Look-ahead crop mass predictive sensor

• US 9,775,290 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Agricultural Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Agricultural Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Schleusner, Bradley K., Bremer, Marshall T., Butts, Nicholas L., Schler, Flemming
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Jamil
• Application Number:
  US14/853,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20160077209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1271 for measuring crop flow
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1272 for measuring grain flow
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1273 for measuring grain loss
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1274 for drives
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1276 for cleaning mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1277 for measuring grain quality
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 57/12 Rotating rakes
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/00 Measuring force or stress, in general measuring force due to impact G01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0098 Plants or trees wood G01N33/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 : Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 : Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 : Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30128 : Food products
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 : Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 : involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 : Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 : provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A crop mass predictive sensor, comprising an imaging device, a laser-based device such as a LIDAR, a first radar emitting a frequency of energy that is absorbed by plant mass, and a second radar emitting a frequency of energy that passes through plant mass without being absorbed, wherein the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar are focused on the crop material in front of an agricultural vehicle, and the information gathered from the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar is used to calculate an estimated mass for the crop material that is about to enter the agricultural vehicle.

Claims

1. A crop mass predictive sensor, comprising:

an imaging device;

a laser-based device;

a first radar emitting a frequency of energy that is absorbed by plant mass;

a second radar emitting a frequency of energy that passes through plant mass without being absorbed;

wherein the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar are focused on a crop material in front of an agricultural vehicle;

wherein the information gathered from the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar is used to calculate an estimated mass for the crop material that is about to enter the agricultural vehicle;

wherein the laser-based device is a laser;

wherein the laser projects a structured pattern of light on the edge of the crop material facing the laser;

wherein the imaging device captures an image of the structured pattern of light as it appears on the edge of the crop material; and

wherein the crop mass predictive sensor analyzes how the image of the structured pattern of light appears distorted by the irregularities in the shape and distance of the edge of the crop material to determine a shape of the edge of the crop material.

4. The crop mass predictive sensor of claim 1 wherein the laser-based device is a LIDAR range-finding device, wherein the LIDAR range-finding device is used to collect information on the shape of the edge of the crop material facing the LIDAR range-finding device.

2. A crop mass predictive sensor, comprising:

an imaging device;

a laser-based device;

a first radar emitting a frequency of energy that is absorbed by plant mass;

a second radar emitting a frequency of energy that passes through plant mass without being absorbed;

a location sensor;

wherein the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar are focused on a crop material to the side of an agricultural vehicle;

wherein the information gathered from the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar is used to calculate an estimated mass for the crop material;

wherein the estimated mass is stored along with a current location from the location sensor for subsequent use; and

wherein the laser-based device is a laser;

wherein the laser projects a structured pattern of light on the edge of the crop material facing the laser;

wherein the imaging device captures an image of the structured pattern of light as it appears on the edge of the crop material; and

wherein the crop mass predictive sensor analyzes how the image of the structured pattern of light appears distorted by the irregularities in the shape and distance of the edge of the crop material to determine a shape of the edge of the crop material.

3. The crop mass predictive sensor of claim 2 wherein the estimated mass and location data are transmitted to other agricultural vehicles.

5. The crop mass predictive sensor of claim 2 wherein the laser-based device is a LIDAR range-finding device, wherein the LIDAR range-finding device is used to collect information on the shape of the edge of the crop material facing the LIDAR range-finding device.