Agricultural product handling system

• US 20050090961A1
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cargill, Inc. (Agricultural Services Division)
• Original Assignee: Cargill, Inc. (Agricultural Services Division)
• Inventors: Schmidt, John, Bonk, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/974,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3425 of granular material, e.g. ore particles, grain investigation moving fluids or granular solids using optical means G01N21/85
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/38 Collecting or arranging articles in groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/08 involving an extracting tool, e.g. core bit
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers

Abstract

A system for handling an agricultural product. The system includes a check-in system adapted to check-in a product carrier driver at a product terminal. The check-in system includes a carrier identification system adapted to identify the product carrier and a product carrier positioning system adapted to determine whether the product carrier is in an acceptable position for product sampling. The system also includes a product sample probe guidance system adapted to guide a product sample probe to and from the product carrier and obtain a sample of product while avoiding obstructions on the product carrier. A product evaluation system adapted to determine the type of sampled product based on a visual image of the product.

Claims

1. A system for handling an agricultural product comprising:

an interface unit adapted to convey information to and accept input from an operator of a carrier of the agricultural product;

a carrier position determining device adapted to determine the position of the carrier;

a product sample probe and a guidance device adapted to guide the probe to sample the product located in the carrier; and

a product evaluation system adapted to evaluate the sampled product.

2. A system for handling an agricultural product, comprising,

a product sample remover adapted to remove product from a carrier;

a guidance system adapted to guide the sample remover into the carrier while automatically avoiding obstructions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the product sample remover is adapted to pneumatically transport a sample of the product from the carrier to a system for evaluating the product.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a product evaluation system, and wherein the handling system is adapted to automatically transport the product sample to the product evaluation system.

5. The system of claim 2, further including a display, and wherein a processor is operatively connected to the display so that information regarding the product quality can be viewed by an operator of the carrier.

6. The system of claim 3, further including a display, and wherein a processor is operatively connected to the display so that information regarding the product quality can be viewed by the driver of the carrier.

7. The system of claim 4, further including a display, and wherein a processor is operatively connected to the display so that information regarding the product quality can be viewed by an operator of the carrier.

8. The system of claim 2, further comprising a carrier position determining device that determines the position of the carrier, and, if the carrier is not in proper position, directs the carrier to move into a proper position for removal of the sample of product from the carrier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a camera is used to determine the position of the carrier.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the product sample remover comprises a probe arm adapted to remove the sample from the carrier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the guidance system comprises a camera adapted to obtain an image of the carrier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the guidance system further comprises a processor adapted to analyze the image of the carrier and identify obstructions on the carrier that might inhibit movement of the probe arm to the product sample.

13. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a camera adapted to obtain an image of product carried by the carrier; and

a processor adapted to identify the type of product carried by the carrier based on the obtained image of the product.

14. The system of claim 2, further comprising a processor adapted to randomly select a plurality of locations in the carrier from which to remove the product.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the product sample remover includes a sensor adapted to detect the bottom of a carrier container.

16. The system of claim 2, further comprising a processor configured to control the product sample remover to remove a representative sample of product and wherein the processor is adapted to receive a signal from a carrier container bottom sensor indicative of the location of at least a portion of the product sample remover with respect to the carrier container bottom.

17. The system of claim 4, wherein the product evaluation system is adapted to determine at least one of the moisture content, percent foreign matter, and a test weight of a sample of product obtained from the carrier.

18. A system for handling an agricultural product comprising:

a check-in station that includes a device configured to record a visual image of a product carrier;

a sampling station configured to automatically sample a product contained in the carrier and including a device for transporting a sample of product to a product evaluation system; and

a station for unloading the product contained in the carrier;

wherein the system is configured to include a device for automatically directing the carrier to the unloading station based on results of an evaluation of the product sample conducted by the evaluation system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the recording device at the check-in station is configured to capture the license plate of the carrier.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the sampling station includes a processor for analyzing an image of the carrier and identifying obstructions from the image on the carrier that might inhibit movement of a product sample remover and for guiding the sample remover into the carrier while avoiding identified obstructions.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the product evaluation system is configured to determine a grade of the product sample and wherein the system includes an output device for conveying the grade of the product sample to the operator of the carrier.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the unloading station includes a visual imaging device and a processor for determining whether the carrier is in a proper position to unload the product and wherein the unloading station includes an output device for directing the operator of the carrier re-position the carrier if necessary.

23. A system for handling an agricultural product comprising:

a check-in system adapted to check-in a product carrier driver at a product terminal;

wherein the check-in system includes a carrier identification system adapted to identify the product carrier using a visual image;

a product carrier positioning system adapted to determine whether the product carrier is in an acceptable position for product sampling;

a product sample probe guidance system adapted to guide a product sample probe to and from the product carrier using an visual image and obtain a sample of product while avoiding obstructions on the product carrier; and

a product evaluation system adapted to determine the type of sampled product based on a visual image of the product.