Weighing scales – Computer – Electrical
Patent
1999-02-01
2000-11-21
Gibson, Randy W.
Weighing scales
Computer
Electrical
177136, 701 50, 701200, 702174, 460 6, 56 102R, G01G 1922, G01G 1908, G01G 1914, A01D 7528
Patent
active
061506176
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to the measurement of crop yield in particular in the context of "yield mapping", that is to say the measurement of crop yield as it varies over a field and the generation of a corresponding map showing the variation. The invention may also have other applications in the general "precision farming" field of technology, that is to say the capturing and using of yield and other data as distributed over an area of land and the automatic varying of treatment of e soil or crops over a given area of land.
It is known to produce a "yield map" using a combine harvester fitted with a grain yield meter together with a locating system. Many types of "yield meter" exist, most of which detect the volume flow of grain passing through a combine harvester. One or two systems detect the mass flow of grain, for example by a gamma ray absorption method or in one proposed system by detecting the weight of the suspended end of an auger carrying harvested grain in a combine harvester; the weight of the suspended end of the auger at any given time is directly representative of the mass flow of grain being transported by the auger. All of these systems tend to be somewhat complex and are also specifically designed for use in combine harvesters. It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for detecting crop yield, and then producing a yield map, which is relatively simple and also applicable to a wide variety of harvesting applications. In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a system for generating a yield map of a harvested field of root crop.
A further object of the invention is to provide an agricultural trailer with meansfor continuously sensing the weight of its payload whilst moving.
According to the invention, a vehicle comprises payload carrying means characterised by: vehicle travels along; weight, or a parameter derived therefrom, as distributed across an area over which the vehicle has travelled.
The term "map" as used here is intended to include not only a pictorial representation of a parameter as distributed across an area, but also the equivalent information in electronic form, for example on a computer disk.
It will be appreciated that a map of cumulative sensed weight will, of itself, be little use. However, such information may be processed to produce a map of the change of sensed weight per unit area. When harvesting a root crop, the crop is usually fed directly into a trailer towed behind a tractor as the harvester movesalong a field and thus weight change per unit area amounts to a direct indication of crop yield. However, the only "raw data" which needs to be acquired in the field is an indication of weight and an indication of position. This information may then be processed at leisure, for example using an ordinary office based PC.
It is preferable, however, for the data to receive more treatment "on the go" and accordingly it is preferred that the said derived parameter is the rate of change of accumulated payload with either time or distance, or alternatively is a further parameter derived from that.
It will be appreciated that the rate of change of payload with distance will be directly proportional to the yield (i.e. weight per hectare). The rate of change of payload with time may be combined with the position or speed information to derive weight per hectare, and a further preferable feature is therefore a speed sensing means, the speed being used to generate the derived parameter.
Preferably, the derived parameter is generated using an average value for sensed weight, taken over a given time period, e.g. 1-100 seconds, preferably 5-60 seconds, more preferably 10-40 seconds, or still more preferably 20-30 seconds.
In another aspect of the invention, an agricultural trailer is provided having a payload weight sensing system arranged to generate an electronic output representative of accumulated payload weight or a parameter derived therefromas the trailer travels along.
Such a trailer may be used for a great many applications, but is par
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Blackmore Benjamin Simon
Godwin Richard John
Hart Peter John
Smith David Forbes
Watt Colin Duncan
AGCO Limited
Gibson Randy W.
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