SOLID-STATE SPAN ALIGNMENT AND PIVOT POSITIONING
First Claim
1. A sensor system for use on an irrigation system having a plurality of towers configured to travel over portions of a field, a plurality of spans each extending between and connected to adjacent ones of the towers, and a fluid delivery system attached to or integral with the spans for outputting water into the field, the sensor system comprising:
- a plurality of solid-state sensors each configured to be mounted in fixed alignment with at least one of the spans or towers and each configured to measure at least one of acceleration, angular acceleration, angular rotation, heading, and an angle with respect to a predefined reference direction, wherein the solid-state sensors comprise at least one of a digital compass, a solid-state gyroscope, a solid-state accelerometer, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and
a control system configured to receive measurements from each of the solid-state sensors, and to calculate at least one of alignment, rotational position, and location of at least one of the spans.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A center-pivot irrigation system having a plurality of towers interconnected by a plurality of spans actuatable about a center pivot, a plurality of solid-state sensors each mounted in fixed alignment with one of the spans or towers, and a control system communicably coupled with the solid-state sensors. The solid-state sensors may send acceleration, angular acceleration, angular rotation, heading, and/or angle measurements to the control system, which may use these measurements to calculate alignment of the spans relative to each other and/or the center pivot and to calculate locations of the spans or towers using a known location of the center pivot. The solid-state sensors may be solid-state gyroscopes, solid-state accelerometers, digital compass, and/or an inertial measurement unit (IMU).
25 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A sensor system for use on an irrigation system having a plurality of towers configured to travel over portions of a field, a plurality of spans each extending between and connected to adjacent ones of the towers, and a fluid delivery system attached to or integral with the spans for outputting water into the field, the sensor system comprising:
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a plurality of solid-state sensors each configured to be mounted in fixed alignment with at least one of the spans or towers and each configured to measure at least one of acceleration, angular acceleration, angular rotation, heading, and an angle with respect to a predefined reference direction, wherein the solid-state sensors comprise at least one of a digital compass, a solid-state gyroscope, a solid-state accelerometer, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and a control system configured to receive measurements from each of the solid-state sensors, and to calculate at least one of alignment, rotational position, and location of at least one of the spans. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A center-pivot irrigation system comprising:
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a center pivot; a plurality of towers configured to move about the center pivot; a plurality of elongated rigid spans each extending between and connected to adjacent ones of the towers; a fluid delivery system comprising one or more conduits attached to or integrally formed with at least a portion of the spans and configured to output water from orifices formed therein or therethrough; a plurality of solid-state sensors each mounted in fixed alignment with one of the spans or towers and each configured to measure at least one of acceleration, angular acceleration, angular rotation, heading, and an angle with respect to a fixed reference direction; and a control system configured to receive measurements from each of the solid-state sensors and to calculate at least one of alignment, rotational position, and location of at least one of the spans. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of determining and correcting for at least one of alignment and position of a plurality of spans traveling on a plurality of towers of a center-pivot irrigation system configured to output liquid in a field, the method comprising:
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receiving signals with a control system from a plurality of solid-state sensors each mounted in fixed alignment with one of the spans, wherein the signals represent at least one of acceleration, angular acceleration, angular rotation, heading, and an angle with respect to a fixed reference direction wherein the solid-state sensors comprise at least one of a solid-state gyroscope, a solid-state accelerometer, a digital compass, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU); calculating with the control system relative or absolute alignment of at least one of the spans using the signals received from the solid-state sensors; and calculating with the control system a position of at least one of the spans or towers using the signals received from the solid-state sensors. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification