Tractor with mower-side weed detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tractor (1) with a coupled working unit (2) for use on an agricultural field (3) and a sensor device (8, 9, 10) arranged on this working unit (2) for detecting the agricultural field (3) in front (11, 12, 13) of the working unit (2). This tractor (1) has an adjustment device (14) which is provided and configured to determine a position (19) of the tractor (1) relative to the agricultural field (3) using satellite signals from satellites (18). The present invention is based on the general idea that during the mowing of the crop, a sensory detection of the weeds (4) takes place at the same time, so that additional work steps regarding the detection of weeds are eliminated and unnecessary crossings of the agricultural field are reduced.

Description

The present invention relates to a tractor having a coupled working unit for use on an agricultural field and having a sensor device arranged on this working unit for detecting the agricultural field in front of the working unit. This tractor has an adjusting device which is provided and set up to determine a position of the tractor with respect to the agricultural field by means of satellite signals from satellites.DE 10 2022 105 448 A1 discloses a computer-implemented method for determining plant diseases in an existing crop material inventory on a field, wherein the crop material inventory is processed by an agricultural working machine with a working assembly arranged thereon, wherein image data of the crop material inventory to be harvested are generated at least in the front of the working assembly by means of a camera system assigned to the working machine and are transmitted to an image evaluation system assigned to the working machine for evaluation. According to DE 10 2022 105 448 A1, the working assembly for a tractor can be designed as a soil processing device, field sprayer or another device serving for processing the field soil or the crop material inventory.In addition to plant diseases of the crop, harmful plants can also have been produced in agricultural fields, which can severely impair the quality of the crop. These harmful plants can be, for example, a weed such as ampfer, herb dreg, jakob cross-crab, barnyard, brinsen, stinging nettle, cocken foot, dandelion, horsetail, sheep garbe, bird leaf and / or meadow score.With regard to the crop detection, agricultural hosts rely on observation information of drivers of the agricultural machines and / or have to check the agricultural field with regard to crop plants by means of a drone flight. These known procedures for crop damage detection are decoupled from the mowing method, so that an additional, complicated working step is always required in order to ensure the quality of the harvested crop. This is disadvantageous for the agricultural host both in terms of time and cost.The object of the present invention is therefore to specify an improved tractor with which a more rapid, safer and less expensive detection of harmful plants is made possible.This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.The present invention is based on the general idea that a sensory detection of the harmful plants takes place simultaneously during the mowing of the crop material, so that additional working steps with regard to the detection of the harmful plants are omitted and unnecessary crossings of the agricultural field are reduced.The working unit of the tractor according to the invention is designed as a mower device for mowing crop material of the agricultural field, wherein the sensor device is provided and configured for detecting the harmful plants of the agricultural field. The setting device is provided and configured, in particular designed and / or programmed, to ascertain position data relating to the harmful plants detected by means of the sensor device as a function of the position of the tractor. This position data forms the basis for the determination of the number of existing harmful plants in the agricultural field and / or for the creation of an application map based on the georeferenced fundus locations of the existing harmful plants.The setting device can be designed as a control and / or regulating device which brings about a setting by controlling and / or regulating the tractor, in particular the working unit. The setting device can have a computing unit, in particular a computer-based computing unit, and a data memory, in particular a computer-readable data memory. The adjusting device can be formed within the tractor and / or be connected in a communicating manner to the sensor device of the mower device.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the sensor device is configured to generate a digital image of the front of the mower device for the detection of the harmful plants, wherein the setting device is provided and configured to detect harmful plants present in the digital image of the front and to determine their position data. The setting device can be provided and configured to determine the georeferenced found location with respect to this crop depending on the satellite-based position of the tractor, information regarding the configuration of the tractor and the mower device, in particular the arrangement position and the type of the sensor device, and the crop detected in the area in front.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the crop forms a weed which does not correspond to the cultivated crop material of the agricultural field. In other words, harmful plants are not plant diseases of the crop but separately formed weed plants. These harmful plants can be, for example, a weed such as ampfer, bary claud, herbtillose, jakobs-nettle, bines, stinging nettle, cocken foot, dandelion, horsetail, sheep garbe, bird leaf and / or meadow score.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the sensor device is a contactless sensor device. This contactless sensor device can be designed as a camera device.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the determination of the existing harmful plants, in particular the harmful plant position, in the digital representation of the area in front takes place by means of artificial intelligence, in particular by means of an artificial neural network. The required training data for the artificial intelligence can form digital images of the harmful plants.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the setting device is configured to use the determined position data of the captured harmful plants for a subsequent harvesting of the mowed crop when creating a digital image of the agricultural field. The data regarding the harmful plants collected during the passage of the mowing can, on the one hand, provide the agricultural host with direct feedback on the number (mass) of the harmful plants in his inventory. The GPS positions of the harmful plants allow regions with high harmful plants to be surrounded during harvesting, such that, for example, the quality of crop for feed can be increased.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the setting device is configured to use the determined position data of the detected harmful plants for a subsequent weed destruction when creating a digital image of the agricultural field. The technical solution here is based on the sensor device, in particular the camera-based sensor device, and the satellite-based GPS position of the tractor. If a crop plant is detected in the camera image, this is categorized and counted by means of the artificial intelligence. Based on the crop position in the digital map and the satellite-based GPS position of the tractor, the GPS position of the crop is calculated and a point-of-interest (POI) and / or location is determined with respect to this crop. From this information, a digital image can be created in the form of an application map, which can be used for the later selective treatment of the harmful plants. This application map can be used in terms of adjustment technology during a subsequent crop protection treatment. This also includes the use of drones with suitable spray nozzles.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the setting device is configured to generate the digital image of the agricultural field and to transmit it to an assistance system formed outside the tractor for a subsequent crop and / or weed destruction, and / or that the setting device is configured to transmit the determined position data of the detected harmful plants to the assistance system formed outside the tractor, wherein the assistance system is provided and configured to generate the digital image of the agricultural field for the subsequent crop and / or weed destruction.The assistance system can be designed as a control and / or regulating device. The assistance system can have a computing unit, in particular a computer-based computing unit, and a data memory, in particular a computer-readable data memory. The assistance system can be connected in a communicating manner to the setting device of the tractor.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the position data of the detected harmful plants stored in the digital image of the agricultural field form setting-technology data for setting further working machines during harvesting and / or weed destruction.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the assistance system is configured to generate a route plan for a flying drone device for weed destruction, in particular by using weed destruction means, as a function of the position data of the detected harmful plants stored in the digital image of the agricultural field.Alternatively or additionally, the assistance system is provided and configured to generate a route plan for agricultural working machines adapted in this way for harvesting the mowed crop material in dependence on the position data of the captured harmful plants stored in the digital image of the agricultural field in such a way that the weed proportion of the crop material picked up is reduced.In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the tractor has a front mower device for mowing crop material of the agricultural field, wherein a first sensor device for predictive detection of a first front field is arranged on this front mower device.Alternatively or additionally, the tractor has a first rear mower device for mowing crop material of the agricultural field, wherein a second sensor device for predictive detection of a second front field is arranged on this first rear mower device.Alternatively or additionally, the tractor has a second rear mower device for mowing crop material of the agricultural field, wherein a third sensor device for predictive detection of a third front field is arranged on this second rear mower device.In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the front mower device has at least one mowing unit designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the first rear mower device has at least one mowing unit designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower.Alternatively or additionally, the second rear mower device has at least one mowing unit designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower.In an advantageous development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the first sensor device is arranged centrally on the front mower device, and / or that the second sensor device is arranged on the first rear mower device in such a way that the second sensor device is spaced apart from the tractor, and / or that the third sensor device is arranged on the second rear mower device in such a way that the third sensor device is spaced apart from the tractor.Further important features and advantages of the invention are evident from the dependent claims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures with reference to the drawings.It is understood that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally the same components.They show, in each case schematically, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tractor according to the invention; and FIG. 2 is a further detailed view of this tractor.FIG. 1 shows the tractor 1 according to the invention with a plurality of coupled working units 2 for use on an agricultural field 3 during travel along the direction of travel FR. The working units 2 of the tractor 1 are designed as mower devices for mowing crop material of the agricultural field 3.The tractor 1 has, with respect to the direction of travel FR, a front mower device 5 and a first rear mower device 6 and also a second rear mower device 7. These mower devices 5, 6, 7 can each have a mowing unit designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower.On the agricultural field 3 several harmful plants 4 have been produced which can seriously impair the quality of the crop. Such a crop 4 forms a weed which does not correspond to the crop of the agricultural field 3. These harmful plants 4 can be, for example, a weed such as ampfer, bary clauda, bines, nettle, cocks' foot, löwen tooth, horsetail, sheep garbe, bird leaf and / or meadow score.FIG. 2 shows that on each of these mowers 5, 6, 7 a sensor device 8, 9, 10 is formed for detecting the agricultural field 3 in the front area 11, 12, 13 of the respective mowers 5, 6, 7. These sensor devices 8, 9, 10 are each provided and configured for detecting the harmful plants 4.The tractor 1 according to the invention has an adjusting device 14, which is provided and configured to determine a satellite-based position 19 of the tractor 1 with respect to the agricultural field 3 by means of satellite signals from satellites 18 and to determine corresponding position data 20 with respect to the harmful plants 4 detected by means of the sensor devices 8, 9, 10 as a function of this position 19 of the tractor 1.This position data 20 forms the basis for the determination of the number of harmful plants 4 present in the agricultural field 3 and / or for the creation of an application map based on the georeferenced fundus locations 20 of the harmful plants 4.The adjusting device 14 can be designed as a control and / or regulating device which brings about an adjustment by controlling and / or regulating the tractor 1, in particular the mower devices 5, 6, 7. The setting device 14 can have a computing unit 15 and an internal data memory 16 and / or an external data memory 17. The adjusting device 14 is formed within the tractor 1 and is connected in a communicating manner to the sensor devices 8, 9, 10 of the mower devices 5, 6, 7.The sensor devices 8, 9, 10 are provided for generating a digital image of the respective front field 11, 12, 13 of the mower device 5, 6, 7 for the detection of the harmful plants 4, wherein the setting device 14 is configured to recognize harmful plants 4 present in these digital images of the front fields 11, 12, 13 and to determine their position data 20. Thus, during the mowing of the crop material, a sensor detection of the harmful plants 4 takes place at the same time, so that additional working steps with regard to the detection of the harmful plants are omitted and unnecessary crossings of the agricultural field 3 are reduced.The front mower device 5 has the first sensor device 8 of the tractor 1 for predictive detection of the first front field 11. The first rear mower device 6 has the second sensor device 9 for predictive detection of the second front field 12. The second rear mower device 7 has the third sensor device 10 for predictive detection of the third front field 13. These sensor devices 8, 9, 10 can be designed as contactless sensor devices, in particular as camera devices.The first sensor device 8 is arranged centrally on the front mower device 5 with respect to a transverse axis QA, which is oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel and / or perpendicular to the gravity direction. The second sensor device 9 is arranged on the first rear mower device 6 in such a way that the second sensor device 9 has a spacing 21 relative to the tractor 1 with respect to the transverse axis QR. The third sensor device 10 is arranged analogously on the second rear mower device 7 in such a way that the third sensor device 10 likewise has a spacing from the tractor 1. These spacings of the sensor devices 9 and 10 with respect to the tractor 1, in particular with respect to the tires of the tractor 1, have the advantage that disadvantageous perspective distortions are not present and therefore the evaluation of the information recorded by the sensor is carried out more easily and reliably.The determination of the existing harmful plants 4 in the digital images of the front fields 11, 12, 13 can be carried out by means of artificial intelligence, in particular by means of an artificial neural network.The setting device 14 can be provided to use the determined position data 20 of the captured harmful plants 4 for a subsequent harvesting of the mowed crop when creating a digital image of the agricultural field 3. In addition, the setting device 14 can be configured to use the determined position data 20 of the detected harmful plants 4 for a subsequent weed destruction when creating a digital image of the agricultural field 3. The position data 20 of the detected harmful plants 4 stored in the digital image of the agricultural field 3 form setting-technology data for setting further working machines during harvesting and / or weed destruction.The setting device 14 is provided and configured to generate the digital image of the agricultural field 3 and to transmit it to an assistance system 22 formed outside the tractor 1 for a subsequent harvesting and / or weed destruction. Alternatively or additionally, the setting device 14 is provided and configured to transmit the determined position data 20 of the detected harmful plants 4 to the assistance system 22 formed outside the tractor 1, wherein the assistance system 22 is provided and configured to generate the digital image of the agricultural field 3 for the subsequent crop and / or weed destruction.The assistance system 22 can be designed as a control and / or regulating device. The assistance system 22 can have a computing unit 23, in particular a computer-based computing unit, and a data memory 24, in particular a computer-readable data memory. The assistance system 22 can be connected in a communicating manner to the setting device 14 of the tractor 1 and / or to the external data memory 17.The assistance system 22 is provided and configured to generate a route plan for a flying drone device for weed destruction, not shown, for the purpose of weed destruction, as a function of the position data 20 stored in the digital image of the agricultural field 3 with respect to the detected harmful plants 4.Furthermore, the assistance system 22 can be provided and configured to generate a route plan, which is adapted in this way, for agricultural working machines, not shown, for harvesting the mowed crop material in such a way that the weed proportion of the crop picked up is reduced, as a function of the position data 20 stored in the digital image of the agricultural field 3 with respect to the captured harmful plants 4.List of reference characters1 Tractor 2 Working assembly 3 Agricultural field 4 Crop plant or weeds 5 Fron-side mower device 6 First rear-side mower device 7 Second rear-side mower device 8 First sensor device, in particular a contactless sensor device 9 Second sensor device, in particular a contactless sensor device 10 Third sensor device, In particular, a contactless sensor device 11 front field and / or detection area of the first sensor device 12 front field and / or detection area of the second sensor device 13 front field and / or detection area of the third sensor device 14 setting device 15 computing unit 16 data memory 17 external data memory 18 satellite 19 satellite-based position of the tractor 20 position data relating to the crop plant or the weed 21 spacing 22 assistance system for crop planning and / or weed destruction planning 23 computing unit 24 data memory FR direction of travel QA transverse axisReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 10 2022 105 448 A1

[0002]

Claims

Tractor (1) - with a coupled working assembly (2) for use on an agricultural field (3) and a sensor device (8, 9, 10), arranged on this working assembly (2), for detecting the agricultural field (3) in the front area (11, 12, 13) of the working assembly (2), - with an adjusting device (14), which is provided and configured to determine a position (19) of the tractor (1) with respect to the agricultural field (3) by means of satellite signals from satellites (18), characterized - in that the working assembly (2) is designed as a mower device (5, 6, 7) for mowing crop material of the agricultural field (3), - wherein the sensor device (8, 9, 10) is provided and configured for detecting harmful plants (4), - wherein the adjusting device (14) is provided and configured to do so, as a function of the position (19) of the tractor (1), position data (20) relating to the harmful plants (4) detected by means of the sensor device (8, 9, 10) can be determined.Tractor (1) according to Claim 1, characterized - in that the sensor device (8, 9, 10) is provided and configured to generate a digital image of the front field (11, 12, 13) of the mower device (5, 6, 7) for the detection of the harmful plants (4), - wherein the setting device (14) is provided and configured to detect harmful plants (4) present in the digital image of the front field (11, 12, 13) and to determine their position data (20).Tractor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the crop plant (4) forms a weed which does not correspond to the crop of the agricultural field (3) which has been cultivated.Tractor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor device (8, 9, 10) is a contactless sensor device.Tractor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor device (8, 9, 10) is a camera device.Tractor (1) according to one of Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the determination of the crop plants (4) present in the digital image of the area in front (11, 12, 13) is carried out by means of artificial intelligence, in particular by means of an artificial neural network.Tractor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the setting device (14) is provided and configured to use the determined position data (20) of the captured harmful plants (4) when creating a digital image of the agricultural field (3) for a subsequent harvesting of the mowed crop.Tractor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the setting device (14) is provided and configured to use the determined position data (20) of the detected harmful plants (4) for a subsequent weed destruction when creating a digital image of the agricultural field (3).Tractor (1) according to either of Claims 7 and 8, characterized - in that the setting device (14) is provided and configured to generate the digital image of the agricultural field (3) and to transmit it to an assistance system (22), which is formed outside the tractor (1), for a subsequent harvesting and / or weed classification, and / or - in that the setting device (14) is provided and configured to transmit the determined position data (20) of the detected harmful plants (4) to the assistance system (22), which is formed outside the tractor (1), wherein the assistance system (22) is provided and configured to generate the digital image of the agricultural field (3) for the subsequent harvesting and / or weed classification.Tractor (1) according to one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the position data (20) of the detected harmful plants (4) stored in the digital image of the agricultural field (3) form setting-engineering data for setting further working machines during harvesting and / or weed destruction.Tractor (1) according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized - in that the assistance system (22) is provided and configured to generate a route plan for a flying drone device for weed destruction as a function of the position data (20) stored in the digital image of the agricultural field (3) with respect to the captured harmful plants (4), and / or - in that the assistance system (22) is provided and configured to generate a route plan for agricultural working machines for harvesting the mowed crop, which route plan is adapted in such a way as to reduce the weed proportion of the captured crop, as a function of the position data (20) stored in the digital image of the agricultural field (3).Tractor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized - in that the tractor (1) has a front-side mower device (5) for mowing crop material of the agricultural field (3), wherein a first sensor device (8) for predictively detecting the agricultural field (3) of the first front field (11) is arranged on this front-side mower device (5), and / or - in that the tractor (1) has a first rear-side mower device (6) for mowing crop material of the agricultural field (3), wherein a second sensor device (9) for predictively detecting the agricultural field (3) of the second front field (12) is arranged on this first rear-side mower device (6), and / or - in that the tractor (1) has a second rear-side mower device (7) for mowing crop material of the agricultural field (3), wherein a third sensor device (10) for predictive detection of the agricultural field (3) of the third front field (13) is arranged on this second rear mower device (7).Tractor (1) according to Claim 12, characterized in that the front-side mower device (5) has at least one mower unit which is designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower.Tractor (1) according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized - in that the first rear-side mower device (6) has at least one mowing unit designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower, and / or - in that the second rear-side mower device (7) has at least one mowing unit designed as a drum mower and / or as a disc mower and / or as a beam mower.Tractor (1) according to one of Claims 12 to 14, characterized - in that the first sensor device (8) is arranged centrally on the front-side mower device (5), and / or - in that the second sensor device (9) is arranged on the first rear-side mower device (6) in such a way that the second sensor device (9) has a spacing (21) from the tractor (1), and / or - in that the third sensor device (10) is arranged on the second rear-side mower device (7) in such a way that the third sensor device (10) has a spacing from the tractor (1).

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