Agricultural vehicle dispenser regulator and method
First Claim
1. A regulator for outputting a pulse signal to an agricultural dispenser for applying chemicals to a field or for planting seeds, the regulator comprising:
- a GPS unit for outputting a ground speed signal indicative of the velocity of the agricultural dispenser in response to satellite signals; and
a converter for converting the ground speed signal to a series of pulses having a frequency indicative of the ground speed signal and outputting the series of pulses; and
a driver for increasing a voltage level of the pulses to greater than 4 volts to the agricultural dispenser.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A GPS unit 40 outputs a ground speed signal to an agricultural dispenser for applying chemicals to a field or for planting seeds. A GPS receiver 3 receives satellite signals from a plurality of satellites, and outputs a vehicle ground speed signal based upon GPS calculations. A converter 5 converts the vehicle ground speed signal to a series of pulses having a frequency indicative of the vehicle ground speed. The pulses are then transmitted to the agricultural dispenser 52 which is pulled by a tractor 34 to apply the desired amount of chemicals to the field or for planting the desired amount of seeds as a function of the vehicle ground speed.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A regulator for outputting a pulse signal to an agricultural dispenser for applying chemicals to a field or for planting seeds, the regulator comprising:
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a GPS unit for outputting a ground speed signal indicative of the velocity of the agricultural dispenser in response to satellite signals; and
a converter for converting the ground speed signal to a series of pulses having a frequency indicative of the ground speed signal and outputting the series of pulses; and
a driver for increasing a voltage level of the pulses to greater than 4 volts to the agricultural dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
the GPS unit and the converter being mounted on a self-propelled vehicle; and
a wireline electrically interconnecting the converter with the dispenser positioned on a trailered implement.
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3. The regulator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
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a battery supported on the self-propelled vehicle; and
a cable transmits power from the battery to the dispenser and houses the wireline which connects the converter to the dispenser on the trailered implement.
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4. The regulator as defined in claim 1, wherein the GPS unit outputs an updated signal ground speed signal at least every two seconds.
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5. A GPS receiver as defined in claim 1, wherein the GPS unit outputs an updated ground speed signal at least every second.
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6. The regulator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
a voltage regulator for receiving power from a battery and outputting a controlled voltage to power the GPS unit and the converter.
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7. The regulator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
a driver for increasing the voltage of the series of pulses output from the converter and supplying increased voltage pulses to the dispenser.
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8. The regulator as defined in claim 1, wherein the converter outputs a series of pulses each having a pulse duration substantially equal to a delay between successive pulses.
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9. The regulator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
an operator input controller for varying a selected rate distributor for the agricultural dispenser, the operator input controller and the ground speed signal determining the frequency of the series of pulses.
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10. The regulator as defined in claim 1, when a GPS unit is detachable from the converter.
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11. A regulator for outputting a pulse signal to an agricultural dispenser for applying chemicals to a field or for planting seeds, the regulator comprising:
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a GPS unit for outputting a ground speed signal indicative of the velocity of the agricultural dispenser in response to satellite signals;
a converter for converting the ground speed signal to a series of pulses having a frequency indicative of the ground speed signal and outputting the series of pulses to the agricultural dispenser;
a driver for increasing a voltage level of the pulses to greater than 4 volts to the agricultural dispenser;
the GPS unit and the converter being mounted on a self-propelled vehicle; and
a wireline electrically interconnecting the converter with the dispenser positioned on a trailered implement. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21)
a battery supported on self-propelled vehicle; and
a cable transmits power from the battery to the dispenser and houses the wireline which connects the converter to the dispenser on the trailered implement.
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13. A GPS receiver as defined in claim 11, wherein the GPS unit outputs an updated ground speed signal at least every second.
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14. The regulator as defined in claim 11, further comprising:
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a voltage regulator for receiving power from a battery and outputting a controlled voltage to power the GPS unit and the converter; and
a driver for increasing the voltage of the series of pulses output form the converter and supplying increased voltage pulses to the dispenser.
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15. The regulator as defined in claim 11, wherein the converter outputs a series of pulses each having a pulse duration substantially equal to a delay between successive pulses.
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17. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising:
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mounting the GPS unit and the converter on a self-propelled vehicle; and
electrically interconnecting the converter with the dispenser positioned on a trailered implement.
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18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising:
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supporting a battery on the self-propelled vehicle; and
providing a cable for transmitting power from the battery to the dispenser and for housing a wireline which connects the converter to the dispenser on the trailered implement.
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20. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the converter outputs a series of pulses each having a pulse duration substantially equal to a delay between successive pulses.
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21. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising:
providing an operator input controller for varying a selected rate distribution for the agricultural dispenser, the operator input controller and the ground speed signal determining the frequency of the series of pulses.
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16. A method of outputting a ground speed signal to an agricultural dispenser for applying chemicals to a field or for planting seeds, the method comprising:
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providing a GPS unit for outputting a ground speed signal indicative of the velocity of the agricultural dispenser in response to satellite signals;
converting the ground speed signal to a series of pulses having a frequency indicative of the ground speed signal;
increasing a voltage level of the pulses to greater than 4 volts; and
outputting the series of pulses to the agricultural dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification