Agricultural Machine Speed Control for Variable Fertilizer Application

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fertilizer distributing devices often have a fixed amount of fertilizer discharge, making it difficult and costly to adjust the amount applied, especially considering varying crop growth conditions in a field.

Innovation Solution

An agricultural machine control device that adjusts the traveling speed of a fertilizer-applying mobile body based on growth condition data, allowing for variable fertilizer application by correlating speed with the amount of fertilizer needed at each location, using a system that includes growth maps, fertilizing maps, and speed maps to optimize fertilizer distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the amount of fertilizer discharge is varied to control fertilizer application, then the fertilizer application amount can be adjusted according to crop growth conditions, but the device complexity increases and cost rises due to the need for expensive variable-rate fertilizer distributing devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefertilizer application amount adjustmentVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of traveling speed instead of changing the fertilizer discharge amount. By varying the speed at which the mobile body travels through the field, the system achieves variable-rate fertilizer application using a fixed-discharge device, thus avoiding the need for expensive variable-rate fertilizer distributors while still adapting to different crop growth conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces traveling speed as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the fixed fertilizer discharge capability and the desired variable fertilizer application. The speed varies according to crop growth conditions, effectively translating the need for variable application into a speed control problem rather than a discharge control problem

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If a new fertilizer distributing device with variable discharge capability is purchased, then precise fertilizer control is achieved, but the cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefertilizer application precisionVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the existing, inexpensive mobile body (tractor or other vehicle) as the means to achieve variable-rate fertilizer application. Rather than investing in expensive specialized equipment, the system leverages the already-owned mobile body and controls its speed, providing precise fertilizer application at low cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The system achieves precise fertilizer application by changing the speed parameter of the mobile body rather than changing the discharge parameter of the fertilizer device. This parameter substitution allows precise control without requiring expensive variable-rate fertilizer distributing equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the fertilizer discharge amount is fixed, then the device is simpler and cheaper, but the ability to adapt to varying crop growth conditions is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidadaptability to crop growth conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic speed control of the mobile body to compensate for the fixed fertilizer discharge. By dynamically adjusting the traveling speed based on real-time or pre-determined crop growth conditions, the system maintains adaptability while keeping the fertilizer discharge mechanism simple and static

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10802471B2Device, method, and program for controlling agricultural machine

Publication Date: 2020.10.13 TOPCON CORPORATION

AI summary

A technique is provided to enable low-cost control of amounts of fertilizer applied. A control device controls a currently used agricultural machine that applies fertilizer to a crop while traveling through a field. The control device includes a growth data receiving unit, a fertilizer application amount value calculator, and a speed signal generator. The growth data receiving unit receives growth data that is obtained by sensing a growth condition of a crop at each location in the field. The fertilizer application amount value calculator determines an amount of fertilizer on the basis of the growth data. The speed signal generator generates a speed signal to cause the agricultural machine to travel at a speed corresponding to a variable value of an amount of the fertilizer to be applied at each location in the field.