System and method for determining the position of a sensor mounted on an agricultural machine based on ground speed and field characteristic data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813272-B2
Application number	US-201916256044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

In one aspect, a system for determining a position of a sensor mounted on an agricultural machine may include a ground speed sensor configured to capture data indicative of a ground speed of the agricultural machine. The system may also include a non-contact-based sensor configured to capture data indicative of a field characteristic of the field across which the agricultural machine is traveling. Furthermore, a controller of the system may be configured to determine a first ground speed value of the implement frame based on the data received from the ground speed sensor and a second ground speed value based on the data received from the non-contact-based sensor. Additionally, the controller may be configured to determine a position of the non-contact-based sensor relative to a field surface of the field across which the agricultural machine is traveling based on the first ground speed value and the second ground speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for determining a position of a sensor mounted on an agricultural machine, the system comprising:
a ground speed sensor configured to capture data indicative of a ground speed at which the agricultural machine is traveling across a field;
a non-contact-based sensor mounted on the agricultural machine, the non-contact-based sensor configured to capture data indicative of a field characteristic of the field across which the agricultural machine is traveling;
a controller communicatively coupled to the ground speed sensor and the non-contact-based sensor, the controller configured to:
determine a first ground speed value of the agricultural machine based on the data received from the ground speed sensor;
determine a second ground speed value of the agricultural machine based on the data received from the non-contact-based sensor; and
determine a position of the non-contact-based sensor relative to a field surface of the field across which the agricultural machine is traveling based on the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to compare the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value to determine the position of the non-contact-based sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to compare the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value based on a predetermined relationship between true speed and apparent speed.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact-based sensor corresponds to a vision-based sensor, the controller further configured to determine the second ground speed value based on motion analysis.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vision-based sensor comprises an RGB camera or a thermal camera.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact-based sensor corresponds to a RADAR sensor, the controller further configured to the second ground speed value based on the doppler Effect.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the field characteristic comprises at least one of a surface finish of the field, a percent residue coverage of the field, or a clod size of the field.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ground speed sensor comprises a location sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to initiate a control action when the determined position of the non-contact-based sensor differs from a predetermined range of positions.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control action comprises adjusting an operating parameter of the agricultural machine.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine at least one of a pitch or a roll of the agricultural machine based on the data received from the non-contact-based sensor.

12. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a frame;
a ground speed sensor configured to capture data indicative of a ground speed at which the agricultural implement is moved across a field;
a non-contact-based sensor mounted on the frame, the non-contact-based sensor configured to capture data indicative of a field characteristic of the field across which the agricultural implement is being moved;
a controller communicatively coupled to the ground speed sensor and the non-contact-based sensor, the controller configured to:
determine a first ground speed value of the agricultural implement based on the data received from the ground speed sensor;
determine a second ground speed value of the agricultural implement based on the data received from the non-contact-based sensor; and
determine a position of the frame relative to a field surface of the field based on the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value.

13. The agricultural implement of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine at least one of a pitch of the frame or a roll of the frame based on the determined position of the frame.

14. The agricultural implement of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to compare the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value to determine the position of the non-contact-based sensor.

15. The agricultural implement of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to compare the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value based on a predetermined relationship between true speed and apparent speed.

16. A method for determining the position of a sensor mounted on an agricultural machine, the agricultural machine including a ground speed sensor configured to capture data indicative of a ground speed at which the agricultural machine is traveling across a field, the agricultural machine further including a non-contact-based sensor configured to capture data indicative of a field characteristic of the field across which the agricultural machine is traveling, the method comprising:
determining, with a computing vehicle, a first ground speed value of the agricultural machine based on data received from the ground speed sensor;
determining, with the computing device, a second ground speed value of the agricultural machine based on data received from the non-contact-based sensor; and
determining, with the computing device, a position of the non-contact-based sensor relative to a field surface of the field across which the agricultural machine is traveling based on the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value; and
when the determined position of the non-contact-based sensor differs from a predetermined range of positions, initiating, with the computing device, a control action associated with adjusting an operating parameter of the agricultural machine.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
comparing, with the computing device, the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value to determine the position of the non-contact-based sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
comparing, with the computing device, the first ground speed value and the second ground speed value based on a predetermined relationship between true speed and apparent speed.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the non-contact-based sensor corresponds to a vision-based sensor, the method further comprising:
determining, with the computing device, the second ground speed value based on motion analysis.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining, with the computing device, at least one of a pitch or a roll of the agricultural machine based on the data received from the non-contact-based sensor.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• STANHOPE Trevor

Classifications

• A01B63/1112

  using a non-tactile ground distance measurement, e.g. using reflection of waves · CPC title

• A01B79/005 Primary

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01B49/027 Primary

  with a rotating, soil working support element, e.g. a roller · CPC title