# US 2021/0274772 A1 · System and method for spray monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0274772 A1 - Document ID: US20210274772A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/809,263 - Filed: 2020-03-04 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: CNH Industrial America LLC - Applicants: CNH Industrial America LLC - Inventors: Scott Allen Long; Nathan Brooks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274772A1 ## CPC - A01M 7/0089: {Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06)} - A01C 23/007: {Metering or regulating systems} - A01C 23/047: {Spraying of liquid fertilisers} - A01M 7/0042: {Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted} - B05B 1/20: Perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms; Outlet elements therefor - B05B 12/08: responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material {to be} discharged, of ambient medium or of target {; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means} - G01S 13/88: Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) - G01S 15/88: Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00) - G01S 17/88: Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - 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 applicator system is provided herein that includes a boom assembly and one or more nozzles positioned along the boom assembly. The one or more nozzles are configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom. A sensor is operably coupled with the boom assembly and is configured to capture data associated with one or more application variables. A controller is commutatively coupled to the sensor and includes a processor and associated memory. The memory stores instructions that, when implemented by the processor, configure the controller to receive the data associated with one or more application variables and provide a notification when the data associated with one or more application variables are outside of a range defined by a predefined lower and upper threshold. The controller may also pause an application operation of the agricultural product until the notification is acknowledged by an operator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An agricultural applicator system comprising: a boom assembly; one or more nozzles positioned along the boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom; a sensor operably coupled with the boom assembly and configured to capture data associated with one or more application variables; and a controller commutatively coupled to the sensor, the controller including a processor and associated memory, the memory storing instructions that, when implemented by the processor, configure the controller to: receive, from the sensor, the data associated with one or more application variables; analyze the data associated with one or more application variables to determine whether any of the one or more variables are outside of a predefined range defined by a lower and upper threshold; provide a notification when the data associated with one or more application variables are outside of the predefined range; and pause an application operation of the agricultural product until the notification is acknowledged by an operator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a LIDAR device, a RADAR device, an imager, or an ultrasound device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined range is provided by an operator through a user input device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the user input device is within a human-machine interface positioned within a cab of a work vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the notification that the one or more application variables deviates from the predefined range is provided on the human-machine interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more application variables include at least one of an incorrect nozzle tip, an incorrect application rate, inclement weather meeting one or more criteria, boom assembly pressure exceeding a predefined pressure level, boom assembly movement exceeding a movement limit, a vehicle exceeding a predefined speed, or a turning speed or radius deviating from a predefined range or speed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a positioning device communicatively coupled to the controller, the controller being configured to receive location data from the positioning device associated with the boom assembly and correlate the location data to the one or more application variables to generate or update an application map associated with the field. ### Claim 8 An agricultural work vehicle comprising: a chassis supporting a cab and a boom assembly; one or more nozzles positioned along the boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom; a sensor operably coupled with the boom assembly and configured to capture data associated with one or more application variables; and a controller commutatively coupled to the sensor, the controller including a processor and associated memory, the memory storing instructions that, when implemented by the processor, configure the controller to: receive, from the sensor, the data associated with one or more application variables; analyze the data associated with the one or more application variables to determine a spray quality index; provide a notification within the cab when the spray quality index deviates from a predefined range; provide a mitigation instruction based on the spray quality index exceeding the predefined range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The agricultural work vehicle of claim 8, wherein the one or more application variables include at least one of an incorrect nozzle tip, an incorrect application rate, inclement weather meeting one or more criteria, boom assembly pressure exceeding a predefined pressure level, boom assembly movement exceeding a movement limit, a vehicle exceeding a predefined speed, or a turning speed or radius deviating from a predefined range or speed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The agricultural work vehicle of claim 8, further comprising: a human-machine interface positioned within the cab and configured to display the notification. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The agricultural work vehicle of claim 10, further comprising: a user input device communicatively coupled with the human-machine interface and configured to accept an acknowledgment of the notification. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The agricultural work vehicle of claim 10, further comprising: a positioning device communicatively coupled to the controller, the controller being configured to receive location data from the positioning device associated with the boom assembly and correlate the location data to the one or more application variables to generate or update an application map associated with the field. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The agricultural work vehicle of claim 10, further comprising: a display within the HMI and configured to provide the application map thereon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The agricultural work vehicle of claim 11, wherein an operator alters one or more predefined lower and upper thresholds of the one or more application variables through the user input device. ### Claim 15 A method for monitoring a plurality of application variables as an application operation is being performed within a field using a work vehicle, the method comprising: receiving, with one or more computing devices, a predefined lower and upper threshold for each of the plurality of application variables; receiving, with the one or more computing devices, application data associated with a given portion of the field, the application data corresponding to each of the plurality of application variables for a given portion of the field as an agricultural product is applied to the field; analyzing, with the one or more computing devices, each of the plurality of application variables to determine whether each of the one or more application variables is between the predefined lower and upper threshold for each of a plurality of application variables; providing, with the one or more computing devices, a first lower priority notification when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from a range defined by the predefined lower and upper threshold by a first amount and a second higher priority notification when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from the predefined lower and upper threshold by a second, larger amount; and pausing, with the one or more computing devices, the application operation until the second higher priority notification is acknowledged by an operator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving location data associated with the boom assembly; and correlating the location data to the one or more application variables to generate or update an application map associated with the field. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein providing, with the one or more computing devices, the first lower priority notification when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from the predefined lower and upper threshold by the first amount and the second higher priority notification when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from the predefined lower and upper threshold by the second, larger amount comprises producing an audible sound within a cab of the work vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein providing, with the one or more computing devices, the first lower priority notification when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from the predefined lower and upper threshold by the first amount and the second higher priority notification when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from the predefined lower and upper threshold by the second, larger amount comprises displaying the notification on a human-machine interface within a cab of the work vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: providing, with the one or more computing devices, a warning when the boom assembly approaches a location that previously generated a notification that at least one of the one or more application variables deviated from a range defined by the predefined lower and upper threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: providing a mitigation instruction when any of the plurality of application variables deviates from a range defined by the predefined lower and upper threshold.