Soil cultivation implement control apparatus and method

• US 7,460,942 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hemisphere GPS LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Mailer, Robert Lindsay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/634,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 701/26, 701/50, 701/213, 701/210, 701/205, 701/207, 701/23, 342/357.02, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/004 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A soil cultivating apparatus including a tractor towing a row cultivator by means of a three-point linkage. The row cultivator includes a fixed portion and a moveable portion having soil scarifying tools. The movable portion is laterally moveable relative to the fixed portion by means of linkages and is effected by a hydraulic actuator under control of tool bar control systems which is able to determine the position of the moveable portion relative to the fixed portion by means of a sensor. Mounted upon the moveable potion is a DGPS antenna GPS receiver that forms part of the control system. The control system has a microprocessor which operatively executes a stored program. The microprocessor receives data from an intra-rig sensor and from the GPS receiver specifying the absolute coordinate of the movable portion relative to the earth. On the basis of the data received and in accordance with the instructions in the program, the microprocessor generates a series of lateral motion commands which controls the hydraulic actuator. An operator of the system may enter coordinates defining a desired line of the movable portion by means of a data entry device. Command prompts and other feedback to the operator are displayed by means of a screen.

Claims

1. A control system configured to control a position of a working portion of an agricultural implement, said agricultural implement having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the implement is attached to a vehicle and the working portion is connected to the second portion, the working portion and the second portion of the implement being moveable relative to the first portion, the control system comprising:

a first GNSS system configured to determine a global position of the working portion of the implement and including an antenna mounted thereon and a receiver receiving GNSS positioning signals from the antenna;

a processor configured to compare the global position of the working portion of the implement with a desired global position of the working portion;

the processor configured to determine the desired global position of the working portion of the implement by accessing way line data corresponding to a desired path of travel for the working portion of the implement;

the processor configured to generate a control signal in response to the comparison between the global position of the working portion of the implement and the desired global position of the working portion of the implement, said control signal configured to cause movement of the working portion of the implement relative to the first portion to thereby move the working portion towards the desired path of travel;

a second GNSS system configured to determine a global position of the first portion or the vehicle;

the implement further including an actuator situated between said first and second portions and configured to cause relative movement between the implement first and second portions; and

the control signal configured to cause actuation of the actuator to effect relative movement between the implement first and working portions in response to said control signal.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first portion comprises a part of the vehicle.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first portion comprises a mounting portion for mounting to a toolbar of the vehicle, the vehicle being a tow vehicle.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first portion is attached to a three point hitch of the vehicle, the vehicle being a tow vehicle.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second GNSS systems comprise differential GPS systems.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a data entry device adapted for entry of way-line data into the processor.

7. An agricultural implement having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the implement is attached to a vehicle and a working portion is connected to the second portion, the working portion and the second portion of the implement being moveable relative to the first portion, the apparatus further comprising:

a first GNSS system configured to determine a global position of the working portion of the implement and including an antenna mounted thereon and a receiver receiving GNSS positioning signals from the antenna;

a processor configured to compare the global position of the working portion of the implement with a desired global position of the working portion;

the processor configured to determine the desired global position of the working portion of the implement by accessing way line data corresponding to a desired path of travel for the working portion of the implement;

the processor configured to generate a control signal in response to the comparison between the global position of the working portion of the implement and the desired global position of the working portion of the implement, said control signal configured to cause movement of the working portion of the implement relative to the first portion to thereby move the working portion towards the desired path of travel;

a second GNSS system configured to determine a global position of the first portion or the vehicle;

the implement further including an actuator situated between said first and second portions and configured to cause relative movement between the implement first and second portions; and

the control signal configured to cause actuation of the actuator to effect relative movement between the implement first and working portions in response to said control signal.