Pitch-based control for sprayers and sprayer operations

• US 9,604,237 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Martin, Matthew T., Hanson, David A., Humpal, Richard A., Hitchler, Bradley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, KEVIN C
• Application Number:
  US14/485,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20160074891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 731/49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/007 Metering or regulating systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0085 Tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1073 Measuring volume, e.g. of limbs
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/08 responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/02 involving measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/14 by measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/20 by measurement of weight, e.g. to determine the level of stored liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/26 by measuring variations of capacity or inductance of capacitors or inductors arising from the presence of liquid or fluent solid material in the electric or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/68 using electrically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/02 by measuring weight of a known volume

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and a control system are described for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle with a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor. The tilt-detection mechanism is utilized to determine a tilt indicator. A tilt value is determined based upon the tilt indicator. A tank fill-volume indicator is determined based upon information from the tank fill-volume sensor. A tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank is determined based upon the tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle, the sprayer vehicle including a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor, the sprayer vehicle being disposed at a tilted orientation, the computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by the tilt-detection mechanism, one or more tilt indicators representing the tilted orientation of the sprayer vehicle;

providing the determined one or more tilt indicators to one or more computing devices;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;

determining, by the tank fill-volume sensor, fill-volume information for the tank;

providing the fill-volume information to the one or more computing devices;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, the fill-volume information from the tank fill-volume sensor;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator;

providing an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume at an output interface, wherein the indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume is provided at the output interface after a primary fill operation; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, an amount of a secondary substance for a secondary fill operation, the amount of the secondary substance determined at least in part, by the provided indicator.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume is provided at the output interface after a primary fill operation, wherein the tank receives a primary substance during the primary fill operation and the indicator at the output interface indicates, at least in part, an amount of primary substance in the tank;

and

wherein the computer-implemented method further includes receiving an amount of secondary substance in a secondary fill operation, wherein the secondary substance is diluted by the primary substance, and the amount of secondary substance is determined based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume provided by the indicator at the output interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the secondary substance is at least one of an herbicide, a pesticide, and a fertilizer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a pumping operation for filling the tank based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume provided by the indicator at the output interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one tilt value includes a pitch value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and a roll value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the tilt-corrected fill-volume includes:

determining a roll-corrected fill-volume estimate based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and a roll value;

determining a pitch-based fill-volume correction based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and a pitch value; and

subtracting the pitch-based fill-volume correction from the roll-corrected fill-volume estimate.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume to a material-management system to manage one or more aspects of at least one of a tank-filling operation, tank mixing operation, and a spray-application operation.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tank fill-volume indicator is one or more of a height, a percentage height, a pressure, or a weight.

9. A computer-implemented method for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle, the sprayer vehicle including a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor, the sprayer vehicle being disposed at a tilted orientation, the computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by the tilt-detection mechanism, one or more tilt indicators representing the tilted orientation of the sprayer vehicle;

providing the determined one or more tilt indicators to one or more computing devices;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;

determining, by the tank fill-volume sensor, fill-volume information for the tank;

providing the fill-volume information to the one or more computing devices;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, the fill-volume information from the tank fill-volume sensor;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator; and

providing an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume at an output interface,

wherein the at least one tilt value includes a pitch value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and a roll value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and

wherein determining the tilt-corrected fill-volume includes;

determining a pitch-corrected fill-volume estimate based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the pitch value;

determining a roll-based fill-volume correction based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the roll value; and

subtracting the roll-based fill-volume correction from the pitch-corrected fill-volume estimate.

10. A control system for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle, the sprayer vehicle including a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor, the control system comprising:

one or more processor devices; and

one or more memory architectures coupled with the one or more processor devices;

wherein the one or more processor devices are configured to;

determine one or more indicators of a tilt of the sprayer vehicle;

determine at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;

determine a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, information from the tank fill-volume sensor;

determine a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator;

provide an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume after a primary fill operation, wherein the tank receives a primary substance during the primary fill operation and the tilt-corrected fill-volume indicates, at least in part, an amount of primary substance in the tank; and

determine an amount of secondary substance for a secondary fill operation, wherein the secondary substance is diluted by the primary substance, and the amount of secondary substance is determined based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the secondary substance is at least one of an herbicide, a pesticide, and a fertilizer.

12. The control system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processor devices are further configured to:

control a pumping operation for filling the tank based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume.

13. The control system of claim 10, wherein the at least one tilt value includes a pitch value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and a roll value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein determining the corrected tank-level includes:

determining a pitch-corrected fill-volume estimate based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the pitch value;

determining a roll-based fill-volume correction based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the roll value; and

subtracting the pitch-based roll-volume correction from the pitch-corrected fill-volume estimate.

15. The control system of claim 13, wherein determining the corrected tank-level includes:

determining a roll-corrected fill-volume estimate based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the roll value;

determining a pitch-based fill-volume correction based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the pitch value; and

subtracting the pitch-based fill-volume correction from the roll-corrected fill-volume estimate.

16. The control system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processor

devices are further configured to:

provide an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank to a material-management system to manage one or more aspects of at least one of a tank-filling operation, a tank-mixing operation, and a spray-application operation.

17. The control system of claim 10, wherein the tank fill-volume indicator is one or more of a height, a percentage height, a pressure, or a weight.

18. A sprayer vehicle comprising:

a tilt-detection mechanism configured to determine one or more tilt indicators representing a tilted orientation of the sprayer vehicle;

a tank;

a tank fill-volume sensor configured to determine fill-volume information for the tank; and

one or more controllers configured to;

receive the one or more tilt indicators from the tilt-detection mechanism;

determine at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;

receive the fill-volume information from the tank fill-volume sensor;

determine a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, the fill-volume information;

determine a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator;

provide, at an output interface, an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume after a primary fill operation, wherein the tank receives a primary substance during the primary fill operation and the tilt-corrected fill-volume indicates, at least in part, an amount of primary substance in the tank;

determine an amount of secondary substance for a secondary fill operation, wherein the secondary substance is diluted by the primary substance, and the amount of secondary substance is determined based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume; and

provide, at the output interface, an indicator of the determined amount of secondary substance.