Shared planter data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12484467-B2
Application number	US-202117302344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

Sharing planter data is made efficient through an initial separation of agricultural data before transmission of the same. During performance of agricultural tasks, generated data is stored in files representing geographic regions. Several data layers of the files correspond to various agricultural aspects which can then be selectively transmitted with smaller parsed files. The received data can be harmonized into the same format used by the receiving agricultural implement. Sharing planter data in this way obviates performance degradation for rural cellular networks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computerized method of sharing agricultural data among agricultural implements in a field comprising:
receiving, at a first agricultural implement, parsed files transmitted from a second agricultural implement, said parsed files each having groupings including at least:
(a) a priority;
(b) an aspect relating to an agricultural task; and
(c) a geographic location;
communicating agricultural data during operation of the first agricultural implement; storing the agricultural data in agricultural applied files, said agricultural applied files being at least eight times larger in size than the parsed files; simultaneously displaying at least some information contained within the groupings and at least a portion of the agricultural data; and retaining the parsed files and agricultural applied files as separate files while retaining an ability to selectively upload and download the agricultural applied files and the smaller files, wherein the selectively upload and download the applied files and smaller files is based upon a type of the agricultural data contained therein; selectively and responsively toggling transmission of at least some of the applied files and smaller files based on field or network conditions by:
(a) transmitting the applied files to the second agricultural implement during periods when the bandwidth is at or above the selected minimum threshold;
(b) selectively communicating the smaller files among the agricultural implements through a means other than said connection to the network when the connection to the network is lost in at least one of the agricultural implements; and
(c) transmitting the smaller files to the second agricultural implement during periods when the bandwidth is below the selected minimum threshold,
wherein the first agricultural implement instructs the second agricultural implement (1) to travel along a selected path within the field using the geographic location and (2) to perform the agricultural task on a crop or a soil located within the field.

2 . The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising sensing, in real-time, one or more agricultural characteristics.

3 . The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising downloading, at the first agricultural implement, pre-parsed files transmitted from the second agricultural implement.

4 . The computerized method of claim 3 further comprising deleting the parsed files after the pre-parsed files have been downloaded.

5 . A computerized method of sharing agricultural data among agricultural implements in a field comprising:
communicating agricultural data with a non-transitory computer readable medium; storing the agricultural data in applied files; parsing the applied files into smaller files each having (1) a smaller size that is equal to or less than one eighth of a size of the unparsed applied files; (2) an identical size and file format to one another;
and (3) groupings of data, the groupings including at least:
(a) a priority;
(b) an aspect relating to an agricultural task; and
(c) a geographic location;
transmitting the smaller files from a first agricultural implement to a second agricultural implement, wherein the first agricultural implement instructs the second agricultural implement (1) to travel along a selected path within the field using the geographic location and (2) to perform the agricultural task on a crop or a soil located within the field; and retaining an ability to selectively upload and download the applied files and the smaller files wherein the selectively uploading and downloading the applied files and smaller files is based upon a type of the agricultural data contained therein; and responsively toggling between transmission of at least some of the applied files and smaller files based on field or network conditions by:
(a) transmitting the applied files to the second agricultural implement during periods when the bandwidth is at or above the selected minimum threshold;
(b) selectively communicating the smaller files among the agricultural implements through a means other than said connection to the network when the connection to the network is lost in at least one of the agricultural implements; and
(c) transmitting the smaller files to the second agricultural implement during periods when the bandwidth is below the selected minimum threshold.

6 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising further transmitting the smaller files from the first agricultural implement or the second agricultural implement to a third agricultural implement.

7 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising losslessly compressing the applied files or smaller files prior to transmitting the smaller files.

8 . The computerized method of claim 7 further comprising decompressing the applied files or smaller files at the second agricultural implement.

9 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising converting the applied files not having a universal file format to the universal file format prior to parsing the applied files.

10 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting the smaller files during operation of the first agricultural implement.

11 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising encrypting the agricultural data.

12 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising reducing an amount of computing power to the non-transitory computer readable medium.

13 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising retaining the applied files and the smaller files separately.

14 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising showing on a map of a display of the second agricultural implement at least some information contained within the groupings.

15 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting metadata from the first agricultural implement to the second agricultural implement.

16 . The computerized method of claim 5 further comprising manually selecting what information is to be included in the groupings.

17 . The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the size of the smaller files or the information to be included in the groupings depends on a velocity of the first agricultural implement.

18 . The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the agricultural task is selected 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.

19 . The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the parsing the applied files into smaller files comprises parsing each file of the applied files into a smaller file.

20 . The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the parsing the applied files into smaller files comprises parsing each file of the applied files into a plurality of smaller files.

21 . The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the parsing the applied files into smaller files comprises parsing all of the applied files that each have a plurality of groupings of data.

22 . A computerized system for use with agricultural implements in a field comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium located on each agricultural implement; wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises a processor, a memory, an operating system, and a compiler and is configured to:
(a) communicate agricultural da

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Moeller Matthew
• Baker Matthew
• Ehler Michael
• Mcmahan Ryan
• Schoon Jason
• Steidler-Dennison Tony

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