IP Library Granted Patent US 12667040
Granted Patent B2
US 12667040 · App. 18/203,971 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

System and method for detecting disk blade damage on an agricultural implement by analyzing image data captured by a rear facing camera and determining vegetation in a lane of a field in order to perform corrective action

Inventors: Brittany Schroeder (Bunker Hill, IN); Christopher Barrick (Morton, IL); James W. Henry (Saskatoon, CA)
Assignees: CNH Industrial America LLC; CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
A01B76/00A01B15/16A01B49/027A01B79/005E02F9/268
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667040
App. No.
18/203,971
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for detecting disk blade damage on an agricultural implement includes a disk blade configured to rotate relative to soil within a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling. Moreover, the system includes an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting an aft portion of the field located rearward of the disk blade relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement, with the aft portion of the field including a lane of the field to be worked by the disk blade. In addition, a computing system is configured to analyze the image data generated by the imaging device to identify when vegetation is present within the lane of the field. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to determine that the disk blade is damaged when the vegetation is present within the lane of the field.

Claims (27)

1 . An agricultural implement, comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of disk blades supported relative to the frame and configured to rotate relative to soil within a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling;

an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting an aft portion of the field located rearward of the disk blade relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement, the aft portion of the field including a plurality of lanes of the field, each lane of the plurality of lanes to be worked by a corresponding disk blade of the plurality of disk blades; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device, wherein the computing system:

classifies each pixel within the generated image data as one of a vegetation pixel or a non-vegetation pixel;

determines a number of the vegetation pixels present within each lane;

determines that a given disk blade of the plurality of disk blades is missing when the determined number of the vegetation pixels within the lane of the field corresponding to the given disk blade exceeds a threshold value; and

initiates at least one of notifying an operator of the agricultural implement that the given disk blade is missing or halting movement of the agricultural implement when it is determined that the given disk blade is missing.

2 . The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein when classifying each pixel, the computing system classifies each pixel within the generated image data as one of the vegetation pixel or the non-vegetation pixel based on a color of the corresponding pixel.

3 . A system for detecting disk blade damage on an agricultural implement, the system comprising:

a plurality of disk blades configured to rotate relative to soil within a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling;

an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting an aft portion of the field located rearward of the disk blade relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement, the aft portion of the field including a plurality of lanes of the field, each lane of the plurality of lanes to be worked by a corresponding disk blade of the plurality of disk blades; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device, the computing system:

classifies each pixel within the generated image data as one of a vegetation pixel or a non-vegetation pixel;

determines a number of the vegetation pixels present within each lane;

determines that a given disk blade of the plurality of disk blades is missing when the determined number of the vegetation pixels within the lane of the field corresponding to the given disk blade exceeds a threshold value; and

initiates at least one of notifying an operator of the agricultural implement that the given disk blade is missing or halting movement of the agricultural implement when it is determined that the given disk blade is missing.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein when classifying each pixel, the computing system classifies each pixel within the generated image data as one of a vegetation pixel or a non-vegetation pixel based on a color of the corresponding pixel.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the vegetation comprises at least one of weeds or cover crops.

6 . A method for detecting disk blade damage on an agricultural implement, the agricultural implement including a plurality of disk blades configured to rotate relative to soil within a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling, the method comprising:

receiving, with a computing system, image data depicting an aft portion of the field located rearward of the disk blade relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement, the aft portion of the field including a plurality of lanes of the field, each lane of the plurality of lanes to be worked by a corresponding disk blade of the plurality of disk blades;

classifying, with the computing system, each pixel within the generated image data as one of a vegetation pixel or a non-vegetation pixel;

determining, with the computing system, a number of the vegetation pixels present within each lane;

determining, with the computing system, that a given disk blade of the plurality of disk blades is missing when the determined number of the vegetation pixels within the lane of the field corresponding to the given disk blade exceeds a threshold value; and

initiating, with the computing system, at least one of notifying an operator of the agricultural implement that the given disk blade is missing or halting movement of the agricultural implement when it is determined that the given disk blade is missing.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein classifying each pixel comprises classifying, with the computing system, each pixel within the received image data as one of the vegetation pixel or the non-vegetation pixel based on a color of the corresponding pixel.