Method for optimizing an operating parameter of a machine for application of agricultural material to a field and a corresponding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11154018-B2
Application number	US-201715669862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A computer unit calculates an operating parameter for a machine for application of agricultural material to a field using data concerning a plant growth affecting property of the location to be supplied with the material and data concerning the property and/or an operating parameter of the machine derived therefrom for an adjacent location in the field in the sense of an optimization of a horticultural result.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A method for optimizing a machine for an application operation of an agricultural material, the method comprising:
identifying first data concerning a plant growth affecting property and a first operating parameter of the machine for a first portion of a field adjacent to a second portion of the field during the application operation of the agricultural material at a first period of time;
determining, during the first period of time, an expected horticultural result for the first portion of the field at a second period of time based on the first data concerning the plant growth affecting property and the first operating parameter of the machine, the expected horticultural result corresponding to at least one of: a uniform emergence of seed material placed in portions of the field during different periods of time, or a profit measure corresponding to costs associated with seed, fuel, fertilizer or work hours to achieve the expected horticultural result;
identifying second data concerning a plant growth affecting property for the second portion of the field with a sensor during the application operation of the agricultural material at a third period of time after the first period of time; and
determining a second operating parameter for the machine in application of the agricultural material to the second portion of the field to achieve the expected horticultural result for the first portion of the field at the second portion of the field at the second period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second operating parameter further comprises generating data from a plant growth model.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the second operating parameter further comprises determining an emergence date or growth stage of plants in the second portion of the field.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second operating parameter occurs prior to the application operation of the agricultural material to the first and the second portion of the field by identifying existing data already present for the first portion of the field and the second portion of the field concerning the plant growth affecting property.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a first application operation over the first portion of the field and a second application operation on the second portion of the field adjacent to the first application operation, wherein during first application operation an operating parameter of the machine is determined by a computer unit with the sensor determining the plant growth affecting property, and wherein during the second application operation the computer unit takes into account the plant growth affecting properties and operating parameters determined in the first application operation.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically adjusting the second operating parameter on the machine.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine is a seeding machine and the second operating parameter comprises sowing depth.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a plurality of devices that are distributed over its width and separately controllable by an actuator, the devices being separately and optionally differently controlled by a computer unit.

9. An apparatus for application of agricultural material, the apparatus comprising:
a machine for application of agricultural material to a field;
a sensor for generating data concerning first plant growth affecting properties for a first field portion at a first time period, the sensor to generate data concerning second plant growth affecting properties of a second field portion, the second field portion adjacent the first field portion and to be provided with the agricultural material at a second time period, the second time period occurring after the first time period;
a computer unit associated with the machine and programmed to:
identify a first operating parameter for the machine in application of the agricultural material for the first field portion during the first time period, the first operating parameter identified to achieve an expected horticultural result at a future time period, the future time period occurring after the second time period, the expected horticultural result corresponding to a uniform emergence of seed material placed in portions of the field during different periods of time, or a profit measure corresponding to costs associated with seed, fuel, fertilizer or work hours to achieve the expected horticultural result; and

determine a second operating parameter for the machine in application of the agricultural material on the second field portion based on data generated by the sensor during the first time period in application of the agricultural material for the first field portion, third data generated by the sensor during the first time period at the first field portion, and the first operating parameter of the machine, the second operating parameter determined to achieve the expected horticultural result of the first field portion at the second field portion at the future time period.

10. A method for optimizing an application of an agricultural material with a machine, the method comprising:
identifying, with a computing element, first data associated with a plant growth affecting property for a first location in a field during a first period of time, the first location adjacent to a second location in the field, the second location in the field to be supplied with the agricultural material at a second period of time, the second period of time occurring after the first period of time;
identifying, with the computing element, second data associated with a first operating parameter of the machine for the first location during the first period of time;
identifying, with the computing element, third data associated with plant growth affecting property data for the first location in the field during the application of the agricultural material to the first location at the second period of time;
calculating, with the computing element, an expected plant growth based on the first, second, or third data for the first location in the field for a third period of time, the expected plant growth corresponding to a uniform emergence of seed material placed in portions of the field during different periods of time, or a profit measure corresponding to costs associated with seed, fuel, fertilizer or work hours to achieve the expected plant growth; and calculating, with the computing element, a second operating parameter of the machine for the second location utilizing the first, second, and third data, wherein the second operating parameter of the machine is adjusted to achieve the expected plant growth for the first location at the second location during the third period of time, the third period of time occurring after the second period of time.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second data are generated from locations closest to the second location to be supplied with the agricultural material.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the locations are previously traversed and immediately adjacent to the second location to be supplied with the agricultural material.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
storing in memory of the computing element a plant growth model;
generating, with the computing element, expected plant growth data using the plant growth model; and
calculating the first and second operating parameters of the machine, based on the expected plant growth data.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the expected plant growth data compri

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Gresch Valentin
• Kremmer Martin

Classifications

• A01B79/02 Primary

  combined with other agricultural processing, e.g. fertilising, planting · CPC title

• A01G22/00

  Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A01G25/16 Primary

  Control of watering · CPC title

• G05B2219/2625

  Sprinkler, irrigation, watering · CPC title

• A01C21/005

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