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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
First Claim
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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.

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