IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,543,657
Granted Patent B2
US 12,543,657 · App. 18/323,737 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Method for ascertaining the compaction state of silage stored in a flat silo

Inventors: Stefan Brocke (Mannheim, DE); Norbert Fritz (Ilvesheim, DE); Florian Schott (Einhausen, DE)
Assignee: Deere & Company
A01F25/18B65D90/48
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,543,657
App. No.
18/323,737
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for ascertaining a compaction state of silage stored in a flat silo, in which a work vehicle used for compacting the silage has inflated tires on at least one vehicle axle, includes in a first step, via an acceleration sensor, one or more of a normal and a tangential acceleration occurring in a tire bead is detected and wirelessly transmitted in the form of sensor data corresponding thereto to a processor unit, in a second step, starting from the transferred sensor data from the processor unit, the deformations of the tire casing occurring in each case during the rolling of the tire in an entry point and an exit point are ascertained and compared to one another, and in a third step, based on the comparison, a compression behavior and in turn therefrom the compaction state of the silage is determined by the processor unit.

Claims (25)

1 . A method for ascertaining a compaction state of silage stored in a flat silo, in which a work vehicle used for compacting the silage has inflated tires on at least one vehicle axle, comprising:

in a first step, via an acceleration sensor, one or more of a normal and a tangential acceleration occurring in a tire bead is detected and wirelessly transmitted in the form of sensor data corresponding thereto to a processor unit;

in a second step, starting from the transferred sensor data from the processor unit, the deformations of a tire casing occurring in each case during the rolling of the tire in an entry point and an exit point are ascertained and compared to one another; and

in a third step, based on the comparison, a compression behavior and in turn therefrom the compaction state of the silage is determined by the processor unit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the compaction state is ascertained from a prediction model stored in the processor unit, wherein this is parameterized as a function of one or more auxiliary variables.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the prediction model is parameterized as a function of one or more of a tire type or model, a tire filling pressure, and an ambient temperature.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the prediction model is parameterized as a function of a tire type or model, a tire filling pressure, and an ambient temperature.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ascertained compaction state of the silage is cartographically located by the processor unit by linking to GPS-based ascertained items of position information and stored as a combined data set.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the items of information obtained for the compaction state of the silage are output audio-visually via a user interface.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the items of information obtained for the compaction state of the silage are transferred wirelessly to a central data server.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the items of information obtained for the compaction state of the silage are output audio-visually via a user interface and transferred wirelessly to a central data server.

9 . A method of determining a compaction state of silage stored in a flat silo, comprising:

operating a work vehicle having at least one tire on an axle;

detecting, via an acceleration sensor, sensor data corresponding to one or more of a normal acceleration and a tangential acceleration in a tire bead of the at least one tire;

transmitting the sensor data to a processor unit;

determining, via the processor unit, a deformation of a tire casing occurring during rolling of the at least one tire at an entry point and an exit point of the tire casing;

comparing, via the processor unit, the deformation of the tire casing at the entry point to the deformation of the tire casing at the exit point; and

determining, by the processor unit, a compression behavior and the compaction state of the silage based on the comparison of the deformation at the entry point and the deformation at the exit point.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the compaction state by using a prediction model stored in the processor unit.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the prediction model is parameterized as a function of one or more of a tire type, tire model, a tire filling pressure, and an ambient temperature.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the prediction model is parameterized as a function of a tire type, tire model, a tire filling pressure, and an ambient temperature.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising cartographically locating, by the processor unit, the determined compaction state of the silage by linking to GPS-based items of position information.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising audio-visually outputting the items of position information via a user interface.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising transferring the items of position information to a central data server.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the items of position information obtained for the compaction state of the silage are output audio-visually via a user interface and transferred wirelessly to a central data server.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2023
From: BROCKE, STEFAN; FRITZ, NORBERT; SCHOTT, FLORIAN; JOHN DEERE GMBH & CO. KG
To: DEERE & COMPANY
Reel/Frame 063764/0444 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102022114289.2 · Jun 7, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230389481A1 · Dec 7, 2023
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