System for measuring plant attributes using a priori plant maps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016338267-A1
Application number	US-201514716136-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for measuring plant attributes comprises a plant attribute sensor ( 103, 108, 110 ); a digital a priori plant location map ( 118 ); and an ECU ( 126 ) coupled to the plant attribute sensor ( 103, 108, 110 ) and configured to retrieve and use the a priori plant map and to anticipate a plant measurement based upon the a priori plant map and to use that anticipation to improve the accuracy of the plant measurement.

First claim

1 . A system for measuring plant attributes during harvesting of a row crop comprising:
a plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ); a digital a priori plant location map ( 118 ); and an ECU ( 126 ) coupled to the plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ) and configured to retrieve and use the a priori plant location map ( 118 ) to anticipate the presence of a plant to be harvested and to use the anticipated presence of a plant to improve accuracy of a plant measurement, wherein the plant measurement is provided by the plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ).

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the ECU ( 126 ) is configured to create a sensor sampling window ( 210 ), wherein the ECU ( 126 ) is further configured to receive data from the plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ) during the sensor sampling window ( 210 ) and wherein the ECU ( 126 ) is further configured to reject data from the plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ) outside of the sensor sampling window.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the anticipated plant measurement is used to adjust a value of as-received data from the plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ).

4 . The system of claim 2 wherein the plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ) comprises at least one of a feeler-based plant sensor ( 103 ), a stripper plate plant sensor ( 108 ), and a plant impact sensor ( 110 ).

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the feeler-based plant sensor ( 103 ) is a vehicle guidance sensor.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the stripper plate plant sensor ( 108 ) is configured to generate a signal indicative of a plant stalk thickness for a crop plant disposed between two stripper plates ( 104 ).

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the plant impact sensor ( 110 ) is configured to respond to impacts of ears of corn on a stripper plate ( 104 ).

8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the system further comprises a second plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ), wherein the second plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ) is coupled to the ECU ( 126 ), and wherein the second plant attribute sensor ( 103 , 108 , 110 ) comprises at least another of the feeler-based plant sensor ( 103 ), the stripper plate plant sensor ( 108 ), and the plant impact sensor ( 110 ).

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plant to be harvested is planted in a row.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the plant to be harvested is a corn plant.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Anderson Noel W
• Dybro Niels

Classifications

• A01D45/02 Primary

  of maize {, i.e. kernel harvesting (for ensilage maize A01D43/081)} · CPC title

• A01D45/021

  Cornheaders · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01D75/00

  Accessories for harvesters or mowers · CPC title

• G01B21/10

  for measuring diameters · CPC title