Method of predicting suitability for a crop harvesting operation

• US 20060196158A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Pickett, Terence Daniel, Stelford, Mark William, Faivre, Steven Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 91/00 Methods for harvesting agricultural products

Abstract

Presented herein is a method for predicting suitable times for performing a crop harvesting operation within a field. The method includes the steps of accessing predicted values for weather, crop, and soil conditions, and then predicting values for one or more additional operation variables indicating operation suitability. The method then predicts suitability for performance of the crop harvesting operation based on the predicted operation variables and selected suitability parameters.

Claims

1. A method of predicting suitability for performance of a crop harvesting operation at a field node for different points in time, the method comprising steps of:

accessing predicted values for operation variables at the node for different points in time, wherein the operation variables include a value for at least one crop condition, and a value for at least one weather condition, soil condition, soil characteristic, operation characteristic, or operation effect;

selecting suitability parameters for each operation variable;

determining values for operation suitability at the node for different points in time using a suitability algorithm adapted to calculate values by comparing predicted operation variable values against the corresponding suitability parameters;

displaying values determined for harvest operation suitability at the node for different points in time.

2. The method described in claim 1, wherein the crop condition is crop maturity level or crop moisture content.

3. The method described in claim 1, wherein the harvest operation suitability value for one or more field nodes is displayed in a table, graph, or map.

4. The method described in claim 1, wherein an operation variable value for one or more field nodes is displayed in a table, graph, or map.