Yield estimation

• US 9,903,979 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Dybro, Niels, Anderson, Noel W., Bruns, Aaron J., Phelan, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/616,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1271 for measuring crop flow
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 45/021 Cornheaders
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/00 Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow measuring a proportion of the volume flow G01F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/00 Measuring force or stress, in general measuring force due to impact G01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/00 Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; direction and speed indication G01P13/045; counting mechanisms G06M
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/00 Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and apparatus estimate yield. A first method comprises receiving a first signal indicating an aggregate yield measured by an aggregate yield sensor during a measurement interval, receiving a second signal indicating a plurality of geo-referenced regions across which a harvester head has traveled prior to the measurement interval, allocating a portion of the aggregate yield to each of at least two geo-referenced regions based upon different travel times for crops from different portions of the head and outputting aggregate yield portion allocations. A second method estimates yield based upon sensed power characteristics across the harvesting width of a harvesting machine.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a harvester having a harvesting width;

a sensor to output signals indicating an aggregate yield harvested by the harvester header during a measurement interval;

a location identifier to identify a plurality of geo-referenced regions across which the harvester has traveled prior to the measurement interval, each of the plurality of geo-referenced regions having a region width less than the harvesting width; and

a processor to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel from different transverse portions of the harvester width to the aggregate sensor; and

output crop allocations to each of the plurality of geo-referenced regions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a second sensor to sense conveyance speed across a transverse width of the harvester, wherein the different travel times are determined based upon the sensed conveyance speed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor to sense a pitch of the harvester, wherein the processor allocates a portion of the aggregate yield to at least one geo-referenced region additionally based upon the pitch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor to sense a roll of the harvester, wherein the processor allocates a portion of the aggregate yield to at least one geo-referenced region additionally based upon the roll.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor to sense an attribute of each of a plurality of plants harvested by and across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates the aggregate yield amongst the plurality of plants additionally based upon the sensed attribute of each of the plurality of plants.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the aggregate yield is allocated among sets of plants, each set being harvested by a different transverse portion of the harvester.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensed attribute comprises a condition resulting from impact of a portion of the plant with the harvester.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one second sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates aggregate yield amongst the different plants additionally based upon the sensed different levels of power.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor to sense at least one of a roll of the harvester or a pitch of the harvester;

at least one third sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester width, wherein the processor is to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions (1) based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor, (2) based upon at least one of the roll of the harvester or the pitch of the harvester and (3) based upon the sensed different levels of power.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a second sensor to sense an attribute of each of a plurality of plants harvested by and an across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates the aggregate yield amongst the plurality of plants additionally based upon the sensed attribute of each of the plurality of plants.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the aggregate yield is allocated among sets of plants, each set being harvested by a different transverse portion of the harvester.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensed attribute comprises a condition resulting from impact of a portion of the plant with the harvester.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor to sense at least one of (a) a roll of the harvester or (b) a pitch of the harvester;

at least one third sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester width,

at least one fourth sensor to sense conveyance speed across a transverse width of the harvester, wherein the different travel times are determined based upon the sensed conveyance speed, wherein the processor is to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions (1) based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor, (2) based upon at least one of the roll of the harvester or the pitch of the harvester and (3) based upon the sensed different levels of power.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor to sense at least one of (a) a roll of the harvester or (b) a pitch of the harvester;

at least one third sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester width,

at least one fourth sensor to sense conveyance speed across a transverse width of the harvester, wherein the different travel times are determined based upon the sensed conveyance speed,

a fifth sensor to sense an attribute of each of a plurality of plants harvested by and an across the harvester, wherein the processor is to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions (1) based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor, (2) based upon at least one of the roll of the harvester or the pitch of the harvester, (3) based upon the sensed different levels of power, and (4) based upon the sensed attribute of each of the plurality of plants.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a harvester;

a sensor to output signals indicating an aggregate yield harvested by the harvester header during a measurement interval;

a location identifier to identify a plurality of geo-referenced regions across which the harvester has traveled prior to the measurement interval;

a second sensor to sense conveyance speed across a transverse width of the harvester; and

a processor to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor, wherein the different travel times are time is determined based upon the sensed conveyance speed; and

output crop allocations to each of the plurality of geo-referenced regions.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a third sensor to sense an attribute of each of a plurality of plants harvested by and an across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates the aggregate yield amongst the plurality of plants additionally based upon the sensed attribute of each of the plurality of plants.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the aggregate yield is allocated among sets of plants, each set being harvested by a different transverse portion of the harvester.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sensed attribute comprises a condition resulting from impact of a portion of the plant with the harvester.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising at least one third sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates aggregate yield amongst the different plants additionally based upon the sensed different levels of power.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a third sensor to sense at least one of a roll of the harvester or a pitch of the, wherein the processor is to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions additionally based upon at least one of the roll of the harvester or the pitch of the harvester.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a harvester;

a sensor to output signals indicating an aggregate yield harvested by the harvester header during a measurement interval;

a location identifier to identify a plurality of geo-referenced regions across which the harvester has traveled prior to the measurement interval;

a second sensor to sense at least one of a roll of the harvester or a pitch of the harvester; and

a processor to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions (1) based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor and (2) based upon at least one of the roll of the harvester or the pitch of the harvester; and

output crop allocations to each of the plurality of geo-referenced regions.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a third sensor to sense an attribute of each of a plurality of plants harvested by and an across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates the aggregate yield amongst the plurality of plants additionally based upon the sensed attribute of each of the plurality of plants.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the aggregate yield is allocated among sets of plants, each set being harvested by a different transverse portion of the harvester.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the sensed attribute comprises a condition resulting from impact of a portion of the plant with the harvester.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising at least one third sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates aggregate yield amongst the different plants additionally based upon the sensed different levels of power.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a harvester;

a sensor to output signals indicating an aggregate yield harvested by the harvester header during a measurement interval;

a location identifier to identify a plurality of geo-referenced regions across which the harvester has traveled prior to the measurement interval;

a second sensor to sense an attribute of each of a plurality of plants harvested by and across the harvester; and

a processor to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor, wherein the processor allocates the aggregate yield amongst the plurality of plants additionally based upon the sensed attribute of each of the plurality of plants; and

output crop allocations to each of the plurality of geo-referenced regions.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the aggregate yield is allocated among sets of plants, each set being harvested by a different transverse portion of the harvester.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the sensed attribute comprises a condition resulting from impact of a portion of the plant with the harvester.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising at least one third sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester, wherein the processor allocates aggregate yield amongst the different plants additionally based upon the sensed different levels of power.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a harvester;

a sensor to output signals indicating an aggregate yield harvested by the harvester header during a measurement interval;

a location identifier to identify a plurality of geo-referenced regions across which the harvester has traveled prior to the measurement interval;

at least one second sensor to sense different levels of power associated with different components of the harvester that interact with different plants across the harvester; and

a processor to;

determine the aggregate yield from the signals outputted by the sensor during the measurement interval and to allocate the aggregate yield to the plurality of geo-referenced regions based upon different travel times for crops sensed by the aggregate sensor during the measurement interval to travel to the aggregate sensor, wherein the processor allocates aggregate yield amongst the different plants additionally based upon the sensed different levels of power; and

output crop allocations to each of the plurality of geo-referenced regions.