# US 12,593,741 B2 · Agricultural system and method for monitoring field characteristics of a field > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,593,741 B2 - Document ID: US12593741B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/949,771 - Filed: 2022-09-21 - Published: 2024-03-21 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-21 - Assignees: CNH Industrial America LLC - Applicants: CNH Industrial America LLC - Inventors: Brittany Schroeder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12593741B2 ## CPC - A01B 79/005: {Precision agriculture} - G01N 27/72: by investigating magnetic variables - G01N 33/24: Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) - G01S 13/885: {for ground probing (prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12)} - G01N 33/245: {for agricultural purposes} - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract An agricultural system includes a vehicle configured to perform one or more passes across a field, and a field characteristics sensor supported on the vehicle, spaced apart from a surface of the field during the one or more passes, with the field characteristics sensor being configured to generate data indicative of at least one characteristic of the field below the surface of the field. Further, the agricultural system includes an actuator selectively controllable to move the field characteristics sensor relative to the vehicle. Moreover, the agricultural system includes at least one distance sensor supported on the vehicle and configured to generate distance data indicative of a distance between the field characteristics sensor and the surface of the field. Additionally, the agricultural system includes a computing system configured to receive the distance data and initiate a control action based at least in part on the distance data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An agricultural system for monitoring field characteristics of a field, the agricultural system comprising: a vehicle configured to perform one or more passes across a field; a field characteristics sensor supported on the vehicle such that the field characteristics sensor is spaced apart from a surface of the field during the one or more passes across the field, the field characteristics sensor being configured to generate field characteristics data indicative of at least one characteristic of the field below the surface of the field; a sensor actuator coupled between the field characteristics sensor and the vehicle, the sensor actuator being selectively controllable to move the field characteristics sensor relative to the vehicle; at least one distance sensor supported on the vehicle, the at least one distance sensor being configured to generate distance data indicative of a distance between the field characteristics sensor and the surface of the field; and a computing system configured to: receive the distance data; and initiate a control action based at least in part on the distance data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is further configured to compare the distance to a first distance threshold based at least in part on the distance data, and wherein the computing system is configured to initiate the control action based at least in part on the comparison of the distance to the first distance threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The agricultural system of claim 2, wherein the computing system is further configured to compare the distance to a second distance threshold based at least in part on the distance data, the second distance threshold being less than the first distance threshold, and wherein the computing system is configured to initiate the control action based at least in part on the comparison of the distance to the second distance threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is further configured to determine whether the field characteristics sensor is substantially parallel to the surface of the field based at least in part on the distance data, and wherein the computing system is configured to initiate the control action when the field characteristics sensor is not substantially parallel to the surface of the field. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the control action comprises controlling a user interface to indicate a position of the field characteristics sensor relative the surface of the field based at least in part on the distance data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the control action comprises controlling an operation of the sensor actuator based at least in part on the distance data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the field characteristics sensor comprises at least one of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) or an electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor positioned above the surface of the field. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises at least one of a laser line sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a LIDAR sensor, or a radar sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is further configured to generate a field characteristics map based at least in part on the field characteristics data, the field characteristics map correlating the at least one field characteristic below the surface of the field at each location within the field. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The agricultural system of claim 1, further comprising: an agricultural implement configured to be towed by the vehicle, the agricultural implement having ground engaging tools configured to engage the field during the one or more passes across the field, wherein the computing system is further configured to adjust an operation of at least one of the vehicle or the agricultural implement based at least in part on the field characteristics data. ### Claim 11 An agricultural method for monitoring field characteristics of a field, the agricultural method comprising: receiving, with a computing device, field characteristics data indicative of at least one characteristic of a field below a surface of the field, the field characteristics data being generated by a field characteristics sensor supported on a vehicle performing one or more passes across the field; receiving, with the computing device, distance data generated by at least one distance sensor supported on the vehicle performing the one or more passes, the distance data being indicative of a distance between the surface of the field and the field characteristics sensor; determining, with the computing device, a position of the field characteristics sensor relative to the surface of the field based at least in part on the distance data; and initiating, with the computing device, a control action based at least in part on the position of the field characteristics sensor relative to the surface of the field. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein determining the position of the field characteristics sensor relative to the surface of the field comprises comparing the distance to a first distance threshold based at least in part on the distance data, and wherein initiating the control action comprises initiating the control action based at least in part on the comparison of the distance to the first distance threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The agricultural method of claim 12, wherein determining the position of the field characteristics sensor relative to the surface of the field further comprises comparing the distance to a second distance threshold based at least in part on the distance data, the second distance threshold being less than the first distance threshold, and wherein initiating the control action comprises initiating the control action based at least in part on the comparison of the distance to the second distance threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein determining the position of the field characteristics sensor relative to the surface of the field comprises determining whether the field characteristics sensor is substantially parallel to the surface of the field based at least in part on the distance data, and wherein initiating the control action comprises initiating the control action when the field characteristics sensor is not substantially parallel to the surface of the field. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein initiating the control action comprises controlling a user interface to indicate a position of field characteristics sensor relative the surface of the field based at least in part on the distance data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein initiating the control action comprises controlling an operation of a sensor actuator coupled between the field characteristics sensor and the vehicle to move the field characteristics sensor relative to the vehicle based at least in part on the distance data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein the field characteristics sensor comprises at least one of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) or an electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor positioned above the surface of the field. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises at least one of a laser line sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a LIDAR sensor, or a radar sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, further comprising generating a field characteristics map based at least in part on the field characteristics data, the field characteristics map correlating the at least one field characteristic below the surface of the field at each location within the field. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The agricultural method of claim 11, wherein an agricultural implement is configured to be towed by the vehicle, the agricultural implement having ground engaging tools configured to engage the field during the one or more passes across the field, the method further comprising adjusting, with the computing device, an operation of at least one of the vehicle or the agricultural implement based at least in part on the field characteristics data.