# US 12,213,398 B2 · Method for determining the influence of the inclination of an agricultural spreader on the distribution pattern

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- Number: US 12,213,398 B2
- Document ID: US12213398B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/272,059
- Filed: 2019-08-27
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28
- Assignees: Amazonen-Werke H. Dreyer SE & Co. KG
- Applicants: Amazonen-Werke H. Dreyer SE & Co. KG
- Inventors: Florian Rahe; Hubertus Kleine-Hartlage; Stefan Jan Johannaber; Jörn Albert
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213398B2

## CPC

- A01C 17/008: {Devices controlling the quantity or the distribution pattern}
- A01C 5/06: Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
- A01C 7/04: Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices
- G01C 9/00: Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
- A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting the influence of the inclination (α1-α4) of an agricultural spreading device (100, 102) on the distribution of the material to be spread, having the steps of: receiving discharge information on spreading processes of agricultural spreading devices (100) using an analysis device (10) and ascertaining a relationship between a dispensing point of material to be spread onto at least one distribution disc (104, 106, 108, 110) of an agricultural spreading device and the distribution of material to be spread, said relationship depending on the inclination of an agricultural spreading device, using the analysis device on the basis of the received discharge information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for detecting the influence of the inclination of an agricultural spreading device on the distribution of material to be spread, the agricultural spreading device comprising a metering system for the material to be spread and at least one rotatable distribution disc onto which the material to be spread is dispensed via the metering system, the method comprising:
receiving discharge information on spreading processes from agricultural spreading devices by an analysis device; and
ascertaining a relationship between a dispensing point of spreading material onto at least one distribution disc of an agricultural spreading device and a distribution of material to be spread, said relationship depending on the inclination of the agricultural spreading device, by the analysis device on the basis of the received discharge information,
wherein the dispensing point is the region where the material to be spread hits the at least one distribution disc,
the method further comprising detecting discharge information on a spreading process by one or more agricultural spreading device;
wherein the detection of discharge information on a spreading process by one or more agricultural spreading devices comprises at least one of the following steps:
continuously detecting the inclination of the respective agricultural spreading device during the respective spreading process:
continuously detecting the adjusted dispensing point of material to be spread onto at least one distribution disc of the respective agricultural spreading device during the respective spreading_process: or
continuously detecting the distribution of material to be spread during the respective spreading process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the discharge information includes indications on the inclination of the respective agricultural spreading device, indications on the adjusted dispensing point of material to be spread onto at least one distribution disc of the respective agricultural spreading device, and/or indications on the distribution of material to be spread during the respective spreading process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the indications on the distribution of material to be spread during the respective spreading process include indications on the ejection angle and/or the flying range of material to be spread, indications on the properties of at least one spreading fan, and/or indications on the intended and/or actual working width during the respective spreading process.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the discharge information includes indications on the distribution disc type used during the respective spreading process, and/or indications on the distribution disc configuration during the respective spreading process.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the discharge information includes indications on the type of material to be spread, in particular a class designation of material to be spread.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following steps:
ascertaining a dispensing point profile depending on the inclination by the analysis device, wherein the dispensing point profile depending on the inclination permits agricultural spreading devices to adjust the dispensing point in response to a detected inclination; or
providing the dispensing point profile depending on the inclination for retrieval, in particular for online retrieval, by agricultural spreading devices.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following steps:
recording discharge information on a spreading process by one or more agricultural spreading devices; or
sending the detected and/or recorded discharge information from the respective spreading devices to the analysis device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to one of claim 7, wherein the detection of discharge information on a spreading process by one or more agricultural spreading devices comprises at least one of the following steps:
detecting the distribution disc type used during the respective spreading process; or
detecting the distribution disc configuration during the respective spreading process.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method according to one of claim 7, wherein the sending of the detected and/or recorded discharge information from the respective spreading devices to the analysis device is accomplished at least partially wirelessly, in particular via radio communication.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection, in particular the continuous detection, of the distribution of material to be spread during the respective spreading process comprises at least one of the following steps:
detecting, in particular continuously detecting, the ejection angle and/or the flying range of material to be spread during the respective spreading process;
detecting, in particular continuously detecting, properties of at least one spreading fan during the respective spreading process; or
detecting, in particular continuously detecting, the intended and/or actual working width during the respective spreading process.

### Claim 11

A method for discharging material to be spread with an agricultural spreading device, the agricultural spreading device comprising a metering system for the material to be spread and at least one rotatable distribution disc onto which the material to be spread is dispensed via the metering system, the method comprising:
detecting, in particular continuously detecting, the inclination of the agricultural spreading device during the discharge of material to be spread on a usable agricultural area;
automatically adjusting the dispensing point of material to be spread onto at least one distribution disc in response to the detected inclination of the agricultural spreading device during the discharge of material to be spread on the usable agricultural area; comprising the step of:
retrieving a relationship between a dispensing point of material to be spread onto at least one distribution disc of an agricultural spreading device and a distribution of material to be spread, said relationship depending on the inclination of the agricultural spreading device, wherein the relationship has been ascertained using the method for detecting the influence of the inclination of an agricultural spreading device on the distribution of material to be spread,
wherein the dispensing point is the region where the material to be spread hits the at least one distribution disc.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

An analysis device for detecting the influence of the inclination of an agricultural spreading device on the distribution of material to be spread, the agricultural spreading device comprising a metering system for the material to be spread and at least one rotatable distribution disc onto which the material to be spread is dispensed via the metering system, the analysis device comprising:
a reception device which is adapted to receive discharge information on spreading processes of agricultural spreading devices; and
a calculation device which is adapted to ascertain, on the basis of the received discharge information, a relationship between a dispensing point of material to be spread onto at least one distribution disc of an agricultural spreading device and a distribution of material to be spread, said relationship depending on the inclination of the agricultural spreading device,
wherein the dispensing point is the region where the material to be spread hits the at least one distribution disc,
wherein the analysis device is adapted to be used in a method for detecting the influence of the inclination of an agricultural spreading device on the distribution of material to be spread according to claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The analysis device according to claim 12, wherein the calculation device is adapted to ascertain a dispensing point profile depending on the inclination, wherein the dispensing point profile depending on the inclination permits agricultural spreading devices to adjust the dispensing point in response to a detected inclination.