Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Construction or agricultural-type vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-20
2003-06-24
Arthur, Gertrude (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Construction or agricultural-type vehicle
C172S004500, C172S009000, C056S01020C, C056S01020D, C056S01020R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06584390
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a system for measuring the amount of crop material to be harvested by a harvesting machine. A scanning transmitter and receiver of electromagnetic radiation identifies the location and intensity of electromagnetic radiation reflected from the crop material located on a field and communicates that information to a controller that determines the amount of crop material to be harvested.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Crop throughput sensors measuring the amount of crop processed by a harvesting machine are used to automatically control crop conveying and/or crop processing assemblies. Crop throughput is also frequently used for measuring the harvest in specific areas or sub-areas. The forward velocity of the harvesting machine can be controlled by a control arrangement in response to the measured crop throughput, such that a desired crop throughput is maintained corresponding to the optimum throughput of the harvesting machine. It is known to locate crop throughput sensors on a harvesting machine. In known systems, crop throughput measurements are performed after the crop has been harvested by the harvesting assembly of the harvesting machine. Because of the time delay between sensing crop throughput and its location in the harvesting machine, sudden changes in the crop throughput cannot be compensated by a corresponding change in forward velocity. As such, crop processing arrangements may become overloaded, underloaded, or jammed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,636 proposes identifying the density of a standing crop on a field by using ultrasonic sensors mounted on a harvesting assembly. The sensors are arranged to sense standing crop located immediately in front of the cutter bar. A transmitter arranged on the side of the crop intake arrangement emits ultrasonic radiation that is propagated over the width of the crop intake arrangement. The loss of intensity of the ultra-sonic radiation as well as their propagation time detected by the receiver located opposite the transmitter and caused by the crop stand is evaluated and converted into a control signal. Due to external disturbance effects and error possibilities, ultra-sonic sensors have not been proven worthwhile in practical applications.
EP 0 887 660 A describes a harvesting machine that is equipped with a laser distance measuring arrangement. The laser distance measuring arrangement is located on the operator's cab and continuously scans a region located several meters ahead of the harvesting machine. The cross section of a windrow of crop material to be harvested by the pickup platform is evaluated on the basis of the profile of the windrow located in front of the harvesting machine. The edge of the windrow is identified on the basis of a sudden contour variation. The height of the windrow is determined on the basis of the measured distance values. Here the disadvantage is the fact that only the outer contours of the windrow are considered. A relatively dense windrow cannot be distinguished from a relatively sparse windrow with the same height.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,254 is directed to an agricultural machine with a boundary edge detection system. A laser sensor scans a region located ahead of the agricultural machine to detect and monitor the boundary edge. The boundary of the operation is recognized on the basis of the propagation time and the intensity or the phase shift of the reflected light. The arrangement described is not appropriate for the measurement of the amount of crop material to be harvested.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system to measure the amount of crop material to be harvested prior to the crop material being taken up by the harvesting assembly of the harvesting machine.
The crop material to be harvested is exposed to electromagnetic radiation from a scanning device (particularly laser radiation). A receiver in the scanning device detects the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the crop material to resolve its location or its angle. In addition, the receiver measures the intensity of the reflected electromagnetic radiation. The receiver is in communication with a controller. The controller calculates the amount of crop material to be harvested based on the location and/or angle signal, and the intensity signal.
The receiver produces an at least one-dimensional signal resolved by location or angle. A two-dimensional signal taken by a camera is also conceivable. Here the transmitter and the receiver can be moved or pivoted in a manner known in itself together step-by-step or continuously over a measurement region, or only one of these. The controller has been provided with information as to which location or angle is to be associated with the signal received by the receiver. The use of a row of transmitters and/or receivers arranged alongside each other is also conceivable. There is also the possibility that a laser distance measurement sensor can be used in which the transmitter and/or the receiver is not rotated, but a mirror rotating continuously or step-by-step is used to scan the visible region. An angular region of up to 180° can be scanned. Such sensors are available from the Sick A. G., D-72796 Reute, under the designation LMS.
The invention proposes that the receiver detect the intensity or the amplitude of the reflected radiation that is a function of the number of plants per unit area and the dimensions of the plants. The measured intensity is considered in the determination of the amount of crop material to be harvested.
From the location and/or angle signals and the intensity signals the amount of crop material to be harvested can be calculated. The amount of crop material to be harvested can be defined as the volume of plants standing on a unit area. Thereby the amount can be measured in cubic meters of plant volume per square meter of the field, although other measurement units are also conceivable. It does not matter if the amount is calculated explicitly and transmitted in any particular form, used as an intermediate result in a further calculation or is incorporated in a calculation of the magnitude of an amount depending directly or indirectly on the amount. In this way with a known width of a harvesting assembly and a known forward velocity an expected crop throughput can be determined from the signals of the receiver.
Using this system an exact determination of the amount of crop material to be harvested can be calculated. Based on the known width of the harvesting assembly and the forward velocity of the harvesting machine the predicted crop load on the harvesting machine can be determined. This predicted crop load can be compared with an optimal crop load, and the forward speed of the machine adjusted accordingly to follow the optimal crop load. The predicted crop load measurement is performed at a distance ahead of the harvesting machine, so that in case of a variation in crop density the forward velocity can be adjusted in a timely manner. This increases the comfort of the operation and avoids critical situations in which the machine tends to jam. The conveying and separating processes in a harvesting machine can also be made to conform to the throughput amounts that can be expected in a timely manner, so that the resulting harvest is improved. Particular attention must be paid to the avoidance of jams that result from excessively high crop throughput.
As a rule the receiver is arranged to determine the distance to a point from the receiver and/or the transmitter to which the immediate output signal of the receiver is to conform. By scanning or sampling of a region located ahead of the harvesting machine a profile of the crop material to be harvested can be determined. In the controller, information can be generated about the width and/or the height of the stand of the plants that makes possible a precise determination of the amount.
The moisture of the plants can also be detected by a known moisture sensor, the output of which is communicated to the controller. The se
Arthur Gertrude
Deere & Company
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