Bale identification system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11871702-B2
Application number	US-202017076991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A baler implement a tag installer operable to attach an RFID identification tag to a bale. A reader is positioned to interrogate the identification tag for receiving data from the identification tag. The reader is operable to emit an interrogation signal for interrogating the identification tag in accordance with a pre-defined timing sequence. The reader emits the interrogation signal regardless of a position of the bale in the baling chamber or on the baler implement. As such, the interrogation signal is emitted based on the pre-defined timing sequence. The pre-defined timing sequence may include a repeated on/off interrogation sequence, or continuously scanning interrogation sequence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A baler implement comprising:
a housing defining a baling chamber for forming crop material into a bale;
a tag installer operable to attach an identification tag to the bale;
a reader positioned to interrogate the identification tag for receiving data from the identification tag, wherein the reader is operable to emit an interrogation signal in accordance with a pre-defined timing sequence; and
wherein the reader emits the interrogation signal regardless of a position of the bale in the baling chamber.

2. The baler implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined timing sequence includes continuously emitting the interrogation signal.

3. The baler implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined timing sequence includes emitting the interrogation signal in a continuous cycle, wherein the continuous cycle includes a pre-defined scan period followed by a pre-defined non-scan period.

4. The baler implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tag installer includes a knotter system operable to wrap the bale with a twine, wherein the identification tag is attached to the twine.

5. The baler implement set forth in claim 4 , wherein the reader is positioned in-line with the twine relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing.

6. The baler implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the reader is a radio frequency identification reader, and the identification tag is a read only radio frequency identification tag.

7. The baler implement set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for sensing a property of the bale, and a baler implement controller having a processor and memory having a bale identification algorithm stored thereon, wherein the processor is operable to execute the bale identification algorithm to:
receive data related to the bale from the sensor;
control the reader to emit the interrogation signal in accordance with the pre-defined timing sequence regardless of a position of the bale within the baling chamber;
receive identification data from the identification tag in response to the interrogation signal;
associate the data related to the bale with the identification data from the identification tag of the bale; and
communicate the associated data related to the bale and the identification data from the identification tag to a remote memory.

8. A baler implement comprising:
a housing defining a baling chamber for forming crop material into a bale;
a tag installer operable to attach an identification tag to the bale;
a reader positioned to interrogate the identification tag for receiving data from the identification tag, wherein the reader is operable to emit an interrogation signal in accordance with a pre-defined timing sequence; and
wherein the reader is configured to interrogate the interrogation tag at a distance no greater than a maximum interrogation distance, wherein the maximum interrogation distance is equal to or less than a maximum dimensional length of the bale measured along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

9. The baler implement set forth in claim 8 , wherein the maximum interrogation distance is equal to or less than one half the maximum dimensional length of the bale.

10. A bale identification system for a baler implement, the bale identification system comprising:
a tag installer operable to attach an identification tag to a bale;
a reader positioned to interrogate the identification tag for receiving data from the identification tag;
a baler implement controller in communication with the reader and having a processor and memory having a bale identification algorithm stored thereon, wherein the processor is operable to execute the bale identification algorithm to:
receive data related to the bale from a sensor;
control the reader to emit an interrogation signal in accordance with a pre-defined timing sequence regardless of a position of the bale on the baler implement;
receive identification data from the identification tag in response to the interrogation signal;
associate the data related to the bale with the identification data from the identification tag of the bale; and
communicate the associated data related to the bale and the identification data from the identification tag to a remote memory.

11. The bale identification system set forth in claim 10 , wherein the pre-defined timing sequence includes continuously emitting the interrogation signal.

12. The bale identification system set forth in claim 10 , wherein the pre-defined timing sequence includes emitting the interrogation signal in a continuous cycle, wherein the continuous cycle includes a pre-defined scan period followed by a pre-defined non-scan period.

13. The bale identification system set forth in claim 10 , wherein the tag installer includes a knotter system operable to wrap the bale with a twine including the identification tag.

14. The bale identification system set forth in claim 13 , wherein the reader is positioned in-line with the twine relative to a longitudinal axis of the baler implement,
wherein continuously emitting the interrogation signal from the reader in accordance with the pre-defined timing sequence is further defined as emitting the interrogation signal in a continuous cycle regardless of a position of the bale on the baler implement, wherein the continuous cycle includes a pre-defined scan period followed by a pre-defined non-scan period.

15. The bale identification system set forth in claim 10 , wherein the reader is configured to interrogate the interrogation tag at a distance no greater than a maximum interrogation distance, wherein the maximum interrogation distance is equal to or less than a maximum dimensional length of the bale.

16. The bale identification system set forth in claim 15 , wherein the maximum interrogation distance is equal to or less than one half the maximum dimensional length of the bale.

17. The bale identification system set forth in claim 10 , wherein the reader is a radio frequency identification reader, and the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

18. A method of identifying and tracking a bale, the method comprising:
collecting crop material with a pick-up of a baler implement;
conveying the crop material from the pick-up into a baling chamber;
forming the crop material into a bale having a shape within the baling chamber;
wrapping the bale with a wrap material to secure the shape of the bale;
installing an identification tag onto the bale with a tag installer, wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag;
receiving data from a sensor, with a baler implement controller, wherein the data is related to a characteristic of the bale;
continuously emitting an interrogation signal from a reader in accordance with a pre-defined timing sequence;
receiving identification data from the identification tag, with the baler implement controller, in response to the interrogation signal;
associating, with the baler implement controller, the data related to the bale with the identification data from the identification tag of the bale; an
communicating, with the baler implement controller, the associated data related to the bale and the identification data from the identification tag to a remote memory.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Derscheid Daniel E
• Teach Kyle R
• Shook Gerald W
• Weinmann Robert V
• Yost Nathan J

Classifications

• A01F15/145 Primary

  Twine knotters · CPC title

• A01F15/071

  Wrapping devices (tying devices A01F15/141) · CPC title

• A01F2015/076

  Wrapping device incorporating sensors · CPC title

• G06K7/10425

  the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device · CPC title

• A01F15/0715 Primary

  Wrapping the bale in the press chamber before opening said chamber · CPC title