Deere + Company

Phoenix International Corporation

Karl-Heinz Otto Mertins

William Flavis Cooper

Bruce Alan Coers

Barry Douglas Batcheller

Daniel James Burke

Jon Thomas Jacobson

Jerry Ray Halterman

George Bailey Muehlbach

Douglas L Hauck

Jerry Dean Littke

William Francis Fulkerson

Deepak Jugatram Joshi

Christopher Jason Skarie

Jason J Wanner

Paul R Bramel

Folker Beck

John C Thomas

John D Paulson

Daniel Wayne Mairet

Daryl N Roehrich

Thomas Kent Hein

Rick Allen Worrel

Xinghan Ma

Carolyn C Mertins

Jerry Dean Litke

Timothy Schaefer

A method and a system for operating a mobile robot comprise a range finder for collecting range data of one or more objects in an environment around the robot. A discriminator identifies uniquely identifiable ones of the objects as navigation landmarks. A data storage device stores a reference map of the navigation landmarks based on the collected range data. A data processor establishes a list or sequence of way points for the robot to visit. Each way point is defined with reference to one or more landmarks. A reader reads an optical message at or near one or more way points. A task manager manages a task based on the read optical message.

Method and system for controlling a mobile robot

A method and system determines a location of a conversion device for converting wind energy into electrical energy by considering both technical and economic viability factors. One or more qualified wind data regions are established within a geographic area. Each qualified wind data region meets or exceeds a wind velocity criteria over a requisite time period. Distribution accessible zones are established where a desired range of electrical energy is distributable via existing distribution infrastructure. Candidate regions are determined based on the overlap of the regions and the zones. Land data is obtained and is associated with the candidate region. The land data may comprise at least one of a land use and a holder of an interest in real property associated with the candidate region. A selector selects a preferential region, for placement of a conversion device, from the candidate regions based on a land data.

Method and system of determining a location for a wind-powered electrical energy facility

The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere & Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill., U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere & Company or otherwise.

Method and system for providing a diverse supply of electrical energy

A method for determining a location of a conversion device for converting wind energy into electrical energy comprises establishing a plurality of data layers, including at least a wind data layer and a transmission grid data layer. Each data layer contains attribute data that is associated with corresponding location data. The location data of one layer is aligned with the location data of other layers to form a composite layer. The composite layer is searched to identify the first compliant location data associated with a target value or a target value range of the attribute data for the wind data layer. The composite layer is searched to identify a second compliant location data associated with a target value or a target value range of the attribute data for the transmission grid data. The composite layer is searched to identify a third compliant location data associated with a target value or target value range of the attribute data for an additional data layer other than the wind data layer and the transmission grid data layer. The intersection of the first compliant location data, the second compliant location data, and the third compliant data is determined. The intersection is identified as one or more preferential regions for locating an energy conversion device.

Method and system for determining a location of a wind-powered electrical energy facility

An agricultural combine having a supporting structure that is driven by ground engaging wheels at a harvesting speed by a propulsion assembly. The combine is also provided with crop processing assemblies for processing a harvested crop. A feederhouse directs the harvested crop material to the crop processing assemblies. A feederhouse force sensor senses the force exerted by the harvested crop material as it passes through the feederhouse. The feederhouse force signal is directly related to crop throughput. An operator control in the operator's cab of the combine provides a loss rate signal that is also directed to the electronic controller. The electronic controller converts the loss rate signal into a desired feederhouse force signal. The electronic controller regulates the forward speed or harvesting speed of the combine so that the desired feederhouse force signal is equal to the actual feederhouse force signal. The harvesting speed regulation can be modified or overridden by moisture signals from a moisture sensor located in the feederhouse for sensing the moisture content of harvested crop.

Throughput control for combines using feederhouse signal

A combine with a throughput dependent speed control includes an angle sensor responsive to uphill, downhill and sidehill slopes. When the combine is angled from a level position, harvest speed is lowered to prevent grain losses from increasing above a target level. The control continuously learns tilt angle, loss and throughput correlation, and the speed reduction is selected based upon the learned correlation. In the preferred embodiment, throughput is estimated utilizing rotor variable drive actuator pressure (RVDAP), and a target RVDAP is modified for short periods of time in accordance with the learned correlation.

Harvester feedrate control with tilt compensation

A vehicle speed sensing system includes an RF transceiver coupled to an antenna for transmitting an RF signal towards the terrain over which the vehicle moves and for receiving a reflected Doppler signal therefrom. The transceiver generates a time-domain in-phase reference signal I and a time-domain quadrature signal Q which is offset in phase by 90 degrees from the reference signal I. A digital signal processor which receives the I and Q signals, and uses a complex fast Fourier transform routine to convert the time domain I and Q signals to frequency domain values I(f) and Q(f). The digital signal processor further processes the I(f) and Q(f) values and generates a speed a direction signal which is unaffected by vehicle vibrations.

Fast fourier transform signal processing method for doppler radar speed sensor

A control system for a harvester or similar implement includes a supervisory controller, a set of low-level controllers and a neuro-fuzzy inference system. The supervisory controller employs human expert knowledge and fuzzy logic. The controller monitors the quality of the harvesting process, such as gain loss, dockage, grain damage and the like. Based on the measurements, setpoints for all critical functional elements of the implement are determined. The neuro-fuzzy inference system determines machine settings according to operating conditions and learns from harvester experience. The parameters of the neuro-fuzzy inference system are stored in on-board memory. The neuro-fuzzy system can be used for harvester set-up and as one of the knowledge sources for repeated adjustments during the harvest.

Harvester with intelligent hybrid control system

An agricultural combine having a supporting structure that is driven by ground engaging wheels at a harvesting speed by a propulsion assembly. The combine is also provided with a threshing assembly that is supplied harvested crop material by a feederhouse. The feederhouse is provided with a moisture sensor for sensing the moisture of harvested crop material as it passes through the feederhouse. The moisture sensor produces a moisture signal that is directed to an electronic combine controller. The electronic combine controller regulates the harvesting speed of the combine in response to the moisture signal.

Crop moisture sensor for controlling harvesting speed

An optoelectronic apparatus having a measurement region ( ) for detecting the presence of damaged or cracked grain kernels in a population of grain kernels which are either in a stationary or moving state at the measurement region. The apparatus comprises a short-wave ultraviolet excitation light source ( ) that emits a spectral line of a wavelength shorter than 300 nm, a non-imaging photon detector ( ), and wavelength selector such as a dichroic beam-splitter ( ) which serves to isolate the fluorescent light emitted in a certain spectral region by the endosperm of grain from the excitation light of the light source, as well as from other sources of light. The apparatus may be mounted in a combine harvester for the purpose of detecting the presence of damaged grain kernels that have endosperm exposed while harvesting.

Optoelectronic apparatus for detecting damaged grain

An optical particle flow monitoring system for monitoring particle flow through the primary and/or secondary tubes of an air dispensing system, such as an air seeder. The primary tubes include a particle sensor having at least one emitter lens body, which forms a substantially uniform, collimated beam which illuminates a sensing area in a seed tube in order to accurately monitor the number of particles flowing in the seed tube. In the preferred embodiment, optical fibers connect the emitter lens bodies to optical beam generating devices, and connect respective receiver lens bodies to optical beam detecting devices, with both the optical beam generating devices and the optical beam detecting devices being located remotely from the seed tubes for improved immunity to static electricity discharge. All the particles flowing in the secondary seed tubes associated with a given primary tube may be counted by a particle sensor located on the primary tube, thus greatly decreasing the number of sensors and the amount of data processing required to determine the total number of particles dispensed by the secondary tubes of the air dispensing system.

Method of counting seeds dispensed through seed tubes of an air seeding

A seed monitor includes a planter master unit having one or more planter counting units connected to the planter master unit, with each planter counting unit associated with a different seed tube. Each planter counting unit includes a light source, a means for forming a light beam that traverses a sensing area of a seed tube, a detector and a processor. The circuit board connects the detector and light source with a processor. The processor adjusts the intensity of the light source and selects an output amplifier gain that is appropriate for the counting of seeds. In this manner, the planter monitoring system adjusts for long-term dust and dirt accumulation and aging of components. The processor processes the selected stage of amplified output from the detector and determines the number of seeds that have traversed the sensing area of the associated seed tube. The planter master unit receives binary data of the counted seed, and from this data, provides an output to the operator. In a preferred embodiment, plural planter counting units are connected to the planter master unit in a series connection.

Seed planter monitoring system with optical sensors

An optical seed flow monitoring system for monitoring seed flow through the primary and secondary seed tubes in an air seeding system. The primary seed tubes include a primary seed sensor having a plurality of emitter lens bodies and receiver lens bodies. Optical fibers connect the emitter lens body to an optical beam generating device and the receiver lens body to an optical beam detecting device both positioned remotely from the seed tubes. Alternately, one or more of the secondary seed tubes can include a secondary seed sensor having an emitter lens body and a receiver lens body.

Seed monitoring system for counting seeds as they are dispensed through

An improvement in a light collecting system for an agricultural seed monitor is disclosed. The light collecting system includes three optical surfaces: a convex lens surface, a planar surface, and a total internal reflection, cone condenser surface. The convex lens surface is designed to collect light from a seed sensing area of a seed tube and form a converging light beam. The converging beam is then incident onto the planar reflecting surface, which folds the optical axis of the converging light. The converging light beam is then incident onto a non-imaging, total internal reflection cone condenser surface. In a preferred embodiment all three optical surfaces are formed on a single prism made of plastic, with the convex lens being a spherical surface having a radius of curvature of about 20 mm, and the cone condenser surface having an input aperture diameter of about 6 mm and an output aperture diameter of about 0.9 mm.

Non-imaging collector element for inputting seed monitoring signals to

An optical seed counting system for counting seeds that are dispensed through a plurality of seed tubes associated with a multiple row seed planter. Each seed tube includes an optical sensor having an emitter and a receiver. The emitter and the receiver each include lens components for shaping an optical beam. Optical fibers connect the emitter to an optical beam generating device and the receiver to an optical beam detecting device both positioned remotely from the seed tubes. The optical components of the emitter generate a substantially spatially uniform optical beam across a sensing area within the seed tubes. The detecting device generates a pulse signal where the period of the pulses represents the intensity of the optical beam in the sensing area. Seeds that are dispensed in the seed tubes interfere with the optical beam in a manner that affects the light intensity of the beam. Therefore, the change in intensity of the beam indicates the number of seeds.

Growing community of inventors

Davenport, IA, United States of America

Karl-Heinz Otto Mertins