Patent Description:
Crop yields are affected by a variety of factors, such as seed placement, soil quality, weather, irrigation, and nutrient applications. Soil compaction affects how seeds are placed, as well as how water and fertilizer permeates the soil. Typically, a field includes a layer of soil below the surface that is harder and denser than soil above or below it. This layer is referred to in the art as a "compaction layer. " The compaction layer is generally less permeable to air and water than the surrounding soil. Roots forming from seeds planted above the compaction layer may grow downward toward the compaction layer, and may then tend to grow outward if they cannot break through the compaction layer. The depth of the compaction layer typically varies throughout a field.

In some fields and with some crops, it is desirable to till through the compaction layer before planting to enable crops roots to grow deeper and more uniformly. However, tilling deeper requires increased fuel usage and exposes more soil to moisture loss. Furthermore, over-tilling of soil, particularly if the soil is prone to erosion, can cause erosion of the soil. Methods of measuring soil compaction are described in <CIT>.

<CIT>, "System for Recording Soil Conditions" discloses a system in which sensors are used to detect load on a soil working tool due to soil compaction. A location signal generation circuit generates signals relating to the location at which the force signal is sampled. The force data is correlated with the locations at which the force was sampled. The correlated data is saved and may be used to generate a field map indicating soil condition values to aid in locating where various farming materials should be applied to the soil.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a tillage implement as defined in claim <NUM>. Further optional features of the method according to claim <NUM> are set out in the claims dependent on claim <NUM>.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions as defined in claim <NUM>. Further optional features of the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim <NUM> are set out in the claims dependent on claim <NUM>.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming what are regarded as embodiments of the present invention, various features and advantages of embodiments of the invention may be more readily ascertained from the following description of example embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The illustrations presented herein are not actual views of any tillage implement or portion thereof, but are merely idealized representations that are employed to describe example embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.

<FIG> is a simplified top view illustrating a tractor <NUM> drawing a tillage implement <NUM>, which includes a frame <NUM> supporting multiple tilling tools <NUM>. A computer <NUM>, which may include a processor <NUM>, memory, and graphical user interface ("GUI") <NUM> (e.g., a touch-screen interface), is typically located in the cab of the tractor <NUM>. A global positioning system ("GPS") receiver <NUM> may be mounted to the tractor <NUM> and connected to communicate with the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be configured to communicate with the tilling tools <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may communicate by wired or wireless communication.

The processor <NUM> may be configured to adjust operating parameters of the tillage implement <NUM>, store and retrieve information in a data storage device <NUM>, and/or display information on the graphical user interface <NUM> (depicted as a touch-screen, though other types of interface may also be used). The processor <NUM> may typically adjust the operating parameters of the tillage implement <NUM> based on known variations of the properties of the field or based on information collected while working the field. For example, the data storage device <NUM> may store one or more maps containing information about the field, and the processor <NUM> may adjust the tillage implement <NUM> based on the position in the field and information from the map(s). The maps may include, for example, topographic or soil-quality maps.

<FIG> is a simplified representation of a map <NUM> of a field. The map <NUM> may include different areas <NUM>-<NUM> separated by boundaries <NUM>-<NUM>. The areas <NUM>-<NUM> may have different soil characteristics, and the boundaries <NUM>-<NUM> may correspond to changes in the soil characteristics of a preselected magnitude. For example, if the map <NUM> represents the amount of residue over the soil (i.e., plant material that is not mixed into the soil), then the boundaries <NUM>-<NUM> may divide values of residue into different bins, categories, or ranges (e.g., low, medium, and high; specific numerical values; or any other selected classifications). In the map <NUM>, for example, the areas <NUM> may have low residue, the area <NUM> may have medium residue, and the areas <NUM> and <NUM> may each have high residue. Thus, it may be beneficial to work the areas <NUM>-<NUM> differently. Furthermore, the areas <NUM>-<NUM> may have different soil compositions, such as the amount of organic material, the amount of sand, the amount of clay, etc. The map <NUM> may include any number of areas <NUM>-<NUM> with any selected properties.

The map <NUM> may include, in addition to or instead of soil characteristics, topographical information. For example, the boundaries <NUM> and <NUM> may divide a lower area <NUM> from a higher area <NUM>, whereas the boundaries <NUM> and <NUM> may separate certain areas <NUM> and <NUM> of soil having a high tendency to erode. Thus, it may be beneficial to till the area <NUM> differently than the areas <NUM>-<NUM>.

Generation of maps of fields is described generally in <CIT>; <CIT>; and International Patent Publication <CIT>.

Returning to <FIG>, the computer <NUM> may correlate information about the field from the map <NUM> with a location of the tillage implement <NUM> as determined by the GPS receiver <NUM>. The computer <NUM> may determine target values of operating parameters for the tillage implement <NUM> based on the properties of the soil at that particular location. If any operating parameter has a target value different from the current value of that operating parameter, the computer <NUM> may adjust the tillage implement <NUM> accordingly. This change typically occurs when the tillage implement <NUM> crosses the boundaries <NUM>-<NUM>.

<FIG> is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method <NUM> in which the tractor <NUM> and the tillage implement <NUM> (<FIG>) may be used to work a field.

As depicted in block <NUM>, the method <NUM> includes providing a map (e.g., map <NUM> in <FIG>) of a field. As discussed above, the map may be a topographic map, a soil-quality map, a residue map, etc. The map may be provided to the computer <NUM> (<FIG>) by any method known in the art, such as by transmission via wired or wireless connections, and may be stored in the data storage device <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the method <NUM> includes defining boundaries in the map. The boundaries may be defined to separate various areas of the map based on erosion propensity, elevation, or other soil characteristic properties. The boundaries may define different areas in which the tillage implement <NUM> will have different operating parameters.

In block <NUM>, the method <NUM> includes propelling the tillage implement <NUM> through the field. The tillage implement <NUM> is typically pulled behind the tractor <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the computer <NUM> adjusts an operating parameter of the tillage implement <NUM> (or instructs an actuator or other device to adjust an operating parameter) when the tillage implement <NUM> crosses a boundary. For example, the computer <NUM> may adjust a depth of the tillage implement <NUM> with respect to the surface of the field, an aggressiveness of the tillage implement <NUM>, a rolling basket pressure of the tillage implement <NUM> (e.g., as described in <CIT>) or a gang angle of the tillage implement <NUM> (e.g., as described in International Patent Publication <CIT>, and <CIT>).

Still other embodiments involve a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) having processor-executable instructions configured to implement one or more of the techniques presented herein. An example computer-readable medium that may be devised is illustrated in <FIG>, wherein an implementation <NUM> includes a computer-readable storage medium <NUM> (e.g., a flash drive, CD-R, DVD-R, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a platter of a hard disk drive, etc.), on which is computer-readable data <NUM>. This computer-readable data <NUM> in turn includes a set of processor-executable instructions <NUM> configured to operate according to one or more of the principles set forth herein. In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions <NUM> may be configured to cause the computer <NUM> (<FIG>) to perform operations <NUM> when executed via a processing unit, such as at least some of the example method <NUM> depicted in <FIG>. In other embodiments, the processor-executable instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement a system, such as at least some of the example tractor <NUM> and tillage implement <NUM> (<FIG>). Many such computer-readable media may be devised by those of ordinary skill in the art that are configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the techniques presented herein.

The apparatus and methods disclosed herein may benefit a farmer by tailoring tilling operations based on different field conditions. Different areas within the field may be worked differently, and therefore the methods may avoid working highly erodible soil too aggressively. Furthermore, if adjusting the tillage implement is automated in a computer, the changes can be implemented more precisely than would be possible if the tractor operator were required to make manual adjustments in the field. Therefore, the end result of the methods may be better consistency of soil conditions after tilling and lower erosion rates. This may translate into higher crop yield and better return-on-investment for the farmer.

Claim 1:
A computer implemented method of operating a tillage implement (<NUM>), comprising:
providing a map (<NUM>) of a field;
defining a plurality of boundaries (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the map;
propelling the tillage implement through the field; and
adjusting at least one operating parameter of the tillage implement when the tillage implement crosses a boundary of the plurality;
characterized in that defining the boundaries (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the map (<NUM>) comprises defining the boundaries to separate areas based on elevation or soil characteristic.