IP Library › Granted Patent US 12696834
Granted Patent B2
US 12696834 · App. 18/671,188 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Measurement of seeder cart tank contents

Inventors: Andrew W. Harmon (Geneseo, IL); Jacob G. Schoeny (Bettendorf, IA); William D. Graham (East Moline, IL); Anant Dnyanoba Nimbalkar (Pune, IN); Vikas V. Kshirsagar (Pune, IN); Vinit Jawale (Pune, IN); Anand Raj (Pune, IN); Nilkanth R. Devshetwar (Pune, IN)
Assignee: Deere & Company
A01C7/20A01C7/084G01F22/00G01F23/296
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12696834
App. No.
18/671,188
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sensor generates an output signal indicative of an attribute of a limited amount of material above the sensor. A controller receives the output signal and incorporates a corresponding variable into a programmatic calculation of an indication of a volume of material in a tank.

Claims (37)

1 . An agricultural material application machine comprising:

a storage component configured to hold a material;

a sensor disposed in the storage component and configured to detect an attribute of material above the sensor and to generate sensor data indicative of the attribute of material above the sensor; and

a controller configured to determine an amount of material in the storage component based on the sensor data indicative of the attribute of material above the sensor.

2 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 1 and further comprising:

an additional sensor configured to detect an attribute of a surface of the material and to generate sensor data indicative of the attribute of the surface of the material.

3 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 2 , wherein the attribute of the surface of the material is indicative of a shape of the surface of the material.

4 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 2 , wherein the attribute of the surface of the material is indicative of a level of the material in the storage component.

5 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 2 , wherein the additional sensor is a camera.

6 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 2 , wherein the additional sensor emits one or more waves towards the surface of the material.

7 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of material based further on the sensor data indicative of the attribute of the surface of the material.

8 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor disposed in the storage component and configured to detect an attribute of material above the first sensor and to generate first sensor data indicative of the attribute of material above the first sensor, the agricultural material application machine further comprising:

a second sensor disposed in the storage component and configured to detect an attribute of material above the second sensor and to generate second sensor data indicative of the attribute of material above the second sensor; and

wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of material in the storage component based on the first sensor data indicative of the attribute of material above the first sensor and the second sensor data indicative of the attribute of material above the second sensor.

9 . The agricultural material application machine of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed at different heights in the storage component.

10 . A method of determining an amount of material in a storage component of a material application machine, the method comprising:

obtaining sensor data from a sensor disposed in the storage component and underneath material in the storage component, the sensor data indicating an attribute of the material above the sensor; and

incorporating a variable, corresponding to the attribute of the material above the sensor, into a programmatic calculation of the amount of material in the storage component.

11 . The method of claim 10 and further comprising obtaining additional sensor data from an additional sensor, the additional sensor data indicating an attribute of a surface of the material.

12 . The method of claim 11 and further comprising incorporating a variable, corresponding to the attribute of the surface of the material, into the programmatic calculation of the amount of material in the storage component.

13 . The method of claim 10 and further comprising obtaining additional sensor data from an additional sensor, the additional sensor disposed in the storage component and underneath material in the storage component, the additional sensor data indicating an attribute of the material above the additional sensor.

14 . The method of claim 13 and further comprising incorporating a variable, corresponding to the attribute of the material above the additional sensor into the programmatic calculation of the amount of material in the storage component.

15 . The method of claim 10 and further comprising incorporating a storage component measurement into the programmatic calculation of the amount of material in the storage component.

16 . The method of claim 10 and further comprising incorporating a measurement of a conceptual shape of material into the programmatic calculation of the amount of material in the storage component.

17 . An agricultural system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions, executable by the one or more processors, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain sensor data from a sensor disposed in a material storage component of an agricultural material application machine, the sensor data indicating an attribute of material above the sensor;

determine an amount of material in the material storage component based on the sensor data indicating the attribute of material above the sensor.

18 . The agricultural system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

obtain additional sensor data form an additional sensor disposed in the material storage component of the agricultural material application machine, the additional sensor data indicating an attribute of material above the additional sensor; and

determine the amount of material in the material storage component based further on the additional sensor data indicating the attribute of material above the additional sensor.

19 . The agricultural system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

obtain additional sensor data form an additional sensor, the additional sensor data indicating an attribute of a surface of the material; and

determine the amount of material in the material storage component based further on the additional sensor data indicating the attribute of the surface of the material.

20 . The agricultural system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

control an interface mechanism to generate a presentation indicative of the amount of material in the material storage component.