Mirrorless Crop-Stream Camera for Forage Harvester Grain Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems for forage harvesters are susceptible to assembly errors due to the use of mirrors, leading to faulty images, and require complex structures that are costly.
Innovation Solution
A mirrorless camera system with a CMOS or CCD image sensor, positioned opposite a translucent viewing window on the discharge spout, captures and evaluates crop streams to differentiate between grain and non-grain components, using two light sources for uniform illumination and a neural network for image analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mirror is used in the camera system to capture images of the crop stream, then the camera can be positioned at a distance from the discharge spout, but the system becomes susceptible to assembly errors and contamination leading to faulty images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mirror component from the optical path entirely. The camera system now uses a direct optical path where the camera lens is positioned to look directly through the discharge spout at the crop stream, eliminating the semi-transparent mirror that caused assembly errors and contamination issues.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a mirror to redirect light from the crop stream to the camera, the patent inverts the approach by positioning the camera to receive light directly from the crop stream through the discharge spout opening, reversing the optical path configuration.
2Ease of manufacture
If a semi-transparent mirror is used to direct light to the camera, then the system can capture images, but the structure becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the semi-transparent mirror from the system. The simplified optical path requires no mirror, reducing the number of optical components and eliminating the complexity associated with mirror mounting, alignment, and maintenance.
3Measurement precision
If the camera system uses a mirror and semi-transparent mirror arrangement, then images can be captured from a distance, but the system is more susceptible to assembly errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mirror assembly that required precise alignment and positioning. The direct optical path eliminates the need for precise mirror mounting and alignment, significantly reducing assembly tolerance requirements while maintaining image quality for grain differentiation.
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
The system provides accurate differentiation of whole and crushed grains with reduced susceptibility to assembly errors, enabling efficient grain disintegration control and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The crop components of the crop stream reflect the light, which then passes through a semi-transparent mirror to the multispectral camera
Implementation Method 2
a first light source whose light rays are directed onto the crop stream
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a forage harvester (1) with a camera system (16) which is designed and configured to capture and evaluate a crop stream (21) processed by working units (20) of the forage harvester (1), which includes whole grains (23) and comminuted grains (24) as grain components (25) as well as non-grain components (26), comprising an image sensor (32) and a lens (31) arranged upstream of the image sensor (32), wherein the image sensor (32) is arranged in a housing (28) arranged on a discharge chute (15) of the forage harvester (1), in which housing a light-permeable viewing window (29) is arranged, past which the crop stream (21) flows, as well as a first light source (33) whose light beams are directed onto the crop stream (21), and an image analysis device (27) to which the image sensor (32) is connected from the crop stream (21) transmits recorded images for evaluation,wherein the image sensor (32) is arranged opposite the viewing window (29).