Back to results
US 11,003,167 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for distribution device refill planning
AssigneeTopcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
InventorsKevin Klubertanz, Jerome A. Bump
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for agricultural refill planning determines a refill time and access point for a mobile storage device (e.g., a seed tender) to refill an agricultural distribution device (e.g., planter) with agricultural material (e.g., seed). The refill time and access point are selected so that excess time is not lost and areas, such as planting fields, are not adversely affected by movement of the agricultural distribution device or the mobile storage device.
Claims16
A method for agricultural distribution device refill planning comprising:
- determining a time and a location along a planned path of an agricultural distribution device at which material in a storage carrier of the agricultural distribution device will be depleted;
- selecting one of a plurality of access points based on the time and the location, wherein the selected access point encompasses a portion of the planned path and an area accessible by a mobile storage device;
- determining a refill time for the agricultural distribution device and the mobile storage device to meet at the selected access point;
- determining an amount of material to be transferred from the mobile storage device to the agricultural distribution device based on the planned path and an application rate of the agricultural distribution device;
- and
- transmitting to the agricultural distribution device and the mobile storage device an identification of the selected access point, the refill time, and the amount of material to be transferred,
- wherein the agricultural distribution device is one of a plurality of agricultural distribution devices serviced by the mobile storage device and the selecting one of the plurality of access points and determining the refill time are based on an availability of the mobile storage device.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- determining a time and a location along a planned path of an agricultural distribution device at which material in a storage carrier of the agricultural distribution device will be depleted;
- selecting one of a plurality of access points based on the time and the location, wherein the selected access point encompasses a portion of the planned path and an area accessible by a mobile storage device;
- determining a refill time for the agricultural distribution device and the mobile storage device to meet at the selected access point;
- determining an amount of material to be transferred from the mobile storage device to the agricultural distribution device based on the planned path and an application rate of the agricultural distribution device;
- and
- transmitting to the agricultural distribution device and the mobile storage device an identification of the selected access point, the refill time, and the amount of material to be transferred,
- wherein the agricultural distribution device is one of a plurality of agricultural distribution devices serviced by the mobile storage device and the selecting one of the plurality of access points and determining the refill time are based on an availability of the mobile storage device.
7 more elements
A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- determining a time and a location along a planned path of an agricultural distribution device at which material in a storage carrier of the agricultural distribution device will be depleted;
- selecting one of a plurality of access points based on the time and the location, wherein the selected access point encompasses a portion of the planned path and an area accessible by a mobile storage device;
- determining a refill time for the agricultural distribution device and the mobile storage device to meet at the selected access point;
- determining an amount of material to be transferred from the mobile storage device to the agricultural distribution device based on the planned path and an application rate of the agricultural distribution device;
- and
- transmitting to the agricultural distribution device and the mobile storage device an identification of the selected access point, the refill time, and the amount of material to be transferred,
- wherein the agricultural distribution device is one of a plurality of agricultural distribution devices serviced by the mobile storage device and the selecting one of the plurality of access points and determining the refill time are based on an availability of the mobile storage device.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.