Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.

Context-aware and real-time item tracking system architecture and scenarios

Systems and methods for switching between autonomous and manual operation of a vehicle are described. A mechanical control system can receive manual inputs from a mechanical operation member to operate the vehicle in manual mode. An actuator can receive autonomous control signals generated by a controller. When the actuator is engaged, it operates the vehicle in an autonomous mode, and when disengaged, the vehicle is operated in manual mode. Operating the vehicle in an autonomous mode can include automatically controlling steering, braking, throttle, and transmission. A system may also allow the vehicle to be operated via remote command.

Systems and methods for switching between autonomous and manual operation of a vehicle

The illustrative embodiments provide a method and apparatus for controlling movement of a vehicle. Movement of an operator located at a side of the vehicle is identified with a plurality of sensors located in the vehicle and the vehicle is moved in a path that maintains the operator at the side of the vehicle while the operator is moving.

Leader-follower fully-autonomous vehicle with operator on side

The present key telephone system comprises cordless telephone stations (FIGS. 6 and 7) which communicate over a line-of-sight transmission end link (276 or 277). The system further comprises a central controller (101) for switching communications between the cordless stations and to the message network. The central controller does not provide any station to transmission channel concentration. Concentration occurs in the bidding by a cordless station for access to a channel provided by the line-of-sight transmission end link. A particular number of transmission channels are provided by the line-of-sight end link which are bid for by any practical number of cordless stations. Subsystem controllers (104) are provided in a large cordless key telephone system. The subsystem controller reformats data for transmission between the central controller (101) and a cordless station. A unique code identifies a cordless station so that the allocation of a new channel to a cordless station may occur automatically when a cordless station is detected within the boundaries of a new subsystem.

Cordless telephone system

A method and system of tracing an agricultural product relates to recording of at least one of planting information, growing information, harvesting information, chemical information, and weather information (e.g., electronically recorded) concerning a crop to form a data profile for a corresponding crop. Once harvested, the crop is segregated from intermixing with other harvested crops by placing the crop in one or more containers, each having a corresponding identifier. The data profile is associated with the container profile for later referencing of the data profile.

Method and system for automated tracing of an agricultural product

A method and system for guiding a vehicle comprises a location module (26) (e.g., location-determining receiver) for collecting preliminary location data for the vehicle. A vision module (22) collects vision-derived location data for the vehicle during an evaluation time window. A location quality estimator (24) estimates location quality data for the corresponding collected preliminary location data during an evaluation time window. A vision module (22) estimates vision quality data for the corresponding collected vision-derived location data during the evaluation time window. A adjuster (110) adjusts the preliminary location data to a revised location data based on the vision-derived location data such that the revised location data is registered with or generally coextensive with the vision-derived location data, if the vision quality data exceeds the minimum threshold level.

Method and system for guiding a vehicle with vision-based adjustment

A global positioning system based navigation system for a ground vehicle, in particular an agricultural ground vehicle such as a tractor, combine, sprayer, or the like, includes an inertial compensation assembly that provides inertial augmentation to compensate global positioning system based navigation information such as position, course, and track spacing for errors caused by variation of ground vehicle attitude (i.e., roll and yaw) over non-level terrain.

Direct modification of DGPS information with inertial measurement data

The present invention is directed to a speed controller system for the gathering unit of a harvesting assembly wherein the speed is controlled as a ratio of the ground speed of the harvesting machine. The system is provided with an electronic controller having a ground speed sensor and a speed sensor for the gathering units. The operator through a ratio selector selects the desired speed ratio and the controller controls the speed of the gathering unit accordingly. The controller can be ised with different harvesting assemblies such as a platform having a reel or belt pickup gathering unit; or a row crop header having a conventional row crop gathering unit or a corn picker row unit. The controller is also provided with a diagnostic routine for flagging problem areas with the system. The flagged problem areas are assigned a diagnostic code which is displayed in a defined order.

Automatic speed control system for a harvesting assembly

A method and system for tracing the identity of an agricultural product comprises holding an agricultural product in a container having a tag. A container identifier of the tag is determined by reading the tag. Ancillary data is generated and is associated with a container location and the reading time. The ancillary data may include a status indicator (e.g., transaction descriptor) for the product, a custodian identifier or both. The container identifier and the ancillary data is transmitted for storage in a data storage system. A product-flow description (e.g., chain of custody) is established for the agricultural product for transport of the product from the origination location to the destination location.

Terence D. Pickett

Papers

Method and system for automated tracing of an agricultural product

Method and system for guiding a vehicle with vision-based adjustment

Direct modification of DGPS information with inertial measurement data

Automatic speed control system for a harvesting assembly

Method and system for tracing the identity of an agricultural product