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.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a route planning system and method for agricultural working machines. 
         [0002]    It was already known from EP 0 660 660 to equip agricultural working machines with “GPS” systems to record the position of the agricultural harvesting machine in an area to be worked. In this process, the operator of the machine determined the route to be driven, and the GPS system—that is actively connected to a recording unit—delivered the position data of the vehicle, which were then used in the recording unit to electronically depict the driving path that had been covered. Systems of this type were an initial step in the direction toward recording driving routes, whereby the initial application was only to record driving routes. It was not possible to use systems of this type to perform advance planning of driving routes to be worked. 
         [0003]    Building logically on the idea of displaying driving routes, systems as described in EP 0 821 296 enable the generation of driving routes as a function of external geometries of agricultural useful areas to be worked. The main advantage of these systems is that, for the first time, driving routes can be determined in advance with consideration for diverse optimization criteria, which, in the simplest case, are subsequently processed automatically by the agricultural working machine. Based on the fact that driving paths were defined in advance based on simple geometric interrelationships, systems of this type are only capable of processing the singularly predetermined driving route, whereby deviations from this driving route are displayed or corrected immediately. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a route planning system and method for agricultural working machines, which are further improvements of existing systems and methods. 
         [0005]    More particularly, it is an object of present invention to provide a route planning system and method that can react flexibly to changing external conditions. 
         [0006]    In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a route planning system for agricultural working machines, comprising means for assigning a defined working width to the agricultural working machines to generate driving routes in a territory, and for dynamic adaptation of the planned driving route, 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. 
         [0007]    Another feature of the present invention resides in a route planning system for agricultural working machines, comprising means for assigning a defined working width to the agricultural working machine to generate driving paths for working a territory, and formulating a working strategy. 
         [0008]    A further feature of the present invention resides in a route planning method for agricultural working machines, comprising the steps of assigning a defined working width to the agricultural working machines to generate driving routes in a territory; and carrying out for dynamic adaptation of the planned driving route, 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. 
         [0009]    Still another feature of the present invention resides in A route planning method for agricultural working machines, comprising the steps of assigning a defined working width to the agricultural working machine to generate driving paths for working a territory, and formulating a working strategy. 
         [0010]    The fact that the route planning system allows dynamic adaptation of the planning driving route ensures that the driving route to be worked is adaptable in a flexible manner to changing external conditions such as driving around obstacles, so that the operator of the agricultural working machine is fully relieved of the task of returning the working machine to the originally generated driving route. This also has the advantage that the operator can change the working sequence on a certain territory at any time, and the route planning system automatically generates a new driving route that takes this change into account, which said driving route can be worked automatically by the working machine. 
         [0011]    Since the operator can, intervene in the steering of the working machine in any manner at any time, dynamic adaptation of the route planning is attained, in the simplest case, by the fact that the driving route is adapted dynamically as a function of the actual machine position and the actual machine orientation. 
         [0012]    The method of dynamic driving route adaptation functions that much more precisely the more frequently the actual machine position and the actual machine orientation are queried. A dynamic driving route adaptation that functions in a permanent manner is therefore proposed in an advantageous further development of the present invention. 
         [0013]    In the simplest case, the driving route is generated based on a large number of driving paths in a manner known per se. Each of these driving paths is capable of being determined based on optimization criteria, and the sequence in which they will be worked is defined by these or other optimization criteria. 
         [0014]    To increase the efficiency of the working process and ensure that the territory to be covered is rolled over to a minimum extent as a ground-saving measure, the optimization criteria to be taken into account by the route planning system can be, in particular, “consideration for the shortest working path”, or, analogously, “consideration for the shortest working time”. Associated directly therewith is the further optimization criterium “reduction of unproductive auxiliary time”. The objective of said further optimization criterium is to realize the shortest possible paths between consecutive driving paths to be worked, and to minimize the driving routes between the agricultural working machine and, e.g., a hauling vehicle. In addition, the route planning process itself is optimized by the fact that the route planning system recognizes driving routes and working sequences that have already been covered and completed and accesses them directly when generating new driving routes in the same territory. 
         [0015]    To allow the operator of the agricultural working machine the greatest amount of influence possible over the route planning system, a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention provides that the operator can discard the driving path preselected by the route planning system to be worked and select another previously determined driving path or suggest any other driving route that he has identified himself. In an advantageous further development of the present invention, the route planning system is configured such that, when a driver-determined driving path is selected, the route planning system generates a new driving route composed of driving paths based on this driving route suggested by the operator. 
         [0016]    Given that the route planning system is designed such that it can formulate working strategies, the precondition is created that allows the route planning system to coordinate the driving routes and associated working sequences of a large number of agricultural working machines. In the simplest case, the working strategy can be formulated by harmonizing the driving routes—composed of parallel driving paths and turn-around curves—of various vehicles such that the working machines that are working together always use nearly the same driving tracks and always turn around in nearly the same areas. Furthermore, the working strategy can take the kinematics of the agricultural working machines and the geometry of the areas to be worked into account. The particular advantage of this is that, e.g., when combine harvesters are working together with one or more hauling vehicles, it can be ensured that the hauling vehicles are positioned such that the combine harvesters can be positioned conveniently near the hauling vehicles to unload the grain, i.e., the hauling vehicles must be surrounded by a sufficient amount of driveable territory depending on the turning circle of the combine harvester and the length of the particular unloading devices. Furthermore, the working strategy to be formulated can be made dependent on customer requests, whereby the customer usually prescribes working sequences, adherence to certain parameters, such as grain losses during grain harvesting, and adherence to working times, such as completing the harvesting work before a bad weather front arrives. 
         [0017]    The fact that the route planning system is also configured such that it recognizes driving routes and working strategies considerably reduces the amount of computing effort required to determine the driving paths that form the driving route. In this context, a particularly efficient route planning system is created when the route planning system can access stored driving strategies that define either the interplay of working machines working simultaneously or in succession in the particular territory and defines their optimal driving routes in the particular territory. 
         [0018]    To simplify the computation steps and to depict them visually, a “master line” is defined to determine the driving route in the route planning system. The further driving paths are depicted such that they are offset from this master line by the working width or a multiple of the working width of the agricultural working machine. In an advantageous further development of the present invention and with the same effects, the master line, which is drawn straight or curved, is defined by at least two path points separated by a distance, whereby the virtual extension of the master line through these two path points that are separated by a distance serves as a guide line, based on the orientation of which the agricultural working machine is guided on the territory to be worked. In the simplest case, the operator of the agricultural working machine defines the master line by entering coordinates. 
         [0019]    To reduce the amount of memory required and to accelerate the computation process to determine the driving route, algorithms are stored in the route planning system that reduce the path points required to depict curved master lines with consideration for the necessary accuracies. 
         [0020]    To obtain driving routes having a transparent structure and a reduced number of steering maneuvers for the agricultural working machine, it is advantageous when the route planning system according to the present invention first defines driving paths that replicate the shape of the outer contour of the territory to be worked or obstacles to be driven around and subsequently generates driving paths that extend nearly parallel with each other, whereby the length of the driving paths of the driving route that was generated is determined substantially by the outer contour of the territory to be worked or the obstacles to be driven around. 
         [0021]    To allow the agricultural working machines to turn around at the end of the particular driving paths to reach the next driving path to be worked and to leave non-worked areas or areas with plants growing on them untouched, a virtual extension of the driving paths in their end regions is proposed according to a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention. This has the particular advantage that the agricultural working machine is driven correspondingly far way from the plot before the turning procedure is started. 
         [0022]    To ensure that the operator of the agricultural working machine has direct influence on the sequence in which the driving paths generated by the route planning system are worked, the driving route formed of the driving paths is first displayed visually to the operator, at least in the end regions of the driving paths. If the operator decides to follow a driving path that differs from the one suggested by the route planning system as the next one to work, the route planning system automatically determines the turning curve required to reach the desired driving path. The particular advantage of this is that the driver is further relieved of the task of performing somewhat difficult steering maneuvers in the turn-around region. 
         [0023]    In the simplest case, the next driving path to be worked is selected using a “touch-screen” monitor. 
         [0024]    The operator of the agricultural working machine also has the option, in a manner known per se, of shifting the driving paths determined by the route planning system using suitable input means, thereby enabling compensation, e.g., for GPS inaccuracies. 
         [0025]    The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows the schematic representation of the route planning system and method according to the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a territory to be worked, subdivided into driving paths; 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary embodiment of the route planning system and method according to the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  shows a further exemplary embodiment of the route planning system and method according to the present invention; and 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  shows the route planning system and method according to the present invention as a flow chart. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of route planning system  1 , which implements route planning method and was made known in EP 0 821 296, and which is integrated in an arithmetic and display unit  2  of an agricultural working machine  4  configured as a combine harvester  3 . Arithmetic and display unit  2  is located in driver&#39;s cabin  6 , within viewing and operating distance of operator  5  of combine harvester  3 . An attachment  8 , which is configured, e.g., as a grain cutting device, is assigned to the front side of combine harvester  3 , the width of the attachment determining the working width AB of combine harvester  3 . In addition, agricultural working machine  4  includes a “GPS” antenna  9  for receiving position coordinates via GPS. 
         [0032]    According to an enlarged section outlined with dashed lines in  FIG. 1 , the route planning system includes one or more computation algorithms  10  that generate position coordinates of agricultural working machine  4  in a manner known per se based on the GPS signals received by GPS antenna  9 . With consideration for optimization criteria  11  of working machine-specific data  12  and field-specific data  13 , which will be explained below in greater detail, computation algorithms  10  generate digitized driving routes  14  which, in the simplest case, are displayed to operator  5  in driver&#39;s cabin  6  via a display unit  16  designed as monitor  15 . In addition, route planning systems  1  of this type can be configured such that generated driving routes  14  are stored in a memory unit  17  such that they can be repeatedly called up. It is also known to derive control signals Z from generated driving routes  14 , which influence steering  18  of agricultural working machine  4  as a direct function of the shape of driving routes  14  in such a manner that steered wheels  19  are deflected  20  depending on driving route  14 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  shows a territory  21 , namely a grain field  22  to be harvested, to be covered by an agricultural working machine  4  configured as combine harvester  3 . Grain field  22  selected as an example includes outer contours  23  that are straight and curved. The geographic data of these outer contours  23  can be determined by combine harvester  3  itself by operator  5  of combine harvester  3  driving along these outer contours  23 , whereby route planning system  1  generates a first driving route  24  during this drive using GPS signals. In the simplest case, route planning system  1  defines this driving route  24  in a position that corresponds approximately to the center of working width AB of attachment  8 , whereby the reproduction of outer contour  23  of covered territory  21  is realized by lining up a large number of driving paths  25 . Route planning systems  1  of this type, with consideration for the parameters shown in  FIG. 1 , such as highly diverse optimization criteria  11  and working machine-specific and field-specific data  12 ,  13 , can generate further driving paths  25 ,  26  in a manner known per se which, in the simplest case, are located substantially parallel to each other and either replicate relatively complicated outer contour  23  or are straight. To ensure that territory  21  can be worked completely, the distances between adjacent driving paths  25 ,  26  approximately correspond to the working width AD of attachment  8 . 
         [0034]    According to  FIG. 3 , territory  21  to be covered can include one or more obstacles  27  that agricultural working machine  4  must drive around. In addition, operator  5  can decide, e.g., to change driving route  14  generated by route planning system  1  by dividing up territory  21  to be worked. In the simplest case, this can take place by operator  5  intervening in the controls of agricultural working machine  4  and implementing a manual steering maneuver with the purpose, e.g., of subdividing territory  21  to be worked into first and second sub-areas  28 ,  29 . Operator  5  often makes a subjective decision based on highly diverse criteria as to which working directions and field subdivisions permit a territory  21  to be worked efficiently. These subjective criteria can be, e.g., the division of territory  21  to be worked into simple geometric figures with straight edges that require few steering maneuvers or driving around obstacles  27  or immature, wet or stored grain stocks. When, in these cases, operator  5  specifies a new driving path  30 , route planning system  1  can immediately access previously-generated driving route  14 . This is accomplished in this case by the present invention in that route planning system  1  recognizes the deviation of actual machine position  31  from target machine position  32  determined by generated driving. route  14  and the change in actual machine orientation  33  from target machine orientation  34  and, based on this new machine position  31 ,  33 , determines a new driving route  14 ′, whereby new generated driving route  14 ′ takes territory  21  already covered into account. 
         [0035]    In an analogous manner, operator  5  can intervene in the steering procedure to drive around obstacles  27 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, a case is shown in  FIG. 3  for reasons of simplicity in which operator  5  manually controls the entire steering procedure to drive around obstacle  27  along a driving path  30  until pre-determined driving route  14  is reached again. It is within the scope of the present invention that operator  5  initiates the avoidance procedure and route planning system  1 , starting with this change in position of agricultural working machine  4 , automatically determines a new driving route  14 ′. Based on the fact that route planning system  1  operates in a GPS-based manner, it is also feasible that route planning system  1  can access information regarding obstacles permanently Integrated In territory  21  to be worked, such as trees, and automatically take their position into account when creating driving route  14 ,  14 ′. As a result of this immediate reaction of route planning system  1  to interventions by operator  5  in the steering procedure of agricultural working machine  4 , a dynamic route planning system  1  is created that can react very flexibly to changes in driving route  14 . A route planning system  1  of this type is made even more flexible and highly precise when route planning system  1  permanently determines actual machine position  31  and actual machine orientation  33  and, as a function of this position data, carries out a permanent adaptation of driving route  14 ,  14 ′ of agricultural working machine  4 . 
         [0036]    According to previous embodiments, driving routes  14 ,  14 ′ determined by route planning system  1  are composed of a large number of driving paths  25 ,  26 , whereby the definition of these driving paths  25 ,  26  can depend on the length, orientation and processing sequence of highly diverse optimization critiera  11 . A grain field  22 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , is usually harvested such that one or more combine harvesters  3  harvest the grain and bring the harvested crops to one or more hauling vehicles  35  located on territory  21  to be harvested. It is extremely important that the various vehicles  4 ,  35  in use cover short driving paths on territory  21  with consideration for a ground-saving method of working. In addition, an efficient harvesting procedure is also defined by short harvesting times and, associated therewith, a small proportion of unproductive auxiliary time. For this reason, route planning system  1  takes into account, in its stored computation algorithms  10 , the determining optimization criteria  11  “shortest driving path”, “shortest working time”, and/or “small proportion of unproductive auxiliary time”. In the simplest case, mathematical relationships between the GPS-based position data of agricultural working machine  4 , hauling vehicle  35  and outer contours  23  of territory  21  to be worked are defined in computation algorithms  10  as a function of selectable or specified working machine-specific data  12  or field-specific  13 , said data to be described in greater detail below. 
         [0037]    A further optimization parameter  11  that is directly related to those stated above concerns “short auxiliary drives between consecutive driving paths  25 ,  26  to be worked”. According to  FIG. 4 , combine harvester  3  would have to carry out a considerable amount of auxiliary driving if the working sequence of individual driving paths  26  would be carried out on both sides, extending from the outside to the inside. In this case, optimization can be carried out such that computation algorithms  10  determine an optimized working sequence that can be composed, e.g., by first subdividing territory  21  formed by transversely extending driving paths  26  into first and second sub-areas  28 ,  29 , so that separate driving routes  14  are subsequently assigned to each of these sub-areas  28 ,  29 . A further optimization criterium  11  can be “recognition and working of known driving routes  14  and sequences”. Territory  21  to be driven over is traveled by highly diverse agricultural working machines  4  during a single cultivation and harvesting phase. Particular territory  21  is also worked repeatedly throughout the year. In both cases, it is an advantage if the process of generating driving routes  14  can be considerably reduced by configuring route planning system  1  such that it recognizes territories  21  and the previous working sequences and driving routes  14  generated earlier to work them, and can access them. Short driving routes and a small proportion of unproductive auxiliary time are also achieved by the fact that further optimization criteria  11  are the “minimization of drives between agricultural working machine  4  and hauling vehicle  35 ” and “short turn-around drives  36 ”. 
         [0038]    Due to the fact that agricultural field work is usually carried out by a plurality of agricultural working machines  4  working together, a particularly efficient route planning system  1  is created when route planning system  1  is capable of generating working strategies using computation algorithms  1  stored in said route planning system. In the simplest case, the working strategy is limited to the route planning system generating driving paths  25 ,  26  and “turn-around curves”  37 , and specifying a defined sequence in which to work driving paths  25 ,  26  and turn-around curves  37 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , when two combine harvesters  3  are used, the working strategy could be, e.g., that route planning system  1 —according to the previous embodiments—first subdivides territory  21  to be worked into first and second sub-areas  28 ,  29  and subsequently assigns a sub-area  28 ,  29  to each combine harvester  3 . In this case, the working strategy essentially consists of taking into account the number and position of highly diverse agricultural working machines  4  in use on particular territory  21 . 
         [0039]    When carrying out an “load-transferring procedure”, in particular, in which combine harvester  3  transfers the harvested crops it has stored during the harvesting travel to a hauling vehicle  35 , it is particularly important that combine harvester  3  be able to easily assume a suitable unloading position relative to hauling vehicle  35 , and that conflicts with further combine harvesters  3  that are filling hauling vehicle  35  be avoided. In the simplest case, this can be ensured by the working strategy determined by route planning system  1  taking into account the machine type-dependent machine kinematics, the geometry of territories  21  to be worked, in particular with regard for “turn-around drive”  36 , and, if applicable, the position of obstacles  27  in territory  21  to be worked. The machine kinematics are working vehicle-specific data  12 , which can be, e.g., possible curve radii and steering angles of a combine harvester  3 , the geometry of its unloading device  38  and the dimensions of hauling vehicle  35 . It is extremely important to take into account the geometry of territory  21  to be worked, particularly with the loading procedure depicted schematically in  FIG. 4 , since the loading procedure is shortened considerably when a loading position is easy to reach; this results in a reduction of the necessary auxiliary times. In addition, the working strategy can take into account crop conditions, such as laid grain, absence of vegetation, excessive moisture content, whereby information of this type is usually input by operator  5  of agricultural working machine  4  into route planning system  1 . 
         [0040]    The harvesting conditions and the geometry of territory  21  to be worked are “field-specific” data  13  in route planning system  1  according to the present invention. Furthermore, the working strategy generated by route planning system  1  can take customer requests into account such that the customer specifies, e.g., maximum limits for crop losses or working time. In addition, based on previous experience, the customer also often prefers a certain working sequence, e.g., based on the dried condition of the crops, which can vary greatly within territory  21  to be worked, due to diverse external influences. In addition, the working strategy can specify complete working sequences such that, while combine harvester  3  is still harvesting particular territory  21 , subsequent processes such as pressing the straw set down on the field or breaking the stubble can be started. 
         [0041]    The method for determining driving routes  14  shown schematically in  FIG. 1  could be structured, in the simplest case, as shown in the flow chart in  FIG. 5 , such that, in a first step, operator  5  of agricultural working machine  4  drives around territory  21  to be worked, whereby the geographical data of outer contour  23  of territory  21  is determined in a GPS-based manner. It is within the scope of the present invention that the geographical data for a known territory  21  can also be transferred from a data base  40  directly to route planning system  1 . In route planning system  1 , driving paths  14 ,  14 ′ are calculated in a further processing step  41 , using computation algorithms  10  described above and with consideration for working vehicle-specific and field-specific data  12 ,  13 . In a further processing step  42  and with consideration for optimization criteria  11  described above, generated driving routes  14 ,  14 ′ are optimized in route planning system  1  whereby, in the simplest case, generated driving route  14  is automatically worked first. As described above, this method step  43  is implemented by route planning system  1  generating control signals Z that intervene directly in steering  18  of agricultural working machine  4 , so that it is guided automatically along generated driving route  14  on territory  21  to be worked. If, in a further working step  44 , operator  5  of agricultural working machine  4  intervenes in the steering procedure or discards generated driving route  14 , route planning system  1  according to the present invention determines a new driving route  14 ′, and preliminary working steps  41 - 43  must be carried out again. This process repeats every time generated driving route  14  is discarded or the operator intervenes directly in the processing of a driving route  14  by actuating steering  18  of agricultural working machine  4 , so that route planning system  1  according to the present invention always determines a driving route  14 ,  14 ′ that is an optimum  45  between the requirements of operator  5  and consideration for diverse optimization criteria  11 . 
         [0042]    To now enable generated driving routes  14 ,  14 ′ to be processed further electronically and in a simple manner, and to be depicted graphically and transparently, driving routes  14 ,  14 ′ are described in route planning system  1  using “master lines”  46  as indicated in the illustration on the left in  FIG. 1 , whereby master lines  46  of adjacent driving paths  25 ,  26  are arranged such that they are offset from each other by the working width AB of agricultural working machine  4 , or by a multiple thereof. As a result, territory  21  to be worked, which is defined by its outer contours  23 , is described by a large number of master lines  46  that are separated from each other, whereby master lines  46  can also be drawn straight or curved, depending on the shape of outer contours  23 . To ensure that master lines  46  are capable of replicating generated driving route  14 ,  14 ′ with sufficient accuracy, making them suitable as a command variable for automatically influencing steering  18  of agricultural working machine  4 , master lines  46  are always defined by two path points C, D separated by a distance, whereby a virtual extension  47  of master line  46  extending through these path points C, D serves as guide line  48 . Since an exact depiction of curved driving paths  25 ,  26  requires a considerable number of path points C, D, but this requires a considerable amount of computing effort, it is provided in a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention that further computation algorithms  49  are assigned to route planning system  1  that reduce the number of path points C, D of curved driving paths  25 ,  26  depending on predefined or predefinable accuracy limits, so that, ultimately, generated driving path  14 ,  14 ′ replicates territory  21  defined by its outer contours  23  with sufficient accuracy. To ensure that agricultural working machine  4  does not contact non-worked ground  50  on its turn-around drive  36 , driving paths  25 ,  26  which form driving route  14 ,  14 ′ are extended virtually in the region of turn-around drive  36 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , so that agricultural working machine  4  must first be moved correspondingly far enough away from ground  50  before its makes the particular turning curve  37 . 
         [0043]    To ensure that operator  5  of agricultural working machine  4  can exert direct influence on the working sequence of driving paths  25 ,  26  that form driving route  14 ,  14 ′, said driving paths are displayed in a visual manner to operator  5  using display unit  2  described above. Individual driving paths  25 ,  26  can be displayable permanently or only in certain sections, such as in the region of turn-around drive  36 . To ensure that operator  5  is capable of easily changing the sequence in which driving paths  25 ,  26 —which form driving route  14 ,  14 ′—can be worked, display unit  2  is designed as a “touch-screen” monitor  51 , so that the next driving path  25 ,  26  to be worked can be selected directly on monitor  51 . This has the advantage, particularly in the region of turn-around drive  36 , that operator  5  can easily influence the subdivision of territory  21  to be worked into sub-areas  28 ,  29 . In addition, means can be assigned to display unit  2  in a manner known per se that enable operator  5  to shift generated driving route  14 ,  14 ′ entirely, or displace individual driving paths  25 ,  26  of this driving route  14 ,  14 ′ on territory  21  to be worked, so that any inaccuracies in the generation of the driving route can be easily compensated for. 
         [0044]    It lies within the abilities of one skilled in the art to modify route planning system  1  described above in a manner not shown or to use it in other machine systems to obtain the effects described, without leaving the scope of the present invention. 
         [0045]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions and methods differing from the types described above. 
         [0046]    While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in route planning system for agricultural working machines, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
         [0047]    Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.