GPS weather data recording system for use with the application of chemicals to agricultural fields

• US 6,686,878 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Lange, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/102,458
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/215, 701/224, 239/14.1, 239/2.1, 434/217, 702/1, 702/3, 342/26, 342/357.06, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 342/357.52
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/007 Metering or regulating systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A GPS weather data recording system for use with the dispensing of chemicals to agriculture fields. A GPS receiver is used to determine a series of positions of a vehicle and the velocity of the vehicle as the vehicle traverses an agricultural field. The series of positions and velocity trace the vehicle'"'"'s ground track across the agricultural field. A wind sensor is used to measure wind velocity with respect to the vehicle. A data storage system is used for storing data measurements, such as the series of positions from the GPS receiver and a series of corresponding wind measurements from the wind sensor. A computer system is coupled to the data storage system. The computer system receives the series of vehicle positions and velocity from the GPS receiver and receives wind velocity measurements from the wind sensor. The computer system is configured to store the series of positions and the corresponding series of wind velocity measurements into the data storage system such that a record of the true wind velocity with respect to the vehicle position is created. The record can be referenced with respect to time to show the vehicle'"'"'s position on the field at a given time and the true wind velocity computations corresponding to that position and time.

Claims

1. A GPS weather data recording system for use with the dispensing of chemicals to agriculture fields, comprising:

a GPS receiver adapted to determine a series of positions of a vehicle as the vehicle traverses an agricultural field;

a weather sensor located on the agricultural field for recording a series of weather measurements;

a data storage configured to receive the series of positions from the GPS receiver and to receive the series of corresponding weather measurements transmitted from the weather sensor and store the series of positions and the corresponding series of weather measurements to create a record of the existent weather with respect to the vehicle position.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data storage is located with the weather sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data storage is located on the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the GPS receiver is located on the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the weather measurements comprise temperature, wind velocity, barometric pressure, or humidity.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data storage system stores the record on a removable storage media.

7. A GPS weather data recording method for the dispensing of chemicals to agriculture fields while preventing excessive drift of the chemicals, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a series of positions of a vehicle as the vehicle traverses an agricultural field using a GPS receiver;

measuring an apparent wind velocity using a weather sensor;

storing the series of positions and a corresponding series of apparent wind velocity measurements into a data storage system to create a record of the apparent wind velocity with respect to the vehicle position, wherein the operation of the GPS receiver, the data storage system, and the weather sensor is coordinated by a computer system; and

determining a true wind velocity from the series of positions and the corresponding series of apparent wind velocity measurements.