System and method for detecting foreign objects within an agricultural harvester and agricultural harvester

Abstract

A system for detecting foreign objects within an agricultural harvester may include a feed roller assembly configured to receive a stream of harvested material and guide it along a flow path defined between a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers from a first end of the feed roller assembly to a second end of the feed roller assembly. The system may further include a first motion sensor configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roller among the plurality of top rollers, a second motion sensor configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers, and a controller configured to determine, at least in part, when a foreign object is present in the stream of harvested material based on the displacement data received from the first and second motion sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to agricultural harvesters, such as sugarcane harvesters, and more specifically, to systems and methods for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, agricultural harvesters comprise an assembly of processing equipment for processing harvested crop material. For example, in a sugarcane harvester, chopped sugarcane stalks are fed via a feed roller assembly to a chopper assembly, which cuts or shreds the stalks into chunks or billets (e.g., 6-inch sugarcane segments). The processed harvested crop material exiting the chopper assembly is then directed as a stream of billets and debris into a main extractor, where airborne debris (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) is separated from the sugarcane billets. The separated / cleaned billets then fall into a lift assembly for conveying to an external storage device.

[0003] During harvester operation, objects such as stones or broken metal fragments from the field may be fed into the feed roller assembly along with cut sugarcane stalks. These foreign objects can damage the blades of the shredder assembly, thus reducing its efficiency. However, with existing harvesters, operators cannot identify when foreign objects are picked up along with sugarcane stalks, and therefore cannot stop the feed roller assembly in time to prevent blade damage.

[0004] Therefore, systems and methods for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of agricultural harvesters will be welcome in this technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Various aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, or will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

[0006] In one aspect, this subject matter relates to a system for detecting foreign objects within an agricultural harvester. The system includes a feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end and including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers. The feed roller assembly is configured to receive a stream of harvested material and guide the stream along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers from a first end of the feed roller assembly to a second end of the feed roller assembly. The system also includes a first motion sensor and a second motion sensor, the first motion sensor being configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roller among the plurality of top rollers, and the second motion sensor being configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers. Additionally, the system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first and second motion sensors. The controller is configured to determine, at least in part, when a foreign object is present within the harvested material stream based on the displacement data received from the first and second motion sensors.

[0007] In another aspect, this subject matter relates to a sugarcane harvester. The sugarcane harvester includes a root cutter assembly configured to cut sugarcane stalks, and a feed roll assembly extending between a first end and a second end and having a plurality of bottom rolls and a plurality of top rolls. The feed roll assembly is configured to receive a flow of sugarcane stalks from the root cutter assembly and guide the flow of sugarcane stalks along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rolls and the plurality of top rolls from the first end of the feed roll assembly to the second end of the feed roll assembly. The sugarcane harvester also includes a chopper assembly configured to receive the flow of sugarcane stalks from the feed roll assembly and chop the flow of sugarcane stalks into billets. Furthermore, the sugarcane harvester includes a first motion sensor and a second motion sensor, the first motion sensor being configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roll among the plurality of top rolls, and the second motion sensor being configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a second roll among the plurality of top rolls. Additionally, the sugarcane harvester also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first and second motion sensors, wherein the controller is configured to determine, at least in part, when a foreign object is present in the sugarcane stalk flow based on displacement data received from the first and second motion sensors, and to control the operation of the agricultural harvester to protect the shredder assembly when a foreign object is present in the sugarcane stalk flow.

[0008] In another aspect, this subject relates to a method for detecting foreign objects in an agricultural harvester, wherein the harvester has a feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end, the feed roller assembly including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers. The feed roller assembly is configured to receive a stream of harvested material and guide the stream of harvested material along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers from a first end of the feed roller assembly to a second end of the feed roller assembly. The method includes receiving displacement data using one or more computing devices, the displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roller among the plurality of top rollers and the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers. The method further includes determining, using the one or more computing devices, at least partially based on the displacement data, that a foreign object is present in the stream of harvested material. Additionally, the method includes controlling the operation of at least one of the feed roller assembly or a user interface using the one or more computing devices in response to determining that a foreign object is present in the stream of harvested material.

[0009] In another aspect, this subject matter relates to a system for detecting foreign objects within an agricultural harvester. The system includes a feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end and including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers. The feed roller assembly is configured to receive a stream of harvested material and guide the stream along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers from a first end of the feed roller assembly to a second end of the feed roller assembly. The system also includes a metal detection sensor associated with at least one of the plurality of bottom rollers or the plurality of top rollers, wherein the metal detection sensor is configured to generate data indicating the metallic properties of the harvested material stream. Additionally, the system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the metal detection sensor. The controller is configured to determine, at least in part, the presence of a metal object in the harvested material stream based on the metallic properties of the harvested material stream exceeding a metallic property threshold.

[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description and the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The invention, including its preferred mode, is fully disclosed and can be practiced by one of ordinary skill in the art in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A simplified side view illustrating an embodiment of an agricultural harvester according to various aspects of this topic;

[0013] Figure 2A side view of a portion of an agricultural harvester is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of this subject, with particular illustration of an embodiment of the feed roller assembly of the agricultural harvester;

[0014] Figure 3A and 3B Detailed views of the top roller of the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester are illustrated according to various aspects of this topic, with particular illustrations of the top roller in the lowered and raised positions;

[0015] Figure 4 This paper illustrates, according to various aspects of the topic, a schematic diagram of a system for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester;

[0016] Figure 5A and 5B According to various aspects of this topic, exemplary embodiments of displacement diagrams generated from data collected by a motion sensor of a sensor assembly for detecting foreign objects within a feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester are illustrated, with particular illustrations of displacement diagrams for the first roller and the second roller, respectively.

[0017] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester, illustrated according to various aspects of this subject matter.

[0018] The repeated use of reference numerals in this specification and accompanying drawings is intended to indicate the same or similar features or elements of the art. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which provide one or more examples of embodiments of the invention. Each example is provided as an explanation of the invention and not as a limitation thereof. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the invention without departing from its scope or spirit. For example, features shown or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Therefore, the invention is intended to cover such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0020] Generally, this subject matter relates to systems and methods for detecting foreign objects within the feed roll assembly of an agricultural harvester (such as a sugarcane harvester). Specifically, in several embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods can be used to determine when a foreign object is present within the feed roll assembly to prevent damage to a chopper assembly located downstream of the feed roll assembly. For example, the feed roll assembly may extend between a first end and a second end and includes a plurality of top rolls and bottom rolls. The feed roll assembly receives a stream of harvested material (e.g., cut sugarcane stalks) from a root cutter assembly and guides the harvested material stream from the first end of the feed roll assembly to the second end along a flow path defined between the top rolls and bottom rolls. The top rolls may be movable to adjust the distance between the top rolls and bottom rolls, thereby allowing for different thicknesses of the harvested material stream.

[0021] According to various aspects of this subject matter, data from motion sensors associated with the feed roll assembly can be used to monitor the displacement of at least two top rolls away from their respective bottom rolls to determine when a foreign object (e.g., a stone) is present in the harvested material stream. For example, if a greater-than-normal displacement occurs at the first top roll of the at least two top rolls, and then, within a certain time interval, a greater-than-normal displacement occurs at the second top roll, located downstream of the first top roll, the controller can determine that a foreign object is present in the harvested material stream. Similarly, if a displacement occurs at the first top roll of the at least two top rolls at a faster-than-expected rate, and then, within a certain time interval, a displacement occurs at the second top roll, located downstream of the first top roll, at a faster-than-expected rate, the controller can determine that a foreign object is present in the harvested material stream.

[0022] Additionally, in some embodiments, a metal detection sensor may be associated with the feed roller assembly, generating data indicating the metallic properties of the harvested material stream. The controller of the disclosed system can monitor the metallic properties of the harvested material stream based on the data received from the metal detection sensor and determine whether a metallic foreign object is present in the harvested material stream. For example, if the metallic properties of the harvested material stream exceed a metallic property threshold, the controller can determine that a metallic foreign object is present in the harvested material stream.

[0023] If a foreign object (e.g., a stone or metal) is detected, the controller of the disclosed system can be configured to stop the feed roller assembly, stop the shredder assembly, and / or indicate the presence of a foreign object to the operator via a user interface. The operator can then remove the foreign object, thereby preventing damage to the blades of the shredder assembly, which is directly downstream of the feed roller assembly.

[0024] Now refer to the attached diagram, Figure 1A side view illustrating one embodiment of an agricultural harvester 10 is shown in the figures, illustrating various aspects of this subject matter. As shown, the harvester 10 is configured as a sugarcane harvester. However, in other embodiments, the harvester 10 may correspond to any other suitable agricultural harvester known in the art.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the harvester 10 includes a frame 12, a pair of front wheels 14, a pair of rear wheels 16, and an operator's cab 18. The harvester 10 may also include a power source (e.g., an engine mounted on the frame 12) that powers one or both pairs of wheels 14, 16 via a transmission (not shown). Alternatively, the harvester 10 may be a track-driven harvester and therefore may include engine-driven tracks instead of the wheels 14, 16 shown in the illustration. The engine may also drive a hydraulic fluid pump (not shown) configured to generate pressurized hydraulic fluid to power the various hydraulic components of the harvester 10.

[0026] The harvester 10 may include various components for cutting, processing, cleaning, and discharging sugarcane during harvesting from the field 20. For example, the harvester 10 may include a topping assembly 22 located at the front end of the harvester 10 to cut the sugarcane as the harvester 10 moves in a forward direction. As shown, the topping assembly 22 may include a collection disc 24 and a cutting disc 26. The collection disc 24 may be configured to collect sugarcane stalks so that the cutting disc 26 can be used to cut off the top of each stalk. As generally understood, the height of the topping assembly 22 may be adjusted via a pair of arms 28 that are hydraulically raised and lowered by the operator as needed.

[0027] The harvester 10 may also include a crop divider 30 extending upwards and backwards from the field 20. Typically, the crop divider 30 may include two helical feed rollers 32. Each feed roller 32 may include a ground shoe 34 at its lower end to assist the crop divider 30 in collecting sugarcane stalks for harvesting. Furthermore, as... Figure 1 As shown, the harvester 10 may include a compaction roller 36 located near the front wheel 14 and a finned roller 38 located behind the compaction roller 36. When the compaction roller 36 rotates, the sugarcane stalks being harvested are compacted, while the crop divider 30 collects the stalks from the field 20. Furthermore, as... Figure 1 As shown, the finned roller 38 may include a plurality of intermittently mounted fins 40 that help to push the sugarcane stalks downward. As the finned roller 38 rotates during harvesting, the sugarcane stalks that have been pressed down by the pressing roller 36 are separated from and further pressed down by the finned roller 38 as the harvester 10 continues to move in the forward direction relative to the field 20.

[0028] See still Figure 1The harvester 10 may also include a root cutter assembly 42 located behind the finned roller 38. As generally understood, the root cutter assembly 42 may include blades (not shown) for cutting the sugarcane stalks during harvesting. The blades located on the periphery of the assembly 42 may be rotated by a hydraulic electric motor (not shown) powered by the vehicle's hydraulic system. Additionally, in several embodiments, the blades may be tilted downwards to cut the roots of the sugarcane as it is pressed down by the finned roller 38.

[0029] Additionally, the harvester 10 may include a feed roller assembly 44 located downstream of the root cutter assembly 42 for moving the cut sugarcane stalks from the root cutter assembly 42 along the processing path. Figure 1 As shown, the feed roller assembly 44 may include a plurality of bottom rollers 46 and a plurality of opposing top clamping rollers 48. The respective bottom rollers 46 and top rollers 48 can be used to clamp the harvested sugarcane during conveying. As the sugarcane is conveyed through the feed roller assembly 44, debris (e.g., stones, soil and / or the like) may fall onto the field 20 through the bottom rollers 46.

[0030] Additionally, the harvester 10 may include a chopper assembly 50 located downstream of the feed roll assembly 44 (e.g., adjacent to the rearmost bottom roll 46 and top roll 48). Typically, the chopper assembly 50 is used to cut or shred the chopped sugarcane stalks into blocks or “bread” 51, for example, which may be six (6) inches long. The bread 51 can then be pushed toward the harvester 10’s lift assembly 52 for transfer to an external receiver or storage device (not shown).

[0031] As commonly understood, debris 53 (e.g., dust, soil, leaves, etc.) separated from sugarcane billet 51 can be discharged from harvester 10 via main extractor 54, which is located directly behind chopper assembly 50 and oriented to guide the debris 53 outward from harvester 10. Additionally, extractor fan 56 can be mounted within main extractor 54 to generate suction or vacuum sufficient to pick up the debris 53 and force it through main extractor 54. The separated or cleaned billet 51, heavier than the debris 53 discharged through extractor 54, can then fall onto lifter assembly 52.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, the lifter assembly 52 may include a lifter housing 58 and a lifter 60, the lifter 60 extending within the lifter housing 58 between a lower proximal end 62 and an upper distal end 64. Typically, the lifter 60 may include an annular chain 66 and a plurality of scrapers or paddles 68 attached to and evenly spaced along the chain 66. The paddles 68 may be configured to hold the sugarcane billet 51 on the lifter 60 as it rises along the top span defined between its proximal end 62 and distal end 64. Additionally, the lifter 60 may include a lower sprocket 72 and an upper sprocket 74 located at its proximal end 62 and distal end 64, respectively. Figure 1 As shown, the elevator motor 76 can be coupled to one of the sprockets (e.g., upper sprocket 74) to drive the chain 66, thereby allowing the chain 66 and the paddle 68 to travel indefinitely between the proximal end 62 and the distal end 64 of the elevator 60.

[0033] Furthermore, in some embodiments, debris 53 (e.g., dust, soil, leaves, etc.) separated from the raised sugarcane billet 51 can be discharged from the harvester 10 via an auxiliary extractor 78 coupled to the rear end of the lifter housing 58. For example, the debris 53 discharged by the auxiliary extractor 78 may be residual debris after the billet 51 has been cleaned and the debris 53 has been discharged by the main extractor 54. Figure 1 As shown, the auxiliary extractor 78 can be located near the distal end 64 of the elevator 60 and can be oriented to guide the debris 53 outward from the harvester 10. Additionally, an extractor fan 80 can be mounted at the bottom of the auxiliary extractor 78 to generate suction or vacuum sufficient to pick up the debris 53 and force it through the auxiliary extractor 78. The separated, cleaned billet 51, heavier than the debris 53 discharged through the extractor 78, can then fall from the distal end 64 of the elevator 60. Generally, the billet 51 can fall downward through the elevator discharge opening 82 of the elevator assembly 52 into an external storage device (not shown), such as a sugarcane billet trolley.

[0034] During operation, the harvester 10 traverses the field 20 to harvest sugarcane. After adjusting the height of the topping assembly 22 via the arm 28, the collecting disc 24 on the topping assembly 22 can be used to collect sugarcane stalks as the harvester 10 travels through the field 20, while the cutting disc 26 cuts off the multi-leafed tops of the sugarcane stalks for disposal along either side of the harvester 10. As the stalks enter the crop divider 30, the ground plate 34 can be set with an operating width to determine the amount of sugarcane entering the throat of the harvester 10. The auger feed roller 32 then gathers the stalks into the throat so that the bending roller 36 can be combined with the action of the finned roller 38 to bend the stalks downwards. Figure 1As shown, once the stalk tilts downwards, the root cutter assembly 42 can cut the root of the stalk from the field 20. Then, by the movement of the harvester 10, the cut stalk is guided to the feed roller assembly 44.

[0035] The chopped sugarcane stalks are conveyed rearward by bottom rollers 46 and top rollers 48, which press the stalks together to make them more uniform and shake loose debris to pass through bottom roller 46 to field 20. Downstream of feed roller assembly 44, chopper assembly 50 cuts or shreds the pressed sugarcane stalks into chunks or billets 51 (e.g., 6-inch sugarcane segments). The processed crop material discharged from chopper assembly 50 is then guided as a stream of billets 51 and debris 53 into main extractor 54. The main extractor 54 then extracts the airborne debris 53 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the sugarcane billets using suction generated by extractor fan 56. The separated / cleaned billets 51 then fall downward through lifter hopper 86 into lifter assembly 52 and travel upward through lifter 60 from its proximal end 62 to its distal end 64. During normal operation, once billet 51 reaches the far end 64 of elevator 60, billet 51 falls through elevator discharge opening 82 to external storage equipment. If an auxiliary extractor 78 is provided, the auxiliary extractor 78 (with the aid of extractor fan 80) blows waste / debris 53 from harvester 10, similar to the main extractor 54.

[0036] See now Figure 2 The figure illustrates a side view of a portion of an agricultural harvester, according to various aspects of this subject, and in particular, shows the above reference. Figure 1 A side view of one embodiment of the feed roller assembly 44 of the described agricultural harvester 10. (See attached image.) Figure 2 As shown, the feed roller assembly 44 extends between a first end 44A and a second end 44B, wherein the first end 44A of the feed roller assembly 44 is adjacent to the root cutter assembly 42, and the second end 44B of the feed roller assembly 44 is adjacent to the chopper assembly 50. Thus, the first end 44A of the feed roller assembly 44 is configured to receive chopped sugarcane stalks from the root cutter assembly 42 and to convey the flow of chopped sugarcane stalks along a flow path FP defined between the bottom rollers 46 and the top rollers 48 to the chopper assembly 50 at the second end 44B of the feed roller assembly 44. Although the feed roller assembly 44 is shown as having six bottom rollers 46 and five top rollers 48, it should be appreciated that the feed roller assembly 44 may have any other suitable number of bottom rollers 46 and / or top rollers 48.

[0037] Typically, because sugarcane stalks are not perfectly uniform on the field, the flow of cut sugarcane stalks will inherently vary in thickness. Therefore, the top roller 48 can be configured as a floating roller, such that the interval between the bottom roller 46 and the top roller 48 is variable to accommodate variations in the thickness of the flow of cut sugarcane stalks. For example, in one embodiment, each top roller 48 can move within a corresponding slot 100. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As specifically shown, each slot 100 may extend between a first slot end 100A and a second slot end 100B. When the top roller 48 abuts against the first slot end 100A, the top roller 48 is in its lowest position, such that the top roller 48 is spaced apart from the corresponding bottom roller 46 by a first distance D1. When the top roller 48 abuts against the second slot end 100B, the top roller 48 is in its highest position, such that the top roller 48 is spaced apart from the corresponding bottom roller 46 by a second distance D2. In one embodiment, the first distance D1 is the closest distance the top roller 48 may be from the bottom roller 46, and the second distance D2 is the farthest distance the top roller 46 may be from the bottom roller 46. In some embodiments, the top roller 48 may pivot about its respective pivot joint 102 to move within the slot 100 between the first slot end 100A and the second slot end 100B. For example, the top roller 48 may pivot about the pivot joint 102 between a first angular position corresponding to the first distance D1 and a second angular position corresponding to the second distance D2. However, in other embodiments, the top roller 48 may be configured to move within the slot in any other suitable manner.

[0038] See back Figure 2 During normal operation of the harvester as described above, foreign objects, such as stones or metal fragments, fed into the feed roller assembly 44 along with the cut sugarcane stalks may be shaken off before reaching the chopper assembly 50. However, when such foreign objects are not shaken off as expected before reaching the chopper assembly 50, for example, if the foreign objects are trapped between the sugarcane stalks or are too large, the blades of the chopper assembly 50 may be damaged upon contact with the foreign objects, which reduces the efficiency of the harvester 10. Therefore, in accordance with various aspects of this subject matter, a sensor assembly 150 is provided in association with the feed roller assembly 44 for detecting foreign objects in the harvested material flow passing through the feed roller assembly 44.

[0039] In one embodiment, sensor assembly 150 may include a plurality of motion sensors 152 configured to generate data indicating displacement of top roller 48, such as the amount of displacement, including the magnitude and / or rate of displacement. For example, the plurality of motion sensors 152 may include at least a first motion sensor 152A and a second motion sensor 152B. The first and second motion sensors 152A, 152B may be configured to generate displacement data indicating displacement of individual top rollers 48 in feed roller assembly 44. For example, the first motion sensor 152A may generate displacement data indicating displacement of one top roller 48, while the second motion sensor 152B may generate displacement data indicating displacement of another top roller 48 downstream of the top roller 48 associated with the first motion sensor 152. It should be appreciated that although sensor assembly 150 is shown as including only two motion sensors 152A, 152B, sensor assembly 150 may include additional motion sensors 152, such as one or more additional motion sensors 152. It should also be appreciated that the motion sensor 152 may include any suitable sensor or combination of sensors for generating displacement data indicating the displacement of the top roller 48, such as an angular position sensor and / or an accelerometer. Additionally, it should be appreciated that monitoring the displacement of the top roller 48, which is not directly adjacent to the chopper 50, can be advantageous, allowing more time to detect and react to foreign objects present in the harvested material flow through the feed roller assembly 44.

[0040] During normal operation of the harvester 10, the thickness of the stream of cut sugarcane stalks may vary slightly, causing the top roller 48 to experience the expected displacement pattern. However, when foreign objects such as large stones or metal pieces are present in the stream of cut sugarcane stalks, the top roller 48 will experience a greater and / or faster displacement than usual. Therefore, as described in more detail below, the controller of the disclosed system can be configured to monitor displacement data received from the motion sensor 152 to determine when a foreign object is present in the stream of cut sugarcane stalks. For example, the controller can be configured to monitor sensor data for a greater and / or faster displacement than usual at the top roller 48 associated with the first and second motion sensors 152A, 152B to determine that a foreign object is present in the harvested material stream. For example, the controller can be configured to monitor sensor data relative to one or more displacement thresholds, such as at least one displacement threshold and / or at least one displacement rate threshold. For example, the magnitude of the displacement of the top roller 48 can be compared to a displacement threshold, and / or the rate of displacement of the top roller 48 can be compared to a displacement rate threshold. When a displacement greater than a displacement threshold and / or faster than a displacement rate threshold is determined at a roller based on data from the first motion sensor 152A, and (e.g., in a subsequent time corresponding to a time delay determined based on the distance between the two rollers and the speed at which the flow of cut sugarcane stalks is guided through the feed roller assembly 44) another displacement greater than the displacement threshold and / or faster than the displacement rate threshold is determined at a downstream roller based on data from the second motion sensor 152B, the controller can determine that there is a foreign object in the flow of cut sugarcane stalks.

[0041] Similarly, the controller can be configured to determine the presence of foreign matter in the harvested material stream based on displacement profile monitoring sensor data of the top roller 48, which differs from the usual displacement profile, associated with the first and second motion sensors 152A, 152B. For example, the controller can be configured relative to one or more average displacement profile monitoring sensor data. For instance, the height, width, sharpness / flatness, etc., of a profile portion of the displacement profile associated with the top roller 48 can be compared to an average displacement profile. When a profile portion different from the average displacement profile is determined at a roller based on data from the first motion sensor 152A, and (e.g., at a subsequent time corresponding to a time delay determined based on the distance between the two rollers and the speed at which the flow of cut sugarcane stalks is guided through the feed roller assembly 44) another profile portion different from the average displacement profile is determined at a downstream roller based on data from the second motion sensor 152B, the controller can determine the presence of foreign matter in the flow of cut sugarcane stalks.

[0042] In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 150 may also include one or more metal detection sensors 154 configured to generate data indicating the metallic properties of the flow of cut sugarcane stalks. For example, each metal detection sensor 154 may be associated with (e.g., disposed therein) a corresponding bottom roller in the bottom rollers 46. The bottom rollers 46 associated with the metal detection sensors 154 may be made of a non-metallic material such that the material of the bottom rollers 46 does not interfere with the sensing of the metal detection sensors 154. It should be appreciated that the metal detection sensors 154 can be any suitable sensor for generating data indicating the metallic properties (e.g., magnetic fields) of the flow of cut sugarcane stalks. It should also be appreciated that the metal detection sensors 154 may additionally or alternatively be associated with one or more top rollers in the top rollers 48.

[0043] During normal operation of the harvester 10, the flow of cut sugarcane stalks should have almost no metallic properties (e.g., magnetic field). However, when foreign objects such as metal fragments are present in the flow of cut sugarcane stalks, the sensed metallic properties of the flow increase. Therefore, as described in more detail below, the controller of the disclosed system can be configured to monitor data received from the metal detection sensor 154 to determine when a metallic foreign object is present in the flow of cut sugarcane stalks. For example, the controller can be configured to determine that a metallic foreign object is present in the feed roller assembly when the metallic properties of the flow of cut sugarcane stalks determined based on data from the metal detection sensor are greater than a metallic property threshold.

[0044] See now Figure 4 The figure illustrates, according to various aspects of this subject matter, a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a system 200 for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester. Generally, references to the figure will be made... Figure 1 The agricultural harvester 10 described and referenced Figures 2-3B The system 200 is described in connection with the feed roller assembly 44. However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed method 300 can be implemented with a harvester having any other suitable configuration and / or with a feed roller assembly having any other suitable configuration.

[0045] like Figure 4As shown, system 200 may include controller 202 and various other components configured to be communicatively coupled to and / or controlled by controller 202. For example, controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to motion sensors 152 (e.g., first and second motion sensors 152A, 152B), which generate displacement data indicating the displacement of two or more top rollers 48 of the feed roller assembly 44. Furthermore, controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to a metal detection sensor 154, which is configured to generate data indicating the metallic properties of the flow of cut sugarcane stalks through the feed roller assembly 44. Additionally, controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to and / or configured to control user interface 212. The user interface 212 described herein may include, but is not limited to, any combination of input and / or output devices that allow the operator to provide input to the controller 202 and / or allow the controller 202 to provide feedback to the operator, such as a keyboard, keypad, pointing device, button, knob, touchscreen, mobile device, audio input device, audio output device, and / or the like. Furthermore, the controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to one or more feed roller drive components 214 and / or configured to control one or more feed roller drive components 214, such as an electric motor (e.g., a hydraulic electric motor) coupled to the feed roller assembly 44. Additionally, the controller may be communicatively coupled to one or more chopper drive components 216 and / or configured to control one or more chopper drive components 216, such as an electric motor (e.g., a hydraulic electric motor) coupled to the chopper assembly 50.

[0046] Typically, controller 202 may include any suitable processor-based device known in the art, such as a computing device or any suitable combination of computing devices. Therefore, in several embodiments, controller 202 may include one or more processors 204 configured to perform various computer-implemented functions and associated storage devices 206. The term "processor" as used herein refers not only to integrated circuits known in the art as included in a computer, but also to controllers, microcontrollers, microcomputers, programmable logic circuits (PLCs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the storage device 206 of controller 202 may typically include storage elements, including but not limited to computer-readable media (e.g., random access memory RAM), computer-readable non-volatile media (e.g., flash memory), floppy disks, optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magneto-optical disk (MOD), digital versatile optical disk (DVD), and / or other suitable storage elements. Such storage device 206 may typically be configured to store appropriate computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by processor 204, configure controller 202 to perform various computer-implemented functions, such as one or more aspects of the methods and algorithms described herein. In addition, the controller 202 may include various other suitable components, such as communication circuits or modules, one or more input / output channels and / or data / control buses, etc.

[0047] It should be appreciated that, in several embodiments, controller 202 may correspond to an existing controller of the agricultural harvester 10. However, it should be appreciated that, in other embodiments, controller 202 may instead correspond to a separate processing device. For example, in one embodiment, controller 202 may be formed wholly or partially as a separate plug-in module that can be installed within the agricultural harvester 10, to allow the disclosed systems and methods to be implemented without requiring additional software to be uploaded to the existing control device of the agricultural harvester 10.

[0048] In some embodiments, controller 202 may be configured to include one or more communication modules or interfaces 208 for communicating with any of the various system components described herein. For example, one or more communication links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) may be provided between communication interface 208 and sensors 152, 154 to receive displacement data indicating the displacement of top roller 48 and data indicating the metallic properties of the flow of cut sugarcane stalks within feed roller assembly 44. Furthermore, one or more communication links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) may be provided between communication interface 208 and a user interface (e.g., user interface 212) to allow operator input to be received by controller 202 and / or to allow controller 202 to control the operation of one or more components of user interface 212. Additionally, one or more communication links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) may be provided between communication interface 208 and feed roller drive component 214 to allow controller 202 to control the operation of feed roller drive component 214. Alternatively, one or more communication links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) can be provided between the communication interface 208 and the shredder drive component 216 so that the controller 202 can control the operation of the shredder drive component 216.

[0049] As shown above, controller 202 may be configured to detect foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester (e.g., feed roller assembly 44 of agricultural harvester 10) based at least in part on displacement data indicating the displacement of two or more top rollers (e.g., top roller 48) of the feed roller assembly and / or data indicating the metallic properties of the harvested material flow through the feed roller assembly. For example, controller 202 may include one or more suitable relationships and / or algorithms stored in its memory 206, which, when executed by processor 204, enable controller 202 to detect or determine the presence of foreign objects within feed roller assembly 44 based on data from motion sensor 152 and / or metal detection sensor 154.

[0050] For example, controller 202 may be configured to monitor displacement data from motion sensor 152, the displacement data indicating the amount (e.g., magnitude and / or rate) of displacement of at least two top rollers 48 of the feed roller assembly 44. Controller 202 may identify instances where displacement conditions at top roller 48 differ from expected displacement condition criteria and are consistent with each other. For example, controller 202 may identify instances where the displacement of the monitored top roller 48 exceeds an associated threshold and / or whether a portion of the displacement profile associated with top roller 48 differs from an expected displacement profile, and further determine whether instances where displacement at the first monitored top roller 48 exceeds the threshold and / or differs from the expected displacement profile match instances at downstream top rollers of the monitored top roller 48. For example, based on the known distance along the flow path FP between one of the monitored top rollers 48 and the subsequent downstream monitored top roller 48 (e.g., this distance may be predetermined and stored in memory 206) and the speed at which the harvested material is fed through the feed roller assembly 44, the controller 202 can determine the expected time delay for an object to travel from one of the monitored top rollers 48 to the subsequent downstream monitored top roller 48. If an instance of displacement exceeding an associated threshold and / or having a profile different from the expected profile occurs at one of the monitored top rollers 48, and after the time delay, an instance of displacement exceeding the associated threshold and / or having a profile different from the expected profile occurs at the subsequent top roller 48, the controller 202 can determine that a foreign object is present.

[0051] For example, see Figure 5A and Figure 5B The figure illustrates, in accordance with various aspects of this subject matter, an example embodiment of a displacement map generated from data collected by a motion sensor of a sensor assembly used for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester. Specifically, Figure 5A The diagram illustrates the displacement of the first roller among multiple top rollers 48, as shown in Figure 250. Figure 5B The diagram illustrates a displacement map 252 of a downstream second roller among multiple top rollers 48. For example, displacement data from a first displacement sensor 152A can be used by a controller 202 to generate a first displacement map 250 indicating the displacement of a first top roller among the top rollers 48 of the feed roller assembly 44, and displacement data from a second displacement sensor 152B can be used by the controller 202 to generate a second displacement map 250 indicating the displacement of a downstream second top roller among the top rollers 48 of the feed roller assembly 44. It should be appreciated that in embodiments with more than two monitored top rollers 48, additional displacement maps can be generated for the displacement of each additional monitored top roller 48.

[0052] like Figure 5A and Figure 5BAs shown, a first displacement profile 252 associated with the first top roller 48 is generated based on displacement data of the first top roller 48, and a second displacement profile 254 associated with the second top roller 48 is generated based on displacement data of the second top roller 48. The first displacement profile 252 and the second displacement profile 254 can indirectly or directly indicate the position and / or rate of displacement of the top roller 48 at each given time. For example, displacement data from motion sensors 152A and 152B may include raw signal data, which is plotted to indirectly indicate the position and / or rate of displacement of the top roller 48 at each given time. Alternatively, the raw signal data from motion sensors 152A and 152B can be transformed (e.g., using one or more predefined relationships between the raw data and the corresponding position and / or rate) and then plotted to directly indicate the position and / or rate of displacement of the top roller 48 at each given time.

[0053] As the profile of the sugarcane stalk flow gets closer to the second end 44B of the feed roller assembly 44, Figure 2 The profile becomes more uniform, so the first displacement profile 252 of the first top roller 48 has a different expected profile compared to the second displacement profile 254 of the second top roller 48. For example, as Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the first displacement profile 252 of the first top roller 48 has a less smooth pattern overall compared to the overall pattern of the displacement profile 254 of the second top roller 48. Similarly, the amount of displacement of the first roller 48 is generally larger in magnitude and / or rate than that of the second roller 48. Therefore, a first threshold 256 for inferring the amount of displacement required to infer that a foreign object has just passed the first monitored roller can be higher than a second threshold 258 for inferring that such a foreign object has just passed the downstream second monitored roller. However, in some embodiments, thresholds 256 and 258 can be the same for the displacement of both the first and second top rollers 48. It should be appreciated that thresholds 256 and 258 can be determined in any suitable manner. The controller 202 can monitor the displacement conditions (e.g., amount, profile portion, etc.) of the displacement profiles 252 and 254 relative to displacement condition criteria (e.g., threshold amount, expected profile, etc.) to determine the presence of a foreign object in the feed roller assembly 44.

[0054] For example, controller 202 can monitor displacement profiles 252, 254 to determine when the displacement of the first and / or second top roller 48 exceeds associated thresholds 256, 258. For example, a first instance 260 is detected at a first time T1 where the displacement of the first top roller 48 exceeds the first threshold 256. Similarly, a second instance 262 is detected at a second time T2 where the displacement of the second top roller 48 exceeds the second threshold 258. A time delay TD1 is determined based on the known distance between the monitored first and second top rollers 48 and the current speed at which the harvested material is fed through the feed roller assembly 44. If the displacement at the first and second top rollers 48 exceeds the thresholds 256, 258 by a time delay TD1 or is within a certain range of the time delay TD1 (e.g., within + / -10% of the time delay TD1, within + / -5% of the time delay TD1, etc.), controller 202 determines that a foreign object is present in the feed roller assembly 44. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, since the time intervals T1 and T2 of the first instance 260 and the second instance 262 are delayed by time TD1, the controller 202 can be configured to determine that there is a foreign object in the feed roller assembly 44.

[0055] Similarly, controller 202 may additionally or alternatively monitor each of displacement profiles 252, 254 relative to local averages or expected profiles of various portions of the displacement profile. The local average profile may be generated based on the average of previous data points. For example, the local average profile may be generated at least in part based on a predetermined number of previous profile portions or data points, such as the last 5, 10, 15, etc. data points, or the average of all previous data points. However, the local average profile may be determined and / or provided in any other suitable manner. If a local profile portion of the displacement profile differs significantly from the local average profile (e.g., height, width, sharpness, etc.), the controller will notice an instance of abnormal movement. If a local profile portion (e.g., first instance 260) is determined in the first displacement profile 252 to differ too much from the local average profile (e.g., first local average profile 264), and a local profile portion (e.g., second instance 262) is determined in the second displacement profile 254 to differ too much from the corresponding local average profile (e.g., second local average profile 266), wherein the profiles of the various instances are similar to each other (e.g., in shape) and / or occur during the time interval delay TD1, then the controller 202 may determine that a foreign object is present in the feed roller assembly 44.

[0056] See back Figure 4The controller 202 can similarly be configured to monitor data from the metal detection sensor 154, which indicates the metallic properties of the harvested material stream guided through the feed roller assembly 44. If the detected metallic properties of the harvested material stream exceed a metallic property threshold, the controller 202 can determine that a metallic foreign object is present. For example, the metallic properties of the harvested material stream can include a magnetic field. Sugarcane stalks and other field materials alone generate almost no magnetic field when interacting with the metal detection sensor 154. Therefore, if a magnetic field is detected within the harvested material stream based on data received from the metal detection sensor 154, the controller 202 determines that a metallic object is present in the harvested material stream.

[0057] Once controller 202 determines that a foreign object is present in the sugarcane stalk flow based on displacement data from motion sensor 152 and / or data from metal detection sensor 154, controller 202 can be configured to take control action to prevent damage to the chopper assembly 50 downstream of feed roller assembly 44. For example, when controller 202 determines that a foreign object is present in feed roller assembly 44, controller 202 can automatically control the operation of user interface 212 to provide operator notification associated with the foreign object, thereby notifying the operator of agricultural harvester 10 of the foreign object so that the operator can take action to protect chopper assembly 50 from damage. In some embodiments, additionally or alternatively, controller 202 is configured to automatically control the operation of feed roller drive component 214 to slow down or stop feed roller assembly 44, thereby protecting chopper assembly 50 from damage. Similarly, in some embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the controller 202 is configured to automatically control the operation of the shredder drive component 216 to slow down or stop the shredder assembly 50, thereby protecting the shredder assembly from damage.

[0058] See now Figure 6 The figure illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of a method 300 for detecting foreign objects within the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester, according to various aspects of this subject matter. Generally, references to this document will be discussed... Figure 1 Description of agricultural harvester 10, reference Figures 2-3B The described feed roller assembly 44 and reference Figure 4 The method 300 is described using the various components of the system 200. However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed method 300 can be implemented with a harvester having any other suitable configuration, with a feed roller assembly having any other suitable configuration, and / or within a system having any other suitable system configuration. Furthermore, although for illustrative and discussion purposes, Figure 6The steps are described in a specific order, but the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. Those skilled in the art will recognize, by utilizing the disclosure provided herein, that the individual steps of the methods disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, and / or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0059] like Figure 6 As shown, in (302), method 300 may include receiving displacement data indicating the displacement of a first and a second roller among a plurality of top rollers of the feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester. For example, as described above, controller 202 may receive displacement data from a first motion sensor 152A and displacement data from a second motion sensor 152B, the displacement data from the first motion sensor 152A indicating the displacement of a first roller among a plurality of top rollers 48 of the feed roller assembly 44, and the displacement data from the second motion sensor 152B indicating the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers 48. The displacement data may indicate the amount of each displacement of the first and second top rollers 48, such as the magnitude and / or rate of each displacement of the first and second top rollers 48.

[0060] Furthermore, in (304), method 300 may include determining, at least in part, based on displacement data, that there is a foreign object in the harvested material flow guided along the flow path through the feed roller assembly. For example, as described above, when both exceed the associated threshold and / or the displacement of the first top roller 48, which differs from the expected profile, and the displacement of the second top roller 48 are spaced apart by a time interval equal to or approximately equal to the time delay TD1, controller 202 may determine that there is a foreign object in the sugarcane stalk flow guided along the flow path FP through the feed roller assembly 44.

[0061] Additionally, in (306), method 300 may include controlling the operation of at least one of the feed roller assembly or the user interface for indicating the foreign object in response to a determination that a foreign object is present in the harvested material stream. For example, as described above, in response to a determination that a foreign object is present in the feed roller assembly 44, controller 202 may control the operation of user interface 212 to indicate to the operator of agricultural harvester 10 that a foreign object is present in feed roller assembly 44, control the operation of drive component 214 of feed roller assembly to slow down or stop feed roller assembly 44, and / or control the operation of chopper drive component 216 of chopper assembly 50 to slow down or stop chopper assembly 50, thereby protecting chopper assembly 50 from damage.

[0062] It should be understood that the steps of method 300 are performed by computing system 200 when loading and executing software code or instructions tangibly stored on a tangible computer-readable medium, such as magnetic media (e.g., computer hard disk drive), optical media (e.g., optical disk), solid-state memory (e.g., flash memory), or other storage media known in the art. Therefore, any function performed by computing system 200 described herein, such as method 300, can be implemented as software code or instructions tangibly stored on a tangible computer-readable medium. Computing system 200 loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface to the computer-readable medium or via a wired and / or wireless network. When such software code or instructions are loaded and executed by computing system 200, computing system 200 can perform any function of computing system 200 described herein, including any steps of method 300 described herein.

[0063] As used herein, the term "software code" or "code" refers to any instruction or set of instructions that affects the operation of a computer or computing system. These may exist in a computer-executable form (e.g., machine code) as a collection of instructions and data directly executed by the computer's central processing unit or computing system, in a human-understandable form (e.g., source code) that can be compiled for execution by the computer's central processing unit or computing system, or in an intermediate form (e.g., object code) produced by a compiler. The term "software code" or "code" as used herein also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions that can be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by the computer's central processing unit or computing system, such as scripts.

[0064] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also enables any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any device or system and performing any of the included methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, but may include other examples that would occur to a person skilled in the art. Such other examples are within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that are not substantially different from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A system for detecting foreign objects inside an agricultural harvester, the system comprising: A feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end and including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers, the feed roller assembly being configured to receive a harvested material stream and guide the harvested material stream from the first end of the feed roller assembly to the second end of the feed roller assembly along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers. A first motion sensor is configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roller among the plurality of top rollers; A second motion sensor is configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers; and A controller, communicatively coupled to a first motion sensor and a second motion sensor, is configured to determine, at least in part, when a foreign object is present in the harvested material stream based on displacement data received from the first and second motion sensors. The controller is configured to monitor displacement data relative to at least one displacement condition standard, and the controller is configured to determine that a foreign object exists in the harvested material stream when the displacement data indicates that the displacement of each of the first and second rollers is different from the at least one displacement condition standard. The at least one displacement condition criterion includes at least one displacement threshold and / or at least one expected profile. The second roller is spaced downstream of the first roller along the flow path. The controller is configured to determine that a foreign object exists in the harvested material stream when displacement data indicates that the first roller has been displaced by a first amount exceeding the at least one displacement threshold and the second roller is subsequently displaced by a second amount exceeding the at least one displacement threshold after a time delay, and / or The controller is configured to determine that a foreign object exists in the harvested material stream when a first profile portion of the data profile of the displacement data associated with the first roller differs from the at least one expected profile and a second profile portion of the data profile of the displacement data associated with the second roller differs from the at least one expected profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the time delay based at least in part on the known distance between the first and second rollers and the speed at which the harvested material flow is guided through the feed roller assembly.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first quantity and the second quantity include a first displacement rate and a second displacement rate, and the at least one displacement threshold includes a displacement rate threshold.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second contour portion appears after the first contour portion after a time delay.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform control actions when it is determined that a foreign object is present in the harvested material stream, the control actions including controlling at least one of the following: stopping a feed roller drive for the feed roller assembly, stopping a shredder drive for a shredder assembly directly downstream of the feed roller assembly, or providing an operator notification associated with the foreign object.

6. The system according to claim 1 further includes a metal detection sensor associated with at least one of the plurality of bottom rollers or the plurality of top rollers, the metal detection sensor being configured to generate data indicating the metallic properties of the harvested material flow. The controller is communicatively coupled to the metal detection sensor and is configured to determine the presence of a metal object in the harvested material stream based at least in part on the metal properties of the harvested material stream exceeding a metal property threshold.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the agricultural harvester includes a sugarcane harvester.

8. A sugarcane harvester, the sugarcane harvester comprising: A root cutter assembly configured to cut sugarcane stalks; A feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end and including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers, the feed roller assembly being configured to receive a sugarcane stalk flow from the root cutter assembly and guide the sugarcane stalk flow along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers from the first end of the feed roller assembly to the second end of the feed roller assembly; A chopper assembly configured to receive a sugarcane stalk stream from a feed roller assembly and chop the sugarcane stalk stream into billets; A first motion sensor is configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roller among the plurality of top rollers; A second motion sensor is configured to generate displacement data indicating the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers; and A controller, communicatively coupled to a first motion sensor and a second motion sensor, is configured to determine, at least in part, when a foreign object is present in the sugarcane stalk stream based on displacement data received from the first and second motion sensors, and, when a foreign object is present in the sugarcane stalk stream, control the operation of the sugarcane harvester to protect the chopper assembly. The controller is configured to monitor displacement data relative to at least one displacement condition standard, and the controller is configured to determine that a foreign object is present in the sugarcane stalk flow when the displacement data indicates that the displacement of each of the first and second rollers is different from the at least one displacement condition standard. The at least one displacement condition criterion includes at least one displacement threshold and / or at least one expected profile. The second roller is spaced downstream of the first roller along the flow path. The controller is configured to determine that a foreign object exists within the sugarcane stalk flow when displacement data indicates that the first roller has been displaced by a first amount exceeding the at least one displacement threshold and the second roller is subsequently displaced by a second amount exceeding the at least one displacement threshold after a time delay, and / or The controller is configured to determine that a foreign object exists in the sugarcane stalk flow when a first profile portion of the data profile of the displacement data associated with the first roller is different from the at least one expected profile, and a second profile portion of the data profile of the displacement data associated with the second roller is different from the at least one expected profile.

9. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 8, wherein, after a time delay, the second contour portion appears after the first contour portion.

10. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 8, further comprising a metal detection sensor associated with at least one of the plurality of bottom rollers or the plurality of top rollers, the metal detection sensor being configured to generate data indicating the metallic properties of the harvested material flow. The controller is communicatively coupled to the metal detection sensor and is configured to determine the presence of a metal object in the harvested material stream based at least in part on the metal properties of the material stream exceeding a metal property threshold.

11. A method for detecting foreign objects in an agricultural harvester, the agricultural harvester having a feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end, the feed roller assembly including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers, the feed roller assembly being configured to receive a stream of harvested material and guide the stream of harvested material along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers from the first end of the feed roller assembly to the second end of the feed roller assembly, the method comprising: Displacement data is received using one or more computing devices, the displacement data indicating the displacement of a first roller among the plurality of top rollers and the displacement of a second roller among the plurality of top rollers; The presence of foreign objects in the harvested material stream is determined using the one or more computing devices, at least in part, based on displacement data. In response to the determination that a foreign object is present in the harvested material flow, the operation of one or more components of the agricultural harvester is controlled using the one or more computing devices; and Compared to at least one standard displacement condition monitoring displacement data, Determining the presence of foreign matter within the harvested material flow includes identifying that the displacement of each of the first and second rollers differs from the at least one displacement condition criterion, wherein the at least one displacement condition criterion includes at least one displacement threshold. The second roller is spaced downstream of the first roller along the flow path. The determination that a foreign object is present in the harvested material flow includes determining a first amount by which the first roller is displaced beyond the at least one displacement threshold, and a second amount by which the second roller is subsequently displaced beyond the at least one displacement threshold after a time delay.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the time delay based at least in part on the distance between the first and second rollers and the speed at which the harvested material flow is guided through the feed roller assembly.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: Receive data indicating the metallic properties of the harvested material flow using the one or more computing devices; as well as Using the one or more computing devices, the presence of a metallic object in the harvested material stream is determined, at least in part, based on the metallic properties of the material stream exceeding a metallic property threshold.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the operation of one or more components of the agricultural harvester includes controlling at least one of the following: a feed roller drive for stopping the feed roller assembly, a shredder drive for stopping a shredder assembly directly downstream of the feed roller assembly, or a user interface for providing operator notification associated with foreign objects.

Images