Harvesting Machine Yield Mapping Sensor Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing harvesting machines, such as loading wagons and balers, face inaccuracies in yield mapping due to continuous data recording even when no or little crop is being harvested, leading to incorrect conclusions about position-related crop yield.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a second sensor device to determine a work characteristic value that activates or deactivates position-related yield detection, using sensors like torque, hydraulic pressure, or optical information to differentiate between harvesting and non-harvesting operations, ensuring data recording only occurs during active harvesting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If data acquisition is continuously activated when the pick-up is pressed against the field, then the system can detect crop constituents, but incorrect yield data is recorded during turning maneuvers or when driving over straight stretches without crop
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of crop presence using the second sensor device (optical sensor, light barrier, or camera) before activating the first sensor system for yield measurement. This preliminary action ensures that measurement is only initiated when crop is actually present, preventing incorrect data recording during turning maneuvers or when driving over crop-free stretches
Solution Approach 2:
The second sensor device acts as an intermediary that detects whether crop is present and uses this information to control the activation of the first sensor system. This intermediary mechanism prevents direct activation of yield measurement when no crop is present, thereby eliminating incorrect yield data while maintaining measurement precision when crop is actually being harvested
2Quantity of substance
If the sensor system measures constituents continuously, then crop composition data is available, but data from ambient air or stationary crop leads to wrong yield conclusions
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static continuous measurement to dynamic conditional measurement. The second sensor device detects crop presence dynamically, and the first sensor system is activated only when crop flow is detected. This dynamic approach ensures that measurement occurs only when crop material is actually present in the measurement area, preventing measurement of ambient air or stationary crop
3Area of stationary object
If position-related yield recording is always active, then complete spatial data is collected, but data from non-harvesting operations contaminates the yield map
Solution Approach 1:
The second sensor device performs preliminary detection of harvesting conditions (crop presence and material flow) before the first sensor system activates position-related yield recording. This ensures that spatial data is only collected when actual harvesting is occurring, maintaining complete spatial coverage of harvested areas while preventing contamination from non-harvesting operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the second sensor device regarding crop presence and material flow to control the activation of position-related yield recording. This feedback mechanism ensures that yield mapping is performed only during actual harvesting operations, maintaining reliability while preserving spatial coverage of harvested areas
Data Source
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AI summary
A harvesting machine, preferably a forage wagon, for harvesting straw and leaves, equipped with a yield mapping system. The harvesting machine comprises: - a position-determining system or an interface to a position-determining system of a towing vehicle, - a weighing system, and - a first sensor system for determining at least one crop property or characteristic. The harvesting machine further includes a data processor that correlates the position-determining data, the weighing data, and the data acquired by the first sensor system, and processes and stores this data so that position-based yield recording is possible. The first sensor system provides data regardless of whether crop is being picked up at a given time. This results in inaccurate yield maps.To improve yield mapping, the invention proposes the use of a second sensor system with which a working parameter can be determined to ascertain a harvesting operation state, so that position-related yield recording can be activated depending on the working parameter determined by the second sensor device.