Harvester Crop Sensing With Correlated Optical and Capacitive Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural harvesting machines face challenges in accurately determining crop parameters, particularly distinguishing between grain and non-grain components and assessing physical properties like grain emptiness, due to limitations of optical sensors.
Innovation Solution
Combining a passive optical sensor with a non-passive, non-optical sensor, such as a capacitive electrode, to analyze the same section of the crop flow, correlating image data and measured values to determine crop parameters with enhanced accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If optical sensors are used to analyze crop composition, then cost-effectiveness and flexibility are improved, but measurement precision deteriorates when detecting physical properties like grain emptiness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines optical sensors (camera) with non-optical sensors (capacitive, electromagnetic) to create a hybrid measurement system. The optical sensor provides cost-effective spatial imaging while non-optical sensors add precise physical property detection, resolving the contradiction between cost-effectiveness and measurement precision for physical properties like grain emptiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system uses a composite sensing approach, integrating multiple sensor types (optical and non-optical) that function together like composite materials. Each sensor type contributes its strengths: optical sensors for visual identification and non-optical sensors for physical property measurement, achieving both cost-effectiveness and high measurement precision.
2Device complexity
If a single sensor type is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates for comprehensive crop parameter determination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges optical and non-optical sensor systems into a unified measurement platform. The optical sensor captures spatial information about crop composition, while non-optical sensors provide complementary physical property data. The evaluation unit integrates both data streams, achieving comprehensive crop parameter determination without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid sensor system is designed with multi-functionality, where the same measurement platform performs both optical imaging and non-optical physical property detection. This universal approach allows a single system to determine multiple crop parameters (composition, moisture, grain emptiness) simultaneously, improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If optical sensors alone are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but reliability deteriorates in distinguishing grain from non-grain components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines optical sensors with non-optical sensors to improve grain differentiation reliability. The optical sensor identifies visual characteristics of crop components, while non-optical sensors (capacitive, electromagnetic) detect physical properties that reliably distinguish grain from non-grain materials. This merged approach maintains ease of operation while significantly improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation unit processes data from both optical and non-optical sensors, using feedback mechanisms to correlate and validate measurements. The system cross-references visual information with physical property data, providing feedback that enhances the reliability of grain versus non-grain component differentiation while maintaining straightforward operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This combination allows for precise differentiation between grains and husks, and identification of grain emptiness, providing comprehensive and spatially resolved crop parameter determination.
Implementation Method 1
a first, passive optical sensor (10) for recording light from a wavelength range in a first field of view (11)
Implementation Method 2
the second sensor (13) comprises at least one electromagnetic sensor element (15) that measures at least one electrical or magnetic property of the harvested crop (4)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural harvesting machine with at least one working unit (2) for harvesting a field crop (3) and for processing the harvested crop (4) of the field crop (3), with a control arrangement (8) which has a measuring system (9) for analyzing the harvested crop (4), wherein the measuring system (9) has a first, passive optical sensor (10), wherein the measuring system (9) in a measuring routine records image data of the first optical sensor (10) which depicts the harvested crop (4) in a first section (A1) of the harvested crop stream, wherein the harvesting machine has an evaluation device (12) for determining a harvested crop parameter.It is proposed that the measuring system (9) has a second, non-passive optical sensor (13) for recording sensor data in a measuring field (14), that the measuring system (9) records measured values from the second sensor (13) in the measuring routine, which depict crop (4) in a second section (A2) of the crop stream, that the first and second sections (A1, A2) overlap at least partially in an overlap section (U), and that the evaluation device (12) correlates the image data of the first sensor (10) for the overlap section (U) and the measured values of the second sensor (13) for the overlap section (U) in an analysis routine, thus determining the crop parameter.