# US 2014/0191857 A1 · Planter monitor system and method

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- Number: US 2014/0191857 A1
- Document ID: US20140191857A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/206,643
- Filed: 2014-03-12
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2007-01-08
- Assignees: Precision Planting LLC
- Applicants: Precision Planting LLC
- Inventors: Gregg A. Sauder; Justin Koch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191857A1

## CPC

- B60Q 1/26: the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
- A01B 79/005: {Precision agriculture}
- A01C 7/04: Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices
- A01C 7/105: {Seed sensors}
- A01C 7/205: {comprising pressure regulation means}
- A01C 14/00: Methods or apparatus for planting not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G06Q 40/12: Accounting
- G06Q 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- Y10S 111/903: Monitor
- Y10S 715/965: for process control and configuration
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- 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)
- A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A planter monitor system and method that provides an operator with near real-time data concerning yield robbing events and the economic cost associated with such yield robbing events so as to motivate the operator to take prompt corrective action.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A monitor system for an agricultural seed planter having a plurality of row units, each of the plurality of row units having a seed meter adapted to discharge seeds in a seed path as the planter moves through a field, the monitor system comprising:
a seed sensor associated with at least one of the row units and disposed with respect to the seed path to generate seed signals as the seeds pass;
a visual display; and
processing circuitry operably electrically coupled to said visual display and to said seed sensor, said processing circuitry configured to monitor and display information pertaining to operation of the planter (“Seed Planting Information”), wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a planting consistency of a plurality of seeds.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The monitor system of claim 1, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a yield-robbing event.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The monitor system of claim 2, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a metering error.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The monitor system of claim 3, wherein said Seed Planting Information includes one of a quantification of skips detected during a sampling period, a quantification of multiples detected during a sampling period, and quantification of seed singulation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The monitor system of claim 3, wherein said Seed Planting Information is calculated by comparing a time interval between seed signals generated by said seed sensor to a threshold, wherein said threshold is calculated by multiplying a presumed time interval by a constant value, wherein said presumed time interval between said seed signals is calculated based on a speed of said planter and a target population.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The monitor system of claim 4, wherein said Seed Planting Information includes a plurality of initial seed placement calculations, wherein said initial seed placement calculations include skips and misplaced seeds.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The monitor system of claim 6, wherein said processing circuitry distinguishes between skips and misplaced seeds by validating said initial seed placement calculations.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The monitor system of claim 7, wherein said processing circuitry validates said initial seed placement calculations by comparing a first average value of a first set of previously recorded time intervals to a second average value of a second set of previously recorded time intervals.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The monitor system of claim 2, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a planting error.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The monitor system of claim 9, wherein said Seed Planting Information comprises a spacing quality value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The monitor system of claim 10, wherein said spacing quality value is calculated by determining a ratio between a number of good spaced seeds and a number of misplaced seeds.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The monitor system of claim 1, wherein said Seed Planting Information comprises a graphical representation of a plurality of seed placement locations in a row over a distance behind the planter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The monitor system of claim 12, wherein said graphical representation graphically indicates a seed placement classification.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The monitor system of claim 13, wherein said seed placement classification comprises classification as a misplaced seed, a skip, or a double.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The monitor system of claim 13, wherein said graphical representation comprises a scale indicating said distance behind the planter, and wherein said graphical representation comprises a plurality of seed placement icon disposed along said scale.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The monitor system of claim 15, wherein said seed placement classification is indicated by a graphical icon disposed along said scale.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The monitor system of claim 16, wherein said seed placement classification comprises classification as a misplaced seed, a skip, or a double.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The monitor system of claim 15, wherein said graphical representation graphically indicates a seed placement classification, and wherein said seed placement classification is indicated by a graphical icon disposed along said scale.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The monitor system of claim 17, wherein said graphical representation is color-coded.

### Claim 20 (depends on 4)

The monitor system of claim 4, further comprising:
an accelerometer associated with at least one of the row units, wherein said accelerometer is disposed to detect vertical acceleration of the row unit as the planter traverses the field.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The monitor system of claim 20, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to calculate and display a ride criterion.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The monitor system of claim 21 wherein said ride criterion is related to a percentage of a sampling period during which a kinematic criterion is outside a predefined range.

### Claim 23 (depends on 4)

The monitor system of claim 4, further comprising:
a load sensor associated with a depth regulation member of one of the row units and disposed to generate load signals corresponding to loads exerted on said depth regulation member, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to monitor and display information pertaining to loads exerted on said depth regulation member (“Load Information”).

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The monitor system of claim 23 wherein said Load Information includes a load parameter, wherein said load parameter is a function of a minimum load on the depth regulation member during a sampling period.

### Claim 25

A method of monitoring an agricultural seed planter having a plurality of row units, each of the plurality of row units having a seed meter adapted to discharge seeds in a seed path as the planter moves through a field, the method comprising:
generating seed signals as seeds pass by a seed sensor disposed along the seed path; and
displaying information pertaining to operation of the planter (“Seed Planting Information”) to a user, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a planting consistency of a plurality of seeds.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a yield-robbing event.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a metering error.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein said Seed Planting Information includes one of a quantification of skips detected during a sampling period, a quantification of multiples detected during a sampling period, and quantification of seed singulation.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, further comprising:
calculating said Seed Planting Information by comparing a time interval between seed signals generated by said seed sensor to a threshold;
calculating said threshold by multiplying a presumed time interval by a constant value; and
calculating said presumed time interval between said seed signals based on a speed of said planter and a target population.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein said Seed Planting Information includes a plurality of initial seed placement calculations, wherein said initial seed placement calculations include skips and misplaced seeds.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, further comprising:
distinguishing between skips and misplaced seeds by validating said initial seed placement calculations.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, further comprising:
validating said initial seed placement calculations by comparing a first average value of a first set of previously recorded time intervals to a second average value of a second set of previously recorded time intervals.

### Claim 33 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein said Seed Planting Information indicates a planting error.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein said Seed Planting Information comprises a spacing quality value.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein said spacing quality value is calculated by determining a ratio between a number of good spaced seeds and a number of misplaced seeds.

### Claim 36 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein said Seed Planting Information comprises a graphical representation of a plurality of seed placement locations in a row over a distance behind the planter.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein said graphical representation graphically indicates a seed placement classification.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein said seed placement classification comprises classification as a misplaced seed, a skip, or a double.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein said graphical representation comprises a scale indicating said distance behind the planter, and wherein said graphical representation comprises a plurality of seed placement icon disposed along said scale.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein said seed placement classification is indicated by a graphical icon disposed along said scale.

### Claim 41 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein said seed placement classification comprises classification as a misplaced seed, a skip, or a double.

### Claim 42 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein said graphical representation graphically indicates a seed placement classification, and wherein said seed placement classification is indicated by a graphical icon disposed along said scale.

### Claim 43 (depends on 41)

The method of claim 41, wherein said graphical representation is color-coded.

### Claim 44 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, further comprising:
detecting vertical acceleration of at least one of the row units as the planter traverses the field.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The method of claim 44, further comprising:
calculating and displaying a ride criterion.

### Claim 46 (depends on 45)

The method of claim 45 wherein said ride criterion is related to a percentage of a sampling period during which a kinematic parameter is outside a predefined range.

### Claim 47 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, further comprising:
generating a load signal corresponding to loads exerted on a depth regulation member of one of the row units; and
monitoring and displaying information pertaining to loads exerted on said depth regulation member (“Load Information”).

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The method of claim 47, wherein said Load Information includes a load parameter, wherein said load parameter is a function of a minimum load on the depth regulating member during a sampling period.