Cotton module tracking system and method that eliminates cotton module marking
First Claim
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1. A system for identifying, locating, and tracking a cotton module of harvested cotton unloaded from a harvesting vehicle and transported by at least one transport vehicle that eliminates a need for physically marking the cotton module, comprising:
- location system configured and operable to automatically determine a heading of the harvesting vehicle, a heading of the transport vehicle, wherein the heading indicates a direction of travel at least during unloading, and a location of the cotton module each time the cotton module is unloaded therefrom and loaded onto, respectively; and
communication network apparatus including at least one processor programmed to communicate with the harvesting vehicle, the at least one transport vehicle, the location system, and a user through a user interface, and to automatically;
a) assign an identifier to the cotton module when unloaded from the harvesting vehicle,b) develop a record of information related to the cotton module including at least the identifier and the information from the location system,c) augment the record with the information of the heading and location from the location system each time the cotton module is unloaded and loaded,d) store the record in a database, ande) output the record of information;
whereby the cotton module is identified, located, and tracked by the processor as a function of at least one location of the cotton module determined from the location system and the headings of the corresponding vehicle from which the cotton module was unloaded at that at least one location, wherein the location system is configured to determine unloaded locations of the module from a position of the harvester or transport vehicle and the heading of the harvester or transport vehicle that unloaded the module.
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Abstract
A system and method for automatically identifying, locating, and tracking a cotton module that eliminates the necessity of physically marking or tagging the cotton module, such system and method using information such a location of the cotton module and a heading of a harvesting vehicle and a transport vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for identifying, locating, and tracking a cotton module of harvested cotton unloaded from a harvesting vehicle and transported by at least one transport vehicle that eliminates a need for physically marking the cotton module, comprising:
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location system configured and operable to automatically determine a heading of the harvesting vehicle, a heading of the transport vehicle, wherein the heading indicates a direction of travel at least during unloading, and a location of the cotton module each time the cotton module is unloaded therefrom and loaded onto, respectively; and communication network apparatus including at least one processor programmed to communicate with the harvesting vehicle, the at least one transport vehicle, the location system, and a user through a user interface, and to automatically; a) assign an identifier to the cotton module when unloaded from the harvesting vehicle, b) develop a record of information related to the cotton module including at least the identifier and the information from the location system, c) augment the record with the information of the heading and location from the location system each time the cotton module is unloaded and loaded, d) store the record in a database, and e) output the record of information; whereby the cotton module is identified, located, and tracked by the processor as a function of at least one location of the cotton module determined from the location system and the headings of the corresponding vehicle from which the cotton module was unloaded at that at least one location, wherein the location system is configured to determine unloaded locations of the module from a position of the harvester or transport vehicle and the heading of the harvester or transport vehicle that unloaded the module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20)
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11. A method for identifying, locating and tracking a cotton module of harvested cotton unloaded from a harvesting vehicle and transported by at least one transport vehicle that eliminates a need for physically marking the cotton module, comprising the steps of:
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providing a location system associated with a harvesting vehicle and a transport vehicle; automatically determining a heading of the harvesting vehicle, a heading of the transport vehicle, and a location of the cotton module each time the cotton module is unloaded therefrom and loaded onto, respectively; providing a communication network apparatus including at least one processor; communicating with the harvesting vehicle, the at least one transport vehicle, the location system, and a user through a user interface; automatically; a) assigning an identifier to the cotton module when unloaded from the harvesting vehicle; b) developing a record of information related to the cotton module including at least the identifier and information collected related to headings and location of the module from the location system; c) augmenting the record with the information from the location system each time the cotton module is unloaded and loaded; d) storing the record in a database; and e) outputting the information; and identifying, locating, and tracking the cotton module as a function of the heading of the locations of the cotton module and the headings of the vehicles from which the cotton module was unloaded, wherein the location system is configured to determine unloaded locations of the module from a position of the harvester or transport vehicle and the heading of the harvester or transport vehicle that unloaded the module. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification