Process for taking action on productive lands

• US 5,754,137 A
• Filed: 02/04/1997
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Georg Durrstein
• Inventors: Durrstein, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/795,455
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/457, 364/424.07, 364/424.029, 364/444.2, 364/449.4, 364/449.7, 364/449.8, 364/449.9, 56/10.2 F, 701/50, 701/23-28, 701/207, 701/213, 348/119, 348/120, 348/118
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/00 Fertiliser distributors combined with seeders A01C7/06
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate

Abstract

Process for taking action on productive lands, in particular for spreading or removing substances or other objects onto or from patches of soil and/or for surveying patches of soil, in particular pertaining to agricultural productive areas, with a telecommunicating locating system, preferably operating with the aid of satellites, and a working vehicle with a data processing device in which, in communication with the locating system, positional data for the working vehicle are ascertained and stored in real time by the positional data of the working vehicle being processed further in the data processing device during the operational action, in real time in each case, to give the path of the working vehicle traversed within the productive land, and the path being continuously indicated visually by means of an output medium.

Claims

1. An improved process for taking action on land with a GPS locating system, and a working vehicle with a data processing device in which, in communication with the locating system, positional data for the working vehicle are ascertained and stored in real time, wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) defining a bounded patch of the land in the data processing device by driving around the periphery of a patch of land while in communication with the locating system; and

(b) during the action on the land, processing further the positional data of the working vehicle in the data processing device, in real time to give the path of the working vehicle traversed over the land and continuously displaying the entire previously traversed path, including the path width and the patch of land visually by an output medium.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein at least one patch which is situated within the patch of land and which is to be excluded from the latter is defined in the data processing device and continuously indicated visually.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein after the defining of the patch of land and, where appropriate, of a patch to be excluded on the patch of land, objects are moved between the land and the working vehicle while the vehicle is in communication with the locating system.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the positions at which the objects are moved between the vehicle and the land are indicated visually by means of the output medium upon the visually indicated patch of land.

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein the objects are soil samples to be taken.

6. A process according to claim 5, wherein the soil samples are analyzed and on the basis of the results a local action plan is prepared which is characteristic of the patch of land and compatible with the data processing device.

7. A process according to claim 6, wherein the local action plan is indicated by the output medium relative to the patch of land represented.

8. A process according to claim 6, wherein substances are spread on the patch of land.

9. A process according to claim 6, wherein actuators disposed on the working vehicle are controlled by means of the data processing device.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the path is effected in the form of the actual width of action of the working vehicle on the land and whereby the actual ratio of treated to untreated area is represented.

11. A process according to claim 10, wherein for the purpose of true-to-scale reproduction, the actual width of action can be input variably into the data processing device.

12. A process according to claim 10, wherein during the communication with the locating system the length of the path the working vehicle traversed over the land is ascertained in the data processing device.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein after the defining of the patch of land and any patch to be excluded, the surface area of the patches are calculated and indicated on the output medium.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein by way of net area of the patch of land the difference of the surface areas of the patch of land and of the patch to be excluded is calculated and indicated.

15. A process according to claim 14, wherein the output medium is a monitor.

16. A process according to claim 15, wherein the path is indicated on the monitor in the form of a continuous line by means of a cursor which, where appropriate, is variable in its represented dimension.

17. A process according to claim 1 characterized in that the data processing device and/or the output medium is provided, at least prior to the start of the action operation, with an access lock.

18. A process according to claim 17, wherein a security seal is disposed on the data processing device and/or the output medium.

19. A process according to claim 17, wherein at least one code word enabling access or operation is input to the data processing device.

20. A process according to claim 1, wherein the locating system includes a stationary station communicating with the data processing device, and wherein data are exchanged bidirectionally between the fixed station and the data processing device, the data processing device controlling the communication with the fixed station.

21. A process according to claim 20, wherein the fixed station and the data processing device are synchronized with one another in relation to satellite signals received and data to be exchanged.

22. A process according to claim 1, wherein said process is used for the purpose of spreading substances onto agricultural productive areas.

23. A process according to claim 1, wherein said process is used for the purpose of surveying patches of soil pertaining to agricultural productive areas.

24. A process according to claim 1, wherein said process is used for the purpose of documenting and recording the path of working vehicles.

25. A process according to claim 1, wherein said process is used for the purpose of documenting the position of objects moved between the vehicle and patches of soil.