Seed meter with multiple sensors for seed cell status monitoring

• US 10,638,655 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Schoeny, Christopher, Johnson, Chad M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US15/910,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20190090415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/046 with perforated seeding discs
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/105 Seed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/107 Calibration of the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic

Abstract

A vacuum seed meter includes a vacuum channel and a seed transport member having seed cells defined as openings through a perimeter region of the seed transport member, which rotates through the vacuum channel. The seed meter includes a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors targeting a different location within the seed meter. Each of the plurality of sensors connected to send signals to a controller that evaluates whether each seed cell passing through these locations is filled or empty.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring seed meter operation, the method comprising:

operating a seed meter such that seeds contained within a seed pool region of the seed meter are transported by a seed transport member from the seed pool region to a separate location for subsequent discharge from the seed meter;

receiving, with a controller having a processor and associated memory, a timing signal from a first sensor configured to detect a parameter associated with the operation of the seed meter; and

evaluating;

with the controller, data from a second sensor located within the seed meter based on the timing signal received from the first sensor to identify at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within one or more seed cells of the seed transport member as the seed meter is being operated to discharge seeds therefrom.

2. The method of claim 1;

wherein the timing signal provides an indication of at least one of a frequency at which the seed cells pass a given location within the seed meter or a location of the one or more seed cells relative to the second sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is configured to provide data associated with detecting the at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within a seed cell of the seed transport member as at least one of the seed cell or the seed passes through a detection zone of the second sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising analyzing the timing signal to determine when the at least one of the seed cell of the seed transport member or the seed will pass through the detection zone of the second sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the data from the second sensor comprises sampling the data from the second sensor across a given sampling period based on the timing signal received from the first sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the data from the second sensor comprises sampling the data from the second sensor at an instance at which the timing signal is received from the first sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the data from the second sensor comprises sampling the data from the second sensor upon the seed transport member being rotating a predetermined amount within the seed meter following receipt of the timing signal from the first sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first sensor is configured to provide data indicative of at least one of a rotational position of the seed transport member within the seed meter or a degree to which the seed transport member has been rotated within the seed meter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sensor comprises a rotary encoder, the rotary encoder configured to transmit encoder pulses to the controller as said seed transport member is rotated within the seed meter, the timing signal corresponding to or being determined as a function of the encoder pulses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the data from the second sensor comprises:

continuously receiving the data from the second sensor; and

analyzing a portion of the data based on the timing signal to identify the at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within one or more of the seeds cells of the seed transport member.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is located within a post-delivery region of the seed meter such that the first sensor is configured to provide data associated with detecting seed cells passing by a location of the first sensor, the timing signal being associated with at least one instance at which a seed cell passes by the location of the first sensor.

12. A method for monitoring seed meter operation, the method comprising:

operating a seed meter such that seeds contained within a seed pool region of the seed meter are transported by a seed transport member from the seed pool region to a separate location for subsequent discharge from the seed meter;

receiving, with a controller having a processor and associated memory, a timing signal providing an indication of at least one of a frequency at which seeds cells of the seed transport member pass a given location within the seed meter or a relative location of one or more of the seed cells within the seed meter; and

evaluating, with the controller, data from a sensor located within the seed meter based on the timing signal to identify at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within one or more of the seeds cells of the seed transport member as the seed meter is being operated to discharge seeds therefrom.

13. A system for monitoring seed meter operation, the system comprising:

a seed meter including a seed transport member configured to transport seeds from a seed pool region of the seed meter to a separate location for subsequent discharge from the seed meter, the seed transport member including a plurality of seed cells;

a first sensor configured to detect a parameter associated with the operation of the seed meter;

a second sensor located within the seed meter, the second sensor being separate from the first sensor; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the first and second sensors, the controller including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when implemented by the processor, configure the controller to;

receive a timing signal from the first sensor as the seed meter is being operated to discharge seeds therefrom; and

evaluate data from the second sensor based on the timing signal received from the first sensor to identify at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within one or more of the seeds cells of the seed transport member as the seed meter is being operated to discharge seeds therefrom.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the timing signal provides an indication of at least one of a frequency at which the seeds cells pass a given location within the seed meter or a location of the one or more seed cells relative to the second sensor.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second sensor is configured to provide data associated with detecting the at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within a seed cell of the seed transport member as at least one of the seed cell or the seed passes through a detection zone of the second sensor, the controller being configured to analyze the timing signal to determine when the at least one of the seed cell of the seed transport member or the seed will pass through the detection zone of the second sensor.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to sample the data from the second sensor across a given sampling period based on the timing signal received from the first sensor or at an instance at which the timing signal is received from the first sensor.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to sample the data from the second sensor upon the seed transport member being rotating a predetermined amount within the seed meter following receipt of the timing signal from the first sensor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first sensor is configured to provide data indicative of at least one of a rotational position of the seed transport member within the seed meter or a degree to which the seed transport member has been rotated within the seed meter.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to continuously receive data from the second sensor and analyze a portion of the data based on the timing signal to identify the at least one of the presence or absence of a seed within one or more of the seeds cells of the seed transport member.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first sensor is located within a post-delivery region of the seed meter such that the sensor is configured to provide data associated with detecting seed cells passing by its location, the timing signal being associated with at least one instance at which a seed cell passes by the location of the first sensor.