Product runout tracking system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10645864-B2
Application number	US-201816106581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A product runout tracking system for an agricultural implement includes a controller having a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a distance remaining until a storage tank is empty of a product based at least in part on an amount of the product within the storage tank of the agricultural implement, a flow rate of the product from the agricultural implement, a ground speed of the agricultural implement, or any combination thereof. The controller is further configured to determine a product runout location of the product within the storage tank based at least in part on the determined distance remaining and a planned route of the agricultural implement, wherein the product runout location includes a location within the field in which the storage tank is estimated to be empty of the product, and output the product runout location to a user interface for display to an operator of the agricultural implement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A product runout tracking system for an agricultural implement, comprising a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a distance remaining until a storage tank of the agricultural implement is predicted to reach an empty level at which the storage tank should be refilled based at least in part on an amount of a product within the storage tank of the agricultural implement, a flow rate of the product from the agricultural implement, and a ground speed of the agricultural implement;
predict a product runout location of the product within the storage tank based at least in part on the determined distance remaining, a current location of the agricultural implement within a field, and a planned route of the agricultural implement through the field, wherein the product runout location comprises a location within the field and not yet reached by the agricultural implement and at which the storage tank is predicted to reach the empty level at which the storage tank should be refilled; and
output the product runout location to a user interface for display to an operator of the agricultural implement.

2. The product runout tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to output the product runout location to the user interface via outputting a signal indicative of an instruction to display, via the user interface, a runout map of the field comprising a visual representation of the predicted product runout location.

3. The product runout tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
compare the amount of the product within the storage tank to a low product threshold; and
output, in response to a determination that the amount of the product is at or below the low product threshold, the product runout location to the user interface for display.

4. The product runout tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide a recommendation to the user interface for display to the operator, wherein the recommendation advises the operator to refill the agricultural implement at an end of a current row.

5. The product runout tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the amount of the product within the storage tank of the agricultural implement via a product sensor, as the agricultural implement dispenses the product from the storage tank to the field via a metering system as the agricultural implement travels through the field;
receive the flow rate of the product from the agricultural implement via a flow sensor, as the agricultural implement dispenses the product from the storage tank to the field via the metering system as the agricultural implement travels through the field;
receive the ground speed of the agricultural implement via a ground speed sensor, as the agricultural implement dispenses the product from the storage tank to the field via the metering system as the agricultural implement travels through the field; and
receive or generate a field map comprising the planned route of the agricultural implement through the field;
wherein the product runout location is within the field along the planned route, and the current location of the agricultural implement and the product runout location are separated by the determined distance remaining.

6. The product runout tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a refill location within the field, wherein the refill location comprises a respective current location of a fill truck used to refill the storage tank of the agricultural implement, and wherein the controller is configured to output the product runout location to the user interface via outputting a signal indicative of an instruction to display visual representations of the product runout location, the current location of the agricultural implement, and the refill location via the user interface.

7. The product runout tracking system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to output the product runout location to a display of the fill truck for display to an operator of the fill truck.

8. A product runout tracking system, comprising:
a product sensor configured to measure an amount of a product within a storage tank of an air cart;
a flow sensor configured to measure a flow rate of distribution of the product from the air cart within an agricultural field;
a ground speed sensor configured to measure a ground speed at which the air cart is moving through the agricultural field;
an air cart positioning system configured to determine a current location of the air cart within the agricultural field;
a controller configured to receive one or more signals from the product sensor, one or more signals from the flow sensor, one or more signals from the ground speed sensor, and one or more signals from the air cart positioning system, and to predict a runout location of the product within the storage tank based at least in part on the amount of the product within the storage tank, the flow rate of the product from the air cart, and the current location of the air cart within the agricultural field, wherein the runout location comprises a location not yet reached by the air cart within the agricultural field and at which the product in the storage tank is predicted to reach an empty level at which the storage tank should be refilled; and
a user interface configured to receive the runout location from the controller and to display a runout map comprising the runout location.

9. The product runout tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to receive or to generate a planned route of the agricultural implement, and to use the planned route to predict the runout location.

10. The product runout tracking system of claim 8 , comprising a fill truck positioning system configured to determine a refill location within or relative to the agricultural field, wherein the refill location comprises a respective current location of a fill truck used to refill the storage tank of the air cart, and wherein the controller is configured to receive the refill location from the fill truck positioning system, and wherein the runout map displayed via the user interface comprises the refill location.

11. The product runout tracking system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to output the runout location to a display of the fill truck.

12. The product runout tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the amount of the product within the storage tank to a predetermined low product threshold, and to instruct the user interface to display the runout map in response to a determination that the amount of the product is at or below the predetermined low product threshold.

13. The product runout tracking system of claim 8 , comprising the air cart, wherein the product sensor and the flow sensor are disposed on the air cart, and wherein the user interface is disposed remote from the air cart.

14. The product runout tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to output a recommendation in response to predicting the product runout location, and the recommendation advises an operator of the air cart to drive the air cart to a particular location in the field at a particular time to meet a fill truck, and wherein the user interface is configured to display the recommendation.

15. A method of tracking product runout for an air cart, comprising:
receiving, via a processor, a first signal indicative of an amount of product within a storage tank o

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Kowalchuk Trevor Lawrence

Classifications

• G01F1/704

  using marked regions or existing inhomogeneities within the fluid stream, e.g. statistically occurring variations in a fluid parameter (G01F1/76, G01F25/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• A01C7/105 Primary

  Seed sensors · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• A01C7/081

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• G01F1/007

  by measuring the level variations of storage tanks relative to the time · CPC title