Combine harvester combining row crop guidance and plant attribute measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9936637-B2
Application number	US-201514712449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A system for measuring plant attributes includes an ECU mounted on a combine, a plant attribute sensor, a ground speed sensor and a vehicle guidance sensor. The ECU is configured to use a signal from a vehicle guidance sensor disposed in front of plant attribute sensor to create a signal sampling window in which signals from the plant attribute sensor will be read and to reject signals from the plant attribute sensors outside of this signal sampling window.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for measuring plant attributes comprising:
a combine harvester;
an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the combine harvester;
a vehicle guidance sensor disposed on a row crop harvesting head of the combine harvester and coupled to the ECU to sense a position of the row crop harvesting head with respect to at least one row of crops being harvested and to provide a guidance signal to the ECU indicative of this position;
a plant attribute sensor disposed on the row crop harvesting head of the combine harvester and coupled to the ECU to sense an attribute of a plant of the crops being harvested and to provide a crop plant signal to the ECU indicative of this attribute; and
a vehicle speed sensor coupled to the ECU and configured to provide a ground speed signal to the ECU indicative of the ground speed of the row crop harvesting head;
wherein the ECU is configured (1) to receive the guidance signal and the crop signal and the ground speed signal, (2) to calculate a signal sampling window in time, in which to accept a plant datum from the plant attribute sensor, and (3) to ignore plant signals received outside that signal sampling window.

2. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 wherein the plant signal is indicative of a plant stalk diameter.

3. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 wherein the plant signal is indicative of a plant yield.

4. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 wherein the plant signal is indicative of a plant part.

5. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 , wherein the row crop harvesting head is a corn head having a plurality of crop dividers, and wherein the vehicle guidance sensor are feelers mounted at a forward tip of at least one of the crop dividers.

6. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 5 , wherein the ECU is further configured to receive the guidance signal, to receive the speed signal, and to calculate the signal sampling window based upon at least the guidance signal and the speed signal.

7. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 6 , wherein the ECU is further configured to reject the plant signal when it is received outside of the signal sampling window and to accept the plant signal when it is received inside of the signal sampling window.

8. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 5 , wherein the feelers are disposed on the forward tip such that the feelers are deflected by plant stalks, and wherein the vehicle guidance sensor generates the guidance signal in response to such deflection.

9. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 , wherein the plant attribute sensor comprises at least one movable stripping plate of a row unit, wherein the at least one movable stripping plate is movable by a plant stalk entering the row unit, and further wherein the plant attribute sensor is configured to generate the plant signal based upon the amount of deflection of the at least one movable stripping plate by the plant stalk entering the row unit.

10. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 , wherein the plant signal is for an individual plant of the crops.

11. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 , wherein the ECU calculates an end of the signal sampling window based upon an amount of time for the plant to be harvested by the harvesting head.

12. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 , wherein the row crop harvesting head comprises a feeler forming the vehicle guidance sensor, stripper plates and stalk rolls and wherein the ECU is configured to calculate a start of the signal sampling window based upon signals received from the feeler and a determined amount of time for the plant to enter into a gap between the stalk rolls and the stripper plates following sensed engagement with the feeler based upon a speed of the combine harvester.

13. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 12 , wherein the ECU is configured to calculate an end of the signal sampling window based upon a determined amount of time for the plant to be pulled completely downward between the stalk rolls and ears of the plant to be snapped off.

14. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 12 , wherein the ECU is configured to calculate an end of the signal sampling window based upon the calculated start of the signal sampling window and a rotational speed of the stalk rolls.

15. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises a corn plant and wherein the ECU is configured to initiate monitoring for impact of an ear of the corn plant at a start of the calculated signal sampling window.

16. The system for measuring plant attributes of claim 15 further comprising a stripper plate, wherein the plant attribute sensor comprises a sensor that outputs signals based upon impact of an ear of corn with the stripper plate wherein the ECU is configured to initiate monitoring for impact of the ear of the corn plant with the stripper plate using the plant attribute sensor at the start of the calculated signal sampling window.

17. A plant attribute sensing system for use with a combine harvester, the sensing system comprising:
a row crop harvesting head;
a first sensor to sense a crop plant prior to separation of the crop plant from soil;
a second sensor to sense an attribute of the crop plant;
an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to calculate a signal sampling window for accepting signals from the second sensor based upon signals from the first sensor and a speed of the combine harvester, wherein the ECU is configured to ignore signals from the second sensor outside the calculated signal sampling window.

18. The plant attribute sensing system of claim 17 further comprising a third sensor to sense an attribute of the crop plant, wherein the ECU is configured accept signals from the third sensor during the calculated signal sampling window and to ignore signals from the third sensor outside the calculated signal sampling window.

19. The plant attribute sensing system of claim 18 , wherein the crop plant comprises a corn plant having a stalk and an ear, wherein the combine harvester comprises a movable stripper plate, wherein the second sensor comprise a sensor to sense outward movement of the stripper plate in response to engaging the stalk and wherein the third sensor comprise a sensor to sense impact of the ear with the stripper plate.

20. The plant attribute sensing system of claim 17 , wherein the row crop harvesting head comprises stripper plates and stalk rolls and wherein the ECU is configured to:
(1) calculate a start of the signal sampling window based upon signals received from the first sensor and a determined amount of time for the plant to enter into a gap between the stalk rolls and the stripper plates following sensing of the plant by the first sensor and based upon a speed of the combine harvester; and
(2) calculate an end of the signal sampling window based upon a rotational speed of the stalk rolls.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Anderson Noel W
• Dybro Niels

Classifications

• A01D41/1278 Primary

  for automatic steering · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D41/1271

  for measuring crop flow · CPC title

• A01D41/06

  Combines with headers · CPC title