Smart crop yield monitor
US5480354A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 3, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jan 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 3, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/314
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for on-the-go measuring of the amount and quality of grain being harvested including a first light source for projecting a first light image onto a pile of grain on a conveyor in a harvesting machine to cream a three-dimensional light image on the pile of grain on the conveyor and then converting the light image into coordinates for comparison to reference coordinates to determine the volume of the pile of grain on the conveyor belt; and an apparatus for determination of the amount of moisture in the pile of grain by projecting a second light image of a first wavelength onto the pile of grain, with the wavelength of the light of a frequency responsive to the amount of moisture in the pile of grain, and measuring the amount of reflectance of the light image of the first wavelength; and projecting a third light image of a second wavelength on the pile of grain, with the second wavelength of light in a region where reflectance is not responsive to the amount of moisture in the pile of grain, measuring the amount of reflectance of the light image of the second wavelength comparing the ratio of reflectance of the light image of the first wavelength to the reflect…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.