Automatic identification of field boundaries in a site-specific farming system

• US 5,978,723 A
• Filed: 11/22/1996
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.), CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Case Corporation (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Wendte, Keith W., Hale, George H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/755,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/213, 701/215, 701/208, 342/357, 342/457, 342/357.06, 342/357.13, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture

Abstract

A farming system which identifies the boundaries of agricultural fields and performs functions based upon whether a vehicle is located within a particular field is disclosed. The system includes a location signal generation circuit which receives positioning signals and generates location signals representative of the location of the vehicle. The system further includes a memory circuit which stores geo-referenced digital maps of the fields and may include boundary data or application maps for each field. The system further includes a control circuit which compares the location signals to the data stored in the memory circuit to determine when the vehicle is located in a particular field. In one embodiment, the control circuit selects a variable-rate application map for the particular field and generates variable-rate control signals from the map data which are applied to a variable-rate applicator. In another embodiment, the control circuit stores characteristic data sensed by a sensing circuit with correlated location signals in a geo-referenced digital map for the particular field. In another embodiment, the control circuit generates height control signals to raise and lower an agricultural tool such as a tractor plow or a combine header based upon relationships between the location of the tool in a field and the location of attributes in the field such as field boundaries or obstructions.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a variable-rate applicator coupled to an agricultural vehicle, wherein the applicator is configured to apply farming inputs to an agricultural field at a variable rate in response to variable-rate control signals, the system comprising:

a location signal generation circuit configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals representative of the location of the vehicle;

a memory circuit configured with variable-rate application data including first and second geo-referenced application maps representative of desired amounts of farming inputs to apply to a first field and a second field, respectively;

a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the variable-rate applicator, the control circuit being configured to compare the location signals to the variable-rate application data to determine whether the vehicle is located within the first field or the second field, and to generate the variable-rate control signals as a function of the location signals based upon the first geo-referenced application map when the vehicle is located in the first field and based upon the second geo-referenced application map when the vehicle is located in the second field; and

an application sensor coupled to the control circuit and configured to detect the actual amount of farming inputs applied and to generate feedback signals representative thereof, the control circuit being configured to store the feedback signals in first and second geo-referenced feedback maps when the vehicle is located in the first field and the second field, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location signal generation circuit receives satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) signals and generates the location signals from the GPS signals.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the location signal generation circuit also receives differential GPS (DGPS) signals and generates the location signals from the GPS and the DGPS signals.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the memory circuit includes a removable memory card.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate the variable-rate control signals based upon the feedback signals.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second fields have non-adjoining boundaries.

7. A system for controlling a variable-rate applicator coupled to an agricultural vehicle, wherein the applicator is configured to apply farming inputs to an agricultural field at a variable rate in response to variable-rate control signals, the system comprising:

a location signal generation circuit configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals representative of the location of the vehicle;

a memory circuit configured with boundary data representative of the boundaries of at least a first field and a second field, and with first and second geo-referenced variable-rate application data representative of desired amounts of farming inputs to apply to the first field and the second field, respectively; and

a control circuit coupled to the location signal generation circuit, the memory circuit and the variable-rate applicator, the control circuit being configured to compare the location signals to the boundary data to determine whether the vehicle is located within the first field or the second field, and to generate the variable-rate control signals as a function of the location signals based upon the first variable-rate application data when the vehicle is located in the first field and based upon the second variable-rate application data when the vehicle is located in the second field.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the location signal generation circuit receives satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) signals and generates the location signals from the GPS signals.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the location signal generation circuit also receives differential GPS (DGPS) signals and generates the location signals from the GPS and the DGPS signals.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory circuit includes a removable memory card.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising an application sensor coupled to the control circuit and configured to detect the actual amount of farming inputs applied and to generate feedback signals representative thereof, and the control circuit is further configured to generate the variable-rate control signals based upon the feedback signals.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further configured to store the feedback signals in first and second geo-referenced feedback maps when the vehicle is located in the first field and the second field, respectively.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the boundaries of the first and second fields are non-adjoining.

14. A system for sampling at least one characteristic of a field as a vehicle moves over the field, the system comprising:

a sensing circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to generate characteristic signals representative of a characteristic sampled at a plurality of locations within the field;

a location signal generation circuit supported by the vehicle and configured to receive positioning signals and to generate location signals representative of the plurality of locations;

a memory circuit configured with boundary data representative of the boundaries of at least a first field and a second field; and

a control circuit coupled to the sensing circuit, the location signal generation circuit and the memory circuit, the control circuit being configured to compare the location signals to the boundary data to determine whether the vehicle is located within the first field or the second field, and to correlate the characteristic signals with the location signals and to store the correlated characteristic and location signals in a first geo-referenced digital map when the vehicle is located in the first field and in a second geo-referenced digital map when the vehicle is located in the second field.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensing circuit includes a grain flow sensor.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensing circuit includes a moisture content sensor.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the location signal generation circuit receives satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) signals and generates the location signals from the GPS signals.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the location signal generation circuit also receives differential GPS (DGPS) signals and generates the location signals from the GPS and the DGPS signals.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory circuit includes a removable memory card.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the boundaries of the first and second fields are non-adjoining.