Adjustable row unit and sprayer vehicle with adjustable row unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694734-B2
Application number	US-201715693301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A first leg extends upward from the left frame and a second leg extends upward from the right frame to connect the legs to the beam. One or more satellite navigation receivers are associated with beam to determine a position and an attitude of the beam. One or more row units are suspended from the beam, such that the position of nozzle or nozzles on each row unit can be adjusted simultaneously and dynamically in multiple dimensions to maintain a target spacing between the nozzle and ground and the nozzle and a plant or row of plants.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. An agricultural machine, the agricultural machine comprising:
a left frame;
a left wheel being rotatable with respect to the left frame;
a first leg extending upward from the left frame;
a right frame;
a right wheel being rotatable with respect to the right frame;
a second leg extending upward from the right frame;
a beam connecting the first leg to the second leg;
one or more satellite navigation receivers associated with the beam to determine a reference point position on the beam and an attitude or angular orientation of the beam;
at least one row unit suspended from the beam, the at least one row unit having an upper carriage, a lower carriage, and a nozzle with an adjustable position that is movable in two or more dimensions with respect to the beam;
an upper motor on the upper carriage associated with the beam;
an upper motor controller for adjusting a first lateral position of the upper carriage via a first control signal to the upper motor; wherein the upper motor controller is configured to position the nozzle or a set of nozzles on the at least one row unit in accordance with a target lateral separation to a row of plants, a path plan or a guidance line; where the first control signal is responsive to image data from an imaging device or sensor data from a laser scanning device, a laser range finder, an ultrasonic position sensor, or a light detection and ranging device;
a lower motor on the lower carriage associated with a frame, the frame connecting the lower motor to the lower carriage; and
a lower motor controller positioned on the frame, the lower motor controller to provide a second control signal to the lower motor to adjust a second lateral position of the lower carriage relative to the frame, the second lateral position corresponding to a target longitudinal position of the nozzle or the set of nozzles.

2. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 wherein the one or more satellite navigation receivers comprises a first satellite navigation receiver with two switched antennas that are spatially separated along the beam, such that the first satellite navigation receiver can determine a first position of a first antenna and a second position of a second antenna to estimate the reference point position and the attitude.

3. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 wherein the one or more satellite navigation receivers comprises:
a first satellite navigation receiver on a first end of the beam, wherein the first satellite navigation receiver determines a first position;
a second satellite navigation receiver on a second end of the beam opposite the first end, wherein the second satellite navigation receiver determines a second position simultaneously with the determination of the first position;
an electronic data processor for estimating the reference point position associated with the beam of the agricultural machine and an angular orientation or attitude of the beam relative to the reference point position.

4. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 wherein the attitude comprises at least one of a roll angle, tilt angle or yaw angle of the beam or the agricultural machine.

5. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 wherein the left wheel and the right wheel have a differential rate of rotation with respect to each other to adjust a yaw of the agricultural machine, or turn the agricultural machine left or right to align the yaw of the agricultural machine with the row of plants to track a path plan for spraying the row of plants.

6. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 further comprising:
a first electric drive motor associated with the left wheel;
a first motor controller providing a first alternating current signal to control a rotation of the first electric drive motor;
a second electric drive motor associated with the right wheel;
a second motor controller providing a second alternating current signal to control a rotation of the second electric drive motor;
a data processor for providing command data messages to the first motor controller and the second motor controller to effectuate a substantially identical rate of rotation between the first electric drive motor and the second electric drive motor to maintain a straight linear path of the agricultural machine in accordance with a path plan such that the beam forms a substantially right angle of the angular orientation with respect to one or more plant rows of a field.

7. The agricultural machine according to claim 6 further comprising:
a battery module associated with the left frame, the right frame or both for providing electrical energy to the first motor controller and to the second motor controller.

8. The agricultural machine according to claim 7 further comprising:
a generator for providing electrical energy to the battery module; and
an internal combustion engine for providing rotational energy to the generator.

9. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one row unit further comprises:
a first row unit that is suspended from the beam with a set of first nozzles; and
a second row unit that is suspended from the beam with a set of second nozzles, where the first row unit and the second row unit are spaced apart from each other, and where a first three-dimensional position of the first row unit is independently adjustable from a second three-dimensional position of the second row unit.

10. The agricultural machine according to claim 9 further comprising:
an imaging device mounted on the beam, the first leg, or the second leg to collect image data to determine a first lateral distance between the first row unit and a first row of plants and a second lateral distance between the second row unit and a second row of plants.

11. The agricultural machine according to claim 9 further comprising:
an imaging device mounted on the beam, the first leg, or the second leg to collect image data, the imaging device configured to estimate:
a first ground clearance between the first row unit and a ground and a second ground clearance between the second row unit and the ground; and
a first height of a first nozzle of the first row unit and a second height of a second nozzle of a second row unit.

12. The agricultural machine according to claim 9 further comprising:
an imaging device mounted on the beam, the first leg, or the second leg for determining a first longitudinal offset between a first nozzle of the first row unit and a respective plant center, foliage center, or plant stem, and a second longitudinal offset between a second nozzle of the second row unit and a respective plant center or plant stem.

13. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 further comprising:
a first electric drive motor associated with the left wheel;
a first motor controller providing a first alternating current signal to control a rotation of the first electric drive motor;
a second electric drive motor is associated with the right wheel;
a second motor controller providing a second alternating current signal to control a rotation of the second electric drive motor; and
an electronic data processor for providing command data messages to the first motor controller and the second motor controller to effectuate a substantially differential rate of rotation between the first electric drive motor and the second electric drive motor to maintain a curved path segment of the agricultural machine in accordance with a path plan such that the beam forms a substantially right angle of the angular orientation with respect to an intercept of the beam with the curved path segment.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Davis Travis J
• Lawson Joshua T
• Maeder Curtis A
• Haecker Jesse D
• Connell Richard J
• Rich Shayne C
• Eggers Anthony E
• Carlson Curtis D

Classifications

• A01M7/0071 Primary

  Construction of the spray booms · CPC title

• A01M7/0082

  Undercarriages, frames, mountings, couplings, tanks · CPC title

• A01M7/0042

  Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted · CPC title

• A01M7/0057 Primary

  with active regulation of the boom position · CPC title

• B05B9/007

  At least a part of the apparatus, e.g. a container, being provided with means, e.g. wheels, for allowing its displacement relative to the ground · CPC title