Patent Publication Number: US-2022225573-A1

Title: Agricultural vehicle with controller for determining sufficiently sized bale drop zone

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Agricultural vehicles, such as balers, are well-known for collecting cut crop material and packing the cut crop material into bales for easier transport. A typical baler has a crop collector, which also may be referred to as a “pickup”, that utilizes tines or other elements to direct the cut crop material to a bale chamber that packs the crop material into a bale. After the crop material is packed into a bale with the desired size, the bale is ejected out the back of the baler. 
     Once the bale is formed, it needs to be transported from the field to a different location, such as a staging area, where the bale is stored. A bale retriever that includes a bale fork or similar pick up mechanism may be used to pick up multiple bales and move the bales to the staging area. While known bale retrievers are effective to pick up and transport bales, problems can arise if, for example, the bale retriever does not have a suitable place to drop off the collected bale(s). 
     What is needed in the art is a way to address some of the previously described issues with known agricultural vehicles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide an agricultural vehicle with a controller that is configured to determine if a bale drop zone is sufficiently sized for a number of bales formed from crop material on a field and output a drop zone insufficient signal if the bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the bale drop zone. 
     In some exemplary embodiments provided according to the present disclosure, an agricultural vehicle includes: a chassis; a crop material handler carried by the chassis and configured to handle crop material; a communication interface carried by the chassis and configured to communicate with at least one of another agricultural vehicle or a network; and a controller operatively coupled to the communication interface and configured to: define a field map corresponding to a field; receive at least one bale drop zone input signal; define a bale drop zone within the field map based on the received at least one bale drop zone input signal, the bale drop zone defining a location and a bale drop area within the field map; determine if the bale drop zone is sufficiently sized for a number of bales formed from crop material on the field to be placed in the bale drop zone; and output a drop zone insufficient signal if the bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the bale drop zone. 
     In some exemplary embodiments provided according to the present disclosure, a system for producing and transporting crop material bales includes: at least one agricultural vehicle, the at least one agricultural vehicle includes: a chassis; a crop material handler carried by the chassis and configured to handle crop material; a communication interface carried by the chassis and configured to communicate with at least one of another agricultural vehicle or a network; and a controller operatively coupled to the communication interface and configured to: define a field map corresponding to a field; receive at least one bale drop zone input signal; define a bale drop zone within the field map based on the received at least one bale drop zone input signal, the bale drop zone defining a location and a bale drop area within the field map; determine if the bale drop zone is sufficiently sized for a number of bales formed from crop material on the field to be placed in the bale drop zone; and output a drop zone insufficient signal if the bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the bale drop zone. 
     One possible advantage that may be realized by exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is that the controller of the agricultural vehicle may alert an operator if a defined bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized for the number of bales that can be produced from a field, allowing the operator to decide if a new bale drop zone should be chosen. 
     Another possible advantage that may be realized by exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is that the controller can re-evaluate if the bale drop zone is sufficiently sized for the number of bales as more data about the crop material in the field is collected. 
     Yet another possible advantage that may be realized by exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is that the controller can set a sufficiently sized bale drop zone as a return location to steer, for example, a bale retriever to the bale drop zone automatically. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustration, there are shown in the drawings certain embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements, dimensions, and instruments shown. Like numerals indicate like elements throughout the drawings. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a tractor and a baler that may be an agricultural vehicle of a system for producing and transporting crop material bales, provided in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a bale retriever that may be an agricultural vehicle of the system for producing and transporting crop material bales, provided in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a field map that may be defined by a controller of the bale retriever of  FIG. 2  and/or the baler of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the field map of  FIG. 3  and how the controller may determine if the bale drop zone is sufficiently sized for a number of bales formed from crop material on the field, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a display of the bale retriever of  FIG. 2  and/or the baler of  FIG. 1  presenting an error message when the defined bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for controlling an agricultural vehicle, provided in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a work vehicle  110  towing an agricultural vehicle in the form of a baler  112  in accordance with the present disclosure to perform a baling operation within a field. As will be described further herein, the baler  112  may be part of a system  200  for producing and transporting crop material bales that includes the baler  112  and a bale retriever  202  (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). As shown, the work vehicle  110  is configured as an agricultural tractor, such as an operator-driven tractor or an autonomous tractor. However, in some embodiments, the work vehicle  110  may correspond to any other suitable vehicle configured to tow a baler across a field or that is otherwise configured to facilitate the performance of a baling operation, including an autonomous baling vehicle. Additionally, as shown, the baler  112  is configured as a round baler configured to generate round bales. However, in some embodiments, the baler  112  may have any other suitable configuration, including being configured to generate square or rectangular bales. It should be further appreciated that the baler  112 , while shown as being towed by a tractor  110 , may also be a self-propelled baler that does not rely on a separate vehicle for propulsion and/or power to function. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the work vehicle  110  includes a pair of front wheels  114 , a pair of rear wheels  116 , and a chassis  118  coupled to and supported by the wheels  114 ,  116 . An operator&#39;s cab  120  may be supported by a portion of the chassis  118  and may house various input devices for permitting an operator to control the operation of the work vehicle  110  and/or the baler  112 . Additionally, the work vehicle  110  may include an engine and a transmission mounted on the chassis  118 . The transmission may be operably coupled to the engine and may provide variably adjusted gear ratios for transferring engine power to the wheels  116  via a drive axle assembly. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the work vehicle  110  may be coupled to the baler  112  via a tongue  122  mounted on a hitch  124  of the work vehicle  110  to allow the vehicle  110  to tow the baler  112  across the field. As such, the work vehicle  110  may, for example, guide the baler  112  toward crop material deposited in windrows on the field. As is generally understood, to collect the crop material, the baler  112  includes a crop collector  126  (shown schematically in  FIG. 1 ) mounted on the front end of the baler  112 . The crop collector  126  may, for example, have a rotating wheel with tines that collects crop material from the ground and directs the crop material toward a bale chamber  128  of the baler  112 . Inside the bale chamber  128 , rollers, belts, and/or other devices compact the crop material to form a generally cylindrically shaped bale  130 . The bale  130  is contained within the baler  112  until ejection of the bale  130  is instructed (e.g., by the operator and/or a baler controller  131 ). In some embodiments, the bale  130  may be automatically ejected from the baler  112  once the bale  130  is formed by the baler controller  131  detecting that the bale  130  is fully formed and outputting an appropriate ejection signal. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the baler  112  may also include a tailgate  132  movable between a closed position (as shown in the illustrated embodiment) and an opened position via a suitable actuator assembly. The tailgate  132  and/or actuator assembly may be controlled to open and close by the baler controller  131 . In the closed position, the tailgate  132  may confine or retain the bale  130  within the baler  112 . In the open position, the tailgate  132  may rotate out of the way to allow the bale  130  to be ejected from the bale chamber  128 . Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the baler  112  may include a ramp  134  extending from its aft end that is configured to receive and direct the bale  130  away from the baler  112  as it is being ejected from the bale chamber  128 . In some embodiments, the ramp  134  may be spring loaded, such that the ramp  134  is urged into a raised position, as illustrated. In such embodiments, the weight of the bale  130  on the ramp  134  may drive the ramp  134  to a lowered position in which the ramp  134  directs the bale  130  to the soil surface. Once the bale  130  is ejected, the bale  130  may roll down the ramp  134  and be deposited onto the field. As such, the ramp  134  may enable the bale  30  to maintain its shape and desired density by gently guiding the bale  30  onto the field. 
     It should be appreciated that the configuration of the work vehicle  110  described above and shown in  FIG. 1  is provided only as one example. Thus, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure may be readily adaptable to any manner of work vehicle configuration. For example, in an alternative embodiment, a separate frame or chassis may be provided to which the engine, transmission, and drive axle assembly are coupled, a configuration common in smaller tractors. Still other configurations may use an articulated chassis to steer the work vehicle  110 , or rely on tracks in lieu of the wheels  114 ,  116 . Additionally, as indicated previously, the work vehicle  110  may, in some embodiments, be configured as an autonomous vehicle. In such embodiments, the work vehicle  110  may include suitable components for providing autonomous vehicle operation and, depending on the vehicle configuration, need not include the operator&#39;s cab  120 . 
     Additionally, it should be appreciated that the configuration of the baler  112  described above and shown in  FIG. 1  is provided only as one example. Thus, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure may be readily adaptable to any manner of baler configuration. For example, as indicated previously, the baler  112  may, in some embodiments, correspond to a square baler configured to generate square or rectangular bales. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  200  for producing and collecting crop material bales is illustrated in accordance with the present disclosure. In general, the system  200  will be described herein with reference to the work vehicle  110  and the baler  112  described previously with reference to  FIG. 1  and/or another agricultural vehicle, such as a bale retriever  202 . However, it should be appreciated that the system  200  may generally be utilized with one or more agricultural vehicles having any suitable vehicle configuration and/or balers having any suitable baler configuration. Additionally, for purposes of providing an example of a bale production and collection operation, the system  200  will generally be described herein with reference to performance of the bale production and collection operation following the example baling operation described herein. However, it should be appreciated that the system  200  may generally be utilized to perform a bale collection and transportation operation following the performance of any suitable baling operation within any suitable field. 
     The system  200  includes at least one agricultural vehicle, which may be at least one baler  112  and/or at least one bale retriever  202  configured to collect bales previously deposited within a field. In some embodiments, the bale retriever  202  may be towed by the tractor  110  described previously with reference to  FIG. 1 . For example, upon completion of the baling operation, the baler  112  may be unhitched from the tractor  110  and a suitable bale pick up or other implement (e.g., a bale spear) may be installed on the tractor  110  to allow for the collection of bales from the field. In some embodiments, the bale retriever  202  may correspond to another suitable vehicle that can be used to collect bales standing within the field, including any suitable autonomous vehicle and/or any suitable operator-driven vehicle (e.g., a skid-steer loader). It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the baler(s)  112  and the bale retriever(s)  202  are separate vehicles in the system  200  that can operate simultaneously within a field to produce and collect crop material bales. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bale retriever  202  may include various components for allowing the bale retriever  202  to be moved across the field during the bale collection operation. For example, the bale retriever  202  may include an engine  204  and a transmission  206  coupled to the engine  204  for propelling the vehicle  202  through the field. In addition, the bale retriever  202  may include a steering assembly  208  for steering the bale retriever  202 . In some embodiments, the steering assembly  208  may be configured to be manually operated via the operator to steer the vehicle  202 . The steering assembly  208  may also be configured to be automatically and/or autonomously controlled to allow the bale retriever  202  to be directed along a predetermined path(s) across the field, either additionally or alternatively to manual control of the steering assembly  208 . For example, in some embodiments, the steering assembly  208  may include or form part of an auto-guidance system for automatically steering the bale retriever  202 . In such an embodiment, the bale retriever  202  may correspond to a fully autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or an otherwise manually operated vehicle having one or more autonomous functions (e.g., automated steering or auto-guidance functions). The bale retriever  202  also includes a bale pick up  209 , which may be a fork or other component that is configured to pick up crop material bales from a field and, for example, place the picked up bale on a holding platform (which may include a conveyor) of the bale retriever  202 . 
     Additionally, the bale retriever  202  may also include a positioning device  210  configured to monitor or track the position of the vehicle  202  as it is traversed across a field. For example, in some embodiments, the positioning device  210  may be configured to determine the exact location of the bale retriever  202  using a satellite navigation position system (e.g. a GPS system, a Galileo positioning system, the Global Navigation satellite system (GLONASS), the BeiDou Satellite Navigation and Positioning system, and/or the like). 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bale retriever  202  may also include a controller  212 , which may also be referred to herein as a “retriever controller.” The controller  212  is operatively coupled to the steering assembly  208  and, in some embodiments, one or more other components of the bale retriever  202  (e.g., the engine  204  and/or the transmission  206 ) for electronically controlling the operation of such component(s) (e.g. electronic control based on inputs received from the operator and/or automatic electronic control for executing one or more autonomous control functions). As will be described in greater detail herein, the controller  212  is configured to generate one or more paths for the bale collection operation while being capable of taking into account any negative impacts to the field (e.g., compaction and/or yield losses). For example, the controller  212  may be configured to generate guidance lines for collecting the various bales deposited within the field and for transporting such bales to a selected location defined relative to the field (e.g., a staging area). The controller  212  may then utilize the guidance lines for guiding the bale retriever  202  across the field as each bale is collected and subsequently delivered to the selected staging area. For example, in some embodiments, the controller  212  may be configured to automatically control the operation of the bale retriever  202  via control of the steering assembly  208  such that the bale retriever  202  is moved across the field along the determined guidance lines without any operator input (e.g., for autonomous vehicle operation and/or when otherwise operating in an autonomous mode). Alternatively, the controller  212  may be configured to display the determined guidance lines on an associated display  214  of the bale retriever  202  to allow the operator to navigate the vehicle  202  across the field based on the displayed guidance lines. 
     In general, the controller  212  may correspond to any suitable processor-based device(s), such as a computing device or any combination of computing devices. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the controller  212  may generally include one or more processor(s)  216  and associated memory devices  218  configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions (e.g., performing the methods, steps, algorithms, calculations and the like disclosed herein). As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory  218  may generally comprise memory element(s) including, but not limited to, computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disc (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory  218  may generally be configured to store information accessible to the processor(s)  216 , including data  220  that can be retrieved, manipulated, created and/or stored by the processor(s)  216  and instructions  222  that can be executed by the processor(s)  216 . 
     In some embodiments, the data  220  may be stored in one or more databases. For example, the memory  218  may include a bale collection database  224  for storing data associated with the bales to be collected from the field during the performance of the bale collection operation. Such data may, for instance, include any data collected during the performance of the prior baling operation, such as the position data associated with the location of the baling paths relative to the field, the heading data associated with the heading of the vehicle/baler along each baling path, and/or the position data associated with the specific location of each bale within the field. In addition, various other types of data may be stored within the bale collection database  224 . For example, in some embodiments, data may be stored within the bale collection database  224  that is associated with one or more operator inputs, one or more user-defined system preferences, and/or other system inputs relevant to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, such as data associated with the specific type of bales being collected (e.g., round bales vs. square/rectangular bales), data associated with the specific size of bales being collected (e.g., 4×5, 5×5, or 6×5), data associated with a desired or selected location for the staging area at which the bales will be aggregated, data associated with a desired spacing or arrangement of the collected bales within the staging area, and/or any other relevant data. 
     Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the memory  218  may also include a guidance database  226  for storing data associated with guiding the bale retriever  202  during the performance of the bale collection operation. For example, as indicated previously, the controller  212  may be configured to generate guidance lines along which the bale retriever  202  is to be traversed when collecting the bales and subsequently aggregating the bales at the desired staging area. As such, the guidance database  226  may, for example, include data associated with the computer-generated guidance lines, such as GPS data or map data that maps each guidance line across the field. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the instructions  222  stored within the memory  218  of the controller  212  may be executed by the processor(s)  216  to implement a staging area module  228 . In general, the staging area module  228  may be configured to determine a location(s) relative to the field that will serve as a “staging area,” which is also called a “bale drop zone,” for aggregating the various bales being collected from the field. Specifically, in some embodiments, the staging area module  228  may be configured to automatically select the location for the staging area based on one or more factors, including, but not limited to, the locations of the various bales within the field, the size and/or shape of the field, and/or any user-defined or predetermined system preferences associated with the desired location of the staging area relative to the field. The instructions  222  stored within the memory  218  of the controller  212  may also be executed by the processor(s)  216  to implement a path planning module  230 , which may be configured to plan a travel path of the bale retriever  202 , and a vehicle guidance module  232 , which may be configured to guide the bale retriever  202 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the system  200  is illustrated in graphical form on a field map  300 . The controller  212  of the bale retriever  202  and/or a controller  131  of the baler  112  (illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) is configured to define the field map  300 , which corresponds to a field. For ease of reference, functionality of the controller  212  of the bale retriever  202  provided according to the present invention will be described further herein, but it should be appreciated that the controller  131  of the baler  112  and/or a controller of a different agricultural vehicle, such as a mower-conditioner, can perform the described functionality. In some embodiments, the field map  300  is constructed and updated solely within the controller  212 ; in other embodiments, the field map  300  is presented as a graphic on the display  214  in a manner that is similar to the graphical illustration of the field map  300  of  FIG. 3 , as will be described further herein. It should thus be appreciated that the field map  300  may be constructed solely for use by the controller  212  or, alternatively, may also be presented graphically on a display  214  or elsewhere so an operator may see the state of the field via the field map  300 . 
     Field information corresponding to the field map  300  may come from a variety of sources. In some embodiments, the field information comes from the baler  112  as it operates and is continuously output to a communication interface  234  of the bale retriever  202 , which is operatively coupled to the controller  212  and may also be referred to as a “retriever communication interface,” so the controller  212  is configured to receive real-time information corresponding to various aspects of the baler  112  and the field. For example, the communication interface  234  of the bale retriever  202  may interface with a corresponding communication interface  133  operatively coupled to the controller  131  of the baler  112  (illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) using radio signals or other types of communication signals to receive the field information. Alternatively, field information corresponding to the field map  300  may be received from a network  310  that is established with the system  200  using one or more communication protocols and a network hub  311  that interfaces with the respective communication interfaces  133 ,  234  but is not carried by either the baler  112  or the bale retriever  202 . The network hub  311  may be, for example, a device commonly known as a “router” or similar device. It should be appreciated that the controller  212  of the bale retriever  202  may receive field information from other sources, such as a vehicle other than the baler  112 , e.g., a mower-conditioner and/or an unmanned aerial vehicle. Further, while the field information is described previously as being transmitted to the controller  212  wirelessly, in some embodiments the field information corresponding to the field map  300  is received by the controller  212  from a physical connection, i.e., a wired connection, and/or a physical data source, e.g., a memory module. It should thus be appreciated that the field information corresponding to the field map  300  may be received by the controller  212  in a variety of ways. 
     In some embodiments, the controller  212  is configured to define at least one windrow, illustrated as a plurality of windrows  301  in  FIG. 3 , on the field map  300  that correspond to windrows in the field. The windrow(s)  301  can be defined in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, the windrow(s)  301  are defined based on swath lines that the baler  112  follows to travel through the field, with the swath lines being generally aligned with the windrows  301  so the baler  112  follows the windrows  301  to collect and pack crop material into bales  302 , as illustrated. 
     In known systems, an operator may define an area of a field as a bale drop zone that is not sufficiently sized to hold all of the bales that will be produced from crop material on the field. In such a scenario, the operator will not know that the bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized to hold all of the bales until the operator has placed a number of bales in the bale drop zone, which may be a large number of bales by the time that the operator realizes that the bale drop zone will not be large enough for all of the bales. The operator must then decide whether to place the bales that do not fit in a separate area, which makes further transportation of the bales cumbersome, or define a new bale drop zone, which requires moving all of the previously placed bales and is also susceptible to not being large enough. 
     To address some of the previously described issues, and referring still to  FIG. 3  and now  FIG. 4  as well, the controller  212  is configured to receive at least one bale drop zone input signal and define a bale drop zone Z within the field map  300  based on the received bale drop zone input signal(s). The bale drop zone Z, as illustrated, defines a location and a bale drop area within the field map  300 . It should be appreciated that while the term “area” is used, the “bale drop area” may also encompass a volume if, for example, bales can be stacked in the bale drop zone Z. The controller  212  is configured to determine if the bale drop zone Z is sufficiently sized for a number of bales  302  formed from crop material on the field to be placed in the bale drop zone Z and output a drop zone insufficient signal if the bale drop zone Z is not sufficiently sized for the number of bales  302  to be placed in the bale drop zone Z, i.e., if the number of bales  302  will not fit within the bale drop zone Z according to defined parameters. In some embodiments, the controller  212  takes into account spacing requirements between the bales to be placed in the bale drop zone Z when determining if the bale drop zone Z is sufficiently sized, which is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  by placed bales  303  in the bale drop zone Z having space therebetween. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the agricultural vehicle with the controller defining the bale drop zone Z may be the bale retriever  202 , which has a steering assembly  208  that can steer the bale retriever  202 . The controller  212  is operatively coupled to the steering assembly  208  and may be configured to set the bale drop zone Z as a return location if the bale drop zone Z is sufficiently sized for the number of bales  302  and control the steering assembly  208  to steer the bale retriever  202  toward the bale drop zone Z upon the bale retriever  202  retrieving a defined retrieved number of bales from the field. The defined retrieved number of bales may, for example, correspond to the maximum number of bales that the bale retriever has space and/or power to hold and transport. In such embodiments, the controller  212  can be configured to keep count of the number of bales retrieved by the bale retriever  202  and cause the steering assembly  208  to steer the bale retriever  202  toward the bale drop zone Z upon the bale retriever  202  reaching its capacity of picked-up bales. 
     In some embodiments, and referring now to  FIG. 5  as well, the controller  212  is operatively coupled to the display  214 , as previously described. The display  214  is configured to receive the drop zone insufficient signal from the controller  212  and present a bale drop zone error  501  responsively to receiving the drop zone insufficient signal. In some embodiments, the bale drop zone error  501  is in the form of text and/or another graphical representation that alerts an operator to the fact that a defined bale drop zone Z″ is insufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the defined bale drop zone Z″. The display  214  may be further configured as a touch screen or other input device that is configured to output the bale drop zone input signal(s) to the controller  212 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , an operator may draw a desired bale drop zone Z″ on a graphical representation of the field map  300  presented on the display  214 . When the desired bale drop zone Z″ is set by the operator, the display  214  outputs one or more bale drop zone input signals to the controller  212 , which defines the desired bale drop zone Z″ within the field map  300  and determines if the desired bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the desired bale drop zone Z″. In the scenario illustrated in  FIG. 5  where the desired bale drop zone Z″ is insufficiently sized, the controller  212  outputs the drop zone insufficient signal to the display  214 , which then presents the bale drop zone error  501 . 
     In some embodiments, the controller  212  is configured to determine at least one modifiable parameter so the bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the number of bails and output the drop zone insufficient signal to incorporate data about the modifiable parameter. For example, the controller  212  may be configured to output the drop zone insufficient signal incorporating data about the modifiable parameter to the display  214 , which may display the modifiable parameter(s) that can be modified so the bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the number of bales. Example modifiable parameters include, but are not limited to: a bale diameter, a bale density, a bale spacing within the bale drop zone, a bale stacking height, and/or a drop zone area required for the bale drop zone to be sufficiently sized. By presenting such information on the display  214 , an operator may choose one or more of the parameters to change so the desired bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the bales. 
     In some embodiments, such as embodiments where the controller  212  is incorporated in an autonomous vehicle, the controller  212  is configured to choose at least one of the modifiable parameters according to a defined priority and/or an allowable range and output a modification signal to adjust at least one parameter of the desired bale drop zone Z″ and/or the baler  112 . For example, the controller  212  may be configured to receive an allowable adjustment range, from user input or otherwise, and determine a highest priority modifiable parameter that is adjustable to be within the allowable adjustment range and also satisfying the condition that the desired bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the number of bales. The controller  212  may be configured, for example, to prioritize modifiable parameters as: 1) drop zone area, 2) bale diameter, 3) bale density, and 4) bale stack height within the bale drop zone. If the controller  212  determines that the bale diameter and bale stack height can be modified to be within the respective allowable adjustment ranges, but the drop zone area and the bale density cannot, the controller  212  may choose the bale diameter as the modifiable parameter, owing to its higher priority, and output a modification signal to the baler  112  to adjust the bale diameter of formed bales so the desired bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be formed. 
     While the bale drop zone input signal may come from an element of the bale retriever  202 , such as the display  214 , in some embodiments the bale drop zone input signal comes from outside the bale retriever  202 . For example, the bale drop zone input signal may be generated by the controller  131  of the baler  112  and output to the communications interface  234  of the bale retriever  202  by the communication interface  133  of the baler  112 , either directly or via the network  310 . Thus, in some embodiments, the communications interface  234  is configured to receive the bale drop zone input signal from another agricultural vehicle, such as the baler  112 , and/or the network  310 . 
     In some embodiments, the controller  212  determines the number of bales formed from crop material on the field based on operator input. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the display  214  may present a bale input graphic  502  that allows the operator to input the number of bales that will be formed from crop material on the field. The display  214  may also present a size input graphic  503  that allows the operator to input the size of each bale that will be formed. Upon those values being entered, the display  214  can output a bale number signal and a bale volume signal to the controller  212 . From the bale number signal and the bale volume signal, the controller  212  can determine a total space requirement for the number of bales and compare the total space requirement to the desired bale drop zone Z″ in order to determine if the desired bale drop zone Z″ is sufficiently sized for the number of bales. 
     In some embodiments, the controller  212  is configured to determine the number of bales formed from crop material on the field based on a variety of inputs. In some embodiments, the controller  212  is configured to define an expected volume of crop material on the field, define a volume of crop material per bale, and determine the number of bales based on the expected volume of crop material and the volume of crop material per bale. For example, the expected volume of crop material can be defined based on operator input by the display  214  presenting a crop material volume graphic  504 . Upon the operator entering the expected volume of crop material in the graphic  504 , the display  214  can output an expected crop volume signal to the controller  212 . The controller  212  can be configured to define the volume of crop material per bale based on the bale volume signal, as previously described, since the size of the bale corresponds to the volume of crop material packed into the bale and the packing density, which the controller  212  can also account for in making the determination. Once the expected volume of crop material and the volume of crop material per bale are known, the controller  212  can determine the number of bales by dividing the expected volume of crop material by the volume of crop material per bale. 
     In some embodiments, the controller  212  is configured to receive a crop yield signal corresponding to a volume of crop material on the field, define a volume of crop material per bale, and determine the number of bales based on the volume of crop material and the volume of crop material per bale. The crop yield signal may be received by the controller  212 , for example, via the communications interface  234  interfacing with the communications interface  133  of the baler  112 . The controller  131  of the baler  112  may be configured to keep track of how much crop material the baler  112  has handled and define the volume of crop material accordingly. Alternatively, or in addition, the crop yield signal may be output by a mower-conditioner that cut crop material in the field and has a controller configured to track the volume of crop material as it is cut. The crop yield signal may additionally, or alternatively, be output by other yield monitoring equipment, including but not limited to a rake or an unmanned aerial vehicle. Other ways that the controller  212  may be configured to determine the amount of crop material may be based on, but is not limited to: receiving a yield signal generated during a raking and/or a merging operation that corresponds to the crop material yield of the field; receiving a yield estimate signal during baling that estimates a crop material yield of a first portion of a field and, based on the estimated yield, extrapolating the crop material yield to the entirety of the field; and/or receiving a yield signal corresponding to one or more historical crop material yields from the field. The defined volume of crop material per bale may be defined by the controller  212  of the bale retriever  202 , based on operator input or otherwise, or, alternatively, may be defined based on the controller  212  receiving a bale volume signal from the controller  131  of the baler  112 , which may control the volume of crop material that is packed into each bale formed by the baler  112 . The controller  212  may then determine the number of bales by dividing the volume of crop material by the volume of crop material per bale, as previously described. It should thus be appreciated that the controller  212  may be configured in a variety of ways to determine the number of bales formed from crop material on the field to be placed in the bale drop zone Z, Z″, if the number of bales is not directly input by an operator. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the controller  212  may be configured to predict a number of unformed bales  401  that are left in a field based on the volume of crop material left in the field and the volume of crop material per bale. The controller  212  may be further configured to determine if a previously defined bale drop zone Z′ is sufficiently sized to hold the number of unformed bales  401 , taking into account a number of bales  402  already placed in the bale drop zone Z′. If the controller  212  determines the bale drop zone Z′ is insufficiently sized, the controller  212  may be configured to extend the bale drop zone Z′ to a modified bale drop zone Z and output a modified bale drop zone signal with the drop zone insufficient signal to the display  214 , alerting an operator to the fact that the bale drop zone Z′ is not sufficiently sized while also providing the modified bale drop zone Z as a potential modification to the bale drop zone Z′ for the operator to consider. 
     While the previous description focuses on the controller  212  of the bale retriever  202  performing the previously described functionality, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the controller  131  of the baler  112  is configured to perform such functionality. Alternatively, or in addition, the controller may be part of the tractor  110  that tows the baler  112 . In such embodiments, the controller  131  of the baler  112  may be configured to output different types of signals to the retriever controller  212  via the respective communications interfaces  133 ,  234 . For example, the controller  131  may be configured to determine if a defined bale drop zone, such as the bale drop zone Z, is sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the bale drop zone Z and, if the bale drop zone is sufficiently sized, output a drop zone set signal corresponding to the sufficiently sized bale drop zone. The retriever controller  212  may be configured to receive the drop zone set signal output by the controller  131  via the retriever communication interface  234  and define the sufficiently sized bale drop zone as a return location for autonomous control of the steering assembly  208  and propulsion of the bale retriever  202  through the field. Such functionality can also be implemented in the controller of a different agricultural vehicle, such as a mower-conditioner. It should thus be appreciated that there are numerous ways to configure an agricultural vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure to assist an operator in defining a sufficiently sized bale drop zone for the number of bales that will be formed from crop material on a field. 
     From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that agricultural vehicles provided according to the present disclosure have a controller that can assist an operator determine if a bale drop zone is sufficiently sized for holding crop material bales that will be formed from a field and, if the bale drop zone is not sufficiently sized, alert the operator. The operator knowing that the bale drop zone is unlikely to be sufficient to hold the bales can save the operator time and aggravation by allowing the operator to, for example, see if one or more alternative bale drop zones are sufficiently sized for the number of bales before starting to place bales in the bale drop zone. The operator may also choose to alter the size, density, and/or spacing of the bales, for example, so the bales fit in the bale drop zone. If the system is partially or entirely autonomous, the controller determining if the bale drop zone is sufficiently sized can prevent the system from operating so bales are placed in an undesired way and/or location. Thus, exemplary embodiments provided according to the present disclosure can address the problems associated with a bale drop zone being insufficiently sized to hold the bales that are formed from crop material on a field. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , an exemplary embodiment of a method  600  for controlling an agricultural vehicle provided according to the present disclosure is illustrated in flow chart form. The agricultural vehicle may be the previously described baler  112  and/or the bale retriever  202 , and/or, in some embodiments, a different agricultural vehicle such as a mower-conditioner. The method  600  is performed by a controller  131 ,  212  of the vehicle  112 ,  202  and includes defining  601  a field map  300  corresponding to a field; receiving  602  at least one drop zone input signal; defining  603  a bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″ within the field map  300  based on the received bale drop zone input signal(s), the bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″ defining a location and a bale drop area within the field map  300 ; determining  604  if the bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″ is sufficiently sized for a number of bales formed from crop material on the field to be placed in the bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″; and outputting  605  a drop zone insufficient signal if the bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″ is not sufficiently sized for the number of bales to be placed in the bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″. In some embodiments, the method  600  includes determining  606  the number of bales to be placed in the bale drop zone Z, Z′, Z″. The determining  606  may be based on an expected volume of crop material and a volume of crop material per bale, with the volume of crop material being defined based on operator input and/or signals that are generated during handling of the crop material and/or historical data. 
     It is to be understood that the steps of the method  600  are performed by the controller  131 ,  212  upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the controller  131 ,  212  described herein, such as the method  600 , is implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium. The controller  131 ,  212  loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the controller  131 ,  212 , the controller  131 ,  212  may perform any of the functionality of the controller  131 ,  212  described herein, including any steps of the method  600  described herein. 
     The term “software code” or “code” used herein refers to any instructions or set of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or controller. They may exist in a computer-executable form, such as machine code, which is the set of instructions and data directly executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a controller, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiled in order to be executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a controller, or an intermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As used herein, the term “software code” or “code” also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a controller. 
     These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing specification. Accordingly, it is to be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is intended to include all changes and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention.