AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WITH AUTOMATED RECOGNITION OF SEED ATTRIBUTES

• US 20160044858A1
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Todd T., Johnson, Blair J., Stratton, John, Meyer, Andrew, Elkins, Scott Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0042 Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0085 Tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0092 Adding active material used as well for the introduction of fertilisers in water A01C23/042
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

An agricultural implement arrangement includes a container of seed having an ID tag associated therewith; an implement for applying a product to a geographic area; an electrical reader configured for reading the ID tag and providing an output signal; and an electrical processing circuit coupled with the reader and the implement. The ID tag has data representing at least one attribute associated with the seed. The electrical processing circuit receives the output signal and controls the implement, dependent upon the output signal.

Claims

1. An agricultural implement arrangement, comprising:

a container of seed having an ID tag associated therewith, the ID tag having data representing at least one attribute associated with the seed;

an implement for applying a product to a geographic area;

an electrical reader configured for reading said ID tag and providing an output signal; and

an electrical processing circuit coupled with said reader and said implement, said electrical processing circuit receiving said output signal and controlling said implement, dependent upon said output signal.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein the data representing at least one attribute of the seed comprises at least one of:

a manufacturer;

a product number;

a suggested population rate;

a total number of seeds per bag; and

inert ingredients within the bag.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein the ID tag is affixed to the container of seed.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 3, wherein the container of seed is a bag of seed.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein said ID tag is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a bar code, and a quick response (QR) code.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 5, wherein said reader is one of an RFID reader, a bar code reader, and a QR code reader.

7. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein the electrical processing circuit is coupled with said reader and said implement by at least one of a wired and wireless coupling.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein said electrical processing circuit includes precision farming data associated with the geographic area, and matches said data associated with said seed with the precision farming data to establish an application rate of the product over at least a portion of the geographic area.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein said electrical processing circuit is an electronic controller.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein the agricultural implement is a planter and the product is seed.

11. A method of applying an agricultural product to a geographic area using an agricultural implement, said method comprising the steps of:

reading the ID tag using a reader;

outputting an output signal from the reader to an electrical processing circuit carried onboard the agricultural implement; and

controlling application of the product to the geographic area using the electrical processing circuit, dependent upon the output signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said electrical processing circuit carries out the sub-step of matching the data associated with the seed with precision farming data to establish an application rate of the product over at least a portion of the geographic area.