System and method for controlling the operation of an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12089519-B2
Application number	US-202217939467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2022
Priority date	Sep 7, 2022
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

An agricultural implement includes a frame and a ground-engaging tool supported on the frame, with the ground-engaging tool configured to perform an operation on a field as the agricultural implement travels across the field. The agricultural implement includes an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting a portion of the field and a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device. In this respect, the computing system is configured to identify a plurality of residue pieces present within the portion of the field based on the image data generated by the imaging device. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to determine a residue length parameter associated with the identified plurality of residue pieces. Additionally, the computing system is configured to control a travel direction of the agricultural implement based on the determined residue length parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a frame;
a ground-engaging tool supported on the frame, the ground-engaging tool configured to perform an operation on a field as the agricultural implement travels across the field;
an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting a portion of the field; and
a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device, the computing system configured to:
identify a plurality of residue pieces present within the portion of the field based on the image data generated by the imaging device;
determine a residue length parameter associated with the identified plurality of residue pieces; and
control a travel direction of the agricultural implement based on the determined residue length parameter.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein, when determining the residue length parameter, the computing system is configured to:
determine a number of residue pieces of the identified plurality of residue pieces having a length within a first length range;
determine a number of residue pieces of the identified plurality of residue pieces having a length within a second length range, the second length range being different from the first length range; and
determine a characteristic length range for the portion of the field, the characteristic length range corresponding to one of the first length range or the second length range having the greatest number of residue pieces associated therewith.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 2 , wherein, when controlling the travel direction, the computing system is further configured to:
compare the determined characteristic length range to a previously determined characteristic length range; and
when the determined characteristic length range differs from the previously determined characteristic length range, initiate an adjustment to the travel direction.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein, when controlling the travel direction, the computing system is configured to adjust a position of a guidance line being used to guide the agricultural implement across the field based on the determined residue length parameter.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein the ground-engaging tool comprises a disk gang including a plurality of disks configured to rotate relative to soil within the field as the agricultural implement travels across the field.

6. A system for controlling an operation of an agricultural implement, the system comprising:
an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting a portion of a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling; and
a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device, the computing system configured to:
identify a plurality of residue pieces present within the portion of the field based on the image data generated by the imaging device;
determine a residue length parameter associated with the identified plurality of residue pieces; and
control a travel direction of the agricultural implement based on the determined residue length parameter.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein, when determining the residue length parameter, the computing system is configured to:
determine a number of residue pieces of the identified plurality of residue pieces having a length within a first length range;
determine a number of residue pieces of the identified plurality of residue pieces having a length within a second length range, the second length range being different from the first length range; and
determine a characteristic length range for the portion of the field, the characteristic length range corresponding to one of the first length range or the second length range having a greatest number of residue pieces associated therewith.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein, when controlling the travel direction, the computing system is configured to:
compare the determined characteristic length range to a previously determined characteristic length range; and
when the determined characteristic length range differs from the previously determined characteristic length range, initiate an adjustment to the travel direction.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a disk gang including a plurality of disks configured to rotate relative to soil within the field as the agricultural implement travels across the field.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the disk gang is fixed relative to a frame of the agricultural implement.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein, when controlling the travel direction, the computing system is configured to determine an adjusted disk gang angle based on the determined characteristic length range.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein, when controlling the travel direction, the computing system is further configured to initiate an adjustment to the travel direction based on the determined adjusted disk gang angle.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein, when controlling the travel direction, the computing system is configured to adjust a position of a guidance line being used to guide the agricultural implement across the field based on the determined residue length parameter.

14. A method for controlling an operation of an agricultural implement, the method comprising:
receiving, with a computing system, image data depicting a portion of a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling;
identifying, with the computing system, a plurality of residue pieces present within the portion of the field based on the received image data;
determining, with the computing system, a residue length parameter associated with the identified plurality of residue pieces; and
controlling, with the computing system, a travel direction of the agricultural implement based on the determined residue length parameter.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the residue length parameter comprises:
determining, with the computing system, a number of residue pieces of the identified plurality of residue pieces having a length within a first length range;
determining, with the computing system, a number of residue pieces of the identified plurality of residue pieces having a length within a second length range, the second length range being different from the first length range; and
determining, with the computing system, a characteristic length range for the portion of the field, the characteristic length range corresponding to one of the first length range or the second length range having the greatest number of residue pieces associated therewith.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the travel direction comprises:
comparing, with the computing system, the determined characteristic length range to a previously determined characteristic length range; and
when the determined characteristic length range differs from the previously determined characteristic length range, initiating, with the computing system, an adjustment to the travel direction.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the agricultural implement includes a disk gang including a plurality of disks configured to rotate relative to soil within the field as the agricultural implement travels across the field.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the disk gang is fixed relative to a frame of the agricultural implement.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein controlling the travel direction comprises determining, with the computing system, an adjusted disk gang angle based on the determined characteristic leng

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Schroeder Brittany

Classifications

• G05D1/617

  Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80) · CPC title

• G05D1/247

  using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons · CPC title

• G05D1/249

  from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras · CPC title

• A01B69/008

  automatic · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title