Time of flight grain cart fill sensor with combined spout as scanning head
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorScott Glovier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for sensing and analyzing filling of a grain cart while receiving grain from a combine. Time-of-flight sensors may be mounted on a grain spout (or nozzle) extending from the combine over the grain cart during operation. The sensors provide signals indicative of distances of surfaces of accumulating grain from the sensors, and these distances may be determined by onboard processing circuitry. A third sensor may detect a spout-to-ground distance to help compute the grain level information. Other parameters such as cross-sectional areas, volumes, and locations in the cart may be determined based on the sensed signals. Open or closed loop control of cart and/or combine positioning may be provided based on the signals.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a pair of sensors positioned to sense an upper surface of grain being transferred into a grain cart by a combine, the sensors being mounted on a grain spout or nozzle extended from the combine over the grain cart during operation;
- and
- processing circuitry that receives signals indicative of distances between the sensors and the upper surface of the grain based upon output of the sensors, and determines height data representative of height of the grain in the grain cart based on an average of the signals;
- wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate and output control signals based on the height of the grain in the grain cart, wherein the control signals are for:
- adjusting a position of the combine or the grain cart or both;
- or
- adjusting a position of the grain spout or nozzle of the combine that extends at least partially over the grain cart during operation.
A system comprising:
- first and second sensors positioned to sense an upper surface of grain being transferred into a grain cart by a combine, the first and second sensors being mounted on a grain spout or nozzle of the extended from the combine over the grain cart in operation;
- a third sensor mounted to the spout and that senses a distance from the third sensor to a ground level;
- processing circuitry that receives signals indicative of distances between the first and second sensors and the upper surface of the grain based upon output of the first and second sensors, and determines height data representative of height of the grain in the grain cart based on an average of the signals;
- wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate and control signals based on the height of the grain in the grain cart, wherein the control signals are for:
- adjusting a position of the combine or the grain cart or both;
- or
- adjusting a position of the grain spout or nozzle of the combine that extends at least partially over the grain cart during operation.
A method comprising:
- sensing, via a pair of sensors, an upper surface of grain being transferred into a grain cart by a combine, and providing resulting sensed signals to processing circuitry, the sensors being mounted on a grain spout or nozzle extended from the combine over the grain cart during operation, wherein the sensed signals are indicative of distances between the sensors and the upper surface of the grain;
- receiving the sensed signals, in the processing circuitry, and determining height data representative of height of the grain in the grain cart based on an average of the sensed signals;
- wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate and control signals based on the height of the grain in the grain cart, wherein the control signals are for:
- adjusting a position of the combine or the grain cart or both;
- or
- adjusting a position of the grain spout or nozzle of the combine that extends at least partially over the grain cart during operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.