System and method for an agricultural harvester

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A system for an agricultural harvester can include a topper assembly including a cutting disk configured to severe an upper portion of a crop. A sensor system including a first sensor may be configured to capture crop data associated with the crop. A computing system is operably coupled with the topper assembly and the sensor system. The computing system includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to receive an input related to a defined offset, obtain the crop data from the sensor system, determine a target of the crop based at least partially on the crop data, and position the cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to agricultural harvesters, such assugarcane harvesters, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for a topperassembly of the agricultural harvester.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Typically, agricultural harvesters include an assembly of processingcomponents for processing harvested material. For instance, within a sugarcaneharvester, a topper assembly can remove an upper portion of the sugar cane crop. Theremaining sugarcane stalks may then be conveyed via a feed roller assembly to achopper assembly that cuts or chops the sugarcane stalks into pieces or billets(e.g., sixinch cane sections). The processed harvested material discharged from the chopperassembly is then directed as a stream of billets and debris into a primary extractor,within which the airborne debris (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) is separated from thesugarcane billets. The separated / cleaned billets then fall into an elevator assembly fordelivery to an external storage device.

[0003] During the operation of the harvester, the amount of harvested material thatmay be delivered to the external storage device is at least partially based on the amountof stalk that is severed by the topper assembly. Accordingly, systems and methods formonitoring the topper assembly would be welcomed in the technology.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in thefollowing description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learnedthrough practice of the invention.

[0005] In some aspects, the present subject matter is directed to a system for anagricultural harvester. The system includes a topper assembly including a cutting diskconfigured to severe an upper portion of a crop. A sensor system includes a first sensorconfigured to capture crop data associated with the crop. A computing system includesone or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media thatcollectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors,configure the computing system to perform operations. The operations includereceiving an input related to a defined offset, receiving the crop data from the sensorsystem, determining a target of the crop based at least partially on the crop data, andpositioning the cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cuttingposition is the defined offset below the target.

[0006] In some aspects, the present subject matter is directed to a computerimplemented method for agricultural harvesting. The method can include receiving,from an input device, an input related to a defined offset. The method can also includereceiving, from a sensor system, crop data. The method further includes determining atarget of the crop based at least partially on the crop data. Lastly, the method includespositioning a cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cuttingposition is the defined offset below the target.

[0007] In some aspects, the present subject matter is directed to a system for anagricultural harvester. The system includes a topper assembly including a cutting diskconfigured to severe an upper portion of a crop. A sensor system includes a first sensorconfigured to capture crop data associated with the crop. A computing system includesone or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media thatcollectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors,configure the computing system to perform operations. The operations includereceiving an input related to a defined offset, receiving the crop data from the sensorsystem, determining a maximum height of the crop based at least partially on the cropdata, and positioning the cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein thecutting position is the defined offset below the maximum height.

[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present inventionwill become better understood with reference to the following description and appendedclaims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part ofthis specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with thedescription, serve to explain the principles of the invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the bestmode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification,which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified, side view of an agricultural harvester inaccordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a portion of the harvester having a topperassembly within a field in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of a system for a harvesting operation inaccordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the topper assembly in accordance withaspects of the present subject matter;

[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the topper assembly in accordance withaspects of the present subject matter;

[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a portion of the harvester having a topperassembly within a field in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; and

[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for a harvesting operation inaccordance with aspects of the present subject matter.

[0017] Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawingsis intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the presenttechnology.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, oneor more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is providedby way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can bemade in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of theinvention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part can be used with anotherembodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the presentinvention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

[0019] In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top and bottom,and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity oraction, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or orderbetween such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any othervariation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include onlythose elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to suchprocess, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by "comprises... a" doesnot, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements inthe process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0020] As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and "third" may be usedinterchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended tosignify a location or importance of the individual components. The terms "coupled,""fixed," "attached to," and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, aswell as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediatecomponents or features, unless otherwise specified herein. The terms "upstream" and"downstream" refer to the relative direction with respect to a harvested material withina fluid circuit. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which a harvestedmaterial flows, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the harvested materialmoves. The term "selectively" refers to a component's ability to operate in variousstates (e.g., an ON state and an OFF state) based on manual and / or automatic control ofthe component.

[0021] Furthermore, any arrangement of components to achieve the samefunctionality is effectively "associated" such that the functionality is achieved. Hence,any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seenas "associated with" each other such that the desired functionality is achieved,irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two componentsso associated can also be viewed as being "operably connected" or "operably coupled"to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable ofbeing so associated can also be viewed as being "operably couplable" to each other toachieve the desired functionality. Some examples of operably couplable include, butare not limited to, physically mateable, physically interacting components, wirelesslyinteractable, wirelessly interacting components, logically interacting, and / or logicallyinteractable components.

[0022] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise.

[0023] Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification andclaims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly varywithout resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, avalue modified by a term or terms, such as "about," "approximately," "generally," and"substantially," is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least someinstances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrumentfor measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or apparatus for constructingor manufacturing the components and / or systems. For example, the approximatinglanguage may refer to being within a ten percent margin.

[0024] As used herein, a "desired foliage ratio" may be an input that is defined byan operator and / or any device. In addition, a "current foliage ratio" may be a detectedfoliage ratio of the system while the system is operating.

[0025] Moreover, the technology of the present application will be described inrelation to exemplary embodiments. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean"serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as"exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over otherembodiments. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodimentsdescribed herein will be considered exemplary.

[0026] As used herein, the term "and / or," when used in a list of two or more items,means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination oftwo or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition orassembly is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, the composition orassembly can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C incombination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

[0027] In general, the present subject matter is directed to systems and methods foragricultural harvesters. The system can include a topper assembly including a cuttingdisk configured to severe an upper portion of the sugar cane crop. The remainingsugarcane stalks may then be conveyed via a feed roller assembly to a chopper assemblythat cuts or chops the sugarcane stalks into pieces or billets (e.g., six-inch cane sections).The processed harvested material discharged from the chopper assembly is thendirected as a stream of billets and debris into a primary extractor, within which theairborne debris (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) is separated from the sugarcane billets.

[0028] A sensor system includes a first sensor configured to capture crop dataassociated with the crop. In some instances, the first sensor is a vision-based sensor. Insuch instances, the crop data is image data.

[0029] A computing system includes one or more processors and one or more nontransitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to performoperations. The operations can include receiving an input related to a defined offset andreceiving the crop data from the sensor system. The operations can also includedetermining a target of the crop based at least partially on the crop data. In someinstances, the target is a maximum height of the crop. The operations can further includepositioning the cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cuttingposition is equal to the defined offset below the target. As such, the upper portions ofthe crop may be generally uniformly removed based on an offset from the target (e.g.,the maximum height of the crop). In such instances, the topper assembly may removethe generally non-harvestable portion of the crop without having to capture data of atransition region between the upper portion and the stalk, which may have minimal orno visibility during a harvesting operation.

[0030] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of anagricultural harvester 10 in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. Asshown, the harvester 10 is configured as a sugarcane harvester. The sugarcane mayinclude an upper portion that includes one or more leaves and a stalk Cs below the upperportion Cup. It will be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the harvester 10 maycorrespond to any other suitable agricultural harvester capable of harvesting any othercrop without departing from the teachings provided herein.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the harvester 10 can include a frame 12, a pair of frontwheels 14, a pair of rear wheels 16, and an operator's cab 18. The harvester 10 mayalso include a power source 20 (e.g., an engine mounted on the frame 12) that powersone or both pairs of wheels 14, 16 via a driveline assembly 22 (e.g., a transmission) totraverse a field 24. Alternatively, the harvester 10 may be a track-driven harvester and,thus, may include tracks driven by the power source 20 as opposed to the illustratedwheels 14, 16. The power source 20 may also drive a hydraulic fluid pump 26 to powervarious components of the harvester 10, including the driveline assembly 22.

[0032] The harvester 10 may also include a harvested material processing system28 incorporating various components, assemblies, and / or sub-assemblies of theharvester 10 for cutting, processing, cleaning, and discharging sugarcane as the stalk Csis harvested from an agricultural field 24. For instance, the harvested materialprocessing system 28 may include a topper assembly 30 positioned at the front endportion of the harvester 10 to intercept sugarcane as the harvester 10 is moved in aforward direction. As shown, the topper assembly 30 may include a gathering disk32 and / or a cutting disk 34. The gathering disk 32 may be configured to gather thesugarcane stalks Cs so that the cutting disk 34 may be used to cut off an upper portionCup of each stalk Cs. The height of the topper assembly 30 may be adjustable, whichmay be raised and lowered by an adjustment assembly 35 that may be hydraulicallypowered by the hydraulic fluid pump 26 and / or through any other manner (e.g.,electrically power, mechanically power; manually adjusted, etc.). In some examples,the adjustment assembly 35 may include a pair of arms 36 for adjusting a height of thetopper assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the adjustment assembly 35 may allowfor the arms 36 and the topper assembly 30 to rotate relative to the frame 12 of theharvester 10 and / or the topper assembly 30 to rotate relative to the arms 36.

[0033] The harvested material processing system 28 may also include a sensorsystem 37 that is configured to capture data associated with the crop C. Based on thedata, the adjustment assembly 35 may alter the height of the topper assembly 30. Forexample, in some cases, the sensor system 37 may capture data indicative of a target 39(e.g., maximum height) of the crop C. Based on the position of the target 39 of the cropC, the adjustment assembly 35 may alter the height of the topper assembly 30 so that agenerally common upper portion Cup height may be removed from each of the crops Charvested by the harvester 10.

[0034] The harvested material processing system 28 may further include aharvested material divider 38. In general, the harvested material divider 38 may includeone or more spiral feed rollers 40. Each feed roller 40 may include a ground shoe 42 atits lower end portion to assist the harvested material divider 38 in gathering thesugarcane stalks Cs for harvesting.

[0035] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the harvested material processing system 28may include a knock-down roller 44 positioned near the front wheels 14 and a fin roller46 positioned behind the knock-down roller 44. As the knock-down roller 44 is rotated,the sugarcane stalks Cs being harvested are knocked down while the harvested materialdivider 38 gathers the stalks Cs from agricultural field 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 1,the fin roller 46 may include a plurality of intermittently mounted fins 48 that assist inforcing the sugarcane stalks Cs downwardly. As the fin roller 46 is rotated during theharvest, the sugarcane stalks Cs that have been knocked down by the knock-down roller44 are separated and further knocked down by the fin roller 46 as the harvester 10continues to be moved in the forward direction relative to the field 24.

[0036] Referring still to FIG. 1, the harvested material processing system 28 of theharvester 10 may also include a base cutter assembly 50 positioned behind the fin roller46. The base cutter assembly 50 may include blades for severing the sugarcane stalksCs as the sugarcane is being harvested. The blades, which may be located on a peripherysection of the base cutter assembly 50, may be rotated by a hydraulic circuit.Additionally, in several embodiments, the blades may be angled downwardly to severthe base of the sugarcane as the cane is knocked down by the fin roller 46.

[0037] Moreover, the harvested material processing system 28 may include a feedroller assembly 52 located downstream of the base cutter assembly 50 for moving thesevered stalks Cs of sugarcane from base cutter assembly 50 along the processing pathof the harvested material processing system 28. As shown in FIG. 1, the feed rollerassembly 52 may include a plurality of bottom rollers 54 and a plurality of opposed,top rollers 56. The various bottom and top rollers 54, 56 may be used to pinch theharvested sugarcane during transport. As the sugarcane is transported through the feedroller assembly 52, debris (e.g., rocks, dirt, and / or the like) may be allowed to fallthrough bottom rollers 54 onto the field 24.

[0038] In addition, the harvested material processing system 28 may include achopper assembly 58 located at the downstream end section of the feed roller assembly52 (e.g., adjacent to the rearward-most bottom roller 54 and the rearward-most top roller56). In general, the chopper assembly 58 may be used to cut or chop the severedsugarcane stalks Cs into pieces or "billets" 60, which may be, for example, six (6) incheslong. The billets 60 may then be propelled towards an elevator assembly 62 of theharvested material processing system 28 for delivery to an external receiver or storagedevice.

[0039] The pieces of debris 64 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from thesugarcane billets 60 may be expelled from the harvester 10 through a primary extractor66 of the harvested material processing system 28, which may be located downstreamof the chopper assembly 58 and may be oriented to direct the debris 64 outwardly fromthe harvester 10. Additionally, an extractor fan 68 may be mounted within an extractorhousing 70 of the primary extractor 66 for generating a suction force or vacuumsufficient to force the debris 64 through the primary extractor 66. The separated orcleaned billets 60, which may be heavier than the debris 64 expelled through theextractor 54, may then fall downward to the elevator assembly 62.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator assembly 62 may include an elevatorhousing 72 and an elevator 74 extending within the elevator housing 72 between alower, proximal end portion 76 and an upper, distal end portion 78. In some examples,the elevator 74 may include a looped chain 80 and a plurality of flights or paddles82 attached to and spaced on the chain 80. The paddles 82 may be configured to holdthe sugarcane billets 60 on the elevator 74 as the sugarcane billets 60 are elevated alonga top span of the elevator 74 defined between its proximal and distal end portions 76,78. Additionally, the elevator 74 may include lower and upper sprockets 84, 86positioned at its proximal and distal end portions 76, 78, respectively. As shown in FIG.1, an elevator motor 88 may be coupled to one of the sprockets (e.g., the upper sprocket86) for driving the chain 80, thereby allowing the chain 80 and the paddles 82 to travelin a loop between the proximal and distal ends 76, 78 of the elevator 74.

[0041] Moreover, in some embodiments, pieces of debris 64 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves,etc.) separated from the elevated sugarcane billets 60 may be expelled from theharvester 10 through a secondary extractor 90 of the harvested material processingsystem 28 coupled to the rear end portion of the elevator housing 72. For example, thedebris 64 expelled by the secondary extractor 90 may be debris 64 remaining after thebillets 60 are cleaned and debris 64 expelled by the primary extractor 66. As shown inFIG. 1, the secondary extractor 90 may be located adjacent to the distal end portion 78of the elevator 74 and may be oriented to direct the debris 64 outwardly from theharvester 10. Additionally, an extractor fan 92 may be mounted at the base of thesecondary extractor 90 for generating a suction force or vacuum sufficient to force thedebris 64 through the secondary extractor 90. The separated, cleaned billets 60, heavierthan the debris 64 expelled through the primary extractor 66, may then fall from thedistal end portion 78 of the elevator 74. In some instances, the billets 60 may falldownwardly into an elevator discharge opening 94 defined by the elevator assembly62 into an external storage device, such as a sugarcane billet cart.

[0042] During operation, the harvester 10 traverses the agricultural field 24 forharvesting sugarcane and receives data related to a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height)of the approaching crop C. Based at least partially on the target 39 (e.g., a maximumheight) (and / or any other input), the height of the topper assembly 30 is adjusted via theadjustment assembly 35 based on a defined offset from the target 39 (e.g., a maximumheight). With the topper assembly 30 positioned in a defined position based on thedefined offset from the target 39 (e.g., a maximum height), the gathering disk 32 on thetopper assembly 30 may function to gather the sugarcane stalks Cs as the harvester 10proceeds across the field 24, while the cutting disk 34 severs the upper portions Cup ofthe sugarcane crop C for disposal. As the stalks Cs enter the harvested material divider38, the ground shoes 42 may set the operating width to determine the quantity ofsugarcane entering the throat of the harvester 10. The spiral feed rollers 40 then gatherthe stalks Cs into the throat to allow the knock-down roller 44 to bend the stalks Csdownwardly in conjunction with the action of the fin roller 46. Once the stalks Cs areangled downward as shown in FIG. 1, the base cutter assembly 50 may then sever thebase of the stalks Cs from field 24. The severed stalks Cs are then, by the movement ofthe harvester 10, directed to the feed roller assembly 52.

[0043] The severed sugarcane stalks Cs are conveyed rearwardly by the bottom andtop rollers 54, 56, which compresses the stalks Cs, making them more uniform, andshakes loose debris 64 to pass through the bottom rollers 54 to the field 24. At thedownstream end portion of the feed roller assembly 52, the chopper assembly 58 cutsor chops the compressed sugarcane stalks Cs into pieces or billets 60 (e.g., 6-inch canesections). The processed harvested material discharged from the chopper assembly 58is then directed as a stream of billets 60 and debris 64 into the primary extractor 66.The airborne debris 64 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the billets 60 is thenextracted through the primary extractor 66 using suction created by the extractor fan68. The separated / cleaned billets 60 may then be directed to an elevator hopper 96 intothe elevator assembly 62 and travel upwardly via the elevator 74 from its proximal endportion 76 to its distal end portion 78. Once the billets 60 reach the distal end portion78 of the elevator 74, the billets 60 fall through the elevator discharge opening 94 to anexternal storage device. If provided, the secondary extractor 90 (with the aid of theextractor fan 92) blows out trash / debris 64 from the harvester 10, similar to the primaryextractor 66.

[0044] Referring now to FIG. 2, a side view of a portion of the harvester 10 withina field 24 is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. Asshown in FIG. 2, the topper assembly 30 may include a frame 100 and a deflector 102.The topper assembly may further include a pair of gathering disks 32 and / or a cuttingdisk 34 positioned on an opposing side of the deflector 102 from the cab 18 of theharvester 10. The gathering disk 32 may be configured to gather the sugarcane stalksCs so that the cutting disk 34 may be used to cut off an upper portion Cup of each stalksCs. As illustrated, each of the pair of gathering disks 32 and / or a cutting disk 34 may beoperably coupled with an actuation device 104, such as a motor, which may behydraulically powered, pneumatically powered, electrically powered, and / or poweredthrough any other source. Each of the pair of gathering disks 32 and / or a cutting disk34 may be respectively coupled with independent actuation devices 104. Alternatively,any of the pair of gathering disks 32 and / or a cutting disk 34 may share a commonactuation device 104.

[0045] The topper assembly 30 may be operably coupled with the remainingportions of the harvester 10, such as the frame 12, through an adjustment assembly 35.The adjustment assembly 35 may include one or more arms 36 and an actuation system106. The actuation system 106 may be hydraulically powered, pneumatically powered,electrically powered, and / or powered through any other source for moving the topperassembly 30 between a plurality of positions relative to the field 24.

[0046] The topper assembly 30 may further include the sensor system 37. Thesensor system 37 may include one or more sensors 108 that may be operably coupledwith the topper assembly 30, the adjustment assembly 35, and / or any other componentof the harvester 10 (e.g., the cab 18 of the harvester 10). In general, the sensor system37 may be configured to capture data associated with the operation of one or morecomponents of the harvester 10 and / or crop data associated with the field 24surrounding the vehicle. For instance, the sensor system 37 may include one or moresensors 108 that capture crop data related to the to-be-harvested crops C. In some cases,the crop data related to the harvested crops C can include a type of crop C to beharvested, a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of the crops C, the location / position ofthe crops C, and / or any other information.

[0047] In some examples, the one or more sensors 108 may be vision-based orwave-based (e.g., cameras / imagers, radar sensors, ultrasound sensors, LIDAR devices,etc.). For instance, as shown in FIG. 2, a forward-looking vision-based sensor may beinstalled on the topper assembly 30 with a field of view 110 directed in front of the topassembly to allow images or other vision-based data to be captured that provides anindication of the upcoming harvested material height within the field 24. Additionallyor alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, a vision-based sensor may be installed on the cab18 with a field of view 110 directed forwardly and / or laterally outward from the cab 18to allow images or other vision-based data to be captured that indicate the upcomingharvested material height within the field 24 and / or a ground height of a portion of afield 24 that has been harvested.

[0048] Additionally or alternatively, the sensor system 37 can include one or moresensors 108 that are configured to capture operation-related data associated with theoperating conditions of the topper assembly 30. The operating conditions may includean operational status of the pair of gathering disks 32 and / or a cutting disk 34, a heightof the cutting disk 34, a tilt angle of the topper assembly 30 relative to the field 24and / or the frame 12 of the harvester 10, and / or any other operating condition.

[0049] In some instances, the sensor 108 can be configured as a pressure sensor thatmay provide data indicative of a pressure with one or more of the motors, therebyindicating an operating condition of the gathering disk 32 and / or cutting disk 34operably coupled with the motor. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors 108 can beconfigured as a position sensor used to monitor a position of the arms 36 and / or acomponent of the topper assembly 30.

[0050] The topper assembly 30, the adjustment assembly 35, and / or the sensorsystem 37 may be operably coupled with a computing system 202. The computingsystem 202 may further be configured to receive an input related to a defined offset.The defined offset may be a defined height of the upper portion Cup of the to-beharvested crop C that is to be severed from the remaining stalks Cs.

[0051] In operation, the sensor system 37 may capture crop data related to a target39 (e.g., a maximum height) of a to-be-harvested crop C. In turn, the computing system202 may determine a cutting position of the cutting disk 34 to severe an upper portionCup of the crop C having a height that is equal to the defined offset. The computingsystem 202, based on the determined cutting position, may activate the adjustmentassembly 35 to set a height of the cutting disk 34 at the cutting position. As the harvester10 moves through the field 24, the target 39 of subsequent to-be-harvested crops C isdetermined based on the crop data, which is then used to alter the position of the cuttingdisk 34, such as when the target 39 of a subsequent to be harvested crop C is variedfrom the previously harvested crop C. The movement of the cutting disk 34 may begenerally equal to the difference in target height of the previous crop C to thesubsequent crop C. As such, in some instances, the severed upper portion Cup of eachharvested crop C may be within a defined range while the height of each stalks Cs maybe varied from one or more other stalks Cs.

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic view of embodiments of a system 200is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, thesystem 200 will be described herein with reference to the harvester 10 described abovewith reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. However, it will be appreciated that the disclosedsystem 200 may generally be utilized with harvesters having any suitable harvesterconfiguration.

[0053] In several embodiments, the system 200 may include a computing system202 and various other components configured to be communicatively coupled to and / orcontrolled by the computing system 202, such as various input devices 204 and / orvarious components of the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the computing system202 can operate to determine a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of a to-be-harvestedcrop based at least in part on crop data captured by one or more sensors 108 and, further,to initiate one or more control actions associated with a harvester 10, such as by alteringa height of a topper assembly 30 based on a defined offset from the target 39 (e.g., amaximum height). In various instances, the computing system 202 is physically coupledto the harvester 10. In other embodiments, the computing system 202 is not physicallycoupled to the harvester 10 (e.g., the computing system 202 may be remotely locatedfrom the harvester 10) and instead may communicate with the harvester 10 over awireless network.

[0054] In general, the computing system 202 may correspond to any suitableprocessor-based device(s), such as a computing device or any combination ofcomputing devices. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the computing system 202 may generallyinclude one or more processor(s) 206 and associated memory devices 208 configuredto perform a variety of computer-implemented functions (e.g., performing the methods,steps, algorithms, calculations, and the like disclosed herein). As used herein, the term"processor" refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being includedin a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, aprogrammable logic controller (PLC), an application-specific integrated circuit, andother programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory 208 may generally includememory element(s) including, but not limited to, computer-readable medium (e.g.,random access memory (RAM)), computer-readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flashmemory), a floppy disk, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magnetooptical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disc (DVD) and / or other suitable memoryelements. Such memory 208 may generally be configured to store informationaccessible to the processor(s) 206, including data 210 that can be retrieved,manipulated, created, and / or stored by the processor(s) 206 and instructions 212 thatcan be executed by the processor(s) 206.

[0055] In several embodiments, the data 210 may be stored in one or moredatabases. For example, the memory 208 may include an input database 214 for storinginput data received from the input device(s) 204. In some examples, the input device(s)204 may include the sensor system 37, one or more positioning device(s) 216 forgenerating position data associated with the location of the harvester 10, one or moreuser interfaces 218 for allowing operator inputs to be provided to the computing system202 (e.g., buttons, knobs, dials, levers, joysticks, touch screens, and / or the like), one ormore other internal data sources 220 associated with the harvester 10 (e.g., otherdevices, databases, etc.), one or more external data sources 222 (e.g., a remotecomputing device or server, including, for instance, a machine-learning computingsystem 202), and / or any other suitable input device(s). The data received from the inputdevice(s) 204 may, for example, be stored within the input database 214 for subsequentprocessing and / or analysis.

[0056] It will be appreciated that, in addition to being considered an input device(s)204 that allows an operator to provide inputs to the computing system 202, the userinterfaces 218 may also function as an output device. For example, the user interfaces218 may be configured to allow the computing system 202 to provide feedback to theoperator (e.g., visual feedback via a display or other presentation device, audiofeedback via a speaker or other audio output device, and / or the like).

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3, the memory 208 may also include a crop-relateddatabase 224 for storing information or data associated with to-be-harvested cropsand / or the field 24. For example, as indicated above, based on the crop data receivedfrom the input device(s) 204, the computing system 202 may be configured to estimateor calculate a type of crop to be harvested, a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of thecrops, the location / position of the crops, and / or any other information. The crop datamay then be stored within the crop-related database 224 for subsequent processingand / or analysis.

[0058] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the memory 208 may include anoperation-related database 226 for storing information or data associated with theharvest-related parameter(s) for the harvester 10. For example, as indicated above,based on the input data received from the input device(s) 204, the computing system202 may be configured to estimate or calculate a position of the topper assembly 30such that the cutting disk 34 is positioned at the cutting position, which is the distancefrom the target 39 that is equal to the defined offset from the target 39 (e.g., a maximumheight) of the to be harvested crop. The topper assembly 30 position may then be storedwithin the operation-related database 226 for subsequent processing and / or analysis.

[0059] Moreover, in several embodiments, the memory 208 may also include alocation database 228 storing location information about the harvester 10 and / orinformation about the field 24 being processed (e.g., a field map). Such locationdatabase 228 may, for example, correspond to a separate database or may form part ofthe input database 214. As shown in FIG. 3, the computing system 202 may becommunicatively coupled to the positioning device(s) 216 installed on or within theharvester 10. For example, in some embodiments, the positioning device(s) 216 may beconfigured to determine the exact location of the harvester 10 using a satellitenavigation position system (e.g., a GPS, a Galileo positioning system, the GlobalNavigation satellite system (GLONASS), the BeiDou Satellite Navigation andPositioning system, and / or the like). In such an embodiment, the location determinedby the positioning device(s) 216 may be transmitted to the computing system 202 (e.g.,in the form of coordinates) and subsequently stored within the location database 228for subsequent processing and / or analysis.

[0060] Additionally, in several embodiments, the location data stored within thelocation database 228 may also be correlated to all or a portion of the input data storedwithin the input database 214. For instance, in some embodiments, the locationcoordinates derived from the positioning device(s) 216 and the data received from theinput devices 204 may both be time-stamped. In such an embodiment, the time-stampeddata may allow the data received from the input devices 204 to be matched or correlatedto a corresponding set of location coordinates received from the positioning device(s)216, thereby allowing the precise location of the portion of the field 24 associated withthe input data to be known (or at least capable of calculation) by the computing system202.

[0061] Moreover, by matching the input data to a corresponding set of locationcoordinates, the computing system 202 may also be configured to generate or update acorresponding field map associated with the field 24 being processed. For example, ininstances in which the computing system 202 already includes a field map stored withinits memory 208 that includes location coordinates associated with various points acrossthe field 24, the input data received from the input devices 204 may be mapped orcorrelated to a given location within the field map. Alternatively, based on the locationdata and the associated image data, the computing system 202 may be configured togenerate a field map for the field 24 that includes the geo-located input data associatedtherewith.

[0062] Referring still to FIG. 3, in several embodiments, the instructions 212 storedwithin the memory 208 of the computing system 202 may be executed by theprocessor(s) 206 to implement a data analysis module 230. In general, the data analysismodule 230 may be configured to analyze the crop data (e.g., a set of crop data receivedat a given time or within a given time period or a subset of the crop data, which may bedetermined through a pre-processing method) to determine the target 39 (e.g., amaximum height) of the crops using any algorithm. In some instances, the data analysismodule 230 can cooperatively operate with or otherwise leverage a machine-learnedmodel 232 to analyze the crop data 224 to determine the target 39 (e.g., a maximumheight) of the crops. In some embodiments, a color-based algorithm may be utilizedthat relies on color differences to determine a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of thecrop. In further embodiments, the model may include an algorithm that identifies thedifferences in the reflectivity or spectral absorption between the upper portion Cup ofthe crop and the stalks Cs contained within the data.

[0063] Additionally or alternatively, the data analysis module 230 may beconfigured to analyze the operation-related data (e.g., a set of operation-related datareceived at a given time or within a given time period or a subset of the operationrelated data, which may be determined through a pre-processing method) to determinethe position of the cutting disk 34 using any algorithm. In some instances, the dataanalysis module 230 can cooperatively operate with or otherwise leverage a machinelearned model 232 to analyze the operation-related data 226 to determine the positionof the cutting disk 34.

[0064] Referring still to FIG. 3, the instructions 212 stored within the memory 208of the computing system 202 may also be executed by the processor(s) 206 toimplement a control module 234. The control module 234 may be configured to adjustthe position of the cutting disk 34 when the position of the cutting disk 34 is variedfrom a cutting position by controlling one or more components of the adjustmentassembly 35. In general, the cutting position is defined as a position along the crop thatis a defined offset below the target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of the crop. Thus, thesystem can detect a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of the processed crop andreactively adjust a position of the topper assembly 30 so that a generally common upperportion Cup height is severed from the crop.

[0065] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the computing system 202 may also includea communications interface 236 to communicate with any of the various other systemcomponents described herein. For instance, one or more communicative links orinterfaces (e.g., one or more data buses and / or wireless connections) may be providedbetween the communications interface 236 and the input device(s) 204 to allow datatransmitted from the input device(s) 204 to be received by the computing system 202.Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3, one or more communicative links or interfaces (e.g.,one or more data buses and / or wireless connections) may be provided between thecommunications interface 236 and one or more electronically controlled componentsof the harvester 10 to allow the computing system 202 to control the operation of suchsystem components.

[0066] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, in various examples, a sensor 108 may beinstalled on the topper assembly 30 (and / or any other location of the harvester 10) forcapturing crop data. As provided herein, the sensor 108 may be configured to capturevision-based data of the to-be-harvested crop C (and / or previously harvested portionsof the field 24). Based on the captured crop data, a position of the cutting disk 34 of thetopper assembly 30 may be altered to remove an upper portion Cup of the crop C.

[0067] As illustrated, the sensor 108 may be mounted to the deflector 102, ahousing 120 of the cutting disk 34, and / or to any other component of the topperassembly 30. The sensor 108 may be configured to capture vision-based crop datarelative to a focal axis 122 of the sensor 108. The computing system 202 may determinea target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of a crop C forwardly of the topper assembly 30based at least partially on the crop data. Additionally or alternatively, the crop data caninclude a type of crop C to be harvested, a location / position of the crops C, and / or anyother information.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor 108 may have a focal axis 122 that is offsetfrom a horizontal axis 124 relative to the frame 12 of the harvester 10 and / or parallel acutting axis 126 that extends vertically forward of the cutting position. As shown, anoffset angle θ may be defined between the horizontal axis 124 and the focal axis 122and is based on a defined offset from the target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of the cropC that is to be severed from the crop C. In some instances, to align the target 39 (e.g., amaximum height) with the focal axis 122 of the sensor 108 at the time the upper portionCup is to be severed, the offset angle may be determined by the following equation:Equation 1

[0069] where θ is the offset angle, Offsetdef is the defined offset, which is a definedinput, Senvd is the vertical distance of a sensor focal axis 122 from the cutting disk 34,and Diskld is the lateral offset distance from the cutting disk 34 to the sensor 108.

[0070] In operation, the defined offset may an operator-generated input, acomputer-generated input, and / or a combination thereof. In instances in which thedefined offset is at least partially based on computer-generated input, the input may bebased at least in part on detected crop types within the field 24, historical data,previously-captured crop data from a previous pass within the field 24, and / or any otherfactor. Once the defined offset is received, the computing system 202 may determinethe offset angle for aligning the cutting disk 34 at a defined cutting position Cp below adetected target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) such that a height of the upper portion Cupof the crop C that is severed by the cutting disk 34 is generally equal to the definedoffset. As an upper portion Cup of each crop C is severed, the sensor 108 may havevisibility to a subsequent crop C and move the topper assembly 30 to align the focalaxis 122 with the subsequent crop C to severe an upper portion Cup of the subsequentcrop C that is generally similar in height to the previously severed upper portion Cup.The alterations of the cutting disk 34 may continue while the crop C is harvested.

[0071] With further reference to FIG. 5, in some cases, the sensor 108 may beoperably coupled with a support bracket 130. The support bracket 130 may include firstand second portions 132, 134 that are movable relative to one another such that theheight of the sensor 108 from the cutting disk 34 may be varied. In some instances, themovement of the sensor 108 may be done manually. Additionally or alternatively, oneor more actuators 136 may be hydraulically powered, pneumatically powered,electrically powered, and / or powered through any other source. In some cases, the oneor more actuators 136 may additionally or alternatively rotate the sensor 108 about apivot axis 138.

[0072] In operation, the height of the sensor 108 may be adjusted such that adistance between a focal axis 122 of the sensor 108 and a cutting axis 126 of the cuttingdisk 34 is equal to the defined offset. In such instances, as the harvester 10 traverses thefield 24, the topper assembly 30 may be altered to generally align the focal axis 122 ofthe sensor 108 with the target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of the to-be-harvested cropC. As the distance between the focal axis 122 and the cutting axis 126 is fixed and equalto the offset distance, the height of a severed upper portion Cup of the crop C willgenerally be equal to the defined offset. When the harvester 10 approaches a subsequentto be harvested crop C, the topper assembly height may be altered to align the focal axis122 with a target 39 (e.g., a maximum height) of the subsequent crop C. In some cases,if an error occurs and a subsequent crop C is detected prior to the current crop C, thetarget 39 is likely to be positioned above the current crop C. As such, the upper portionCup may be less than the defined offset, which can prevent the loss of the harvestablestalk Cs of the crop C.

[0073] Referring now to FIG. 6, a side perspective view of the harvester 10 in thefield 24 with a sensor 108 mounted to a component vehicle rearward of the topperassembly 30 is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.In the illustrated example, the sensor 108 is operably coupled to the cab 18 of theharvester 10. However, it will be appreciated that one or more sensors 108 may beoperably coupled with any other component of the harvester 10 without departing fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

[0074] In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the sensor 108 can capture crop data. Insome instances, the crop data may be used to generate a point cloud 140 (or otherrepresentation of the captured crop data) of the canopy profile of the crop C. In somecases, the point cloud 140 may be limited to the crop C within a current pass along thefield 24.

[0075] As provided herein, an input indicative of a defined offset from a target 39,such as a maximum height of the crop C, may be received. Based on the canopy profile,the adjustment assembly 35 may alter the position of the cutting disk 34 to maintain thecutting disk 34 within a range of a cutting position Cp, wherein the distance betweenthe target 39 and the cutting position is equal to the defined offset.

[0076] In some examples, the sensor 108 may also be configured to capture cropdata related to crops C that will be harvested in an upcoming pass. In such instances,the crop data may be used to determine a canopy profile proactively so that one or morealterations of the topper assembly 30 may be preprogrammed prior to the crop C beingthe next to be harvested crop C.

[0077] Additionally or alternatively, the canopy profile may be captured inconjunction with location data so that a canopy profile map may be created. The canopyprofile map may be provided to one or more input devices 204 and / or other electronicdevices to improve the productivity and yield of the field 24.

[0078] Additionally or alternatively, the sensor 108 may further be configured todetect a vehicle, such as a trailer, within the field 24. Moreover, once a vehicle isdetected, the location of the vehicle relative to the harvester 10 and / or type of vehiclemay be established. Furthermore, when the vehicle is detected within a defined zoneproximate to the harvester 10 and is identified as a trailer that is capable of retainingharvested crop, the harvester 10 may automatically and / or within operator intervention,begin directing the harvested crop C into the vehicle.

[0079] Referring now to FIG. 7, a flow diagram of a method 300 for operating anagricultural harvester is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subjectmatter. In general, the method 300 will be described herein with reference to theagricultural harvester 10 and related components described with reference to FIGS. 1-5. It will be appreciated, however, that the disclosed method 300 may be implementedwith harvesters having any other suitable configurations and / or within systems havingany other suitable system configuration. In addition, although FIG. 7 depicts stepsperformed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion, the methodsdiscussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. One skilled inthe art, using the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that various steps of themethod disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, and / or adapted invarious ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 7, at (302), the method 300 may include receiving an inputrelated to a defined offset from an input device. In some examples, the input may bebased received through one or more of the input device(s), which may include one ormore positioning device(s) for generating position data associated with the location ofthe harvester, one or more user interfaces for allowing operator inputs to be providedto the computing system (e.g., buttons, knobs, dials, levers, joysticks, touch screens,and / or the like), one or more other internal data sources associated with the harvester(e.g., other devices, databases, etc.), one or more external data sources (e.g., a remotecomputing device or server, including, for instance, a machine-learning computingsystem), and / or any other suitable input device(s).

[0081] At (304), the method 300 can include receiving crop data from a sensorsystem. In various examples, the sensor system can include one or more sensors thatmay be vision-based or wave-based (e.g., cameras / imagers, radar sensors, ultrasoundsensors, LIDAR devices, etc.). In various examples, the crop data may be indicative ofa type of crop and the defined offset is at least partially based on the type of crop.

[0082] At (306), the method 300 can include determining a target of the crop basedat least partially on the crop data. In some instances, the target is a maximum height ofthe crop.

[0083] At (308), the method 300 can include determining a position of the cuttingdisk based on data provided by the sensor system. At (310), the method 300 can includepositioning a cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cuttingposition is the defined offset below the target. In some instances, positioning the cuttingdisk at the cutting position along the crop further comprises moving the cutting disk amovement distance equal to a difference between a current position of the cutting diskand the cutting position. Additionally or alternatively, positioning the cutting disk atthe cutting position along the crop further comprises activating an adjustment assemblyto alter a position of the cutting disk relative to a frame of the harvester.

[0084] It is to be understood that the steps of any method disclosed herein may beperformed by a computing system upon loading and executing software code orinstructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer-readable medium, suchas on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., anoptical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known inthe art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the computing system describedherein, such as any of the disclosed methods, may be implemented in software code orinstructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer-readable medium. Thecomputing system loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with thecomputer-readable medium or via a wired and / or wireless network. Upon loading andexecuting such software code or instructions by the controller, the computing systemmay perform any of the functionality of the computing system described herein,including any steps of the disclosed methods.

[0085] The term "software code" or "code" used herein refers to any instructions orset of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or controller. They mayexist in a computer-executable form, such as vehicle code, which is the set ofinstructions and data directly executed by a computer's central processing unit or by acontroller, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiledin order to be executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller, or anintermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As usedherein, the term "software code" or "code" also includes any human-understandablecomputer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on thefly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer's central processing unit or bya controller.

[0086] This written description uses examples to disclose the technology, includingthe best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the technology,including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporatedmethods. The patentable scope of the technology is defined by the claims, and mayinclude other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples areintended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that donot differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structuralelements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A system for an agricultural harvester, the system comprising: a topper assembly including a cutting disk configured to severe an upper portion of a crop; a sensor system including a first sensor configured to capture crop data associated with the crop; and a computing system including one or more processors and one or more nontransitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving an input related to a defined offset; receiving the crop data from the sensor system; determining a target of the crop based at least partially on the crop data; and positioning the cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cutting position is the defined offset below the target.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a vision-based sensor, and wherein the crop data is image data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the target is a maximum height of the crop.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise: determining a position of the cutting disk based on data provided by a second sensor, wherein positioning the cutting disk at the cutting position along the crop further comprises moving the cutting disk a movement distance equal to a difference between a current position of the cutting disk and the cutting position.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an input device configured to provide the defined offset to the computing system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: generating a canopy map based on the crop data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is operably coupled with the topper assembly.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is operably coupled with a cab positioned vehicle rearward of the topper assembly.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an adjustment assembly configured to alter a position of the cutting disk relative to a frame of the harvester.

10. A computer-implemented method for agricultural harvesting, the computerimplemented method comprising: receiving, from an input device, an input related to a defined offset; receiving, from a sensor system, crop data; determining a target of the crop based at least partially on the crop data; and positioning a cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cutting position is the defined offset below the target.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the target is a maximum height of the crop.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising: determining a position of the cutting disk based on data provided by the sensor system.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein positioning the cutting disk at the cutting position along the crop further comprises moving the cutting disk a movement distance equal to a difference between a current position of the cutting disk and the cutting position.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein positioning the cutting disk at the cutting position along the crop further comprises activating an adjustment assembly to alter a position of the cutting disk relative to a frame of the harvester.

15. The computer-implement method of claim 13, wherein receiving, from the input device, the input related to the defined offset further comprises receiving crop data indicative of a type of crop, and wherein the defined offset is at least partially based on the type of crop.

16. A system for an agricultural harvester, the system comprising: a topper assembly including a cutting disk configured to severe an upper portion of a crop; a sensor system including a first sensor configured to capture crop data associated with the crop; and a computing system including one or more processors and one or more nontransitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving an input related to a defined offset; receiving the crop data from the sensor system; determining a maximum height of the crop based at least partially on the crop data; and positioning the cutting disk at a cutting position along the crop, wherein the cutting position is the defined offset below the maximum height.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: generating a canopy map based on the maximum height of the crop within a current pass of the harvester within a field.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: generating a canopy map based on the maximum height of the crop within a subsequent pass of the harvester within the field.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first sensor is a vision-based sensor, and wherein the crop data is image data.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising: an adjustment assembly configured to alter a position of the cutting disk relative to a frame of the harvester.