Patent · US Expired

Agricultural implement having multiple agents for mapping fields

US5809440A · kind A · utility

178Cited by
59References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1997
Grant dateSep 15, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA01M7/0089
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An agricultural implement in accordance with the present invention includes a supporting member affixed to a farm vehicle, such as a tractor. The supporting member supports a plurality of sensors that each has a unique physical location along the supporting member such that the sensors traverse parallel paths as the vehicle moves across a field. Information gathered by the sensors can be combined with information as to the vehicle's position to create a map of the field. For example, information indicative of the presence or absence of weeds at specific locations in a field can be used to create a weed-map. To ensure that such maps accurately depict a field, the agricultural implement includes a control unit configured to automatically assign each sensor unit a unique address based upon the physical location of each sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.