Agricultural seed detection and tracking system
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsGrant J. Wonderlich, Cary S. Hubner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural machine includes a seeding system having a seed meter configured to meter seed, a seed meter sensor configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of movement of the seed meter, and an assistive seed transport mechanism configured to receive the metered seed from the seed meter and to transport the metered seed along a delivery path. A control system is configured to determine a position of the seed in the assistive seed transport mechanism based on the sensor signal, and generate a control signal to control the agricultural machine based on the determined position of the seed.
Claims20
An agricultural machine comprising:
- a seed meter configured to meter seeds;
- an active seed transport mechanism configured to transport the seeds;
- a seed sensor configured to:
- sense seed presence in one or more of the seed meter or the active seed transport mechanism;
- and
- generate a seed signal indicating the seed presence;
- a drive mechanism configured to drive one or more of the seed meter or the active seed transport mechanism to transport the seeds along a transport route to a release point at which the seeds are released to a field;
- and
- a processing system configured to:
- generate a tracked position of the seed along the transport route based on the seed signal and an indication of movement of the active seed transport mechanism;
- receive an indication of a travel speed of the agricultural machine over the field;
- and
- generate an output comprising an indication of locations of the seeds in the field based on the tracked position of the seed and the travel speed of the agricultural machine.
A method comprising:
- generating a seed signal indicating presence of seed in one or more of a seed meter or a active seed transport mechanism on an agricultural machine;
- operating one or more of the seed meter or the active seed transport mechanism to transport the seeds along a transport route to a release point at which the seeds are released to a field;
- generating a tracked position of the seed along the transport route based on the seed signal and an indication of movement of the active seed transport mechanism;
- receiving an indication of a travel speed of the agricultural machine over the field;
- and
- generating an output comprising an indication of locations of the seeds in the field based on the tracked position of the seed and the travel speed of the agricultural machine.
A control system for an agricultural machine, the control system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the control system to:
- receive a seed signal indicating presence of seed in one or more of a seed meter or a active seed transport mechanism;
- operate one or more of the seed meter or the active seed transport mechanism to transport the seeds along a transport route to a release point at which the seeds are released to a field;
- generate a tracked position of the seed along the transport route based on the seed signal and an indication of movement of the active seed transport mechanism;
- receive an indication of a travel speed of the agricultural machine over the field;
- and
- generate an output comprising an indication of locations of the seeds in the field based on the tracked position of the seed and the travel speed of the agricultural machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.