GNSS based control for dispensing material from vehicle

• US 8,634,993 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: McClure, John A., Stichter, Aaron C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/217,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/04 providing carrier phase data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/54 using carrier phase measurements; using long or short baseline interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A spray control method employs a spray vehicle including a material tank, a pump communicating with the tank, and nozzles of a spray boom communicating with the pump. A GNSS receiver mounted on the vehicle and interfaced to a controller tracks its position in relation to stored position coordinates of field boundaries separating spray zones from spray exclusion zones. The tank is activated and deactivated by the controller to retain spray of the material within the spray zones and to prevent spray of the material in the exclusion zones, by processing an offset of the spray nozzles from the receiver, the spray range of the nozzles, spray turn-on and turn-off lag times, and the velocity of the spray vehicle, all in relation to the field boundaries. An alternative embodiment individually controls spray from the nozzles by using associated valves interfaced to the controller.

Claims

1. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material, said spray zone being separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone and by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone;

said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank, a pump communicating with said tank, and a nozzle communicating with said pump, said pump when activated causing said material to be sprayed from said nozzle to a spray range from said nozzle and requiring a turn-on lag time between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range and a turn-off lag time between deactivation of said pump and cessation of said material being sprayed from said nozzle, said vehicle having a GNSS receiver mounted thereon at an offset distance from said nozzle and outputting position data representing a position of said receiver, said receiver being interfaced to a controller which is interfaced to said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing said turn-on boundary and said turn-off boundary stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of;

(a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity;

(b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver;

(c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at a spray turn-on distance beyond said turn-on boundary equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time;

(d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary; and

(e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at a spray turn-off distance beyond said turn-off boundary equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-off lag time.

2. A spray control method as set forth in claim 1 and including the steps of:

(a) mounting a transverse spray boom on said vehicle; and

(b) supporting said nozzle and a plurality thereof on said spray boom in transversely spaced relation and in communication with said pump.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 and including a plurality of spray valves connecting said nozzles respectively with said pump, said valves being interfaced to said controller, and valves having a valve turn-on lag time and a valve turn-off lag time which are stored in said controller, and including the steps of:

(a) individually controlling each valve to open when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at a valve open distance beyond a portion of said turn-on boundary aligned with the nozzle associated with said valve equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said valve open lag time; and

(b) individually controlling each valve to close when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at a valve close distance beyond a portion of said turn-off boundary aligned with the nozzle associated with said valve equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said valve close lag time.

4. A spray control method as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said vehicle includes a tractor and a towed spray implement hitched to said tractor and having said tank and said pump mounted thereon.

5. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material;

said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, a GNSS receiver outputting position data representing a position thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing boundaries of said spray zone relative to said exclusion zone stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of;

(a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said spray zone;

(b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver;

(c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone;

(d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said exclusion zone;

(e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented;

(f) separating said spray zone from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone;

(g) activating said pump causing said material to spray to a spray range from a nozzle communicating with said pump and positioned at an offset distance from said receiver, a turn-on lag time being required between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range;

(h) moving said vehicle toward said turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity; and

(i) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said spray zone is separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone, and said method includes the steps of:

(a) moving said vehicle toward said turn-on boundary; and

(b) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said spray zone is separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone, and said method includes the steps of:

(a) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary; and

(b) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented.

8. A method as set forth in claim 5 and including the steps of:

(a) mounting a transverse spray boom on said vehicle; and

(b) supporting said nozzle and a plurality thereof on said spray boom in transversely spaced relation and in communication with said pump.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 and including a plurality of spray valves connecting said nozzles respectively with said pump, said valves being interfaced to said controller, and including the steps of:

(a) individually controlling each valve to open when said receiver detects a position of said vehicle within said spray zone at which spray of said material from the nozzle associated with said valve is retained within said spray zone; and

(b) individually controlling each valve to close when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone from the nozzle associated with said valve is prevented.

10. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein:

(a) said vehicle includes a tractor and a towed spray implement hitched to said tractor and having said tank and said pump mounted thereon.

11. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material;

said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, a GNSS receiver outputting position data representing a position thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing boundaries of said spray zone relative to said exclusion zone stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of;

(a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said spray zone;

(b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver;

(c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone;

(d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said exclusion zone;

(e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented;

(f) separating said spray zone from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone;

(g) said vehicle including a nozzle positioned an offset distance from said receiver and communicating with said pump;

(h) a turn-off lag time elapsing between deactivation of said pump and cessation of material being sprayed from said nozzle;

(i) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary at a vehicle velocity; and

(j) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-off lag time.

12. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material, said spray zone being separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone and by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone;

said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, a GNSS receiver outputting position data representing a position thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing said turn-on boundary and said turn-off boundary stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of;

(a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said turn-on boundary;

(b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver;

(c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone;

(d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary;

(e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented;

(f) said vehicle including a nozzle positioned an offset distance from said receiver and communicating with said pump;

(g) a turn-off lag time elapsing between deactivation of said pump and cessation of material being sprayed from said nozzle;

(h) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary at a vehicle velocity; and

(i) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-off lag time.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said spray zone is separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone, activation of said pump causes said material to spray to a spray range from a nozzle communicating with said pump and positioned at an offset distance from said receiver, and a turn-on lag time is required between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range, and said method includes the steps of:

(a) moving said vehicle toward said turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity; and

(b) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time.

14. A method as set forth in claim 12 and including the steps of:

(a) mounting a transverse spray boom on said vehicle; and

(b) supporting a plurality of said nozzles on said spray boom in transversely spaced relation and in communication with said pump.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 and including a plurality of spray valves connecting said nozzles respectively with said pump, said valves being interfaced to said controller, and including the steps of:

(a) individually controlling each valve to open when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary at which spray of said material from the nozzle associated with said valve is retained within said spray zone; and

(b) individually controlling each valve to close when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone from the nozzle associated with said valve is prevented.

16. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

(a) said vehicle includes a tractor and a towed spray implement hitched to said tractor and having said tank and said pump mounted thereon.