Method of controlling a baler and a baler
AssigneeAGROCOM VERWALTUNGS GmbH
InventorTommy Ertbolle Madsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A baler (1) composed of a pick-up device (4) for picking up a crop string (12), a compression device for compressing the crop in a compression direction to form a bale, the compression device having components (19) for measuring a distribution of a charging degree transversely to the compression direction. The baler (1) also has a 3D imaging device (11) for recording a 3D image (23) of the field and the crop string (12) in front of the baler (1), and a control device including a data processor (13) for controlling the baler (1) in dependence on data from the 3D image (23) and the charging degree (25).
Claims8
A method of controlling a baler that picks up a crop while the baler moves in a forward direction in a field, the crop being in the form of a crop string having a profile, the baler comprising a pick-up device that picks up the crop string and passes the crop string to a compression device that compresses the crop string in a compression direction to form at least one bale, the compression device having a width in a direction transverse to the forward direction and comprising means for measuring a distribution of a degree of charging the baler with the crop transversely to the compression direction, said method comprising:
- forming a 3D image of the profile of the crop string ahead of the pick-up device in the forward direction;
- analyzing the profile to determine height distributions of the crop string in the direction transverse to the forward direction;
- controlling the baler so that the pick-up device is positioned in the transverse direction relative to the height distribution;
- and
- adjusting the position of the pick-up device in dependence on the measured distribution of the charging degree.
A baler comprising:
- a pick-up device for picking up a crop in the form of a crop string in a field;
- a compression device disposed for compressing the crop in a compression direction to form at least one bale, said compression device comprising means for measuring a distribution of a charging degree transversely to the compression direction;
- a 3D imaging device operative for recording at least one 3D image of the field and the crop string in front of the baler;
- and
- a control device coupled to said 3D imaging device and comprising a data processor for controlling the baler in dependence on data from the 3D image and the charging degree.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.