Look-ahead functionality tuning for independent sections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10986773-B2
Application number	US-201916279459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

An agricultural product delivery system having a controller with a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions. The instructions may include instructions to determine a first time-to-target of a first metering section of an agricultural implement in a field, determine a second time-to-target of a second metering section of the agricultural implement in the field, control a first motor coupled to the first metering section to an ON state when the first time-to-target is less than or equal to a first delivery delay of the first metering section, and control a second motor coupled to the second metering section to the ON state when the second time-to-target is less than or equal to a second delivery delay of the second metering section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural product delivery system comprising a controller, wherein the controller comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions, and a processor configured to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:
determine a first time-to-target of a first metering section of an agricultural implement in a field;
determine a second time-to-target of a second metering section of the agricultural implement in the field;
control a first motor coupled to the first metering section to an ON state when the first time-to-target is less than or equal to a first delivery delay of the first metering section; and
control a second motor coupled to the second metering section to the ON state when the second time-to-target is less than or equal to a second delivery delay of the second metering section.

2. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the first time-to-target is based at least in part on a speed of the agricultural implement in the field, a first position of the first metering section on the agricultural implement, and a first distance from the agricultural implement to a first row end for the first metering section.

3. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the second time-to-target is based at least in part on the speed of the agricultural implement in the field, a second position of the second metering section on the agricultural implement, and a second distance from the agricultural implement to a second row end for the second metering section, wherein the first time-to-target is different than the second time-to-target.

4. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the first delivery delay is different than the second delivery delay.

5. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the first delivery delay is based at least in part on a first path length of a first metering assembly, the second delivery delay is based at least in part on a second path length of a second metering assembly, the first metering assembly comprises a first primary line coupled between the first motor and the first metering section, and the second metering assembly comprises a second primary line coupled between the second motor and the second metering section.

6. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:
determine a first time-to-stop of the first metering section of the agricultural implement in the field;
determine a second time-to-stop of the second metering section of the agricultural implement in the field;
control the first motor coupled to the first metering section to an OFF state when the first time-to-stop is less than or equal to the first delivery delay of the first metering section; and
control the second motor coupled to the second metering section to the OFF state when the second time-to-stop is less than or equal to the second delivery delay of the second metering section.

7. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:
receive an input that corresponds to a type of agricultural product to be delivered to the field, wherein the type of agricultural product comprises seeds, fertilizers, inoculants, or any combination thereof; and
adjust the first delivery delay and the second delivery delay based on the operator input.

8. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:
determine a location in the field of a reference point of the agricultural product delivery system based on location feedback from a location device of the agricultural product delivery system, wherein the location device is configured to determine the location in the field based on location feedback from a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a fixed local coordinate system;
determine the first time-to-target based on the determined location of the reference point and a first reference distance from the first metering section to the reference point; and
determine the second time-to-target based on the determined location of the reference point and a second reference distance from the second metering section to the reference point.

9. An agricultural product delivery system, comprising:
a first metering assembly comprising:
a first metering section comprising:
a first opener disposed at a first location on an agricultural implement; and
a first distribution hose coupled to the first opener;

a first motor configured to control a first flow of a first agricultural product into a first primary line coupled to the first distribution hose, wherein the first metering assembly comprises a first path length through the first primary line and the first distribution hose; and

a second metering assembly comprising:
a second metering section comprising:
a second opener disposed at a second location on the agricultural implement; and
a second distribution hose coupled to the second opener;

a second motor configured to control a second flow of a second agricultural product into a second primary line coupled to the second distribution hose, wherein the second metering assembly comprises a second path length through the second primary line and the second distribution hose; and

a controller coupled to the first motor and the second motor, wherein the controller is configured to control the first motor based at least in part on the first path length, to control the second motor based at least in part on the second path length, and to independently control the first motor and the second motor.

10. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 9 , comprising a cart coupled to the agricultural implement, wherein the first motor and the second motor are disposed on the product cart.

11. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 10 , wherein the second agricultural product is the first agricultural product.

12. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the first metering section comprises a first flow sensor coupled to the first distribution hose, the second metering section comprises a second flow sensor coupled to the second distribution hose, the controller is configured to determine the first path length based at least in part on first feedback from the first flow sensor, and the controller is configured to determine the second path length based at least in part on second feedback from the second flow sensor.

13. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to control the first motor to deliver the first agricultural product to the first opener at a first time, and the controller is configured to control the second motor to deliver the second agricultural product to the second opener at a second time that is different than the first time.

14. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the first time based at least in part on a speed of the agricultural implement, the first location, and a first distance from the agricultural implement to a first row end of the first row for the first metering section.

15. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 13 wherein the first metering section comprises a first flow sensor coupled to the first distribution hose, and the controller is configured to determine the first time based at least in part on first feedback from the first flow sensor.

16. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 9 ,

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Thompson Dennis George
• Forrest Jay
• Mcknight Benjamin
• Turner Jack Donald
• Stuart Graham Douglas

Classifications

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01C21/005

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• G05D7/0611

  characterised by the set value given to the control element · CPC title

• A01C15/005 Primary

  Undercarriages, tanks, hoppers, stirrers specially adapted for seeders or fertiliser distributors · CPC title