Agricultural harvesting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018242523-A1
Application number	US-201815888481-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2018
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Aug 30, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An agricultural harvesting system has an agricultural harvesting machine with at least one agricultural working unit that performs agricultural work, and an adjusting unit for adjusting the parameters of the particular working unit, a conveyor channel for a crop stream generated in a harvesting process by harvesting a field of crop, and an NIR sensor unit containing an NIR sensor which is configured for detecting constituents and/or properties of the crop stream. The crop stream in the conveyor channel can be guided past the NIR sensor. An on-line data processing unit controls the particular working unit, and generates control data on the basis of crop stream data which have been generated by the NIR sensor unit and correspond to the constituents and/or properties detected by the NIR sensor, and the adjusting unit carries out a parameter adjustment of the particular working unit on the basis of the control data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An agricultural harvesting system comprising:
an agricultural harvesting machine that includes at least one agricultural working unit which is configured for assisting or performing agricultural work, an adjusting unit for adjusting parameters of the at least one working unit, a conveyor channel for a crop stream generated in a harvesting process by harvesting a field of crop, an NIR sensor unit containing an NIR sensor which is configured for detecting constituents and/or properties of the crop stream, wherein the conveyor channel is configured to guide the crop stream past the NIR sensor, and an on-line data processing unit for controlling the at least one working unit, said on-line data processing unit being configured for generating control data on the basis of crop stream data which have been generated by the NIR sensor unit and which correspond to the constituents and/or properties detected by the NIR sensor, wherein the adjusting unit is configured for carrying out a parameter adjustment of the at least one working unit at least on the basis of the control data.

2 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one working unit comprises a rechopper for the crop in the crop stream, wherein the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating data regarding the dry mass content and/or the starch portion of fruit of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating the control data for carrying out the parameter adjustment of the rechopper, and wherein the adjusting unit is configured for carrying out an adjustment of a gap width and/or a drive power of the rechopper as the parameter adjustment.

3 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one working unit comprises a header, wherein the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating data regarding a raw fiber portion of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating the control data for carrying out the parameter adjustment of the header, and wherein the adjusting unit is configured for carrying out an adjustment of a cutting height of the crop as the parameter adjustment.

4 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one working unit comprises a header, wherein the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating data regarding a crude ash portion of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating the control data for carrying out the parameter adjustment of the header, and wherein the adjusting unit is configured for carrying out an adjustment of the cutting height of the crop as the parameter adjustment.

5 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one working unit comprises a feed device and a cutting cylinder, wherein the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating data regarding the dry mass content of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating the control data for carrying out the parameter adjustment of the feed device and/or the cutting cylinder, and the adjusting unit is configured for carrying out the adjustment of a length of cut of the crop as the parameter adjustment.

6 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed claim 1 , wherein the at least one agricultural working unit comprises a feed device and a cutting cylinder, wherein the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating data regarding the raw fiber portion of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating the control data for carrying out the parameter adjustment of the feed device and/or the cutting cylinder, and wherein the adjusting unit is configured for carrying out an adjustment of a length of cut of the crop as the parameter adjustment.

7 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the agricultural harvesting machine further comprises a data transmission unit which is configured for transmitting the crop stream data to an off-line data processing unit for the processing of the crop stream data in a manner temporally decoupled from the generation and/or receipt thereof.

8 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the off-line data processing unit and the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating, at least on the basis of crop stream data generated by the NIR sensor unit, data regarding the chemical composition of fruit of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating control data for controlling an agricultural working process downstream from the harvesting process.

9 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein, at least one of the off-line data processing unit and the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating, at least on the basis of the crop stream data generated by the NIR sensor unit, data regarding at least one of protein content, protein type, sugar content, starch content and fat content of the fruit of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating control data for controlling an agricultural working process downstream from the harvesting process.

10 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the off-line data processing unit and the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating, at least on the basis of crop stream data generated by the NIR sensor unit, data regarding harvesting yield of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating control data for controlling an agricultural working process downstream from the harvesting process.

11 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the off-line data processing unit and the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating, at least on the basis of crop stream data generated by the NIR sensor unit, data regarding the structural composition of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating control data for controlling an agricultural working process downstream from the harvesting process.

12 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the off-line data processing unit and the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating, at least on the basis of crop stream data generated by the NIR sensor unit, data regarding the dry mass content and/or the raw fiber portion of the harvested field of crop, carrying out a comparison of the generated data with reference data and, on the basis of the comparison, generating control data for controlling an agricultural working process downstream from the harvesting process.

13 . The agricultural harvesting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the off-line data processing unit and the on-line data processing unit is configured for generating, at

Assignees

• Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh

Inventors

• Kirchbeck Alexander
• Sander Stefan

Classifications

• G01N21/359

  using near infrared light · CPC title

• G01N21/3554

  for determining moisture content · CPC title

• A01C21/005

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• G01N21/3563

  for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title