Method and apparatus for discriminating between stalks and leaves in a non-contact row crop harvester guidance system

• US 4,883,965 A
• Filed: 12/22/1988
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Ford New Holland, Inc. (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Bohman, Carl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fields, Carolyn E.
• Application Number:
  US07/288,360
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 56/10.2, 56/DIG. 15, 250/341, 250/349, 250/215, 250/239, 340/901
• US Class Current: 250/341.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1278 for automatic steering
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/00 Accessories for harvesters or mowers

Abstract

A row crop harvesting machine is provided with first and second infra-red transmitters and first and second infra-red receptors for sensing the infra-red beams emitted by the transmitters. The transmitters and receptors are mounted on two adjacent crop row separators of a harvesting machine header and are positioned such that the beams intersect in a region which defines the alignment of the harvesting machine relative to a row of crop stalks. The intensities of the beams and the sensitivities of the receptors are such that the receptors may sense the beams through leaves but not through stalks.

Claims

1. In a guidance system for a row crop harvesting machine operable to move along a row of crop stalks, a method of discriminating between crop stalks and weeds, said method comprising:

providing first and second infra-red energy beam transmitters for producing first and second infra-red energy beams which cross a crop row and intersect at a crop row when the harvesting machine is aligned with the crop row;

providing first and second infra-red energy beam receptors for sensing said first and second infra-red energy beams, respectively; and

,

energizing said first and second energy beam transmitters to produce said first and second energy beams of sufficient intensity that said first and second infra-red energy beam receptors sense said first and second infra-red energy beams through leaves but not through crop stalks wherein said first and second infra-red energy beam receptors produce output signals only when said first and second infra-red energy beams, respectively, are blocked by crop stalks.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 and comprising the step of analyzing the output signals produced by said first and second infra-red energy beam receptors and producing steering control signals for guiding said harvesting machine along the crop row.

3. In a guidance system for a row crop harvesting machine operable to move along a row of crop stalks, apparatus for discriminating between crop stalks and weeds, said apparatus comprising:

first and second infra-red energy beam transmitters for producing first and second infra-red energy beams which cross a crop row and intersect at a crop row when the harvesting machine is aligned with the crop row;

first and second infra-red energy beam receptors for sensing said first and second infra-red energy beams, respectively; and

,

means for energizing said first and second energy beam transmitters to produce said first and second energy beams with sufficient intensity that said first and second infra-red energy beam receptors sense said first and second energy infra-red energy beams through leaves but not through crop stalks wherein said first and second infra-red energy beam receptors produce output signals only when said first and second infra-red energy beams, respectively, are blocked by crop stalks.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and further comprising means for analyzing the output signals produced by said first and second infra-red energy beam receptors and producing steering control signals for guiding said harvesting machine along the crop row.

5. In a row crop harvesting machine guidance system, a method of discriminating between crop stalks and leaves, said method comprising:

providing first and second infra-red energy beam receptors and first and second energy beam transmitters on said harvesting machine and positioned on said harvesting machine so that infra-red energy beams transmitted by said first and second transmitter are directed toward said first and second receptors, respectively, and said first and second beams intersect at a crop row of a row crop when said harvesting machine is aligned with said crop row; and

,

energizing said transmitters to generate first and second infra-red energy beams of sufficient power such that said beams may be sensed by said respective receptors after passing through a leaf but said beams are blocked from the respective receptors by crop stalks as said harvesting machine moves along said crop row.