Patent ID: 7992369

Claim:
An agricultural harvester having an agricultural harvester vehicle supported on drive wheels, an agricultural harvesting head attached to a front end thereof, at least one actuator coupled to the vehicle and to the harvesting head and configured to raise and lower the harvesting head with respect to the vehicle, at least a first sensor coupled to the vehicle or the harvesting head to sense a distance to the ground in a path of the drive wheels, and an electronic circuit configured to receive distance signals from the first sensor and to control the at least one actuator to regulate the height of the harvesting head with respect to the vehicle, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to lower the harvesting head with respect to the vehicle when the first sensor indicates a protrusion of the ground in the path of the drive wheels, and is configured to raise the harvesting head with respect to the vehicle when the first sensor indicates a depression of the surface of the ground in the path of the drive wheels.