Sensor drift detection for a downforce control system of a seeding implement
AssigneeCNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
InventorGregory Jacob Erker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for an agricultural seeding implement includes processing circuitry configured to, while the agricultural seeding implement is in a lowered position work state to distribute seeds during each pass through a seeding portion of a field, provide control signals to a downforce actuator to drive one or more row units toward a surface of the field. The processing circuitry is also configured to, while the agricultural seeding implement is in a raised position work state with the one or more row units lifted off of the surface of the field to turn within a headlands portions of the field, perform a calibration check for one or more load cell sensors that are configured to measure a downforce applied by the one or more row units to the field.
Claims20
A system for an agricultural seeding implement, the system comprising:
- a controller comprising one or more processors;
- a memory storing instructions that when executed by the controller cause the controller to:
- while the agricultural seeding implement is in a lowered position work state to distribute seeds during each pass through a seeding portion of a field, provide control signals to a downforce actuator to drive one or more row units toward a surface of the field;
- and
- while the agricultural seeding implement is in a raised position work state with the one or more row units lifted off of the surface of the field to turn within a headlands portions of the field, perform a calibration check for one or more load cell sensors that are configured to generate signals indicative of respective measured values of a downforce applied by the one or more row units to the field, wherein the calibration check comprises comparing the respective measured values to an acceptable threshold range that comprises zero downforce.
A method of operating an agricultural seeding implement, the method comprising:
- controlling, via one or more processors, a downforce actuator to drive one or more row units of the agricultural seeding implement toward a surface of a field as the one or more row units distribute seeds to a field;
- controlling, via the one or more processors, the downforce actuator or a lift actuator to lift the one or more row units of the agricultural seeding implement off of the surface of the field as the agricultural seeding implement turns in headlands portions of the field;
- and
- performing, via the one or more processors and while controlling the downforce actuator or the lift actuator to lift and maintain the one or more row units of the agricultural seeding implement off of the surface of the field as the agricultural seeding implement turns in the headlands portions of the field, a calibration check to determine whether one or more load cell sensors are calibrated, wherein the one or more load cell sensors are configured to generate signals indicative of respective measured values of a downforce applied by the one or more row units to the field.
An agricultural seeding implement, comprising:
- a toolbar comprising a toolbar frame supported on wheels and configured to couple to a work vehicle or to an air cart;
- a rockshaft rotatably coupled to the toolbar frame;
- a group of row units supported on the rockshaft;
- a downforce actuator coupled to the toolbar and the rockshaft, wherein the downforce actuator is configured to adjust a downforce applied by the group of row units to a field;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- while the agricultural seeding implement is in a lowered position work state in which the group of row units is in a first position relative to the toolbar to place the group of row units in contact with a surface of the field, provide control signals to the downforce actuator to drive the group of row units toward the surface of the field;
- and
- in response to the agricultural seeding implement transitioning from the lowered position work state to a raised position work state in which the group of row units is in a second position relative to the toolbar and is raised off of the surface of the field, and while the agricultural seeding implement is in the raised position work state in which the group of row units is in the second position relative to the toolbar and is raised off of the surface of the field, perform a calibration check comprising a comparison of respective downforce values measured by one or more load cell sensors to an acceptable threshold range to determine whether the one or more load cell sensors are calibrated to facilitate application of a desired downforce by the group of row units to the field during seeding operations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.