System and method for analyzing product flow signal for an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976881-B2
Application number	US-201414560747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A system and method are provided for quantifying a degree of discontinuity of material flow from a meter roller. A flowable particulate material is fed into a meter roller rotated at a constant speed while a camera takes pictures or images of the product dispensed from the roller. The images of the product taken by the camera are analyzed to determine the area of the image represented by the product. The areas of product within the images are then compared with one another to determine how continuous the area of product is in the respective frames. The area measurement for each image is calculated at a frame rate for the camera that, when compared to the flute frequency range of the roller, provides a frame per flute ratio that ensures all particles of product dispensed from the roller are captured in an image without overlap of product between frames.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for measuring a flow rate from a metering device, comprising:
feeding a flowable particulate material into the metering device;
rotating a meter roller of the metering device at a predetermined speed such that the flowable particulate material is dispensed from the metering device along a path, the meter roller having an operating meter speed and a number of flutes circumferentially spaced thereabout;
positioning a camera on a first side of the path, the camera having a minimum frame rate, a maximum frame rate and a lens directed at the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device;
calculating a minimum frame-per-flute ratio in response to the minimum frame rate of the camera, a number of flutes about the meter roller and a minimum operating meter speed of the meter roller;
calculating a maximum frame-per-flute ratio in response to the maximum frame rate of the camera, the number of flutes about on the meter roller and a maximum operating meter speed of the meter roller;
operating the camera at a frame rate greater than or equal to the minimum frame per flute ratio and less than or equal to the maximum frame-per-flute ratio so as to take a series of images of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device with the camera such that each particle of material of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device and passing through a line of sight of the lens is captured in at least one image of the series of images;
backlighting the path of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device to enhance the series of images taken;
measuring a parameter of the flowable particulate material for each image;
comparing the measurement of the parameter of the flowable particulate material for each image with the measurement of the parameter of the flowable material in all images to determine a statistical parameter indicative of flow rate discontinuity; and
using a scale to continuously measure a mass of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each measuring step comprises determining an area of the output flowable particulate material in each image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein comparing the measurement for each image with the measurement for the area comprises dividing the measurement for the area of the flowable particulate material in all images by number of images to determine an average.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the statistical parameter indicative of flow rate discontinuity is a standard deviation between the measurement for each image and the average.

5. A method for measuring a flow rate from a metering device by rotating a meter roller of the metering device at an operational speed for a specified period of time, the meter roller having a number of flutes circumferentially spaced thereabout, the method characterized by:
dispensing flowable particulate material from the metering device along a path;
positioning a camera on a first side of the path, the camera having a minimum frame rate, a maximum frame rate and a lens directed at the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device;
calculating a minimum frame-per-flute ratio in response to the minimum frame rate of the camera, a number of flutes about the meter roller and a minimum operational speed of the meter roller;
calculating a maximum frame-per-flute ratio in response to the maximum frame rate of the camera, the number of flutes about on the meter roller and a maximum operational speed of the meter roller;
operating the camera at a frame rate greater than or equal to the minimum frame per flute ratio and less than or equal to the maximum frame-per-flute ratio so as to take a series of images of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device with the camera such that each particle of material of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device and passing through a line of sight of the lens is captured in at least one image of the series of images;
measuring output from the meter roller from the image taken of the output;
comparing the measurement to a theoretical value equal to a total area of the output from the meter roller for all images of the output of the meter roller divided by the total number of images; and
using a scale to continuously measure a mass of the output dispensed from the metering device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein measuring output from the meter roller from the image of the output comprises determining an area of the output in the image of the output.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising measuring output from the meter roller for each image.

8. The method of claim 5 , comprising comparing the measurement for each image to the theoretical value to determine a statistical parameter indicative of flow rate discontinuity.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the statistical parameter indicative of flow rate discontinuity is a standard deviation between the measurement for each increment and the theoretical value.

10. An apparatus for measuring a flow rate from a meter roller, comprising:
a metering assembly configured to receive a flowable particulate material;
a meter roller disposed within the metering assembly, the meter roller having a number of flutes circumferentially spaced thereabout;
a drive unit coupled to the meter roller and configured to rotate the meter roller within the metering assembly, the meter roller having a minimum and a maximum operating speed;
a drive unit controller communicatively coupled to the drive unit and configured to instruct the drive unit to rotate the meter roller at a specified speed to output the flowable particulate material from the metering assembly;
a measuring device configured to take a series of images of the flowable particulate material output from the metering assembly, the measuring device having a minimum and a maximum frame rate;
a controller operatively connected to the measuring device and being configured to:
calculate a minimum frame-per-flute ratio in response to the minimum frame rate of the measuring device, the number of flutes about the meter roller and the minimum operating speed of the meter roller;
calculating a maximum frame-per-flute ratio in response to the maximum frame rate of the measuring device, the number of flutes about on the meter roller and a maximum operating seed of the meter roller; and
cause the measuring device to take a series of images of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device camera at a frame rate greater than or equal to the minimum frame per flute ratio and less than or equal to the maximum frame-per-flute ratio such that each particle of the flowable particulate material outputted by the metering assembly and passing through a line of sight of the measuring device is captured in at least one image; and

a scale configured to continuously measure a mass of the flowable particulate material dispensed from the metering device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the measuring device includes a camera configured to take images of the flowable particulate material output of the metering assembly.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a light source disposed opposite the camera.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd
• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Gervais Joel
• Noble Scott

Classifications

• G01F1/06 Primary

  using rotating vanes with tangential admission · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• G01F25/0092 Primary

  for metering by volume · CPC title

• G06T7/62

  of area, perimeter, diameter or volume · CPC title

• G01F22/00

  Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for · CPC title