Crop quality sensor based on specular reflectance
AssigneeAppareo Systems, LLC
InventorsMarshall T. Bremer, Nicholas L. Butts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A crop quality sensor, comprising an illumination source, an imaging device, and a processor executing application software. The illumination source is shone onto a crop sample, and an image is taken with the imaging device of the illuminated crop sample. The software executing on the processor is used to analyze the image to identify the outlines of individual kernels and to identify which of those outlines contain a specular highlight, indicative that the kernel is whole and unbroken, while the absence of such a specular highlight is indicative of a broken kernel.
Claims3
A crop quality sensor for a harvesting machine, comprising:
- an illumination source;
- an imaging device;
- a processor;
- software executing on the processor;
- wherein the imaging device is mounted in the clean grain elevator of a harvesting machine such that it can capture images of a crop sample moving through the clean grain elevator;
- wherein the illumination source is mounted near the imaging device and shone onto the crop sample;
- wherein the crop sample is such that individual kernels of the crop have a shiny outer casing and a dull inner surface when broken open;
- wherein an image is taken with the imaging device of the illuminated crop sample;
- wherein the software is executing on the processor;
- wherein the software is used to analyze the image to identify the outlines of individual kernels and to identify which of those outlines contain a specular highlight;
- and
- wherein the presence of a specular highlight within an outline is indicative that the kernel is whole and unbroken and the absence of such a specular highlight is indicative of a broken kernel.
A method of determining the quality of a crop being harvested, comprising the steps of:
- mounting an imaging device in the clean grain elevator of a harvesting machine such that it can capture images of a crop sample moving through the clean grain elevator;
- mounting an illumination source near the imaging device such that it can shine light on the crop sample;
- taking an image of the crop sample with the imaging device of the illuminated crop sample;
- sending the captured image to a processor, wherein the processor is executing optical analysis software;
- analyzing the image with the optical analysis software to determine a percentage of broken kernels present in the crop sample;
- wherein the crop sample is such that individual kernels of the crop have a shiny outer casing and a dull inner surface when broken open;
- wherein the software is used to analyze the image to identify the outlines of individual kernels and to identify which of those outlines contain a specular highlight;
- and
- wherein the presence of a specular highlight within an outline is indicative that the kernel is whole and unbroken and the absence of such a specular highlight is indicative of a broken kernel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.