Pitch-based control for sprayers and sprayer operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604237-B2
Application number	US-201414485052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2014
Priority date	Sep 12, 2014
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and a control system are described for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle with a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor. The tilt-detection mechanism is utilized to determine a tilt indicator. A tilt value is determined based upon the tilt indicator. A tank fill-volume indicator is determined based upon information from the tank fill-volume sensor. A tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank is determined based upon the tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle, the sprayer vehicle including a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor, the sprayer vehicle being disposed at a tilted orientation, the computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, by the tilt-detection mechanism, one or more tilt indicators representing the tilted orientation of the sprayer vehicle;
providing the determined one or more tilt indicators to one or more computing devices;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;
determining, by the tank fill-volume sensor, fill-volume information for the tank;
providing the fill-volume information to the one or more computing devices;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, the fill-volume information from the tank fill-volume sensor;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator;
providing an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume at an output interface, wherein the indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume is provided at the output interface after a primary fill operation; and
determining, by the one or more computing devices, an amount of a secondary substance for a secondary fill operation, the amount of the secondary substance determined at least in part, by the provided indicator.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume is provided at the output interface after a primary fill operation, wherein the tank receives a primary substance during the primary fill operation and the indicator at the output interface indicates, at least in part, an amount of primary substance in the tank; and
wherein the computer-implemented method further includes receiving an amount of secondary substance in a secondary fill operation, wherein the secondary substance is diluted by the primary substance, and the amount of secondary substance is determined based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume provided by the indicator at the output interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary substance is at least one of an herbicide, a pesticide, and a fertilizer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a pumping operation for filling the tank based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume provided by the indicator at the output interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tilt value includes a pitch value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and a roll value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the tilt-corrected fill-volume includes:
determining a roll-corrected fill-volume estimate based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and a roll value;
determining a pitch-based fill-volume correction based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and a pitch value; and
subtracting the pitch-based fill-volume correction from the roll-corrected fill-volume estimate.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume to a material-management system to manage one or more aspects of at least one of a tank-filling operation, tank mixing operation, and a spray-application operation.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the tank fill-volume indicator is one or more of a height, a percentage height, a pressure, or a weight.

9. A computer-implemented method for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle, the sprayer vehicle including a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor, the sprayer vehicle being disposed at a tilted orientation, the computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, by the tilt-detection mechanism, one or more tilt indicators representing the tilted orientation of the sprayer vehicle;
providing the determined one or more tilt indicators to one or more computing devices;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;
determining, by the tank fill-volume sensor, fill-volume information for the tank:
providing the fill-volume information to the one or more computing devices;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, the fill-volume information from the tank fill-volume sensor;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator; and
providing an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume at an output interface,
wherein the at least one tilt value includes a pitch value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and a roll value of at least one of the vehicle and the tank, and
wherein determining the tilt-corrected fill-volume includes:
determining a pitch-corrected fill-volume estimate based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the pitch value;
determining a roll-based fill-volume correction based upon, at least in part, the tank fill-volume indicator and the roll value; and
subtracting the roll-based fill-volume correction from the pitch-corrected fill-volume estimate.

10. A control system for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle, the sprayer vehicle including a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor, the control system comprising:
one or more processor devices; and
one or more memory architectures coupled with the one or more processor devices;
wherein the one or more processor devices are configured to:
determine one or more indicators of a tilt of the sprayer vehicle;
determine at least one tilt value based upon, at least in part, the determined one or more tilt indicators, the at least one tilt value representing a degree of tilt of at least one of the sprayer vehicle and the tank;
determine a tank fill-volume indicator based upon, at least in part, information from the tank fill-volume sensor;
determine a tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank based upon, at least in part, the at least one tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator;
provide an indicator of the tilt-corrected fill-volume after a primary fill operation, wherein the tank receives a primary substance during the primary fill operation and the tilt-corrected fill-volume indicates, at least in part, an amount of primary substance in the tank; and
determine an amount of secondary substance for a secondary fill operation, wherein the secondary substance is diluted by the primary substance, and the amount of secondary substance is determined based upon, at least in part, the determined tilt-corrected fill-volume.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the secondary substance is at least one of an herbicide, a pesticide, and a fertilizer.

12. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processor devices are furthe

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Hanson David A
• Humpal Richard A
• Hitchler Bradley J
• Martin Matthew T

Classifications

• A01M7/0085 Primary

  Tanks · CPC title

• A61B5/1073

  Measuring volume, e.g. of limbs · CPC title

• B05B12/08 Primary

  responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material {to be} discharged, of ambient medium or of target {; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means} · CPC title

• G01N9/02

  by measuring weight of a known volume · CPC title

• A01C23/007

  Metering or regulating systems · CPC title