System and method for detecting levelness of tools of a tillage implement based on material flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11793098-B2
Application number	US-201916551900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A system for detecting the levelness of ground engaging tools of a tillage implement including an agricultural implement including a frame and ground engaging tools supported relative to the frame. The system includes a first sensor and a second sensor configured to capture data indicative of a material flow past one or more first ground engaging tools and second ground engaging tools, respectively. The system includes a controller configured to monitor data received from the first sensor and the second sensor and compare one or more first monitored values and one or more second monitored values associated with the material flow past the first ground engaging tool(s) and the second ground engaging tool(s), respectively. The controller is further configured to identify that at least a portion of the ground engaging tools are not level when the first monitored value(s) differs from the second monitored value(s) by a predetermined threshold value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting the levelness of disc blades of a tillage implement, the system comprising:
an agricultural implement including a frame and a plurality of disc blades supported relative to the frame;
a first sensor coupled to the frame, the first sensor configured to capture data indicative of a material flow past at least one first disc blade of the plurality of disc blades,
a second sensor coupled to the frame, the second sensor configured to capture data indicative of a material flow past at least one second disc blade of the plurality of disc blades; and
a controller configured to monitor data received from the first sensor and the second sensor and compare at least one first monitored value associated with the material flow past the at least one first disc blade to at least one second monitored value associated with the material flow past the at least one second disc blade, the controller being configured to identify that at least a portion of the disc blades are not level when the at least one first monitored value differs from the at least one second monitored value by a predetermined threshold value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sensor or second sensor comprises a non-contact sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-contact sensor comprises a camera, optical sensor, RADAR sensor, ultrasonic transceiver, or motion detector.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sensor or second sensor comprises a contact sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first ganged tool assembly, the first ganged tool assembly including a toolbar coupled to the frame and a plurality of the first disc blades coupled to the toolbar; and
a second ganged tool assembly, the second ganged tool assembly including a toolbar coupled to the frame and a plurality of the second disc blades coupled to the toolbar.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first sensor or second sensor is coupled to the toolbar of the first ganged tool assembly or second ganged tool assembly, respectively.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the captured data from the first sensor and the second sensor is indicative of the material flow at a location aft of the at least one first disc blade and the at least one second disc blade, respectively, relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is configured to capture data indicative of a height or density of soil lifted by the at least one first disc blade or the at least one second disc blade, respectively.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first disc blade is located at a first side of the implement, and the at least one second disc blade is located at a second side of the implement opposite the first side, wherein the controller is configured to identify that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level between the first side and second side of the implement.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first disc blade is located at a forward end of the implement, and the at least one second disc blade is located at an aft end of the implement, wherein the controller is configured to identify that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level relative to a forward direction of travel of the implement.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first disc blade and the at least one second disc blade are each further located at a forward end of the implement, the system further comprising:
a third sensor coupled to the frame, the third sensor configured to capture data indicative of a material flow past at least one third disc blade of the plurality of disc blades, wherein the at least one third disc blade is located at an aft end of the implement and at the first side of the implement; and
a fourth sensor coupled to the frame, the fourth sensor configured to capture data indicative of a material flow past at least one fourth disc blade of the plurality of disc blades, wherein the at least one fourth disc blade is located at an aft end of the implement and at the second side of the implement; and
wherein the controller is further configured to monitor data received from the third sensor and the fourth sensor and identify that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level relative to the forward direction of travel of the implement.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to initiate a control action when the controller identifies that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level, wherein the control action comprises at least one of notifying an operator of the tillage implement that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level, adjusting a position of the at least portion of the disc blades relative to a ground surface, or adjusting a downforce being applied to the at least portion of the disc blades ground-engaging-tools.

13. A method for detecting the levelness of disc blades of a tillage implement, the implement including an implement frame and a plurality of disc blades supported relative to the frame, the method comprising:
controlling, with a computing device, an operation of the tillage implement as the implement is being moved across the field;
monitoring, with the computing device, a material flow past at least one first disc blade of the plurality of disc blades based on data received from a sensor associated with the at least one first disc blade;
monitoring, with the computing device, a material flow past at least one second disc blade of the plurality of disc blades based on data received from a sensor associated with the at least one second disc blade;
comparing at least one first monitored value associated with the material flow past the at least one first disc blade to at least one second monitored value associated with the material flow past the at least one second disc blade; and
identifying that at least a portion of the disc blades are not level when the at least one first monitored value differs from the at least one second monitored value by a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined length of time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the sensors associated with the at least one first disc blade or the at least one second disc blade is configured to capture data indicative of a height or density of soil lifted by the at least one first disc blade or the at least one second disc blade, respectively.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one first disc blade is located at a first side of the implement, the at least one second disc blade is located at a second side of the implement opposite the first side, wherein identifying that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level comprises determining that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level between the first side and second side of the implement when a difference between the first monitored value and the second monitored value exceeds the predetermined load threshold.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one first disc blade is located at a forward end of the implement, the at least one second disc blade is located at an aft end of the implement, and wherein identifying that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level comprises determining that the at least portion of the disc blades are not level relative to a forward direction of travel of the implement when a difference between the first monitored v

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Barrick Christopher

Classifications

• A01B63/1112 Primary

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

• A01B63/008

  Vertical adjustment of tools (A01B63/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01B63/1115

  using a mechanical ground contact sensor · CPC title

• A01B49/027

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