Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02791436 2012-10-01
REAL TIME SCALE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MATERIAL HANDLING
DEVICES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the agricultural field. More
specifically,
the present invention relates to a system that links pieces of agricultural
equipment, some
of which include a scale that transmits measurements to an electronic
controller. Multiple
electronic controllers may be employed to send information about each piece of
equipment
over a network to other pieces of equipment.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Harvest is generally a very busy time of year for those in the
agriculture industry.
Time and efficiency are important factors for a successful harvest. The task
requires use
of many resources, including equipment and personnel. For example, a typical
grain
harvest operation includes at least one combine to remove a crop from a field,
but more
often includes approximately three combines per field. In operations where a
grain is to
be harvested, usually each combine dispenses harvested product into a grain
cart, which a
tractor pulls alongside the combine. The grain cart includes a means for
moving the grain
from the cart and unloading it into an apparatus that will transport the grain
to a permanent
or semi-permanent destination, such as a grain elevator, biofuel plant, or
grain bin. Such
apparatuses include, but are not limited to, grain wagons and semi-trucks.
Alternatively,
the grain cart may unload material into a permanent or semi-permanent location
itself
[0003] Most farms are measured in sections of land, with a section being
approximately
one square mile, and one quarter section being a common farm size. One quarter
section
is approximately 160 acres. Most agricultural operations require three
combines to harvest
a quarter section of grain. Accordingly, there are usually multiple grain
carts used in the
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same field during harvest.
[0004] One semi-permanent destination for a harvested product, such as a
harvested grain,
is a surge bin. A surge bin is a large, yet portable, storage apparatus for
use during
harvest. Similar to other pieces of agricultural equipment, the surge bin is
pulled by a
tractor from location to location. One use for a surge bin is to place same in
a field to be
harvested. Once the combines fill their respective gain carts, the grain carts
unload
harvested material into the surge bin via means including but not limited to
an auger. The
surge bin holds the grain until a transport apparatus, such as a truck or
grain wagon, is
available to move the product to a destination located outside of the field.
At such time as
a transport apparatus becomes available, the harvested product is moved to
same, such as
via an auger attached to the surge bin. In addition to the above-described
harvest scenario,
surge bins are also useful for longer term storage, such as by an elevator or
co-op.
100051 Grain carts may be equipped with scales for measuring the amount of
material
located in the storage bin of the cart. A scale is useful for tracking the
yield in a field or
part of a field, analyzing yield from a specific type of seed, tracking
harvested product in a
sharecropping field, verifying and calibrating a combine yield monitor, and
proving yields
for federal crop insurance. One such scale is the Avery Weigh-Tronix grain
cart weighing
systems. However, these scales do not communicate with other pieces of
agricultural
equipment and, in particular, the displays or controllers of these scales are
unable to
calculate a real-time weight of material in a piece of agricultural equipment.
Accordingly,
there is a need in the art for a system wherein pieces of agricultural
equipment
communicate and transmit information related to the weight of material located
in one
material handling device to another material handling device. There is further
a need in
the art for an electronic controller to receive information regarding the
amount of material
in a plurality of material handling devices and which can regulate the
unloading of
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,
material from one material handling device to another piece of machinery.
There is
further a need in the art for a system that can calculate the real-time weight
of material in
equipment such as grain carts, surge bins, and or semi-trucks and gain wagons
by
analyzing measurements such as one or more of flow rate, scale measurements,
and the
amount of material that has left a first piece of equipment, such as by an
auger, but not yet
entered a second piece of equipment. Such a system would be particularly
beneficial in
harvest operations employing a surge bin, which is a central hub for harvested
material.
SUMMARY
100061 The present invention provides a system for communication between
multiple
material handling devices. The first material handling device includes a first
scale and a
first controller adapted to receive information from the first scale. The
first scale measures
the weight of harvested product located in the first material handling device
and transmits
measurement information to the first controller. A second material handling
device also
includes a second scale and, in the preferred embodiment, a second controller.
The second
scale transmits measurement information to the second controller. The first
and second
controllers are connected via a communication link, such as via wifi, wherein
the
controllers may be tracked and identified using intern& protocol addresses. In
the
preferred embodiment the first and second material handling devices include a
surge bin
and grain cart, respectively.
[0007] Also included in the system of the present invention is a material
transport
apparatus. The material transport apparatus receives harvested material from a
material
handling device, such as a surge bin, and transports same to a more permanent
destination,
such as an elevator, co-op or grain bin. Oftentimes, the material transport
apparatus may
only carry a limited weight of harvested material, which is particularly the
case for semi-
trucks traveling on public roadways. An electronic controller of the present
invention,
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which in the preferred embodiment is the first electronic controller, is
adapted to receive
information about the capacity of material transport apparatuses.
100081 Further, the electronic controller is adapted to control or regulate
the unloading of
material from a material handling device. To that end, in the preferred
embodiment, the
electronic controller is adapted to control at least one of an auger and an
auger door
located on the material handling device via a hydraulic system, motors, or a
combination
thereof The controller may open and close the auger door(s) to allow material
to enter the
auger. Moreover, the electronic controller can automatically start and stop
the auger to
further control the unloading process. The first scale is also capable of
sending
information to the controller regarding the amount of material that has been
unloaded.
The first material handling device of the present invention may receive
material from a
second material handling device and unload material into a material transport
apparatus
simultaneously, with the first controller instantaneously displaying real-time
information
regarding the amount of material in each device and apparatus. Accordingly, in
embodiments including a grain cart and a surge bin, the grain cart operator
need not wait
for the surge bin to finish filling a semi-truck or other transport apparatus
before filling the
surge bin with material, thus saving time during harvest. Because the
controller is able to
both receive signals from the scale and the second controller as well as
calculate the
amount of material moving through the auger, the controller will accurately
display the
amount of grain in the first material handling device during simultaneous
loading and
unloading of material.
[0009] The system of the present invention may further include means for
manually
operating an auger of a material handling device. In the preferred embodiment,
a joystick
is used to manually operate an auger via the aforementioned hydraulic system,
motors or a
combination thereof. Moreover, the data from at least one of the controllers
is transferable
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,
to other computer or memory means, such as via the World Wide Web, user
command,
and/or real-time transfer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00101 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first material handling device,
including a first
scale, first controller, auger, and joystick; a second material handling
device including a
second scale and second controller; and a communication link between the first
controller
and second controller in accordance with one or more examples of a system of
the present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of four material handling devices and two
material
transport devices in accordance with one or more examples of a system of the
present
invention.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a first material handing device
in accordance
with one or more examples of a system of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a second material handling device
moving
material to a first material handling device, which in turn is moving material
to a transport
apparatus in accordance with one or more examples of a system of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the material handling device of
FIG. 3 taken
along the lines 5-5 in FIG. 3.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first controller in accordance with
one or more
examples of a system of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second controller in accordance with
one or more
examples of a system of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a flow chart according to a method for using one or more
examples of a
system of the present invention.
FIGS. 9-17 are user interfaces of the first controller in accordance with one
or more
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examples of a system of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of a real time
scale
communication system 100 (sometimes "system") between material handling
devices.
One particular use of such a system 100 is for measuring the amount of
harvested product
that has been loaded into a grain cart and/or a surge bin and communicating
data regarding
same to each other and, if desired, to other pieces of agricultural equipment.
Other uses
include measuring the movement of material, including but not limited to a
harvested
product, between material handling devices as well as measuring and
controlling the
movement of a harvested product from any material handling device to a
transport
apparatus. For ease of discussion and understanding, the following detailed
description
and illustrations often refer to a first material handling device 102 that is
a surge bin and a
second material handling device 104 that is a grain cart. Subsequent material
handling
devices are often referred to as grain carts, also. Accordingly, the described
embodiment
includes one surge bin 102 that is in communication with a plurality of grain
carts.
However, it should be appreciated that the system of the present invention may
be used
with any agricultural equipment wherein it is useful to measure an amount of
material,
including but not limited to devices used to plant seed, devices used to spray
material onto
a field, and devices used to harvest material. Moreover, the system 100 of the
present
invention will be useful for elevators or co-ops as well as payload front end
loaders that
also have scales. Oftentimes, the detailed description will refer to a
material that is a
harvested product, particularly a grain. However, as discussed above, it
should be
appreciated that the present invention is for use with any material.
[00191 In its simplest embodiment, the system 100 of the present invention
includes a
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first material handling device 102 which includes a first scale 120 and a
first electronic
controller 122, a second material handling device 104 that includes a second
scale 124,
and a communication link 103 between the first material handling device 102
and the
second material handling device 104, which allows the first material handling
device 102
and the second material handling device 104 to communicate with each other.
The first
controller 122 is adapted to determine, and display, the quantity of material
in the first
material handling device 102, second material handling device 104, and/or a
material
transport apparatus 116. In the preferred embodiment, the first electronic
controller 122 is
adapted to receive information regarding the first scale 120 directly from the
scale 120.
Further, the first electronic controller 122 is adapted to receive information
regarding the
second scale 124 via the communication link 103. As will be discussed in
further detail
below, the first electronic controller 122 is further adapted to receive
information about at
least a first material transport apparatus 116 and control the unloading of
material into the
first material transport apparatus 116 as well as any other material transport
apparatuses.
Moreover, the first electronic controller 122 is adapted to determine the real-
time quantity,
preferably in weight, of material in each piece of agricultural equipment
linked by the
system, including but not limited to the first material handling device 102,
second
material handling device 104, and material transport apparatus 116. To do so,
the first
electronic controller 122 evaluates factors including but not limited to, the
scale readings
in the first material handling device 102, second material handling device
104, and the
material in transit between the two devices 102, 104, such as material located
in the
second material handling device material moving means, which in the preferred
embodiment is an auger 125.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, the system 100 of the
present
invention further includes a second controller 126 that is adapted to receive
information
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,
from the second scale 124. Moreover, the communication link 103 is a wifi
connection
between the first controller 122 and the second controller 126 or, as in the
preferred
embodiment, between a wifi transmitter attached to the second controller 126
and a wifi
receiver attached to the first controller 122. As one of skill in the art will
appreciate, the
controllers 122 and 126 may include wifi client cards for communication.
Moreover, the
communication link 103 may include an intermediary, such as a router, to
facilitate
communications. Examples of suitable controllers include those in the Avery
Weigh-
Tronix Model 3060 system. The first material handling device 102 may also
include
means for manually operating an auger or auger assembly 121 or similar
material
movement means, such as a joystick 123.
[0021] The second controller 126 receives and displays real-time information
received
from the second scale 124. Moreover, the second controller 126 sends real-time
information received from the second scale 124 to the first controller 122,
which,
accordingly, displays same. As discussed above, this communication may be via
a wifi
connection or network that is transmitted from a wifi transmitter located on
the first
material handling device 102 to a wifi receiver located on the second material
handling
device 104. In the preferred embodiment, the first 122 and second 126
controller
communicate with each other via an intermediary router. However, one of skill
in the art
will appreciate that any wifi setup may be used, such as through independent
or integrated
wifi client cards in various network layouts, including but not limited to ad-
hoc, mesh,
direct, ring, tree, hub-and-spoke/star, and/or a combination thereof. The
first controller
122 also receives and displays real-time information from the first scale 120.
Moreover,
the first controller 122 calculates the amount of material unloaded and moved
to a material
transport apparatus 116. Accordingly, the first controller 122 has the ability
to receive
and/or calculate and display information about the amount of material in the
first material
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,
handling device 102, second material handling device 104, and a material
transport
apparatus 116 simultaneously. The information about the amount of material in
the first
material handling device 102, second material handling device 104, and a
material
transport apparatus 116 is displayed in real-time or, in other words,
instantaneously.
100221 Moreover, the first controller 122 may track and display information
regarding a
plurality of material handling devices. A significant advantage of these
features is the
ability of the first material handling device 102 to receive material from a
plurality of
material handling devices and unload material into a transport apparatus 116
all
simultaneously. Prior art systems require that a surge bin be loaded and
unloaded at
separate times in order to track the amount of material being transferred.
Accordingly, the
system 100 of the present invention allows for increased efficiency and speed
in the
harvest operation. Because the first controller 122 syncs with second 104 and
subsequent
material handling devices, the process of which will be described in further
detail below,
the first controller 122 is aware that material is entering the first material
handling device
102, even if material is leaving the device 102 at the same rate. Moreover,
because the
first controller 122 is generally controlling, or able to receive information
regarding,
unloading of the material from the first material handling device 102, it is
able to calculate
the flow of material out of the first material handling device 102.
Accordingly, the first
controller 122 may display data that is received from scale measurements or
that is
calculated by the first controller 122 based on information known to the
controller 122.
[0023] The scales of the preferred embodiment are pancake scales with a
capacity of
50,000 pounds. Generally, each material handling device has a plurality of
pancake
scales, which are known in the art. For example, in embodiments where the
first material
handling device is a surge bin, the surge bin preferably includes ten pancake
scales, five
on each of the right and left sides of the first material handling device 102
frame, as
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illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. Moreover, in the preferred
embodiment,
there are strong linkages along the bottom frame of the material handling
device to isolate
vertical and horizontal movement of the frame. As is known in the art, pancake
scales
should be shielded from side-to-side stress. It should be appreciated that any
number and
type of scales may be used to measure material in the material handling
devices without
departing from the scope of the present invention. Further, the type and
number of scales
used will depend on many factors including but not limited to the type of
material
handling device at issue and the amount of material that it may hold.
Preferably, the
scales feed data to side-mounted input modules on the frame of the material
handling
device. For example, in a surge bin, the scales feed data to two side-mounted
input
modules on the surge bin.
[0024] As will be discussed in further detail below, the connections shown in
FIG. 1 may
include intermediary members without departing from the scope of the
invention. By way
of examples only, as discussed above, the wifi communication link may include
an
intermediary router and/or wifi cards located within the first 122 and second
126
controllers. Moreover, the first controller 122, auger assembly 121, and
joystick 123 may
be connected to a hydraulic control block and/or motors for carrying out the
operations of
the auger assembly 121 controlled by the first controller 122 and joystick 123
or
separately via a bank of hydraulic control levers.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic of an embodiment of the present
invention for use
in a harvest operation is illustrated. FIG. 2 illustrates a number of pieces
of agricultural
equipment that are harvesting a field 106. The field is bordered by two roads
130, 132.
Assisting in the harvest operation are a first material handling device 102
and a second
material handling device 104. Also present are a first combine 108, second
combine 110,
third material handling device 112, fourth material handling device 114, first
material
CA 02791436 2012-10-01
transport apparatus 116, and second material transport apparatus 118. In the
illustrated
embodiment, the first material handling device 102 is a surge bin and the
second 104, third
112, and fourth 114 material handling devices are grain carts that travel
alongside
combines to receive harvested product. It should be appreciated that any
number and type
of material handling devices may be utilized in a system 100 of the present
invention.
Each of the first material handling device 102, second material handling
device 104, third
material handling device 112, and fourth material handling device 114 includes
at least
one scale for measuring the amount of harvested product in the storage
container of the
respective device and an electronic controller for receiving information from
one or more
scales. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the first material transport
apparatus 116
and second material transport apparatus 118 are semi-trucks, the trailers of
which will
receive harvested material from the first material handling device 102.
100261 Referring to FIGS. 3-5, embodiments of material handling devices of the
present
invention are illustrated. A first material handling device 102 is shown in
FIG. 3.
Specifically a surge bin in shown. The first material handling device 102
includes an
auger 121 for moving material, such as a harvested grain, from the first
material handling
device 102 to a transport apparatus 116. FIG. 4 shows a first material
handling device
102, second material handling device 104, and material transport apparatus 116
of the
present invention. The second material handling device 104, which is a grain
cart in this
illustration, is positioned to unload material via a second material handling
device auger
125 into the first material handling device 102. The first material handling
device 102 in
this illustration is also a surge bin. The first material handling device 102
also includes an
auger 121 to move material. A material transport apparatus 116, which in the
illustration
is the trailer of a semi-truck, is positioned to receive material from the
first material
handling device 102. FIG. 5 is a cross section of a first material handling
device 102 of
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the present invention taken along the lines 5-5 in FIG. 3. Five scales 120 of
the system
100, which will be discussed in further detail below, are shown. Also shown
are nine
auger doors 119. As will be discussed herein, the first controller 122 is
adapted to control
and manipulate the auger doors 119. When the auger doors 119 are open material
may fall
from the first material handling device 102 container to an auger that spans
the length of
the material handling device 102 to push material forward to the auger 121.
[0027] In the preferred embodiment, the first controller 122, which is
connected to the
first material handling device 102, acts as a central or system controller for
the entire
system 100. Accordingly, the system controller is connected to a surge bin,
which is a
central loading and unloading point for harvested material. FIG. 6 illustrates
an
embodiment of a first controller 122 of the present system. The first
controller 122 is
adapted to receive information from the first scale 124 and any other scales
in the system.
In the preferred embodiment, the first controller 122 receives information
from the first
scale via a hardwired connection. Accordingly, the first controller 122 is
usually located
in close proximity to the first material handling device 102. To that end, the
first
controller 122 is preferably located in the cab of the tractor pulling the
surge bin from
location to location. However, the first controller could be located anywhere,
such as on
the surge bin itself. In the preferred embodiment, the tractor is used to
power the
hydraulic, power take off, and electronic components of the system 100.
However, it
should appreciated that the power for the above-referenced systems could come
from
another source, such as a source self-contained on the first material handling
device 102.
As can be seen in FIG. 6, the first controller 122 includes a large touch
screen 134 for
programming the first controller 122 and initiating an unloading process,
which will be
discussed in further detail below.
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[0028] One of skill in the art will recognize that the first controller 122
may receive
information from the first scale 120 by any means known in the art, now or in
the future
including but not limited to a wifi connection or hardwire. In the preferred
embodiment,
the first controller 122 receives information from the other scales via other
controllers that
are attached to each scale, such as the second controller 126 which is
attached to the
second scale 124 and will be discussed in further detail below. One of skill
in the art will
appreciate that the first controller 122 may receive information from other
scales by any
means known in the art now or in the future, such as by a direct communication
link
between the first controller 122 and the other scales, including but not
limited to a wifi
connection. In the wifi network of the preferred embodiment, both the first
controller 122
and second controller 126 are identified and tracked using an intern& protocol
address
assigned to each controller. The first controller 122 is further adapted to
receive
information regarding transport apparatuses. Additional functions and
advantages of the
first controller 122 will be discussed herein below.
[0029] In the preferred embodiment, the second controller 126 and any
subsequent
controllers are generally identical and need not have all of the functionality
of the first
controller 122. However, the second 126 and subsequent controllers may include
additional functionality without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
Preferably, the second controller 126 need only receive information from the
second scale
124 and transmit same to the first controller 122. The second controller 126
may transmit
the information directly or by way of a wifi transmitter connected to the
controller 126.
Referring to FIG. 7, an embodiment of a second controller 126 is illustrated.
As can be
seen, the screen of the second controller 126 is smaller than that of the
first controller 122.
Further, the screen of the first controller 122 is a touch screen 134, whereas
the screen of
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the second controller 126 is not. One of skill in the art will recognize that
the second
controller 126 may include a touch screen similar to the first controller 122.
[0030] In the preferred embodiment, the second controller 126 is hardwired to
the second
scale 124. However, the second controller 126 may receive information from the
second
scale 124 by any method known in the art now or in the future. Preferably, the
second
controller 126 transmits information to the first controller 122 by way of a
wifi transmitter
in a wifi network, but any method known in the art now or in the future may be
used. In
the wifi network of the preferred embodiment, the second controller 126 is
identified and
tracked using an interne protocol address. Generally the second controller 126
is located
in the cab of the tractor pulling the second material handling device 104,
however, one of
skill in the art will recognize that the second controller 126 may be located
anywhere as
the application requires and allows.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 8, a flow chart for using the preferred embodiment of
the present
invention is provided. In the preferred embodiment, unless otherwise
indicated, the
features of the system 100 are automatic, except the power control of the
various
components. In the first block 150, a first material handling device 102 that
is a surge bin
including a first scale 120 and controller 122 are provided. Also provided, in
block 152, is
a second material handling device 104 that is a grain cart and includes a
second scale 124
and controller 126. Next, as provided in block 154, a user will enter
information into the
first controller 122 regarding system setup, including second 104 and
subsequent material
handling devices and first 116 and subsequent material transport apparatuses
to be filled
by the first material handling device 102. Referring to FIG. 9, the first main
screen 168 of
the first controller 122 is shown. In the preferred embodiment, the first
controller 122 runs
a Windows CE operating system, although any operating system may be used
without
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,
departing from the scope of the present invention. The first main screen 168
shows the
weight of material located in the first material handling device 102, or surge
bin, by way
of a bar graph 170, provides a "START" button 172 for unloading material from
the surge
bin into a transport apparatus, a "Setup" button 174, and an "Exit" button
176. By
touching the "Setup" button 174, the System Setup option screen 178 is
accessed. As
illustrated in FIG. 10, by accessing this screen 178, the user can choose to
view and/or
enter information regarding the system as a whole, the trucks associated with
the system,
the fields associated with the system, and the grain carts associated with the
system. By
choosing the field option from the System Setup option screen 178, the user
may enter
information regarding the field or farm description and/or location.
[0032] By choosing the system option from the System Setup option screen 178,
the user
is taken to the System Setup data screen 180, which is illustrated in FIG. 11.
At this
screen, the user may view and enter/change data regarding the surge bin also
known as the
surge cart capacity, grain cart capacity, maximum truck fill weight, grain
cart fill offset,
shutdown time, and options associated with the auto adjustment feature, which
will be
discussed in further detail below. The surge bin capacity is the amount of
material that the
surge bin can hold. The value defines the size of the surge bin for the bar
graph 170 of the
main screen. The maximum grain cart capacity is associated with a bar graph
that will be
discussed in further detail below and represents the capacity of the largest
grain cart of the
system. Similarly, the maximum truck fill weight is associated with a bar
graph that will
be discussed in further detail below and represents the capacity of the
largest semi-truck of
the system.
[0033] The grain cart fill offset is a value for calibrating the calculations
that the first
controller 122 makes as it is filling a truck. This value is used to adjust
the calculations
regarding the material that has left the grain cart but has not yet landed in
the surge bin,
CA 02791436 2012-10-01
which increases the accuracy of the calculations. For example, faster flowing
grain carts
may need a different grain cart fill offset value than a slower grain cart.
The user enters
the applicable value. The shutdown is the time from when the first controller
122 triggers
shutdown of the auger 121 on the surge bin to the time when the auger 121
stops moving
material to the transport apparatus 116. At the end of the shut down time, the
first
controller 122 displays the final truck weight. The shutdown time is a user
entered value
based on how long it takes for the surge bin to empty material from the auger
121. Preact
is the weight before the truck is full when the first controller 122 triggers
the auger of the
surge bin to shut down. The preact value is constantly autocorrected by the
first controller
122 based on previous load error. Other listed values also relate to the
automatic
correcting feature of the system 100, which will be discussed in further
detail below.
[0034] Referring again to the System Setup option screen 178 of FIG. 10,
choosing the
carts option will take the user to the Grain Cart Database screen 182, which
is illustrated in
FIG. 12. At this screen, the user can view, enter, and/or change information
regarding the
grain cart fleet that will be part of the system 100. The user may add a new
grain cart by
pressing the "Insert" button 183 and entering information regarding the new
grain cart. In
the illustrated example, two grain carts have been entered into the system
100, a 1400
bushel capacity cart and a 650 bushel capacity cart. The user enters an ID for
the grain
cart, which in the illustrated embodiment is the number "1400". The user
further enters a
description for the cart, the IP address of the cart, the capacity in pounds
of the cart, and
the fill offset. The fill offset value is used to adjust the calculations
regarding the material
that has left the surge bin but has not yet landed in the transport apparatus
116, which
increases the accuracy of the calculations. For example, faster flowing surge
bins may
need a different fill offset value than a slower surge bin. The user enters
the applicable
value. Each of the grain carts includes a wifi transmitter and/or receiver
that is tracked
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
and identified with an internet protocol (IP) address. Accordingly, in order
for the first
controller 122 to recognize a particular cart, its IP address must be
provided.
[0035] Choosing the trucks option in the System Setup option screen 178 of
FIG. 10 will
take the user to the Truck Database screen 184, provided in FIG. 13. The user
may enter
information regarding the truck fleet that will be used with the system at
this screen 184.
The information to be entered includes an ID, description, highway target
weight, and
local target weight. The ID and description are used to identify the
particular truck at
issue. In the illustrated example, the truck has an ID of "1" and can be
further described
as the "Red Truck" for easy identification. The highway target is the maximum
weight of
material that the truck may legally carry on the highway. The local target is
the maximum
weight of material that the truck may legally carry on local roads or,
alternatively, may be
a target capacity that has been entered for other reasons.
[0036] Next, referring to FIG. 8 block 156, the first controller 122 and
second controller
126 are synched with each other. In the preferred embodiment, the two
controllers may
either be manually synched or automatically synched when the two controllers
are in range
of each other in the wifi network. Further, the second controller 126 and any
other
subsequent controllers include a small light that when lit signals that the
controller is
synched to the first controller 122. Referring to FIG. 8, block 158, the
system then
continually measures and/or calculates the weight of harvested material in the
surge bin
and any grain carts that are synched and in range. To that end, turning to
FIG. 14, a
second main screen 186 is provided wherein the first controller 122 has
synched with a
second controller 126. As can be seen, the second main screen 186 displays the
weight of
material in both the first 102 and second 104 material handling devices. In
the illustrated
example, the surge bin, or first material handling device 102, has not yet
been filled with
material and therefore displays a weight of zero pounds of material in the
bin. The grain
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
cart, or second material handling device 104, that has been synched with the
first
controller 122 is the 650 bushel grain cart discussed above. It has been
filled with twenty
pounds of material, which is displayed on the screen 186. If other material
handling
devices are synched with the first controller 122, those too will be displayed
on the second
main screen 186.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 8, block 160, the grain cart, or second material
handling device
104 empties its harvested material into the first material handling device
102, such as by
an auger 125 located on the second material handling device, as shown in FIG.
4. As the
synched material handling devices empty into the surge bin, the first
controller will
display the real-time or instantaneous weight of material in the surge bin as
well as the
real-time or instantaneous decreasing weight of material in the grain cart.
Referring to
FIG. 8 block 162, once material has been loaded into the surge bin, the surge
bin may
unload the material into a transport apparatus 116, such as a semi-truck. When
the user
wishes to do so, pressing the "Start" button 188 on the second main screen 186
of FIG. 14
will initiate the unloading process. A significant advantage of the system 100
of the
present invention is the ability of the first material handling device 102 to
receive material
from a second material handling device 104 and unload material into a material
transport
apparatus 116 simultaneously while still accurately displaying the weight of
material in all
three pieces of equipment.
[0038] Once the user has pressed the "Start" button 188 on the second main
screen 186,
the first controller 122 will bring up a second truck database screen 190,
shown in FIG. 15.
This screen 190 allows the user to choose the transport apparatus 116 to be
filled. Once at
the second truck database screen 190, the user selects the transport apparatus
or material
handling device to be filled by highlighting the ID of the appropriate vehicle
in the
selection box 192 on the touch screen. The screen will display information
regarding the
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
,
selected vehicle that was inputted earlier in the process, including the ID,
Description,
Highway Target weight, and Local Target weight. Once the user has selected the
appropriate vehicle to be filled, the user then must decide whether to fill
the vehicle to the
highway target weight, local target weight, or a custom weight. The user
presses the
"Highway" button 194 to fill the selected vehicle to the highway capacity, the
"Local"
button 196 to fill the selected vehicle to the local capacity, and the
"Custom" button 198 to
enter a different weight of material to be unloaded into the selected vehicle.
The user may
also exit the process by pressing the "Exit" button 200 of the touch screen
134. If the
surge bin does not have enough material to fill the selected vehicle to the
selected weight,
the first controller 122 will display a warning screen 202, shown in FIG. 16,
alerting the
user to the shortage. The screen 202 requires the user to answer whether to
continue the
process by pressing the "Yes" button 204 or "No" button 206.
[0039] The first controller 122 displays a fill screen 208 during the
unloading process,
shown in FIG. 17. The fill screen 208 is similar to the main screens 168 and
186 in that it
includes information regarding the weight of material in the surge bin or
first material
handling device 102 and information about any other synched material handling
devices,
such as the 650 bushel grain cart in the illustrated example. However, the
fill screen 208
also includes information regarding the unloading process that is currently
proceeding.
Namely, the screen 208 displays information regarding which truck is being
filled, the
weight of material to be loaded into the truck, a bar graph 212 displaying the
unloading
progress, and the rate of unloading in pounds per minute. The first controller
122 receives
signals from one or more scales located on the surge bin of the present
invention to
measure the weight of material in same. In the preferred embodiment, the first
controller
122 uses weight readings to calculate and display flow rates. The first
controller 122
regulates the auger doors 119, while the auger speed is constant. The first
controller 122
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
displays the flow rate, which is influenced by the pressure necessary to auger
the material.
For example, a better flowing material will have a faster flow rate, which the
first
controller 122 will calculate based on weight readings from the first scale
124 and display
a faster flow rate. The user may pause the unloading process by pressing the
"Pause"
button 210.
[0040] As mentioned briefly above, the first controller 122 controls or
regulates the
unloading of material. For purposes of illustration, the following example
discusses the
unloading of material into a first transport apparatus 116 that is a semi-
truck or more
specifically the trailer of same. It should be appreciated that the first
controller 122 may
control the unloading of material into any container, whether portable or not,
or even onto
the ground if necessary, without departing from the scope of the invention. As
illustrated
in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the preferred embodiment, the first controller 122
controls an auger
assembly 121 that is attached to the first material handling device 102 and
configured to
move material from the device 102 to another vehicle. It should be appreciated
that the
first controller 122 may be adapted to control the unloading of material from
the device
102 by any method known in the art now or in the future, including but not
limited to a
conveyer belt. The electronic controller 122 may be connected to the auger
assembly 121
by any method known in the art now or in the future, including but not limited
to, a wired
connection or a wireless connection. In the preferred embodiment, the auger
121
movement is powered and manipulated by a hydraulic system. Specifically, the
first
material handling device 102 includes a hydraulic control block that is
connected to both
the first controller 122 and auger assembly 121 to carry out directional
movement of the
auger assembly 121 during filling. In addition, the first material handling
device 102
includes one or more motors for powering the flighting within the auger
assembly 121.
Alternatively, the flighting within the auger assembly 121 may be mechanically
powered
CA 02791436 2012-10-01
from the power take off of the tractor. The one or more motors are also
connected to the
first controller 122 and auger assembly 121. As will be appreciated by one
skilled in the
art, the connection means between the first controller 122 and the hydraulic
control block
and motors as well as the connection means between the auger assembly 121 and
hydraulic control block and motors may be any connection means known in the
art now or
in the future, including but not limited to a hardwired connection.
[0041] In addition, the auger assembly 121, or other material movement means,
hydraulic
control block, and/or motors may be manually controlled by any method known in
the art
now or in the future. In the preferred embodiment, the auger assembly 121 may
be
manually operated by a joystick 123. It is preferred that the first controller
122 regulates
the rate of movement of the material through the auger assembly 121 by
controlling the
opening and closing of the auger doors 119, while the joystick 123 controls
the position of
the auger, if the auger is capable of movement. It should be appreciated that
the material
movement means of the present invention may be either stationary or capable of
movement. The joystick 123 and first controller 122 are also connected, such
as via a
hardwire, so that the first controller 122 may send information to the
joystick 123
regarding the automatic start and/or shut-down sequences, which will be
discussed in
further detail below.
[0042] Once the user instructs the first controller 122 to begin the unloading
process, the
controller 122 automatically controls the rate and timing of same, while the
operator uses
the joystick 123 to control the movement of the auger assembly 121. In the
preferred
embodiment, the first material handling device 102 includes at least one auger
door and an
internal auger for moving material to the auger assembly 121 that ultimately
moves
material from the device 102 to the transport apparatus 116. The first
controller 122
controls the auger doors to allow grain to drop down to the internal auger and
turns the
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
,
auger assembly 121 on and off.. In the preferred embodiment, the augers move
at a
constant speed of 500 revolutions per minute. It should be appreciated that
the augers may
move at any constant or variable speed as the application may require.
[0043] As discussed above, the first controller 122 generally controls the
opening and
closing of the auger doors 119 to allow material to move from the first
material handling
device 102 through the auger assembly 121. In the preferred embodiment,
however, the
auger assembly 121 includes both automatic and manual switches to control the
auger
doors 119. Accordingly, the user may control the auger doors 119 if desired.
However,
the first controller 122 generally regulates the starting and stopping of the
auger assembly
121 to move material from the first material handling device 102. When first
controller
122 activates the first material handling device 102 to unload material, the
auger assembly
121 will begin operating. Further, if the auger doors 119 are in automatic
mode, the first
controller 122 will open same. The flow of material will be influenced by the
pressure
necessary to move the material. Similarly, when the first controller 122
activates the first
material handling device 102 to stop unloading material, the first controller
122 will close
the auger doors, wait for a set time, and turn off the auger assembly 121.
[0044] Once the transport apparatus 116 is nearly full, the first controller
122 will
automatically initiate shut-down of the auger 121. As discussed above, the
first
controller 122 may automatically self-correct based on the accuracy of the
previous load.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first controller 122 is automatically self-
correcting to
stop filling when 1120 pounds of material remains to be moved to the transport
apparatus
116, which is shown as the Preact value in the System Setup data screen 180 of
FIG 11.
This value will vary from load to load, unless the previous load was
completely accurate.
The first controller 122 will turn off the auger 121 thirty seconds after the
Preact weight is
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
reached, which is shown as the Shutdown time in the System Setup date screen
180. The
controller 122 may be programmed to initiate shut-down when any amount of
material
remains to be moved to the transport apparatus 116. Moreover, the controller
122 may be
programmed to run the auger for any amount of time after the Preact weight is
reached.
This shut-down signal is also transmitted to the joystick 123 to automatically
trigger the
joystick 123 to stop the augers. Preferably the first controller 122 and
joystick 123 are
hardwired to each other. However, the two components may be connected via any
means
known in the art, either now or in the future.
[0045] In the preferred embodiment, the transport apparatus 116 will be filled
within 65
pounds of its capacity during the automatic filling process. However, this
value will
change based on the accuracy of the Preact value. As the user unloads more
loads into a
transport apparatus 116, the accuracy will increase. Moreover, the first
controller 122 of
the preferred embodiment will include a drop calculation function wherein the
controller
122 calculates the amount of material that has left the spout but has not hit
the container of
the material transport apparatus 116, resulting in increased accuracy during
the filling
process. It should be appreciated that the transport apparatus 116 could be
filled within
any value of its capacity without departing from the scope of the present
invention. In
addition to a transport apparatus 116 with a single container for filling, the
first controller
122 may be programmed to fill transport apparatuses 116 with multiple
containers, such as
double tank trucks, including those wherein the tanks are different
capacities.
[0046] The first controller 122 may optionally be programmed to self-correct
by any
percentage based on the accuracy of each load into a particular transport
apparatus 116.
For example, if a semi-trailer may hold 10,000 pounds of material and the user
programs
the first controller 122 to self-correct by 50%, the first time the first
material handling
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
device 102 unloads into the trailer, it may be programmed to fill the trailer
with an amount
of material that is less than 10,000 pounds, for example 9000 pounds. If the
capacity of
the specific trailer is not changed following the first loading, the first
controller 122 will
then correct itself by 50%. Accordingly, in the second filling of the
particular trailer, the
first controller 122 will fill the transport apparatus 116 with 9500 pounds of
material. If
the capacity is not changed, the transport apparatus 116 will be filled with
9750 pounds of
material during the third filling, and so on. As one of skill in the art will
recognize, the
first controller 122 may be programmed to vary the auto-correct options and
values
without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be noted that the
auto-correct
feature will correct the load in both directions to prevent both overfilling
and underfilling,
resulting in increased accuracy.
[0047] As discussed above, a significant advantage of the system 100 of the
present
invention is the ability of the first controller 122 to determine the
quantity, such as the
weight, of material located in the first material handling device 102, second
material
handling device 104, and material transport apparatus 116. The first
controller 122 is
adapted to use the scale measurements from the first scale 120 and second
scale 124 to
determine the amount of material in each piece of equipment and the amount of
material
between each piece of equipment. By way of example, the first controller 122
is adapted
to determine the amount of material in the second material handling device
auger 125 on
its way to the first material handling device 102 and not included in either
scale
measurement to provide a real-time quantity of material in each piece of
equipment. The
real-time measurements lead to increased accuracy in unloading and filling
each piece of
equipment. Moreover, this feature allows the first material handling device
102 to
simultaneously receive material from a second material handling device 104 and
unload
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CA 02791436 2012-10-01
,
material into a material transport apparatus 116, thus contributing to
efficiency during
harvest. During the aforementioned simultaneous receipt and unload of
material, the first
controller 122 is able to determine and display the real-time quantity of
material in each
piece of equipment 102, 104, 116. In addition, the first material handling
device 102 may
simultaneously receive material from and determine the quantity of material in
a plurality
of material handling devices while unloading material into a material
transport apparatus
116.
[0048] To carry out the features described above, the first controller 122 is
in constant
communication with the first scale 120 and the second scale 124, which allows
the first
controller 122 to continually determine the amount of material going into the
first material
handling device 102 and leaving same. When the second material handling device
104
begins unloading material into the first material handling device 102, the
first controller
122 begins calculating the amount of material in and moving between each. If
the first
material handling device 102 is simultaneously unloading into a material
transport
apparatus 116, the first controller 122 determines the weight decrease in each
device 102,
104 to calculate the weight of material in the material transport apparatus
116 and/or the
material handling devices 102, 104. Even if the second material handling
device 104
flows faster than the first material handling device 104, thus leading to an
increase in the
amount of material in the first material handling device 102, the first
controller 122
determines the weight of material leaving the second material handing device
104 and
entering the material transport apparatus 116. These calculations may occur
any number
of times without departing from the scope of the present invention, but in the
preferred
embodiment, the calculations occur several times per second and lead to a real-
time
quantity of material in each piece of equipment. As one of skill in the art
will appreciate,
the above calculations may occur by analyzing the weight of material in each
device 102,
CA 02791436 2012-10-01
104 and/or the flow rate of material entering and/or leaving each device 102,
104.
[0049] Although various representative embodiments of this invention have been
described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the
art could make
numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the
spirit or
scope of the inventive subject matter set forth in the specification and
claims. Joinder
references (e.g. attached, adhered, joined) are to be construed broadly and
may include
intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement
between
elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two
elements are
directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. Moreover, network
connection
references are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members or
devices
between a network connection of elements. As such, network connection
references do
not necessarily infer that two elements are in direct communication with each
other. In
some instances, in methodologies directly or indirectly set forth herein,
various steps and
operations are described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled
in the art will
recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged, replaced, or eliminated
without
necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It
is intended that
all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying
drawings shall
be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or
structure may be
made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
[0050] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the
embodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations,
improvements and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that are or may
be
presently foreseen, may become apparent to those having at least ordinary
skill in the art.
Listing the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any
limitation on the
26
CA 02791436 2012-10-01
order of the steps of the method. Accordingly, the embodiments of the
invention set forth
above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Persons skilled in the
art will recognize
that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit
and scope
of the invention. Therefore, the invention is intended to embrace all known or
earlier
developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or
substantial
equivalents.
27
