Method and system for optimising land levelling designs

• US 7,870,684 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Davco Farming
• Original Assignee: Davco Farming
• Inventors: Cox, David, Cox, Graeme
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/194,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20090071667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 172 2- 11, 373/48, 701/50, 701/207, 701/209, 342/357.01, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 37/348
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller

Abstract

A method and system for creating a levelling surface for use in levelling a substantially uneven ground surface, optimised for a single plane, row cropping, or dryland cropping with no rows (a surface for row cropping will typically optimise the surface with a defined water flow direction and a surface for dryland cropping will typically optimise the surface to allow water flow in any direction). Terrain data is collected, at least one constraint corresponding to desired surface characteristics is inputted, and a data transformation engine is operated, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for at least one terrain variable, generates an optimised terrain model that substantially complies with the at least one constraint, and outputs a levelling surface. The levelling surface may be outputted to a three-dimensional controller for land-levelling machinery which could then shift the soil from the existing terrain to match the levelling surface.

Claims

1. A method of creating a levelling surface for use in levelling a substantially uneven ground surface, the method comprising the steps of

collecting terrain data,

inputting terrain data into a computer,

inputting at least one constraint corresponding to desired surface characteristics into the computer,

operating a data transformation engine on a processor of the computer, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for at least one terrain variable and generates an optimised terrain model that substantially complies with the at least one constraint, and

outputting data relating to a levelling surface based on the optimised terrain model in a machine readable or usable form.

2. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 1, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for at least a single plane, for row cropping, or for dryland cropping without rows.

3. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 2, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for dryland cropping without rows by transforming the terrain to allow water to flow in any direction over the terrain to the perimeter of the levelling surface.

4. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 1, wherein the levelling surface is outputted to a controller for land-levelling machinery.

5. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 1, wherein the terrain data is spatially referenced elevation data.

6. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 5, wherein the spatially referenced elevation data is a grid of squares cells.

7. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 5, wherein the spatially referenced elevation data is a triangular irregular network.

8. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 1, wherein the terrain data is sampled at intervals between 1 meter to 100 meters.

9. The method of creating a levelling surface of claim 1, wherein the at least one terrain variable includes the amount of earth moving required.

10. A system for creating a levelling surface for use in levelling a substantially uneven ground surface, the system comprising

terrain data,

at least one constraint corresponding to desired surface characteristics,

a computer having a data transformation engine configured to accept terrain data and the at least one constraint, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for at least one terrain variable, and an optimised terrain model generator configured to generate an optimised terrain model that substantially complies with the at least one constraint, and

at least one data output means adapted to output data relating to a levelling surface based on the optimized terrain model in a machine readable or usable form.

11. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 10, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for at least a single plane, for row cropping, or for dryland cropping without rows.

12. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 11, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for dryland cropping without rows by transforming the terrain to allow water to flow in any direction over the terrain to the perimeter of the levelling surface.

13. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 10, wherein the levelling surface is outputted to a controller for land-levelling machinery.

14. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 10, wherein the terrain data is spatially referenced elevation data.

15. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 14, wherein the spatially referenced elevation data is a grid of squares cells.

16. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 14, wherein the spatially referenced elevation data is a triangular irregular network.

17. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 10, wherein the terrain data is sampled at intervals between 1 meter to 100 meters.

18. The system for creating a levelling surface of claim 10, wherein the at least one terrain variable includes the amount of earth moving required.