Automatic field partners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446483-B2
Application number	US-202117302348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Data from multiple agricultural operations in the same field is shared, securely, without the need for complex setup procedures. One agricultural implement can operate off of the agricultural data produced by other agricultural implements, which can, by way of example and with respect to a planting operation, result in a shared shutoff of seed application. If a single task is distributed to multiple agricultural implements, whichever agricultural implement starts the task can join to a common sharing of data. Another technique for sharing data can involve all shared agricultural implements using an initial, preferably identical, provisioning key. Maintenance of fields deemed to be geographically similar is made particularly easier through use of the present invention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computerized method of establishing communications among several agricultural implements comprising:
communicating agricultural data from a first agricultural implement;
selectively restricting access to the agricultural data;
after a second agricultural implement remotely accesses the agricultural data, pairing the second agricultural implement to the first agricultural implement;
utilizing a firewall and antivirus software to prevent bugs and malware from causing damage to computer systems of the several agricultural implements while the several agricultural implements travel in the field;
indicating with a unit identification module which agricultural implements are paired or otherwise connected to one another on a display; and
sharing an agricultural task among the several agricultural implements such that the several agricultural implements can work on a single task simultaneously and non-uniformly and a status associated with said task can be shown on said display.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the agricultural task to perform from the group consisting of (a) planting; (b) tilling; (c) baling; (d) harvesting; (e) spraying; (f) transporting; (g) cultivating; (h) harrowing; (i) plowing; (j) fertilizing; (k) broadcasting; (l) loading; and (m) unloading.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 further comprising:
providing guidelines for how to complete the selected agricultural task;
tracking performance progress of the selected agricultural task; and/or
manually marking the selected agricultural task complete.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising storing the agricultural data.

5. The computerized method of claim 4 further comprising preventing deletion of or overwriting of agricultural data which has already been communicated and/or stored.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising granting access only if a storage device having appropriate security permissions is plugged into a secure socket (SSL).

7. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising uploading the agricultural data from a storage device local to the first implement.

8. The computerized method of claim 7 further comprising downloading the agricultural data to a storage device local to the second implement.

9. The computerized method of claim 8 further comprising:
designating the storage device local to the first implement as a master device; and
restricting writing to the storage device local to the second implement to said downloading.

10. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the access is selectively restricted with a code or a password.

11. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein accessing the communicated agricultural data requires two-factor authentication.

12. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising instructing at least one agricultural implement to maneuver around an obstruction detected in a field.

13. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising producing an alert if a portion of a field is believed to have been planted more or less than once.

14. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising automatically shutting off an implement component or a remote agricultural implement.

15. A computerized method of establishing communications among several agricultural implements comprising:
communicating agricultural data from a first agricultural implement;
selectively restricting access to the agricultural data;
after a second agricultural implement remotely accesses the agricultural data, pairing the second agricultural implement to the first agricultural implement;
automatically generating and distributing a ledger while the agricultural implements are in the field to facilitate authentication of communicated agricultural data, wherein the ledger is distributed in real time while the several agricultural implements travel in the field;
indicating with a unit identification module which agricultural implements are paired or otherwise connected to one another on a display; and
sharing an agricultural task among the several agricultural implements such that the several agricultural implements can work on the agricultural task simultaneously and non-uniformly and a status associated with said task can be shown on said display.

16. A computerized system for use with several agricultural implements comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium located on each agricultural implement, said non-transitory computer comprising a processor, a memory, an operating system, and a compiler and is configured to communicate agricultural data;
a transmitter located on each agricultural implement connected to the computerized system, said transmitter configured to:
(a) employ at least one communication protocol; and
(b) connect to a network; and

a unit identification module capable of indicating which agricultural implements are paired on a display, wherein the unit identification module processes the agricultural data such that the location of the several agricultural implements and a status of a single, shared agricultural task being performed by the agricultural implements simultaneously and non-uniformly are also shown on the display;
wherein access to the agricultural data is selectively restricted with a secure socket that grants access if a storage device with appropriate security permissions is plugged into the secure socket; and
wherein said storage device includes a pairing sequence which is stored on the storage device and said pairing sequence is automatically executed to pair a first agricultural implement and a second agricultural implement after the non-transitory computer readable medium of the first agricultural implement and the second agricultural implement remotely access the agricultural data, and wherein the pairing sequence can be executed while the first agricultural implement and the second agricultural implement travel in the field.

17. An agricultural implement in combination with the computerized system of claim 16 comprising:
the non-transitory computer readable medium;
a sensor for sensing agricultural characteristics related to the agricultural data; and
the transmitter.

18. The agricultural implement of claim 16 further comprising a navigation system which includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

19. The agricultural implement of claim 18 wherein the display is configured to show the agricultural data on a digital map.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Mcmahan Ryan
• Schoon Jason

Classifications

• G05D1/87

  using redundant control arrangements · CPC title

• G05D1/692

  involving a plurality of disparate vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/247

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

• G05D1/248

  generated by satellites, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G05D1/648

  Performing a task within a working area or space, e.g. cleaning · CPC title