Yield calculation system, yield map generation system, method of calculating yield for baler, and computer readable storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11559003-B2
Application number	US-202017088578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A yield calculation system comprises a position sensor configured to detect a position. A baler comprises a bale chamber in which crop material is to be formed into a bale, a volume measurement sensor provided in the bale chamber and configured to measure a volume of the bale in the bale chamber, the volume corresponding to the position detected by the position sensor, and a moisture measurement sensor provided in the bale chamber and configured to measure a moisture amount in the bale, the moisture amount corresponding to the position detected by the position sensor. Circuitry is configured to calculate, based on the volume of the bale and the moisture amount corresponding to the position, a yield corresponding to the position by excluding the moisture amount from an amount of the bale.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A yield calculation system comprising:
a position sensor configured to detect a position;
a baler configured to form crop material into bales and comprising:
a bale chamber in which the crop material is to be formed into each of the bales;
a volume measurement sensor provided in the bale chamber and configured to measure a volume of each of the bales in the bale chamber, the volume corresponding to the position detected by the position sensor;
a moisture measurement sensor provided in the bale chamber and configured to measure a moisture weight ratio of a portion of each of the bales, the moisture weight ratio indicating a ratio of a moisture weight of the portion of each of the bales to a weight of the portion of each of the bales, the moisture weight ratio corresponding to the position detected by the position sensor; and
a weight measurement sensor configured to measure a reference bale weight indicating a weight of a reference volume of each of the bales, when the volume of each of the bales amounts to the reference volume, the reference volume being a volume of a completed bale that is formed just before being discharged from the bale chamber;

a memory configured to store a reference unit volume weight indicating a unit volume weight of a remainder in which moisture is excluded from the crop material; and
circuitry configured to
calculate an original value of the reference unit volume weight stored in the memory based on the reference bale weight of a previous bale of the bales, the reference volume of the previous bale, and the moisture weight ratios of the previous bale which are measured in a time taken for the previous bale to be formed into the completed bale,
obtain an increment of the volume of a target bale of the bales in a predetermined cycle, the target bale being formed subsequent to the previous bale,
obtain the moisture weight ratio corresponding to the increment of the volume of the target bale,
calculate, based on the original value of the reference unit volume weight stored in the memory, the increment of the volume of the target bale, and the moisture weight ratio corresponding to the increment, a yield in the predetermined cycle, the yield indicating a remaining weight obtained by excluding a moisture weight of the increment from a weight of the increment, and
change the reference unit volume weight stored in the memory from the original value to an updated value based on the reference bale weight of the target bale, the reference volume of the target bale, and the moisture weight ratios of the target bale which are measured in a time taken for the target bale to be formed into the completed bale.

2. The yield calculation system according to claim 1 , wherein the volume measurement sensor is configured to measure a diameter of each of the bales.

3. The yield calculation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tractor configured to move the baler,
wherein the position sensor is provided on at least one of the baler and the tractor.

4. The yield calculation system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined cycle is constituted by at least one of a predetermined time and an amount of change of the position.

5. The yield calculation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to
calculate an average moisture weight ratio of the previous bale based on the moisture weight ratios of the previous bale,
calculate an average moisture weight ratio of the target bale based on the moisture weight ratios of the target bale,
calculate the original value of the reference unit volume weight based on the reference bale weight of the previous bale, the reference volume of the previous bale, and the average moisture weight ratio of the previous bale, and
change the reference unit volume weight to the updated value based on the reference bale weight of the target bale, the reference volume of the target bale, and the average moisture weight ratio of the target bale.

6. The yield calculation system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to
obtain a reference moisture weight indicating a moisture weight in the reference volume of the target bale by multiplying the reference bale weight of the target bale by the average moisture weight ratio of the target bale,
obtain a moisture volume in the reference volume of the target bale by dividing the reference moisture weight of the target bale by a unit volume weight of water,
obtain a remaining bale weight in the reference volume of the target bale by subtracting the reference moisture weight from the reference bale weight of the target bale,
obtain a remaining bale volume in the reference volume of the target bale by subtracting the moisture volume from the reference volume of the target bale,
obtain a bale remainder unit volume weight by dividing the remaining bale weight by the remaining bale volume, and
weighted average the original value of the reference unit volume weight and the bale remainder unit volume weight to obtain the updated value of the reference unit volume weight.

7. The yield calculation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to calculate the yield using the following equation:
Gi=ρ R ×V i /{1+ M i ×10 −2 ×(ρ R /ρ W −1)},

where:
ρ R is the original value of the reference unit volume weight [kg/m 3 ];
ρ W is a unit volume weight of water [kg/m 3 ];
V i is an i-th increment of the volume of the bale, the i-th increment being the increment in an i-th cycle [m 3 ] (i is an integer);
M i is a percentage of the moisture weight ratio in the i-th increment [wt %] (M i corresponds to V i ); and
G i is an i-th yield [kg] (G i corresponds to V i ).

8. A yield map generation system comprising:
the yield calculation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to generate a yield map in which the yield is correlated with the position detected in the predetermined cycle.

9. A yield map generation system comprising:
the yield calculation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to
determine an area of a field,
divide the area into regions based on a raked track in the area, the baler being configured to travel along the raked track to form the bale,
determine region yields in the regions, respectively, by correlating, with one of the regions, the yield calculated in the predetermined cycle,
divide region yields by dimensions of the regions to obtain unit yields in the regions, respectively, and
generate a yield map in which the regions are correlated with yield levels calculated based on the unit yields, respectively.

10. A method of calculating a yield for a baler, comprising:
obtaining a position at which the baler harvests crop material;
obtaining a volume of each of bales into which the crop material is formed in a bale chamber of the baler; the volume of each of the bales corresponding to the position;
obtaining a moisture weight ratio of a portion of each of the bales, the moisture weight ratio indicating a ratio of a moisture weight of the portion of each of the bales to a weight of the portion of each of the bales, the moisture weight ratio corresponding to the position;
measuring a reference bale weight indicating a weight of a reference volume of each of the bales, when the volume of each of the bales amounts to the reference volume, the reference volume being a volume of a completed bale that is formed just before being discharged from the bale chamber;
calculating an original value of a reference unit volume weight indicating a unit volume weight of a remainder in which moisture is excluded from the c

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Ibuki Takeru
• Sasamoto Hirokazu
• Sasakura Sakura
• Nishida Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G01N33/0098

  Plants or trees (wood G01N33/46) · CPC title

• A01F15/07 Primary

  Rotobalers, i.e. machines for forming cylindrical bales by winding and pressing · CPC title

• A01F15/08 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• A01F2015/0891

  Weighing the finished bale before falling to ground · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title