Patent ID: 7350343
Filing Date: 2008-04-01
Classification: A01B,G01S

Abstract:
1. A system for automatically steering a utility vehicle equipped with an operating implement, the system comprising: a scanning sensor mounted to the utility vehicle, the scanning sensor having a scanning region, the scanning sensor generating an output signal; a controller in communication with the scanning sensor for receiving the output signal and generating a steering signal based on the output signal of the scanning sensor so as to automatically guide the vehicle along a boundary of operation detected by the scanning sensor; a steering controller for steering the vehicle, the steering controller in communication with the controller for receiving the steering signal; the controller being supplied with information on which side of the operating implement the boundary of operation is located and in response to this information the controller controls the scanning region of the scanning sensor, wherein the controller changes the scanning region of the scanning sensor by steering the scanning region with respect to the vehicle as a function of the information and additional information indicating an expected location of the boundary of operation and wherein the controller has a memory that stores the expected location of the boundary of operation.