Automatic mass-flow sensor calibration for a yield monitor

• US 6,820,459 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Pickett, Terrence D., Beck, Andy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBER, CHARLES D
• Application Number:
  US10/246,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20040050138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 73/11.6, 702/104
• US Class Current: 73/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1271 for measuring crop flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters

Abstract

A system and method is provided for remotely and automatically calibrating a mass-flow sensor in a yield monitor of a combine. The invention uses a wireless communication device installed on a combine and a remote wireless communication device installed on a grain carrier or truck carrier. Once an actual weight is obtained, calibration information is sent to the combine to calibrate the mass-flow sensor.

Claims

1. A method of remotely calibrating a sensor on a combine having a grain carrier, comprising the steps of:

providing a wireless communication device on the combine;

providing a remote wireless communication device on the grain carrier;

after harvesting an agricultural product, removing the harvested agricultural product from the combine;

determining certain properties of the harvested agricultural product;

transmitting information from the remote wireless communication device to the wireless communication device on the combine; and

using the information to calibrate the sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a mass-flow sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined properties of the harvested agricultural product include the weight of the product.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the determined properties of the agricultural product include the sensed moisture content of the product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the grain carrier is a grain cart.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

providing a weighing system on the grain cart;

filling the grain cart with the harvested product; and

weighing the grain in the grain cart to generate the information that is transmitted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes calibration information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensor is a moisture sensor.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of providing a moisture sensor in the grain cart, filling the grain cart with the harvest product;

and determining the moisture in the grain cart to generate the information that is transmitted.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a truck for transferring the harvested agricultural product; and

weighing the harvested product on the truck.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of providing a remote wireless communication device on the truck for transmitting the information to the combine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted to the wireless communication device on the combine automatically.