System and method for tracking a cotton module
First Claim
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1. A system for identifying and locating a cotton module of harvested cotton unloaded from a harvesting vehicle and transported by at least one transport vehicle prior to physically marking the cotton module with an identifier, comprising:
- location system configured and operable to automatically determine information representative of 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;
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)store the record in a database, and d) output the information; and
an identification system including at least one reader configured and operable to communicate with a data tag, the identification system being configured and operable to communicate with the communication network apparatus, store at least the identifier on the data tag, locate the cotton module as a function of the information from the location system, and associate the data tag with the cotton module;
whereby the cotton module will be identified and located for marking with an identifier as a function of the record of information representative of the locations of the cotton module and the headings of the vehicles from which the cotton module was unloaded.
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Abstract
A system and method for automatically identifying and locating a cotton module that has been transported prior to marking with an identifier, such system and method locating the cotton module as a function of a location of the cotton module and a heading of an unloading vehicle.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for identifying and locating a cotton module of harvested cotton unloaded from a harvesting vehicle and transported by at least one transport vehicle prior to physically marking the cotton module with an identifier, comprising:
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location system configured and operable to automatically determine information representative of 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; 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)store the record in a database, and d) output the information; andan identification system including at least one reader configured and operable to communicate with a data tag, the identification system being configured and operable to communicate with the communication network apparatus, store at least the identifier on the data tag, locate the cotton module as a function of the information from the location system, and associate the data tag with the cotton module; whereby the cotton module will be identified and located for marking with an identifier as a function of the record of information representative of the locations of the cotton module and the headings of the vehicles from which the cotton module was unloaded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for identifying and locating a cotton module of harvested cotton unloaded from a harvesting vehicle and transported by at least one transport vehicle prior to physically marking the cotton module with an identifier, comprising the steps of:
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providing a location system associated with a harvesting vehicle and a transport vehicle; automatically determining information representative of a heading of the harvesting vehicle, a heading for the transport vehicle and a location for 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 the information from the location system; c) storing the record in a database; and d) outputting the information; providing an identification system including at least one reader configured and operable to communicate with a data tag; communicating with the communication network apparatus; storing at least the identifier of the cotton module on the data tag; locating the cotton module as a function of the information from the location system; and associating the data tag with the cotton module; whereby the cotton module will be identified and located for marking with an identifier as a function of the record of information representative of the locations of the cotton module and the headings of the vehicles from which the cotton module was unloaded. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification