System for and a method of performing a first and a second agricultural operation on an agricultural parcel

• US 6,915,197 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
• Original Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
• Inventors: Van der Lely, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/250,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/2, 701/213, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 701/214, 701/209, 460/1, 460/4, 460/5, 460/6, 460/116, 460/119, 460/150, 460/114, 342/357.17, 342/357.07, 340/992, 340/995.17, 345/441, 700/28, 700/31, 700/48, 700/28.31
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/00 Methods for working soil
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A system for performing a first and a second agricultural operation on an agricultural parcel. The system is provided with a first autonomous agricultural machine for performing the first agricultural operation, with a second autonomous agricultural machine for performing the second agricultural operation, a control-unit for controlling the agricultural operations to be performed, the control-unit being suitable for subdividing the agricultural parcel into at least a first and a second parcel portion, and for first performing the first and the second agricultural operations on the first parcel portion, and subsequently on the second parcel portion.

Claims

1. A system for performing a first and a second agricultural operation on an agricultural parcel, comprising:

a first autonomous agricultural machine for performing the first agricultural operation;

a second autonomous agricultural machine for performing the second agricultural operation;

a control-unit for subdividing the agricultural parcel into at least a first and a second parcel portion and controlling the first and the second agricultural operations to be performed first, on the first parcel portion, and subsequently on the second parcel portion.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a parameter-measuring device for measuring a momentary value of a variable parameter and for emitting a parameter-value-signal to the control-unit.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control-unit subdivides the agricultural parcel into parcel portions on the basis of the parameter-value-signal.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parameter-measuring device comprises an atmospheric-condition-obtaining device for obtaining data about the atmospheric conditions and for emitting an atmospheric-condition-signal to the control-unit.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the atmospheric-condition-obtaining device comprises an atmospheric-condition measuring device for measuring the atmospheric conditions.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parameter-measuring device comprises a soil-condition-measuring device for obtaining data about soil condition and for emitting a soil-condition-signal to the control-unit.

7. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parameter-measuring device comprises a crop-condition-measuring device for obtaining data about a crop condition and for emitting a crop-condition-signal to the control-unit.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control-unit comprises a memory for containing historical data, in particular a progressive average of a variable parameter, the control-unit performing the subdivision of the agricultural parcel into parcel portions with the aid of the historical data from the memory.

9. A method of performing a first and a second agricultural operation on an agricultural parcel, comprising:

subdividing the agricultural parcel into at least a first and a second parcel portion;

performing the first agricultural operation by a first autonomous agricultural machine on the first parcel portion;

performing the second agricultural operation by a second autonomous agricultural machine on the first parcel portion; and

subsequently performing the first and the second agricultural operations on the second parcel portion.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises measuring a momentary value of a variable parameter and selecting a size of a parcel portion on the basis of the measured value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the method further comprises selecting the size of a parcel portion on the basis of historical data.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the historical data is a progressive average of the variable parameter.