Precision farming system for applying product to a field

• US 6,877,675 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Canada Limited (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Benneweis, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Thach H.
• Application Number:
  US10/706,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 239/63, 239/64, 239/398, 239/422, 239/578, 700/237, 700/244, 700/240, 700/241
• US Class Current: 239/63
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/047 Spraying of liquid fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/10 in agriculture

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for an agricultural implement, such as an agricultural sprayer, used to dispense a product to the ground wherein the dispensing units for the product are provided with control valves that can reduce the flow rate of product through selected dispensing units to zero. By controlling the rate of flow through the dispensing units, overlap of the application of the product to the ground can be substantially eliminated. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the control mechanism can receive data from a remote source, such as a central controller or another implement operating in the field, to define where the product needs to be applied to the ground. The application of the product can also be controlled through or in conjunction with a prescription map. Preferably, each dispensing unit is provided with a control valve operably associated with the control system so that each dispensing unit can be independently controlled to provide a variable flow rate of the product to the ground.

Claims

1. A precision farming system for applying product to a field, said precision farming system comprising:

at least a first agricultural implement and a second agricultural implement; and

at least a first control system and a second control system, said first control system associated with said first agricultural implement, and said second control system associated with said second agricultural implement, said first control system communicating with said second control system to obtain information relating to a prior application of said product to portions of said field to prevent duplicative application of said product to said portions of said field where a prior application has occurred.

2. The precision farming system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first control system and said second control system is operable to control the rate of flow of said product to said field in response to a prescription map requiring variable application of said product to said field.

3. The precision farming system of claim 1, wherein at least said first control system is operable to control a rate at which said product is being dispensed from said first agricultural implement in response to data received by said first control system from said second control system, said data relating to said prior application by said second agricultural implement of said product to said field.

4. The precision farming system of claim 3, wherein said second control system includes a transmitter for transmitting data relating to said prior application of said product to said field by said second agricultural implement, and said first control system includes a receiver for receiving said data transmitted by said second control system.

5. The precision farming system of claim 4 further including a central master control system in communication with said first and second control systems, said central master control system receiving said data transmitted by said second control system and transmitting said data to said first control system.