Abstract: A method of controlling an agricultural harvester includes a step of receiving past sensor signals from a field sensor of a first agricultural vehicle, the past sensor signals representing a field or crop property at specified locations in an agricultural field. The method further includes a step of, while harvesting, receiving real-time sensor signals from a field sensor of the agricultural harvester, the real-time sensor signals representing the field or crop property at a current location in the agricultural field. Based on the past sensor signals and the real-time sensor signals, a field prediction is determined representing the field or crop property at a future location in the agricultural field. Based on the field prediction, an operational parameter of the agricultural harvester is controlled.

Abstract: In one aspect, a cotton harvester includes a harvesting implement configured to harvest materials from a field. The harvested materials include both cotton and material other than cotton (MOC). The harvester also includes a material processing system configured to receive the harvested materials from the harvesting implement, with the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system along a material transfer path. Additionally, the harvester includes a sensor configured to generate data indicative of an amount of MOC contained within the harvested materials at a location along the material transfer path, and a computing system communicatively coupled to the sensor. The computing system is configured to adjust an operational setting of the cotton harvester based at least in part on the amount of MOC contained within the harvested materials.

Abstract: A feeder for an agricultural harvester includes a feeder housing, a front shaft, a rear shaft, at least one feeder loop, and a plurality of feeder slats. The feeder loop is drivable around the rear and front shafts. The feeder slats are mounted to the feeder loop and configured for moving harvested crop over a bottom of the feeder housing, from the front shaft towards the rear shaft. An actuator is coupled between the feeder housing and the front shaft and configured to adjust a tension in the feeder loop by adjusting a distance between the front shaft and the rear shaft. A sensor is operative to generate a sensor signal representative of a force acting on the actuator and configured to, in dependence of the sensor signal, control at least one operational parameter of the agricultural harvester other than the tension in the at least one feeder loop.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for detecting diseases within harvested materials during operation of an agricultural harvester includes receiving, with a computing system, an image of billets created by a chopper assembly of the agricultural harvester; analyzing, with the computing system, the image to identify indications of disease in association with one or more of the billets contained within the image; and initiating, with the computing system, a control action in response to the identification of indications of disease in association with the one or more billets contained within the image.

Abstract: A system for removing debris from an agricultural harvester is provided herein. The system includes a chopper assembly configured to receive and process crop material. The chopper assembly can define an outlet through which a stream of processed crop material is discharged from the chopper assembly. The outlet defines an outlet vertical height and a center point of the outlet. A splitter is positioned downstream of the chopper assembly. The splitter at least partially extends within the stream of processed crop material discharged from the chopper assembly and is positioned above the center point of the outlet.

Abstract: A system for removing trash from a flow of harvested crop within an agricultural harvester may include a chopper assembly and a cleaning assembly downstream of the chopper assembly relative to the flow of harvested crop. An upstream side of the cleaning assembly may be positioned closer to the chopper assembly than a downstream side of the cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly may include a screen and a fan, with the fan positioned at least partially between the upstream and downstream sides of the cleaning assembly. The fan may generate a flow of air in a first direction such that the flow of air passes through the upstream side before the downstream side of the cleaning assembly. Additionally, the screen may be movable along a travel path relative to the fan such that a portion of the screen is movable between the upstream and downstream sides of the cleaning assembly.

Abstract: A sensor system (230) for an agricultural machine includes one or more first elements (232) configured to be supported by a reel member (220) that is configured to rotate relative to a frame (201) of the agricultural machine. The sensor system (230) also includes one or more second elements (231) configured to be supported by the frame (201) of the agricultural machine, wherein the one or more first elements (232) and the one or more second elements (231) are configured to interact to generate sensor feedback. The sensor system also includes a controller (290) configured to receive the sensor feedback, analyze the sensor feedback to identify occurrences of the reel member (220) being in an undesirable position relative to the frame (201) of the agricultural machine, and provide an output in response to the reel member (220) being in the undesirable position relative to the frame (201) of the agricultural machine.

Abstract: A deck plate positioning system for an agricultural harvester includes a controller comprising a memory and a processor. The controller is configured to receive a sensor signal indicative of an image of harvested crop material within a feederhouse of the agricultural harvester. The controller is also configured to analyze the image to measure at least one metric of the harvested crop material related to physical geometries and sizes of the harvested crop material within the feederhouse. The controller is further configured to automatically adjust positions of deck plates of a header of the agricultural harvester based on the at least one metric.

Abstract: A system for controlling the aggressiveness of a tailings processor that re-threshes tailings received from the grain cleaning system in an agricultural harvester is provided with at least one imaging device to image a grain sample. At least a portion of the grain sample has at least once passed through the tailings processor. A controller is connected to the imaging device and to an arrangement to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor. The controller is configured to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor using the arrangement, based on based on the level of broken grain and/or unthreshed grain determined from the image from the at least one imaging device by comparing the level of broken grain and/or unthreshed grain to the desired level.

Abstract: A harvesting implement for an agricultural harvester includes an implement frame defining a plane extending in a longitudinal direction between forward and aft ends of the frame and in a lateral direction between first and second sides of the implement frame. Additionally, the harvesting implement includes a support arm coupled to the implement frame and a sensor coupled to the support arm. The support arm is, in turn, configured to rotate relative to the implement frame about an axis, intersecting the plane, between a first position at which the sensor has a field of view directed at a portion of the field forward of the harvesting implement and a second position at which a distance between the sensor and the aft end of the implement frame in the longitudinal direction is less than when in the first position.

Abstract: A cutting system includes knives attached to a continuously moving belt-type carrier. The carrier motion moves the knives past stationary counterknife fingers which are attached to or uniform with a cutterbar, as the cutting system is driven through a field of crop stalks, which are cut by the interaction between the knives and counterknives. One or more sensing devices produce signals or images related to the condition of the knives when the knives are moving past the sensing devices. A processing unit processes the signals or images and derives therefrom one or more parameters representative of the condition of the knives, and compares the parameters to a reference, to thereby monitor the condition. An agricultural implement such as a combine harvester, can be equipped with the cutting system.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a swath detection system for determining a distribution of a swath in a field and a method of its use. The swath detection system includes: a swath sensor attached to the harvester and disposed to capture scan data of the distribution of the swath in the field; a sensor accelerometer disposed to capture sensor acceleration data at the same time as the swath sensor captures the scan data; and a controller operatively coupled to the swath sensor and the sensor accelerometer. The controller is configured to temporally correlate the scan data with the sensor acceleration data and merge the scan data whilst spatially aligning the scan data in dependence of the temporally correlated sensor acceleration data.

Abstract: A system for cleaning sensor assemblies of an agricultural harvester includes an elevator assembly configured to convey harvested crop material, with the elevator including an elevator frame. Furthermore, the system includes a sensor assembly positioned within the elevator assembly, with the sensor assembly including a weigh plate coupled to the elevator frame such that the weigh plate and the elevator frame define a gap therebetween. The sensor assembly further includes a load sensor coupled between the elevator frame and the weigh plate such that the load sensor is configured to generate data indicative of a weight of the harvested crop material present on the weigh plate. Additionally, the system includes a cleaning device configured to remove debris from the gap.

Abstract: A system for an agricultural harvester can include a support structure configured to be operably coupled with an elevator housing. A carrier can be operably coupled with the support structure. A vision-based sensor can be operably coupled with the carrier. One or more light sources can be operably coupled with the carrier. A panel can be positioned along a portion of the carrier. A cleaning system can be configured to remove debris from the panel positioned between at least one of the vision-based sensor and the one or more light sources. A computing system performs various operations. The operations can include determining a detected percentage of pixels within the data indicating debris on the panel on the panel and initiating a cleaning routine to remove at least a portion of the debris from the panel.

Abstract: A system for an agricultural harvester system can include an elevator configured to receive a flow of a harvested material. A chain can have a first portion positioned above the elevator and a second portion positioned below the elevator. A sensor assembly can be positioned between the elevator and the second portion. The sensor assembly can have a field of view that is directed towards a top portion of the elevator and configured to generate a first set of data. A computing system can be communicatively coupled to the sensor assembly. The computing system can be configured to receive the first set of data and generate an estimated weight of the harvested material based at least partially on the first set of data associated with the harvested material transferred along the elevator during a defined interval.

Abstract: A method for automatically controlling a height of a harvesting implement includes receiving distance data from a distance sensor supported relative to the harvesting implement that is indicative of a measured distance from the distance sensor to a location on a ground surface positioned, receiving pose data associated with the distance sensor, determining a pose of the distance sensor based on the pose data, and determining a compensation value for adjusting the measured distance based on the pose of the distance sensor. Additionally, the method includes calculating a compensated distance value as a function of the measured distance and the compensation value, and controlling an operation of an actuator based at least in part on the corrected distance value to adjust a vertical height of at least a portion of the harvesting implement relative to the ground surface.

Abstract: A monitoring system for a combine harvester having a header for harvesting a crop and a residue spreading system for spreading a crop residue. The monitoring system includes a sensing system configured to provide one or more measurement waves that intersect a flow of crop residue discharged by the spreading system and receive a plurality of response waves reflected from the crop residue. The system further includes a processing unit configured to receive a response signal of the sensing system; process the response signal; and determine, based on the response signal, a density and velocity distribution of the crop residue across a two-dimensional measurement area. The response signal is representative of the plurality of response waves reflected from the crop residue. The measurement area is at an end of a trajectory of the crop residue towards a deposit area.

Abstract: A combine harvester with a grain tank for storing harvested grain, an unload conveyor for unloading the harvested grain stored in the grain tank into a nearby grain hauling vehicle, a chopper for chopping residue straw, and a spreader system for spreading the chopped residue straw in an area behind the combine harvester. The combine harvester further includes a radar-based residue monitoring system for monitoring a spreading distribution of the chopped residue straw. A controller is configured to receive sensor signals from one or more radar sensors of the radar-based residue monitoring system, and to detect a presence of the nearby grain hauling vehicle based on the received sensor signals.

Abstract: In a combine harvester, the header is lifted up by the feeder and secured thereto by a mechanism including a pair of securing pins on the feeder's carrier structure. The securing pins are provided with stops protruding towards the header and which include a sloped surface, configured to interact with positioning aids on the header. The lateral outward or inward movement of the securing pins is driven by a centrally placed actuator. As the actuator is extended, the positioning aids roll or glide down the sloped surfaces, enabling a gradual approach of the header towards the feeder, up to a point where the securing pins become aligned with slots on the header. Continued actuation of the pin motion then establishes the securing of the header to the feeder.

Abstract: A crop container monitor for monitoring a fill-state of an open-top crop container during a harvesting operation, the crop container monitor comprising: at least one radiation sensor positionable at an upper end of a wall of the open-top crop container to receive radiation from an interior of the open-top crop container; and a controller configured to: receive a sensing signal from the at least one radiation sensor, wherein the sensing signal is representative of the received radiation; determine a propagation distance from the at least one radiation sensor to a point from which the received radiation was scattered, reflected or emitted, based on the sensing signal; and output the fill-state of the open-top crop container based on the propagation distance.