Method for determining a quality of an agricultural bale

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023032085-A1
Application number	US-202217876974-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2022
Priority date	Jul 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 2, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for determining a quality of an agricultural bale produced by an agricultural baler, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first bale parameter signal indicative of a first bale parameter of the agricultural bale; receiving a second bale parameter signal indicative of a second bale parameter of the agricultural bale, wherein the first bale parameter and the second bale parameter each represents a different physical property of the agricultural bale; determining, based on the respective first bale parameter signal and the second bale parameter signal, a bale quality parameter indicative of a perceived quality of the agricultural bale; and providing an electronic signal representative of the bale quality parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for determining a quality of an agricultural bale produced by an agricultural baler, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first bale parameter signal indicative of a first bale parameter of the agricultural bale; receiving a second bale parameter signal indicative of a second bale parameter of the agricultural bale, wherein the first bale parameter and the second bale parameter each represents a different physical property of the agricultural bale; determining, based on the respective first bale parameter signal and the second bale parameter signal, a bale quality parameter indicative of a perceived quality of the agricultural bale; and providing an electronic signal representative of the bale quality parameter.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first bale parameter signal is received from a first bale parameter sensor, and the second bale parameter signal is received from a second bale parameter sensor.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first bale parameter sensor and the second bale parameter sensor are different from one another.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first bale parameter or the second bale parameter represents one of:
a bale size a bale shape a bale weigh, a bale color, a bale color distribution a slice thickness distribution a twine tension a twine integrity, a protein content a protein content distribution a moisture content or a moisture content distribution.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of showing at least one of a textual representation and a graphical representation of the bale quality parameter on a display.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of adjusting an operating parameter of the agricultural baler in dependence on the bale quality parameter.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of estimating a cost parameter indicative of an amount of work required for manufacturing the agricultural bale.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the cost parameter depends on at least one of:
a fuel consumption of the agricultural baler during production of the agricultural bale; a peak load on a moving part of the agricultural baler during production of the agricultural bale; and a peak torque on a moving part of the agricultural baler during production of the agricultural bale.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of receiving a location signal from a location sensor, the location signal being indicative of a drop-off location of the agricultural bale when it is released from the agricultural baler, and a step of storing the bale quality parameter in association with the drop-off location.

10 . A system for determining a quality of an agricultural bale, the system comprising:
a first bale parameter sensor configured for measuring a first bale parameter of the agricultural bale; a second bale parameter sensor configured for measuring a second bale parameter of the agricultural bale, the first bale parameter and the second bale parameter each representing a different physical property of the agricultural bale; and a controller operatively coupled to the first bale parameter sensor and the second bale parameter sensor and configured to perform a method for determining the quality of the agricultural bale produced by an agricultural baler, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first bale parameter signal indicative of the first bale parameter of the agricultural bale;
receiving a second bale parameter signal indicative of the second bale parameter of the agricultural bale;
determining, based on the respective first bale parameter signal and the second bale parameter signal, a bale quality parameter indicative of a perceived quality of the agricultural bale; and
providing an electronic signal representative of the bale quality parameter.

11 . A system according to claim 10 , further comprising a display operatively coupled to the controller to receive the electronic signal representative of the bale quality parameter and configured to show at least one of a textual representation and a graphical representation of the bale quality parameter on the display.

12 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions executable by a computer forming the controller, the plurality of instructions, when executed by the computer, causing the computer to carry out the method.

13 . An agricultural baler, comprising:
a system for determining a quality of an agricultural bale, the system comprising:
a first bale parameter sensor configured for measuring a first bale parameter of the agricultural bale;
a second bale parameter sensor configured for measuring a second bale parameter of the agricultural bale, the first bale parameter and the second bale parameter each representing a different physical property of the agricultural bale;
a controller operatively coupled to the first bale parameter sensor and the second bale parameter sensor and configured to perform a method for determining the quality of the agricultural bale produced by the agricultural baler, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first bale parameter signal indicative of the first bale parameter of the agricultural bale;
receiving a second bale parameter signal indicative of the second bale parameter of the agricultural bale;
determining, based on the respective first bale parameter signal and the second bale parameter signal, a bale quality parameter indicative of a perceived quality of the agricultural bale; and
providing an electronic signal representative of the bale quality parameter; and
a display operatively coupled to the controller to receive the electronic signal representative of the bale quality parameter and configured to show at least one of a textual representation and a graphical representation of the bale quality parameter on the display.

14 . The agricultural baler according to claim 13 , wherein the agricultural baler is a large square baler.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Nona Kenny
• Boydens Joachim
• VERMEULEN Brecht

Classifications

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• A01F15/0825 Primary

  Regulating or controlling density or shape of the bale · CPC title

• G06Q30/0283

  Price estimation or determination · CPC title

• A01F15/04

  Plunger presses · CPC title

• A01F15/0833

  for round balers · CPC title