Systems and methods for monitoring bale composition
AssigneeGreat Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsBrian Olander, Taylor Bozarth, James Edward Schott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bale composition determination system comprising a baler configured to pick up crop material cut and lying on the ground in the form of a windrow and to form bales of the crop material. The system additionally includes one or more sensors configured to obtain electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material. The system further includes a control system configured to receive the electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material and to generate vegetation index values for the bales of crop material based on the electromagnetic reflectance information.
Claims24
A bale composition determination system comprising:
- a baler configured to pick up crop material cut and lying on the ground in the form of a windrow and to form bales of the crop material;
- one or more primary sensors configured to obtain electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material;
- and
- a control system configured to receive the electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material and to generate vegetation index values for the bales of crop material based on the electromagnetic reflectance information,
- further comprising one or more secondary sensors configured to obtain bale parameters for the bales of crop material, wherein the bale parameters include one or more of the following:
- size, weight, and moisture content for the bales,
- wherein the control system is configured to generate bale quality metrics for the bales, wherein the bale quality metrics are based on the vegetation index values and the bale parameters,
- further comprising a graphic display configured to present an alert when the bale quality metric is out of range of a target.
A bale composition determination system comprising:
- a baler configured to pick up crop material cut and lying on the ground in the form of a windrow and to form bales of the crop material;
- one or more primary sensors configured to obtain electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material;
- and
- a control system configured to receive the electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material and to generate vegetation index values for the bales of crop material based on the electromagnetic reflectance information,
- further comprising one or more secondary sensors configured to obtain bale parameters for the bales of crop material, wherein the bale parameters include one or more of the following:
- size, weight, and moisture content for the bales,
- wherein the control system is configured to generate bale quality metrics for the bales, wherein the bale quality metrics are based on the vegetation index values and the bale parameters,
- wherein said baler is configured to generate a radio-frequency identification tag to be placed on each bale, wherein each radio-frequency identification tag includes or is associated with information indicative of a bale quality metric for the respective bale.
A bale composition determination system for bales of crop material formed by a baler, wherein the baler is configured to pick up the crop material having been cut and lying on the ground in the form of a windrow, said system comprising:
- one or more sensor configured to obtain electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material;
- and
- a computing device configured to receive the electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material and to generate vegetation index values for the bales of crop material based on the electromagnetic reflectance information,
- wherein said control system is configured to generate a data file for each bale or group of bales formed by said baler, wherein said data files include electromagnetic reflectance information or vegetation index values for each bale or group of bales.
A method for determining bale composition, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) picking up crop material cut and lying on the ground in the form of a windrow;
- (b) forming the crop material into bales;
- (c) obtaining electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material;
- and
- (d) generating vegetation index values for the bales of crop material based on the electromagnetic reflectance information,
- further including the step of providing an alert that the vegetation index values generated in step (d) are out of range of target vegetation index values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.