Multi-variable yield monitor and methods for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9410840-B2
Application number	US-201313835054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A dynamic yield monitor system includes a plurality of instruments to measure harvested crop characteristics while a crop is in-flow within a harvester elevator. The system includes a volume instrument that measures a harvested crop volume from the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator, and a weight instrument that measures a harvested crop weight from the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator. Optionally, the system includes other instruments including a moisture and temperature instrument. A receiver and processing node communicates with the instrument. The receiver and processing determines variable harvested crop test weight based on at least the measured harvested crop volume and measured harvested crop weight of the in-flow crop. The receiver and processing node further determines a variable yield of the harvested crop based on the measured harvested crop volume, the measured harvested crop weight, and the variable harvested crop test weight.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. A dynamic yield monitor system comprising:
a suite of yield instruments for measuring a plurality of harvested crop characteristics while a harvested crop is in-flow within a harvester elevator, including:
a volume instrument configured for coupling with the harvester elevator, the volume instrument measures a harvested crop volume from the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator, and
a weight instrument configured for coupling with the harvester elevator, the weight instrument measures a harvested crop weight of the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator, the weight instrument includes a paddle mounted weight instrument configured for coupling with one or more paddles of the harvester elevator and wherein the paddle mounted weight instrument is configured to measure the harvested crop weight along an ascending segment of the harvester elevator, and a quantity of the harvest crop weighed on a paddle is static relative to the weight instrument and moving relative to the remainder of an elevator loop of the harvester elevator; and

a receiver and processing node in communication with the suite of yield instruments, the receiver and processing node configured to determine:
a variable harvested crop test weight based on at least the measured harvested crop volume and measured harvested crop weight of a quantity of the in flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator, and
a variable yield of the harvested crop based on the measured harvested crop volume, the measured harvested crop weight, and the variable harvested crop test weight.

2. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the volume instrument includes an optical volume instrument configured for coupling along an ascending segment of the harvester elevator.

3. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the weight instrument includes a force impact plate configured for positioning within a crop chute of the harvester elevator.

4. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 1 comprising a moisture and temperature instrument, the moisture and temperature instrument measures a harvested crop moisture and temperature from the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator, and the plurality of harvested crop characteristics include the harvested crop moisture and temperature.

5. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 4 , wherein the receiver and processing node includes a blending filter configured to determine the variable harvested crop test weight based on the measured harvested crop volume, weight, temperature and moisture as each of the plurality of harvested crop characteristics vary within a field.

6. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver and processing note includes a blending filter configured to:
receive the measurements of the harvested crop characteristics including the measured harvest crop volume, weight, and a harvested crop temperature and a harvested crop moisture content, and
generate one or more variable yield values based on the measurements of the harvested crop characteristics, the one or more variable yield values including one or more of a variable volume value, a variable weight value or a variable test weight value.

7. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 6 wherein the receiver and processing node includes an indexing module in communication with a location sensor, and the receiver and processing node is configured to associate one or more of the variable yield values with a plurality of corresponding locations of an agricultural field.

8. The dynamic yield monitor system of claim 7 , wherein the receiver and processing node includes a yield map module in communication with the indexing module, and the yield map module is configured to generate a yield map including one or more of the variable yield values associated with the plurality of corresponding locations of the agricultural field.

9. A method for dynamically measuring yield comprising:
measuring a plurality of harvested crop characteristics with a suite of yield instruments within a harvester elevator, measuring including:
measuring a harvested crop volume of a moving flow of the harvested crop within the harvester elevator, and
measuring a harvested crop weight of the moving flow of the harvested crop within the harvester elevator including measuring the weight of a quantity of the harvested crop while moving the quantity along an ascending segment of the harvester elevator, the quantity of the harvested crop carried by one or more paddles, and the quantity of the harvested crop is static relative to a weight instrument configured to measure the weight of the quantity; and

communicating the measured plurality of harvested crop characteristics to a receiver and processing node;
determining a variable harvested crop test weight of the moving flow of the harvested crop based on at least the measured harvested crop volume and weight of a quantity of the moving flow of the harvested crop within the harvester elevator; and
generating one or more variable yield values based on the measurements of the harvested crop characteristics including at least the measured harvested crop volume and weight and the determined variable harvested crop test weight.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating the measured plurality of harvested crop characteristics includes wirelessly transmitting and receiving one or more of the measured plurality of harvested crop characteristics.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the variable harvested crop test weight includes determining the variable harvested crop test weight based on the measured harvested crop volume, weight, a harvested crop temperature and a harvested crop moisture as each of the plurality of harvested crop characteristics change within a field.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
measuring the harvested crop volume includes measuring a first harvested crop volume corresponding to a first field location and measuring a second harvested crop volume corresponding to a second field location,
measuring the harvested crop weight includes measuring a first harvested crop weight corresponding to a first field location and measuring a second harvested crop weight corresponding to a second field location, and
determining the variable harvested crop test weight includes determining a first harvested crop test weight based on the first harvested crop volume and crop weight and determining a second harvested crop test weight based on the second harvested crop volume and crop weight.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the one or more variable yield values includes:
communicating the measured plurality of harvested crop characteristics to the receiver and processing node, and
generating the one or more variable yield values includes generating the one or more variable yield values including a variable volume value, a variable weight value or a variable test weight value.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising associating one or more of the variable yield values with a plurality of corresponding locations of an agricultural field.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising generating a yield map including one or more of the variable yield values associated with the plurality of corresponding locations of the agricultural field.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein measuring the plurality of harvested crop characteristics includes measuring a harvested crop moisture content and temperature of the moving flow of the harvested crop within the harvester elevator.

Assignees

• Raven Ind Inc

Inventors

• Acheson John Earl
• Fjelstad Stephen Filip
• Prairie Douglas Samuel

Classifications

• A01D41/1277

  for measuring grain quality · CPC title

• A01D41/1272

  for measuring grain flow · CPC title

• A01D61/02

  Endless belts · CPC title

• G01F13/003

  comprising a conveyor belt · CPC title

• A01D41/127

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title