IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,342,750
Granted Patent B2
US 12,342,750 · App. 16/914,817 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Augmented crop loss sensing

Inventors: Dohn W. Pfeiffer (Bettendorf, IA); Douglas J. Bollin (Port Byron, IL); Lutz Bischoff (Nuenschweiler, DE)
Assignee: Deere & Company
A01D34/006A01D41/1273A01D41/1276A01F12/444A01D2101/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,342,750
App. No.
16/914,817
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A crop loss correction system receives one or more crop loss sensor signals that are indicative of crop lost by a harvesting machine. A correction component receives context information from a set of context sensing components to identify a context of the harvesting machine. The correction component corrects the crop loss sensor signals, based upon the context information, to obtain a corrected loss signal indicative of the sensed crop loss, corrected based on the mobile machine context. The corrected loss signal is output to an output device.

Claims (83)

1. A crop loss correction system for a harvesting machine, the crop loss correction system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the crop loss correction system to:

perform a harvesting operation that harvests crop with a crop processing system of the harvesting machine;

generate a first crop loss sensor signal indicative of crop loss in a first instance of the harvesting operation;

generate first instance context information indicative of a speed of a cleaning shoe fan of the crop processing system in the first instance of the harvesting operation and a machine orientation of the harvesting machine in the first instance of the harvesting operation;

access a knowledge base that stores corrective elements;

identify a first set of corrective elements, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, based on the first instance context information;

generate, based on the first crop loss sensor signal and the first set of corrective elements, a first corrected loss signal indicative of the crop loss in the first instance of the harvesting operation;

detect a change in the machine orientation of the harvesting machine in a second instance of the harvesting operation;

generate a second crop loss sensor signal indicative of crop loss in the second instance of the harvesting operation;

generate second instance context information based on the change in the machine orientation of the harvesting machine in the second instance of the harvesting operation;

identify a second set of corrective elements, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, based on the second instance context information; and

generate, based on the second crop loss sensor signal and the second set of corrective elements, a second corrected loss signal indicative of the crop loss in the second instance of the harvesting operation.

2. The crop loss correction system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the crop loss correction system to:

identify a third corrective element, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, associated with a third context; and

generate the first corrected loss signal based on the third corrective element, wherein the third context comprises at least one of:

a machine state;

a crop type;

a crop feed rate;

a material other than grain (MOG) moisture; or

a machine setting.

3. The crop loss correction system of claim 1 , wherein the machine orientation comprises a roll characteristic of the harvesting machine.

4. The crop loss correction system of claim 1 , wherein the corrective elements comprise correction values stored in a lookup table indexed based on context information.

5. The crop loss correction system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the crop loss correction system to control a user interface device to generate a user interface based on the first corrected loss signal.

6. The crop loss correction system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the crop loss correction system to control a communication system to communicate the first corrected loss signal to a remote system, that is remote from the harvesting machine.

7. The crop loss correction system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the crop loss correction system to perform a mechanical function on the harvesting machine based on the first corrected loss signal.

8. A method comprising:

performing a harvesting operation that harvests crop with a crop processing system of a harvesting machine;

generating a first crop loss sensor signal indicative of crop loss in a first instance of the harvesting operation;

generating first instance context information indicative of a speed of a cleaning shoe fan of the crop processing system in the first instance of the harvesting operation and a machine orientation of the harvesting machine in the first instance of the harvesting operation;

accessing a knowledge base that stores corrective elements;

identifying a first set of corrective elements, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, based on the first instance context information;

generating, based on the first crop loss sensor signal and the first set of corrective elements, a first corrected loss signal indicative of the crop loss in the first instance of the harvesting operation;

detecting a change in the machine orientation of the harvesting machine in a second instance of the harvesting operation;

generating a second crop loss sensor signal indicative of crop loss in the second instance of the harvesting operation;

generating second instance context information based on the change in the machine orientation of the harvesting machine in the second instance of the harvesting operation;

identifying a second set of corrective elements, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, based on the second instance context information; and

generating, based on the second crop loss sensor signal and the second set of corrective elements, a second corrected loss signal indicative of the crop loss in the second instance of the harvesting operation.

9. The method of claim 8 , and further comprising:

identifying a third corrective element, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, associated with a third context; and

generate the first corrected loss signal based on the third corrective element, wherein the third context comprises at least one of:

a machine state;

a crop type;

a crop feed rate;

a material other than grain (MOG) moisture; or

a machine setting.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the machine orientation comprises a roll characteristic of the harvesting machine.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the corrective elements comprise correction values stored in a lookup table indexed based on context information.

12. The method of claim 8 , and further comprising:

controlling a user interface device to generate a user interface based on the first corrected loss signal.

13. The method of claim 8 , and further comprising:

controlling a communication system to communicate the first corrected loss signal to a remote system, that is remote from the harvesting machine.

14. The method of claim 8 , and further comprising:

performing a mechanical function on the harvesting machine based on the first corrected loss signal.

15. A harvesting machine comprising:

a harvesting mechanism that harvests a crop;

a crop processing system that processes the crop through the harvesting machine; and

a crop loss correction system configured to:

generate a first crop loss sensor signal indicative of crop loss in a first instance of a harvesting operation;

generate first instance context information indicative of a speed of a cleaning shoe fan of the crop processing system in the first instance of the harvesting operation and a machine orientation of the harvesting machine in the first instance of the harvesting operation;

access a knowledge base that stores corrective elements;

identify a first set of corrective elements, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, based on the first instance context information;

generate, based on the first crop loss sensor signal and the first set of corrective elements, a first corrected loss signal indicative of the crop loss in the first instance of the harvesting operation;

detect a change in the machine orientation of the harvesting machine in a second instance of the harvesting operation;

generate a second crop loss sensor signal indicative of crop loss in the second instance of the harvesting operation;

generate second instance context information based on the change in the machine orientation of the harvesting machine in the second instance of the harvesting operation;

identify a second set of corrective elements, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, based on the second instance context information; and

generate, based on the second crop loss sensor signal and the second set of corrective elements, a second corrected loss signal indicative of the crop loss in the second instance of the harvesting operation.

16. The harvesting machine of claim 15 , wherein the crop loss correction system is configured to:

identify a third corrective element, from the corrective elements in the knowledge base, associated with a third context; and

generate the first corrected loss signal based on the third corrective element, wherein the third context comprises at least one of:

a machine state;

a crop type;

a crop feed rate;

a material other than grain (MOG) moisture; or

a machine setting.

17. The harvesting machine of claim 15 , wherein the machine orientation comprises a roll characteristic of the harvesting machine.

18. The harvesting machine of claim 15 , wherein the corrective elements comprise correction values stored in a lookup table indexed based on context information.

19. The harvesting machine of claim 15 , wherein the crop loss correction system is configured to control a user interface device to generate a user interface based on the first corrected loss signal.

20. The harvesting machine of claim 15 , wherein the crop loss correction system is configured to control at least one of:

a communication system to communicate the first corrected loss signal to a remote system, that is remote from the harvesting machine, or

a mechanical function on the harvesting machine based on the first corrected loss signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2020
From: PFEIFFER, DOHN W.; BOLLIN, DOUGLAS J.; BISCHOFF, LUTZ
To: DEERE & COMPANY
Reel/Frame 053072/0654 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14849930 · Sep 10, 2015
Related Publication 20200323129A1 · Oct 15, 2020
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