# US 10,481,142 B2 · Sensor system for determining soil characteristics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,142 B2 - Document ID: US10481142B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/605,251 - Filed: 2017-05-25 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-25 - Assignees: Deere & Company - Applicants: Deere & Company - Inventors: Michael Rhodes; Nikolai Tevs; Jeffrey S Puhalla - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481142B2 ## CPC - G01N 33/24: Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) - A01B 5/04: drawn by tractors - A01B 61/00: Devices for, or parts of, agricultural machines or implements for preventing overstrain - A01B 76/00: Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00 - A01B 79/02: combined with other agricultural processing, e.g. fertilising, planting - A01C 5/064: {with rotating tools} - G01L 1/005: {by electrical means and not provided for in G01L1/06 - G01L1/22} - G01N 3/40: Investigating hardness or rebound hardness - G01N 33/245: {for agricultural purposes} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract A sensor system for determining soil characteristics is disclosed herein. The sensor system includes a ground engaging device for coupling to an agricultural implement. The ground engaging device includes at least one disc member having an aperture and an elongate shaft extending through the aperture. A first sensor unit is arranged on a sensing surface of the disc member and is configured to measure forces acting on the disc member. A second sensor unit is arranged on the elongate shaft and is configured to measure forces acting on the shaft. A processor is communicatively coupled to each of the first and second sensor units. The processor is configured to generate an output signal indicative of a soil characteristic based on the forces measured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor system for determining soil characteristics, the sensor system comprising: a ground-engaging device coupled to an agricultural implement, the ground engaging device comprising at least one disc member having an aperture and an elongate shaft extending through the aperture; a first sensor unit disposed on the disc member, wherein the first sensor unit is configured to measure a first force acting on the disc member in a first direction; a second sensor unit disposed on the elongate shaft, wherein the second sensor unit is configured to measure a second force acting on the elongate shaft in a second direction; and an electronic data processor communicatively coupled to each of the first and second sensor units, the electronic data processor being configured to inferentially determine a soil characteristic based on the first and second force measurements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first and second sensor units respectively comprise at least two sensor elements angularly displaced relative to one another by approximately 90-degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sensor system of claim 2, wherein the at least two sensor elements are arranged in half bridge or full bridge circuit arrangements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first direction is generally perpendicular to the second direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first or second force measurement comprises at least one of a shear force or a bending force. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the disc member comprises at least one of an opener disc, a tillage wheel, or a grain drill. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising three or more sensor units. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the determined soil characteristic comprises one more of the following: soil hardness, soil strength, soil compaction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising a satellite navigation receiver for determining each position of the first and second sensor units and its associated respective measurements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising a look-up table stored in a memory of the electronic data processor. ### Claim 11 A sensor system for determining soil characteristics, the sensor system comprising: a ground engaging device coupled to an agricultural implement, the ground engaging device comprising at least one disc member having an aperture and an elongate shaft extending through the aperture; a first sensor unit disposed on the disc member, wherein the first sensor unit is configured to measure a first force acting on the disc member in a first direction; a second sensor unit disposed on the elongate shaft, wherein the second sensor unit is configured to measure a second force acting on the elongate shaft in a second direction; an electronic data processor communicatively coupled to each of the first and second sensor units, the electronic data processor being configured to determine a soil characteristic based on the first and second force measurements; and a satellite navigation receiver for determining a position of each of the measured forces. ### Claim 12 A method for determining soil characteristics, the method comprising: providing a first and a second sensor unit disposed on a disc member of a ground engaging device; detecting a first force acting on the disc member of the ground engaging device in a first direction utilizing the first sensor unit; detecting a second force acting on an elongate shaft of the disc member of the ground engaging device in a second direction utilizing the second sensor unit; and determining a soil characteristic inferentially based on a magnitude of the first and second forces. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first force includes a bending force acting in a first direction and the second force includes a shear force acting in a second direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein determining the soil characteristic comprises correlating at least one of the first or second detected forces to a corresponding data value in a look-up table and inferring the soil characteristic based on the correlation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one soil characteristic is displayed on a graphical user interface of a display.