Patent Description:
For many years agricultural balers have been used to consolidate and package crop material so as to facilitate the storage and handling of the crop material for later use. Usually, a mower-conditioner cuts and conditions the crop material for windrow drying in the sun. When the cut crop material is properly dried, a baler travels along the windrow to picks up the crop material and forms it into bales. Pickups of the baler gather the cut and windrowed crop material from the ground then convey the cut crop material into a bale-forming chamber within the baler. A drive mechanism operates to activate the pickups, augers, and a rotor of the feed mechanism.

In conventional square balers include a bale forming chamber and a reciprocating plunger that slides into and out of the chamber. As the chamber receives loose hay material, the plunger slides into the chamber during a compaction stroke to compress the loose hay material into the form of a bale. A conventional round baler includes a bale forming chamber with a pair of opposing sidewalls with a series of belts, chains, and/or rolls that rotate and compress the crop material into a cylindrical shaped bale.

When the bale has achieved a desired size and density, a wrapping system may wrap the bale to ensure that the bale maintains its shape and density. For example, a twine wrapping apparatus may be provided to wrap the bale of crop material while still inside the bale forming chamber. A cutting or severing mechanism may be used to cut the twine once the bale has been wrapped. The wrapped bale may be ejected from the baler and onto the ground.

The ability to trace or track parameters of each bale may be useful to an end user. Baled products, such as hay or silage, may be fed to livestock, and the quality of the feed may be important to the diet of the livestock. For example, a higher quality feed may be fed to certain livestock, whereas feed with lesser quality may go to a different type of livestock. It may be desirable to trace where food products come from, what the livestock ate while it was being raised, etc. It is also desirable to be able to label each bale with other important properties, such as moisture content and nutritional value. Other potential parameters of interest include but are not limited to GPS Location when bale is tied, where the bale leaves the baler, farm name, farmer id, field name, preservative type, amount of preservative applied, etc. As a result, bale identification systems may be employed in the baling process for storing or otherwise retaining the parameters or quality of the crop so it can be provided to the end user. To identify a bale, it is known to attach a tag containing information such as the size, weight, and date of the bale. To identify a bale, it is known to attach a tag containing the information. However, improvements in the manner identification tags used to identify are affixed to a bale is desired.

A baler identification assembly having the features of the precharacterising portion of claim <NUM> is known from <CIT>. However, this document does not teach or suggest the use of a second supply roll mounted on the baler providing an identifying filament, wherein the knotter system joins the identifying filament from the second supply roll with the binding material from the first supply roll while tying a knot to bind the formed bale.

Briefly stated, one aspect of the invention is directed to a bale identification assembly according to claim <NUM>.

This summary is provided to introduce concepts in simplified form that are further described below in the Description of Preferred Embodiments. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosed or claimed subject matter and is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the disclosed or claimed subject matter. Specifically, features disclosed herein with respect to one embodiment may be equally applicable to another. Further, this summary is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Many other novel advantages, features, and relationships will become apparent as this description proceeds. The figures and the description that follow more particularly exemplify illustrative embodiment.

The above mentioned and other features of this invention will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings.

The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what we presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways.

Referring now to <FIG>, shown is a semi-schematic diagram of an agricultural baler system <NUM> in which certain embodiments of a bale identification assembly <NUM> may be employed while baling loose crop material <NUM> from the ground into bales <NUM>. The baler system <NUM> includes a towing vehicle <NUM> and a baler <NUM>. The towing vehicle <NUM> may include a cab <NUM> wherein an operator is located; an engine <NUM> operable to move the towing vehicle <NUM>; and a power take-off (PTO) <NUM> operable to transfer mechanical power from the engine <NUM> to the baler <NUM>. The baler <NUM> is hitched to the towing vehicle <NUM> by a fore-and-aft tongue <NUM>, and power for operating the various mechanisms of the baler <NUM> may be supplied by the PTO <NUM> of the towing vehicle <NUM>, though not limited as such. One having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate in the context of the present disclosure that the example baler <NUM> is merely illustrative, and that other types of baling devices that utilize bale identification assemblies may be implemented.

The baler <NUM> has a fore-and-aft extending baling chamber denoted generally by the numeral <NUM> within which bales <NUM> of crop material <NUM> are prepared. The baler <NUM> is depicted as an "in-line" type of baler wherein crop material <NUM> is picked up below and slightly ahead of baling chamber <NUM> and then loaded up into the bottom of chamber <NUM> in a straight line path of travel. A pickup assembly broadly denoted by the numeral <NUM> is positioned under the tongue <NUM> on the longitudinal axis of the machine, somewhat forwardly of the baling chamber <NUM>. A stuffer chute assembly <NUM> is generally shown, and includes a charge forming stuffer chamber that in one embodiment is curvilinear in shape. In some embodiments, the stuffer chamber may comprise a straight duct configuration, among other geometries. For instance, the stuffer chute assembly <NUM> extends generally rearward and upwardly from an inlet opening just behind the pickup assembly <NUM> to an outlet opening at the bottom of the baling chamber <NUM>. In the particular illustrated embodiment, the baler <NUM> is an "extrusion" type baler in which the bale discharge orifice at the rear of the baler is generally smaller than upstream portions of the chamber such that the orifice restricts the freedom of movement of a previous charge and provides back pressure against which a reciprocating plunger <NUM> within the baling chamber <NUM> can act to compress charges of crop materials into the next bale. The dimensions of the discharge orifice and the squeeze pressure on the bales at the orifice are controlled by a compression mechanism as would be understood by one skilled in the art.

The plunger <NUM>, as is known, reciprocates within the baling chamber <NUM> in compression and retraction strokes across the opening at the bottom of the baling chamber <NUM>. In the portion of the plunger stroke forward of the opening, the plunger <NUM> uncovers the duct outlet opening, and in the rear portion of the stroke, the plunger <NUM> completely covers and closes off the outlet opening. The reciprocating plunger <NUM> presses newly introduced charges of crop material against a previously formed and tied bale <NUM> to thereby form a new bale. This action also causes both bales to intermittently advance toward a rear discharge opening <NUM> of the baler. The completed bales <NUM> are tied with binding material or a similar twine. Once tied, the bales are discharged from the rear end of the bale-forming chamber <NUM> onto a discharge in the form of a chute, generally designated <NUM>.

The baler <NUM> (or towing vehicle <NUM>) includes a communication bus <NUM> extending between the towing vehicle <NUM> and the baler <NUM>. The baler has one or more crop sensors <NUM>; one or more bale sensors <NUM>; and may include one or more computing devices such as electronic control unit (ECU) <NUM>. Various alternative locations for ECU <NUM> may be utilized, including locations on the towing vehicle <NUM>. It will be understood that one or more ECUs <NUM> may be employed and that ECU <NUM> may be mounted at various locations on the towing vehicle <NUM>, baler <NUM>, or elsewhere. ECU <NUM> may be a hardware, software, or hardware and software computing device, and may be configured to execute various computational and control functionality with respect to baler <NUM> (or towing vehicle <NUM>). As such, ECU <NUM> may be in electronic or other communication with various components and devices of baler <NUM> (or towing vehicle <NUM>). For example, the ECU <NUM> may be in electronic communication with various actuators, sensors, and other devices within (or outside of) baler <NUM>. ECU <NUM> may communicate with various other components (including other controllers) in various known ways, including wirelessly.

As the baled crop <NUM> is formed in the baler <NUM>, certain parameters or qualities of the crop <NUM> or bale <NUM> may be measured or determined by the crop sensors <NUM> and/or bale sensors <NUM>, e.g., moisture quality, baling time, bale weight, bale length, etc. In the baling chamber <NUM>, for example, a moisture sensor can measure an electrical resistance or capacitance of the bale for detecting its moisture content. Another sensor can measure the length of the bale. Each characteristic or parameter that is measured may be done so by one or more sensors <NUM>, <NUM>. Each measurement may be communicated to the ECU <NUM> for recording. The ECU <NUM> may communicate the detected measurement to a data server or other database for storage. The measurements may be stored locally via the data server or wirelessly communicated via a mobile device to a remote location over the cloud-based technology.

Turning now to <FIG> and <FIG>, a knotter system <NUM> is configured to loop a binding material <NUM> around the finished bale <NUM>. The term "binding material" as used herein is intended to mean not only twine made from natural or synthetic fibers, but may also include metallic wire or other strapping material. The knotter system <NUM> guides the binding material <NUM> around the bale <NUM> and forms a closed loop in the binding material encircling the bale <NUM>, for example by forming a knot <NUM>. The knotter system <NUM> may be implemented as known in the art, and may for example comprise at least one source of binding material, e.g. at least one binding material supply roll <NUM>, and a knotter mechanism <NUM>, for example implemented as a reciprocating inserter arm or bill hook, for bringing another piece, e.g. end, of the binding material towards the end held by the hook mechanism, for securing the binding material to itself so as to make a loop and a cutter <NUM> for cutting the binding material. In one embodiment known as a single a single knotter, a single supply roll <NUM> may be provided at the top side of the knotter system <NUM>. In alternative embodiments, for example in case of a double knotter as illustrated in <FIG>, an upper supply roll 56A and lower supply roll 56B may be provided at the top and at the bottom side of the knotter system <NUM>. For illustration purposes only, two bales <NUM>, one already packed and one being packed, are illustrated in <FIG> with a spacing there between. In reality, both bales <NUM> will push one against the other, so the spacing will not be present. The binding material <NUM> is pulled between both bales <NUM>. As knotter systems <NUM> are well known in the art, further description of the knotter system need not be included herein.

According to the invention, the bale identification assembly <NUM> is provided to use electromagnetic fields for assigning attributes of the bale <NUM> to a bale identification tag <NUM> applied to the bale <NUM>. Desirably, the bale identification tag <NUM> is a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag used to electronically store information and collect energy from a nearby RFID reader's interrogating radio waves. As RFID tags are known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description of the RFID tag need not be provided herein. In embodiments of the present invention, the binding material is provided with bale identification tags <NUM>. Bale identification tags <NUM> are placed in the binding material <NUM> at certain intervals.

As seen in <FIG>, the bale identification assembly <NUM> includes a read module <NUM> and one or more antennas <NUM> such as an Active Reader Passive Tag (ARPT) system, which transmits interrogator signals and also receives authentication replies from identification tags <NUM>. The antenna <NUM> can be mounted either prior to or after the knotter mechanism <NUM>. In one embodiment the bale tying cycle may be initiated by a bale length sensor arrangement such as a rotary encoder <NUM> or similar device attached a star wheel <NUM> extending horizontally across and being rotatably mounted to the top of the baling chamber <NUM>, an angular sensor <NUM> on a slacker arm <NUM> used to control slack in the binding material <NUM> supplied to the knotter mechanism <NUM>, and an electronic motor or actuator <NUM> to engage the knotter mechanism <NUM>. The angular sensor <NUM> senses the position of the slacker arm <NUM> to determine the position of the binding material <NUM> in relation to the knotter mechanism <NUM>. The star wheel <NUM> wheel may have a toothed periphery which extends into the baling chamber <NUM> and is contacted by a forming bale <NUM> so as to be rotated as the bale grows in length. The rotation of the star wheel <NUM> is sensed and converted into a signal representing bale length, with a control signal being sent to initiate the tying cycle when the forming bale reaches a length corresponding to a desired bale length. As the bale identification assembly <NUM> detects a given identification tag <NUM>, it can then use a combination of the star wheel <NUM> and position sensor <NUM> on the slacker arm <NUM> to predict the passage of identification tags <NUM> through the knotter mechanism <NUM> to alter the length of the bale <NUM> via an early or late motor trip or to cause an additional flake to be added or the bale <NUM> to be finished with fewer flakes to prevent the knotter <NUM> from cycling on the identification tag <NUM> preventing knotter damage and/or damage to the bale identification tag <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the bale identification tags <NUM> are incorporated into the binding material <NUM> in the upper supply roll 56A intended for the top of the bale <NUM> for easy identification and reduced usage. The top binding material <NUM> with the bale identification tags <NUM> will then be combined with the lower binding material <NUM> from the lower supply roll 56B that lacks the bale identification tags <NUM> on the machine by the knotter assembly <NUM>.

Desirably, the star wheel <NUM> is mounted at a known distance from the knotter mechanism <NUM>. The bale identification assembly <NUM> has a knotter cycle sensor <NUM>, and at least one of the antennas <NUM> is mounted at a known distance from the star wheel <NUM>. The bale identification assembly <NUM> has the reader module <NUM>, and a main task controller <NUM>, which may be part of the ECU <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the knotter cycle sensor <NUM> will define the boundaries of a given bale <NUM>. Then using the known offsets and the star wheel position sensor <NUM>, the start and end points of that bale <NUM> can be adjusted as they pass by the antenna <NUM>. Thus any identification tags <NUM> viewed between the start and end point are then assigned to that bale <NUM> as their identification in the task controller <NUM>. Any attributes such as feed values, drop point, moisture, etc. can then be assigned for that bale <NUM> in the task controller <NUM> or similar software.

In one embodiment, the bale identification assembly <NUM> has a bale drop sensor <NUM>, an RFID antenna <NUM> mounted on or rearward of the bale chamber <NUM>, the reader module <NUM>, and the task controller <NUM>. As a bale <NUM> passes over the discharge chute <NUM>, a bale activation device such as a paddle <NUM> is moved, tripping the bale drop sensor <NUM>. This is turn would activate the antenna <NUM> until the sensor <NUM> returns to its original state or until a given time has been reached. During its active cycle, the antenna <NUM> and reader <NUM> will assign any identification tag <NUM> values the reader can sense to the bale <NUM> that is actively leaving the chamber <NUM>. Any other desired attributes could then be post assigned to the bale <NUM> in the task controller <NUM>. In the event that a tag <NUM> was sensed over multiple bale events, the identification tag number would only be assigned to the latest bale drop.

In one embodiment, instead of trying to store the bale attribute data to the bale identification tag <NUM> itself, the identification tag <NUM> is assigned to a given bale <NUM>. Other attributes of that bale <NUM> such as weight, variety, location, moisture, feed value, mass flow, flake count, time of day, etc. can be assigned to the identification element through the software of the task controller <NUM> post bale drop. This data can then be displayed in multiple ways. Either through a GIS map for future decision making, or as a text file type display. Either would be available to either export or display on other task controller equipped machines such as bale handling and loading equipment to record or display all attributes of bales being fed or sold. When each bale <NUM> is formed, the controller <NUM> may assign an identification number to the bale <NUM>. This identification number is unique to all other bales formed. In addition, the identification number assigned to each bale <NUM> may be different from the identification associated with the one or more bale tags coupled to the bale via the twine. Thus, as the bale is formed and the controller <NUM> associated an identification number to the bale, the read module <NUM> reads the one or more identification tag <NUM> and communicates the tag identification number to the controller <NUM>. Moreover, the sensors <NUM>, <NUM> may communicate measurements and other data detected to the controller <NUM>. The controller <NUM> can therefore associate the measurements with the bale identification number and bale tag identification number. Alternatively or in addition, the controller <NUM> may communicate the measurements from the sensors <NUM>, <NUM>, the bale identification number, and the bale tag identification number (when communicated via the reader module <NUM>) to the data server or database. A data matrix or spreadsheet to store the data in an organized format so that it may be retrieved at a later time. For example, a user of a mobile device may access the data wirelessly via Wi-Fi, cloud-based technology or any other known communication means by accessing a server or database where the information is stored. In this manner, the data associated with any bale <NUM> may be tracked from a remote location at any given time.

In one embodiment, the bale identification tags <NUM> incorporated into the tying medium <NUM> are spaced at a given and specific interval for varying applications on the continuous piece of binding material. Not only does this allow a operator to match the desired element spacing to a given bale length, i.e. a <NUM> ft. spacing could match <NUM> ft. bales and could be easily switched to <NUM> ft. or <NUM> ft. , it also allows for predictive software to determine where the bale identification tags <NUM> are in relationship to machine components of the knotter system <NUM> without actively sensing the tag <NUM> throughout the entire process. This in turn allows for disruption of certain machine elements in order to preserve the bale identification tag <NUM> as well as a failsafe to ensure that each bale <NUM> leaves the baler <NUM> with a bale identification tag <NUM> attached. In one example, the top twine <NUM> on an <NUM> foot bale measures approximately <NUM> feet, and the spacing of the identification tags <NUM> are at <NUM> feet so as to create slightly more than <NUM> identification tags <NUM> per bale <NUM>.

In one embodiment, if multiple bale identification tags <NUM> are attached to a single bale <NUM>, the same bale ID would be assigned to all bale identification tags <NUM> that were read for that bale <NUM> in either a cloud or task controller <NUM> environment. This could also be done on the baler <NUM> using the antenna offset and knotter cycle events. In an alternate embodiment, any multiple bale identification tags <NUM> sensed for a given bale <NUM> would be neutralized. For example, the antenna <NUM> would sense the presence of the first bale identification tag <NUM> associated with a given bale <NUM> and associate a bale ID to that tag. Any additional bale identification tags <NUM> that would normally be associated with that bale ID would be neutralized so as to only create a single active bale identification tag <NUM> per bale <NUM>.

Turning now to <FIG>, in one embodiment, the placement of the identification tag <NUM> onto the binding material <NUM> occurs during twine production. The binding material <NUM> comprises multiple filaments or strands of non-identifying filaments 52A and at least one non-similar identifying filament 52B incorporating the identification tag <NUM> into the individual identifying filament. In one common prior art process, the material that makes up the binding material <NUM> is extruded as a single sheet before being cut into individual filaments and then wound into a finished twine product. In one embodiment, during the extrusion process, the identifying filament 52B has an RFID inlay <NUM> inserted before the filament is wound. The RFID inlay <NUM> desirably comprises conducting wires of an antenna connected to a RAIN RFID chip. The length of the RFID inlay <NUM> is desirably between about <NUM> and <NUM>. Thus, the RFID inlay <NUM> is a segment of the identifying filament 52B with the RFID inlays <NUM> spaced along the identifying filament 52B at a desired interval. The identifying strand 52B incorporating the RFID inlay <NUM> is incorporated into the last stages of the twine production process to be wound with other individual twine filaments 52A that do not contain an RFID inlay into a single twine strand <NUM> with both the twine filament 52B and the non-identifying filaments 52A.

In an alternate embodiment, the identifying filament 52B is formed as a continuous identification element such as by using chipless RFID technology. For example, the identifying filament 52B uses chipless RFID technology that encodes data such as by measuring either the timing of reflected radio waves between a reader antenna and tag antenna or by varying the frequency and measuring the frequency of the reflected signal. One skilled in the art will understand that continuous identification element technology depends on using multiple materials such as dielectric ink or other resonant materials such as copper or aluminum resonating at varying frequencies. By incorporating the resonant materials into the twine production process during the initial mixing or extrusion process or by printing the material onto the polypropylene sheet extrusion, a unique bale identification tag <NUM> is created.

Turning now to <FIG>, in one embodiment, the agricultural baler system <NUM> has a knotter system <NUM> that wraps a finished bale <NUM> with a binding material <NUM> while also routing a separate identifying filament <NUM> with the binding material <NUM> during the binding process. The identifying filament <NUM> may incorporate discrete identification tags <NUM> spaced along the identifying filament <NUM> or may be a continuous identification element as described above. The knotter system <NUM> guides the binding material <NUM> around the bale <NUM> and forms a closed loop in the binding material <NUM> encircling the bale <NUM>, for example by forming one or more knots <NUM>. The knotter system <NUM> may be implemented as known in the art, and may for example comprise a knotter mechanism <NUM> and a cutter <NUM> for cutting the binding material <NUM>.

The identifying filament <NUM> is introduced into the knotter system <NUM> from an identifying filament supply roll 156C and is routed with the binding material <NUM>, which does not contain identification elements, as the binding material <NUM> is looped around the finished bale <NUM>. For example, in the case of a double knotter system as described above, the identifying filament <NUM> is routed from the identifying filament supply roll 156C with binding material <NUM> from an upper supply roll 156A that supplies the non-identifying binding material <NUM> around an upper part of the bale <NUM> while a lower supply roll 156B supplies binding material <NUM> at the bottom side of the knotter system <NUM>. The identifying element <NUM> need only be routed with the binding material <NUM> from the one supply roll 156A. Alternately, the identifying filament <NUM> may be loaded onto a supply roll 156A with the binding material <NUM> such that the binding material <NUM> and identifying filament <NUM> are dispensed from the same supply roll.

After the binding material <NUM> is drawn around the finished bale <NUM> by the knotter system <NUM>, the identifying filament <NUM> is joined with the binding material <NUM> as a knotter mechanism <NUM> cycles to tie the knot <NUM>. The identifying filament <NUM> may use the same twine tensioner (not shown) used by the binding material <NUM> in order to match tension, or the identifying filament <NUM> may use a separate tensioner depending on the mounting location of the filament supply roll 156C. This embodiment avoids challenges involved with incorporating identification tags into binding material production while still providing a robust bale identifying filament <NUM> with to the binding material <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A bale identification assembly (<NUM>) for use with an agricultural baler (<NUM>) used to take loose crop material (<NUM>) from the ground into bales and compress a formed bale (<NUM>) in a baling chamber with a reciprocating plunger, the baler (<NUM>) having at least one crop sensor (<NUM>) and/or bale sensor (<NUM>) configured to sense a parameter of the crop material (<NUM>) or formed bale (<NUM>), and a knotter system (<NUM>) that uses a binding material (<NUM>;152A) to bind the formed bale (<NUM>) and tie a knot in the binding material (<NUM>;152A), the bale identification assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
a first supply roll (56A; 156A) mounted on the baler (<NUM>) providing a binding material (52A; 152A) used by the knotter system (<NUM>) to bind the formed bale (<NUM>) wherein the binding material (52A; 152A) on the first supply roll (56A; 156A) is free of identification tags;
the bale identification assembly characterised in that it further comprises
a second supply roll (56B; 156B) mounted on the baler (<NUM>) providing an identifying filament (52B; 152B), the identifying filament comprising identification tags (<NUM>; <NUM>), wherein the knotter system (<NUM>) routes the identifying filament (52B; 152B) from the second supply roll (56B; 156B) together with the binding material (52A; 152A) from the first supply roll (56A;156A) round at least a first portion of a formed bale (<NUM>) and ties a knot in the binding material (52A; 152A) and identifying filament (52B) to bind the formed bale (<NUM>).