Non-contact sensing unit for row crop harvester guidance system
First Claim
1. A guidance system for a row crop harvesting machine having at least first and second crop row separators adapted to move along opposite sides of a crop row of stalks, said guidance system comprising:
- first and second transmitters for transmitting first and second energy beams, respectively;
first and second energy beam receptors;
said transmitters and receptors being mounted on said first and second row separators such that the first energy beam is received by said first receptor and said second energy beam is received by said second receptor, and said first and second energy beams having intersecting paths which cross a crop row so that said energy beams are interrupted by the stalks, the region of intersection of said energy beams defining the lateral position of said harvesting machine relative to said crop row; and
,means responsive to said first and second receptors for producing steering control signals indicating the direction in which said harvesting machine must be steered in order to align said harvesting machine along said crop row.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A non-contact row crop sensor comprises one or more transmitter/receptor pairs mounted on two row separators of a harvesting machine. Each transmitter transmits an energy beam to one of the receptors and the energy beams cross at a point which defines a position of the harvesting machine relative to a row of crop stalks. A circuit produces steering control signals dependent upon the time of intercept of one beam of a pair relative to the time of intercept of the second beam of the pair. A discriminator circuit is provided for discriminating between crop stalks and weeds. Plural transmitter/receptor pairs permit discrimination between intercepts caused by leaves and those caused by stalks.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A guidance system for a row crop harvesting machine having at least first and second crop row separators adapted to move along opposite sides of a crop row of stalks, said guidance system comprising:
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first and second transmitters for transmitting first and second energy beams, respectively; first and second energy beam receptors; said transmitters and receptors being mounted on said first and second row separators such that the first energy beam is received by said first receptor and said second energy beam is received by said second receptor, and said first and second energy beams having intersecting paths which cross a crop row so that said energy beams are interrupted by the stalks, the region of intersection of said energy beams defining the lateral position of said harvesting machine relative to said crop row; and
,means responsive to said first and second receptors for producing steering control signals indicating the direction in which said harvesting machine must be steered in order to align said harvesting machine along said crop row. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification