
 a communication system that receives a map that includes values of a biomass characteristic corresponding to different geographic locations in a field;   a geographic position sensor that detects a geographic location of an agricultural work machine;   an in-situ sensor that detects a value of an agricultural characteristic corresponding to the geographic location;   a predictive model generator that generates a predictive agricultural model that models a relationship between the biomass characteristic and the agricultural characteristic based on a value of the biomass characteristic in the map at the geographic location and the value of the agricultural characteristic detected by the in-situ sensor corresponding to the geographic location;   a predictive map generator that generates a functional predictive agricultural map of the field that maps predictive control values to the different geographic locations in the field based on the values of the biomass characteristic in the map and based on the predictive agricultural model;   a control system that generates a control signal to control a controllable subsystem of the agricultural work machine based on the geographic position of the agricultural work machine and based on the control values in the functional predictive agricultural map.   
     
     
         20 . The agricultural system of  claim 19 , wherein the control system comprises at least one of:
 a feed rate controller that generates a feed rate control signal based on the detected geographic location and the functional predictive agricultural map and controls the controllable subsystem based on the feed rate control signal to control a feed rate of material through the agricultural work machine;   a settings controller that generates a speed control signal based on the detected geographic location and the functional predictive agricultural map and controls the controllable subsystem based on the speed control signal to control a speed of the agricultural work machine;   a header controller that generates a header control signal based on the detected geographic location and the functional predictive agricultural map and controls the controllable subsystem based on the header control signal to control a distance of at least a portion of a header on the agricultural work machine from a surface of the field; and   a settings controller that generates an operator command control signal indicative of an operator command based on the detected geographic location and the functional predictive agricultural map and controls the controllable subsystem based on the operator command control signal to execute the operator command.