On-the go soil sensors and control methods for agricultural machines

• US 9,801,329 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ag Leader Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ag Leader Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Zielke, Roger R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US14/818,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 27/00 Clod-crushers
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/008 Vertical adjustment of tools A01B63/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/1115 using a mechanical ground contact sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/062 Devices for making drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/10 Devices for adjusting the seed-box ; Regulation of machines for depositing quantities at intervals
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/105 Seed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/22 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/18 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/26 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/14 Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/10 Measuring moisture content, e.g. by measuring change in length of hygroscopic filament; Hygrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/903 Monitor

Abstract

An on-the-go monitor and control means and method for an agriculture machines includes on-the-go soil sensors that can be used to control tillage and seeding depth. On seeder implements, the sensors provide information that affects uniform plant emergence.

Claims

1. A system for providing on-the-go monitoring for use in automatically adjusting seed planting depth on-the-go in a planter having at least one row unit, the system comprising:

a seed firmer associated with a row unit of the planter;

a soil contact sensor operatively connected to the seed firmer to provide seed to soil contact data;

an intelligent control electrically connected to the soil contact sensor and adapted to receive the soil contact sensor data;

an actuator associated with the soil contact sensor;

wherein the intelligent control is configured to monitor soil contact sensor data from the soil contact sensor operatively connected to the seed firmer and automatically adjust the seed planting depth on-the-go for the row unit of the planter, in relation to the data from the soil contact sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the soil contact sensor and the actuator are positioned within one of the at least one row unit.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the soil contact sensor and the actuator are associated with a section, the section comprising a plurality of row units.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a monitor operatively connected to the intelligent control and wherein the monitor is configured to display information based on the sensor data.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor electrically connected to the intelligent control and wherein the intelligent control is further configured to monitor additional sensor data from the second sensor.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the first sensor is a soil moisture sensor and the second sensor is a soil contact sensor.

7. A control system, comprising:

a planter for planting seeds, the planter having at least one row unit;

a soil moisture sensor attached to the planter;

a monitor for displaying soil moisture readings;

an actuator for adjusting seed planting depth; and

an intelligent control operatively connected to the monitor, actuator, and soil moisture sensor;

wherein the soil moisture sensor is configured to measure moisture readings at the planting depth as seeds are planted on-the-go;

wherein the intelligent control receives the moisture readings from the soil moisture sensor

and displays the moisture readings on the monitor;

wherein the control system automatically adjusts seed planting depth on-the-go through the actuator in relation to level of moisture in the soil;

further comprising a soil contact sensor attached to the at least one row unit;

wherein the soil contact sensor is configured to measure seed to soil contact readings at the planting depth as seeds are planted on-the-go;

wherein the intelligent control receives the seed to soil contact readings from the soil contact sensor and displays the seed to soil contact readings on the monitor;

wherein the control system automatically adjusts seed planting depth on-the-go through the actuator in relation to seed to soil contact readings.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein one or more of the sensors is a dielectric sensor.

9. The control system of claim 7, wherein one or more of the sensors is an optical sensor.

10. The control system of claim 7, further comprising a thermocouple sensor associated with the control system, wherein the thermocouple sensor is in position for measuring soil temperature.

11. The control system of claim 7, further comprising a planting depth gauge associated with the control system, wherein the planting depth gauge is in position for detecting depth of a seed furrow.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the planting depth gauge is an optical sensor for detecting depth of the seed furrow by measuring the height of a seed furrow sidewall.

13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the planting depth gauge is a dielectric sensor for detecting depth of the seed furrow by measuring the height of a seed furrow sidewall.

14. The control system of claim 7 further comprising a seed firmer operatively connected to the row unit wherein the seed firmer houses the soil moisture sensor and a soil contact sensor.

15. A method of adjusting seed planting depth on-the-go, the method comprising:

providing a system comprising (a) a planter for planting seeds, the planter including at least one row unit, (b) a soil contact sensor attached to the planter, (c) a monitor for displaying soil contact readings, (d) an actuator for adjusting seed planting depth, and (f) an intelligent control operatively connected to the monitor, actuator, and the soil contact sensor;

measuring seed to soil contact at the planting depth with the soil contact sensor as seeds are planted to provide seed to soil contact data;

analyzing soil contact sensor data;

providing seed planting depth adjustments to the intelligent control based on soil contact sensor data; and

adjusting seed planting depth on-the-go using the actuator based on the seed planting depth adjustments.