Geospatial Crop Yield Mapping Delay Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current crop yield tracking systems fail to accurately correlate yield rates with geospatial locations due to delays in crop processing and movement through harvester components, leading to inaccurate geospatial attribution of yield measurements.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine a total delay time by summing static and dynamic delay components, using sensors to calculate delay values based on instantaneous and historical operating conditions, allowing for accurate correlation of yield values with geospatial locations by adjusting for the time crops are processed and moved through the harvester.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If yield monitoring sensors are used to track crop yield, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to time delays in crop processing and movement through harvester components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of delay values by determining the time required for crop to travel through various harvester components (chopper, buffer basket, conveyor) before reaching the yield monitoring sensor. These pre-calculated delay values are then used to adjust the correlation between yield measurements and geospatial locations, ensuring accurate attribution of crop yield to the correct field locations despite the inherent processing delays in the harvesting system
2Measurement precision
If static and dynamic delay components are calculated to adjust yield correlation, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple sensor inputs and calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The total time delay is segmented into distinct components: a static delay component representing fixed processing times through harvester components, and a dynamic delay component representing variable delays based on real-time operating conditions. This segmentation allows the system to calculate and compensate for delays in a structured manner, improving measurement precision while keeping the complexity manageable through modular calculation approaches
3Measurement precision
If multiple delay components are determined based on sensor inputs, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to multiple measurements and calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic delay components that are continuously updated based on real-time sensor inputs from harvester operating conditions (e.g., conveyor speed, chopper rate, buffer basket fill level). This dynamic approach allows the delay calculations to adapt to changing operational conditions without requiring complete recalculation of all parameters, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing time loss through efficient, condition-based updates
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for geospatial yield mapping by managing and modeling a system-based delay between crop location and crop sensing. The system stores a plurality of yield rate values indicative of crop yield detected by a sensor and a plurality of geospatial location values as time sequence data sets. The system then maps a yield rate value to a geospatial location value by determining an offset indicative of a total delay time from when the crop is cut from the field to when the crop is detected by the yield sensor. In some implementations, the delay value is determined as an integer multiple of a defined sampling frequency and is determined as a sum of a plurality of delay component values each indicative of a portion of the total delay time associated with a different one of a plurality of component systems of the crop harvester.