Agricultural rate management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9338938-B2
Application number	US-201213472013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2012
Priority date	May 15, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

Agricultural rate adjustments performed by autopilots or farm information displays help eliminate guesswork and improve farm efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing agricultural rates comprising:
providing a farm information display system for a vehicle, including: a display, processor and memory; a GNSS receiver that estimates vehicle position and speed; a material quantity sensor; and, an application rate actuator;
estimating, using the processor, a material quantity on the vehicle using the material quantity sensor;
estimating, using the processor, a rate of change of material on the vehicle;
obtaining a desired vehicle end point from a user;
estimating, using the processor, a time to the vehicle end point based on the estimated vehicle speed; and,
adjusting, using the processor, the rate of change of material via the application rate actuator such that: (1) material quantity on the vehicle is exhausted when the vehicle reaches the vehicle end point, and (2) within a user-defined special rate area, the rate of change of material is different from that outside the special rate area.

2. The method of claim 1 where the rate of change is estimated with respect to time.

3. A method for managing agricultural rates comprising:
providing a farm information display system for a vehicle, including: a display, processor and memory; a GNSS receiver that estimates vehicle position and speed; a material quantity sensor; and, an application rate actuator;
estimating, using the processor, a material quantity on the vehicle using the material quantity sensor;
estimating, using the processor, a rate of change of material on the vehicle;
obtaining a desired vehicle end point from a user;
estimating, using the processor, a distance to the vehicle end point based on the estimated vehicle position; and,
adjusting, using the processor, the rate of change of material via the application rate actuator such that: (1) material quantity on the vehicle is exhausted when the vehicle reaches the vehicle end point, and (2) within a user-defined special rate area, the rate of change of material is different from that outside the special rate area.

4. The method of claim 3 where the rate of change is estimated with respect to vehicle position.

5. A method for managing agricultural rates comprising:
providing a farm information display system for a vehicle, including: a display, processor and memory; a GNSS receiver that estimates vehicle position and speed; and, a material quantity sensor;
estimating, using the processor, a material quantity on the vehicle using the material quantity sensor;
estimating, using the processor, a rate of change of material on the vehicle; and,
estimating, using the processor, a time and location where the material quantity on the vehicle will be exhausted, taking into account a different rate of change of material within a user-defined special rate area.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising communicating the estimated material quantity to another vehicle via a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising communicating the estimated time and location to another vehicle via a wireless network.

8. A farm information system comprising:
a display including a processor and memory;
a GNSS receiver in communication with the display, the receiver estimating position and speed of a vehicle;
a material quantity sensor in communication with the display, the sensor estimating a material quantity on the vehicle; and,
an application rate actuator in communication with the display, the actuator adjusting material application rate;
wherein the display:
estimates a rate of change of material quantity on the vehicle;
obtains a desired vehicle end point from a user;
estimates a time to the vehicle end point based on estimated vehicle speed; and,
adjusts the rate of change of the material quantity via the application rate actuator such that: (1) the material quantity on the vehicle is exhausted when the vehicle reaches the vehicle end point, and (2) within a user-defined special rate area, the rate of change of material is different from that outside the special rate area.

9. The system of claim 8 where the rate of change is estimated with respect to time.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a wireless transceiver in communication with the display, the wireless transceiver communicating with a farm information system on a second vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10 , the wireless transceiver communicating the vehicle end point to the farm information system on the second vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10 , the wireless transceiver communicating a map location to the farm information system on the second vehicle.

Assignees

• Cash Michael F
• Mayfield Douglas B
• Chiocco Gregory D
• Mirfin Geoffrey W
• Trimble Navigation Ltd

Inventors

• Cash Michael F
• Mayfield Douglas B
• Chiocco Gregory D
• Mirfin Geoffrey W

Classifications

• A01B79/005 Primary

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• G01F17/00

  Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies (measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B) · CPC title

• A01C21/00

  Methods of fertilising {, sowing or planting} · CPC title

• G01F25/00

  Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume · CPC title

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title