Seed monitoring system for counting seeds as they are dispensed through a seed planting tube
First Claim
1. A particle monitoring system for counting a plurality of particles as they pass through a sensing area, said system comprising:
- optical beam generating means for generating an optical beam;
first optical beam shaping means for shaping the optical beam, said first shaping means being responsive to the optical beam from the beam generating means and shaping the optical beam to produce an optical beam having a substantially uniform spatial intensity and being substantially collimated, said first shaping means directing the shaped optical beam of radiation through the sensing area;
optical beam detecting means for detecting the optical beam after it has passed through the sensing area, said detecting means providing a signal indicative of the intensity of the optical beam; and
monitoring means for monitoring the signal indicative of the optical beam intensity from the detecting means, said monitoring means generating a signal indicative of the number of particles that interfere with the optical beam in the sensing area in relation to changes in the optical bean intensity so as to provide a count of the particles passing through the sensing area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical seed counting system for counting seeds that are dispensed through a plurality of seed tubes associated with a multiple row seed planter. Each seed tube includes an optical sensor having an emitter and a receiver. The emitter and the receiver each include lens components for shaping an optical beam. Optical fibers connect the emitter to an optical beam generating device and the receiver to an optical beam detecting device both positioned remotely from the seed tubes. The optical components of the emitter generate a substantially spatially uniform optical beam across a sensing area within the seed tubes. The detecting device generates a pulse signal where the period of the pulses represents the intensity of the optical beam in the sensing area. Seeds that are dispensed in the seed tubes interfere with the optical beam in a manner that affects the light intensity of the beam. Therefore, the change in intensity of the beam indicates the number of seeds.
105 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A particle monitoring system for counting a plurality of particles as they pass through a sensing area, said system comprising:
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optical beam generating means for generating an optical beam; first optical beam shaping means for shaping the optical beam, said first shaping means being responsive to the optical beam from the beam generating means and shaping the optical beam to produce an optical beam having a substantially uniform spatial intensity and being substantially collimated, said first shaping means directing the shaped optical beam of radiation through the sensing area; optical beam detecting means for detecting the optical beam after it has passed through the sensing area, said detecting means providing a signal indicative of the intensity of the optical beam; and monitoring means for monitoring the signal indicative of the optical beam intensity from the detecting means, said monitoring means generating a signal indicative of the number of particles that interfere with the optical beam in the sensing area in relation to changes in the optical bean intensity so as to provide a count of the particles passing through the sensing area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A fiber-optic sensing system for use in connection with a seed planter, said seed planter including a plurality of seed tubes that simultaneously dispense seeds from the seed planter into a plurality of planting rows where each seed tube includes a sensing area within the tube, said system comprising:
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an optical beam generating device that generates an optical beam; a first optical fiber having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first optical fiber being responsive to the optical beam from the optical beam generating device; an optical beam emitting device positioned on each seed tube, said emitting device including an emitter lens body and an emitter connector, said emitter lens body including at least one lens, wherein the second end of the first optical fiber is connected to the emitter connector within the emitter device; an optical beam receiving device positioned on the seed tube opposite to the emitting device, said receiving device including a receiver lens body and a receiver connector, said receiver lens body including at least one lens, said at least one lens of the receiving device being responsive to the optical beam from the sensing area; a second optical fiber including a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the second optical fiber is connected to the receiver connector within the receiving device; and a detecting device being responsive to the optical beam from the beam generating device, said second end of said second optical fiber being positioned relative to the detecting device so as to direct the optical beam into the detecting device, wherein the detecting device and the beam generating device are positioned at a location remote from the seed tubes such that electronic circuitry of the sensing system is not positioned on the seed tubes. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 25. A seed tube for use in connection with a seed planter, said seed tube comprising a seed sensor that counts seeds as they are dispensed through the seed tube, said seed sensor including an emitter lens body that emits an optical beam into a sensing area within the seed tube and a receiver lens body that is responsive to the optical beam after it is traverses the seed tube, said emitter lens body being a single piece body including a first emitter lens, a second emitter lens and an emitter reflector positioned therebetween, and the receiver lens body being a single piece body including a first receiver lens, a second receiver lens and a receiver reflector positioned therebetween, said seed tube being a plastic member formed from a first plastic half and a second plastic half that are secured to each other, wherein the emitter lens body and the receiver lens body are positioned within the seed tube.
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28. An optical sensor for optically counting seeds as they are dispensed through a seed tube associated with a seed planter, said seed tube including an emitter device having a plurality of optical components, the emitter device optical components including a first cylindrical lens, a second cylindrical lens and a substantially 90°
- reflector positioned between the first and second lens, wherein the first cylindrical lens collimates an optical beam in a first direction and focuses the optical beam onto the reflector, and the reflector reflects the optical beam onto the second cylindrical lens, said second cylindrical lens collimates the optical beam in a second direction to be emitted from the emitter device.
- View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. An optical sensor for optically counting particles as the particles traverse a counting area, said optical sensor comprising:
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beam generating means for generating a substantially collimated optical beam of spatially uniform intensity, said optical beam traversing the counting area; and a detector responsive to the optical beam after it has traversed the counting area, said detector generating a signal indicative of the intensity of the optical beam, said signal being a square wave pulse signal where the period between consecutive pulses in the pulse signal is inversely proportional to the intensity of the optical beam. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. An optical sensor for optically counting particles as the particles traverse a counting area, said optical sensor comprising:
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beam generating means for generating a substantially collimated optical beam of spatially uniform intensity, said optical beam traversing the counting area; a detector responsive to the optical beam after it has traversed the counting area, said detector generating a square wave pulse signal indicative of the intensity of the optical beam; and processing means for processing the signal indicative of the optical beam intensity from the detector, said processing means including algorithm means for detecting and discriminating a plurality of particles that pass through the counting area at least partially at the same time, and providing a count of the particles passing through the counting area. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification