Method for treating a usable agricultural area, recording and spraying device for an agricultural vehicle, and computer program product

A non-transitory data carrier on which is store an algorithm for treating a usable agricultural area using a liquid medium or spraying agent, the method algorithm, when carried out by a recording and spraying device, causing the recording and spraying device to perform the following steps:

• when the usable area is driven over, recording transversely to a travel direction of the recording and spraying device, the usable area to be treated, using a plurality of image-capturing sensor units which each has a respective recording range;
• processing image information from a sensor unit of the sensor units using a local control unit assigned to the sensor unit;
• when it is necessary to actuate at least one metering valve, assigned to the respective recording range, for the medium or spraying agent, transmitting information between the local control unit and a main control unit on at least one CAN bus system;
• calculating by the main control unit a time for the actuation of the metering valve and transmitting the time via the at least one CAN bus system to a local metering control unit assigned to the metering valve;
• and
• carrying out a synchronization between the main control unit, the local control unit, and the metering control unit for the activation, at the time, of the metering valve by starting a first counter in the main control unit, a second counter in the local control unit, and a third counter in the metering control unit, by a counter state of the first counter being recorded by the second and third counters, and a difference of the counter state of the first counter, a counter state of the second counter, and a counter state of the third counter being taken into account in the actuation of the metering valve by the metering control unit.

A recording and spraying device for an agricultural vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of image-capturing sensor units;
• a plurality of metering valves assigned to the sensor units;
• a plurality of local control units assigned to the image-capturing sensor units;
• a plurality of metering control units assigned to the metering valves;
• and
• a main control unit, wherein the main control unit, the local control units, and the metering control units, are connected to one another for data transmission by at least one CAN bus system, and wherein the main control unit, the local control units, and the metering control units are configured to perform a method for treating a usable agricultural area using a liquid medium or spraying agent, the method comprising the following steps:
• when the usable area is driven over, recording transversely to a travel direction of the recording and spraying device, the usable area to be treated, using the plurality of image-capturing sensor units which each has a respective recording range;
• processing image information from a sensor unit of the sensor units using a local control unit assigned to the sensor unit;
• when it is necessary to actuate at least one of the metering valves, assigned to the respective recording range, for the medium or spraying agent, transmitting information between the local control unit assigned to the sensor unit and the main control unit on at least one CAN bus system;
• calculating by the main control unit a time for the actuation of the metering valve and transmitting the time via the at least one CAN bus system to the local metering control unit assigned to the metering valve;
• and
• carrying out a synchronization between the main control unit, the local control unit, and the metering control unit for the activation, at the time, of the metering valve by starting a first counter in the main control unit, a second counter in the local control unit, and a third counter in the metering control unit, by a counter state of the first counter being recorded by the second and third counters, and a difference of the counter state of the first counter, a counter state of the second counter, and a counter state of the third counter being taken into account in the actuation of the metering valve by the metering control unit.