Agricultural system with deck plate positioning control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12507628-B2
Application number	US-202318140102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Oct 13, 2022
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

An agricultural system comprises a stalk-diameter sensing system associated with a row unit and configured to sense diameter-related data of respective stalks and generate signals based on the diameter-related data. Deck plates associated with the row unit are spaced apart to define a deck plate spacing. A deck plate positioning system is coupled to at least one of the deck plates to adjust the deck plate spacing. A control system is configured to communicate with the stalk-diameter sensing system and the deck plate positioning system. The control system is configured to receive the signals, determine a statistical representative stalk diameter for a sample of stalks based on the diameter-related data, determine a target deck plate spacing based on the statistical representative stalk diameter, and output a control signal to command the deck plate positioning system to set the deck plate spacing based on the target deck plate spacing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An agricultural system for use with an agricultural header, the agricultural system comprising:
a stalk-diameter sensing system associated with a row unit of the agricultural header and configured to sense diameter-related data of respective stalks from respective outer surfaces thereof and generate signals based on the diameter-related data, deck plates associated with the row unit and spaced apart to define a deck plate spacing between the deck plates, a deck plate positioning system coupled to at least one of the deck plates to adjust the deck plate spacing, and a control system configured to communicate with the stalk-diameter sensing system and the deck plate positioning system, the control system configured to:
receive the signals,
determine a statistical representative stalk diameter for a sample of stalks based on the diameter-related data, the sample of stalks having a sample size of at least two stalks,
determine a target deck plate spacing based on the statistical representative stalk diameter plus a nominal clearance between the statistical representative stalk diameter and the deck plates, and
output a control signal to command the deck plate positioning system to set the deck plate spacing based on the target deck plate spacing.

2 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the statistical representative stalk diameter is based on an average stalk diameter.

3 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the statistical representative stalk diameter is based on an average stalk diameter and an associated standard deviation.

4 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the statistical representative stalk diameter is based on a percentile.

5 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the sample size is a predetermined number of stalks.

6 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the sample size is the number of stalks sensed by the stalk-diameter sensing system in a predetermined period of time.

7 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the sample size is the number of stalks sensed by the stalk-diameter sensing system in a predetermined distance of travel.

8 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the statistical representative stalk diameter for each sample of stalks of successive samples of stalks at a sample frequency, each sample of stalks has the sample size of at least two stalks, and the successive sample of stalks comprises the sample of stalks.

9 . The agricultural system of claim 8 , wherein the sample frequency is based on each time the stalk-diameter sensing system senses a new stalk such that each sample of stalks comprises the respective new stalk and a predetermined number of preceding stalks.

10 . The agricultural system of claim 8 , wherein the sample frequency is based on a predetermined period of time.

11 . The agricultural system of claim 8 , wherein the sample frequency is based on a predetermined distance of travel.

12 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the nominal clearance is selectable by a human operator.

13 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the nominal clearance automatically independent of a selection of the nominal clearance by a human operator.

14 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the nominal clearance is fixed.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Heims Troy M
• Krehbiel Nathan E
• Bomleny Duane M
• Hammer Curtis R
• Vandike Nathan R
• Chandrasekaran Meghna

Classifications

• G05B19/4155

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title

• G05B2219/45003

  Harvester · CPC title

• A01D45/021

  Cornheaders · CPC title

• A01D45/028 Primary

  Harvesting devices mounted to a vehicle · CPC title