Systems and methods for updating a calibration of a harvester flow rate sensor during unloading of a crop material

A harvesting system comprising:

• a harvester that discharges a flow of harvested crop material through an unloading device to a transport vehicle;
• a yield sensor provided in association with the harvester and in flow communication with the flow of harvested crop material, the yield sensor generates data indicative of a flow rate of the flow of harvested crop material discharged from the harvester;
• a wireless communication device that receives a transport vehicle communication from the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle communication including a weight of a crop material in a transport receptacle of the transport vehicle;
• and
• a computing system in data communication with the wireless communication device;
• wherein the computing system:
• determines a time rate of change of weight based on the weight of the crop material;
• determines a yield sensor calibration update based on a steady state time window associated with a steady state of the flow rate of the harvested crop material and the weight of the crop material in the transport receptacle, the steady state time window comprising a first steady state time window associated with the flow rate and a second steady state time window based on the time rate of change of weight:
• determines the first steady state time window based on a comparison of the flow rate of the harvested crop material with a flow rate threshold;
• determines the second steady state time window based on a comparison of the time rate of change of weight with a time rate of change of weight threshold;
• and
• applies the yield sensor calibration update that adjusts the data generated by the yield sensor.

A method for calibrating harvesters, the method comprising:

• operating a harvester to harvest crop material within a field;
• unloading the harvested crop material from the harvester to a transport receptacle separate from the harvester;
• receiving, with a computing system, flow rate data indicative of a flow rate of harvested crop material discharged from the harvester;
• receiving, with the computing system, weight data indicative of a weight of the harvested crop material in the transport receptacle;
• determining, with the computing system, a yield sensor calibration update based on data derived from a steady state time window associated with a steady state of the flow rate of the harvested crop material and a time rate of change of weight of the crop material in the transport receptacle;
• determining the steady state time window of the flow rate of the harvested crop material and the time rate of change of weight of the crop material in the transport receptacle,
• wherein the steady state time window comprises a first steady state time window associated with the flow rate and a second steady state time window based on the time rate of change of weight;
• determining the first steady state time window based on a comparison of the flow rate of the harvested crop material with a flow rate threshold;
• determining the second steady state time window based on a comparison of the time rate of change of weight with a time rate of change of weight threshold;
• and
• applying, with the computing system, the yield sensor calibration update that adjusts the flow rate data.