Control for dispensing material from vehicle

Abstract

A spray control method employs a spray vehicle including a material tank, a pump communicating with the tank, and nozzles of a spray boom communicating with the pump. A GNSS receiver mounted on the vehicle and interfaced to a controller tracks its position in relation to stored position coordinates of field boundaries separating spray zones from spray exclusion zones. The tank is activated and deactivated by the controller to retain spray of the material within the spray zones and to prevent spray of the material in the exclusion zones, by processing an offset of the spray nozzles from the receiver, the spray range of the nozzles, spray turn-on and turn-off lag times, and the velocity of the spray vehicle, all in relation to the field boundaries. An alternative embodiment individually controls spray from the nozzles by using associated valves interfaced to the controller.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material, said spray zone being separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone and by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone; said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, and a nozzle communicating with said pump, said pump when activated causing said material to be sprayed from said nozzle to a spray range from said nozzle and requiring a turn-on lag time between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range and a turn-off lag time between deactivation of said pump and cessation of said material being sprayed from said nozzle, said vehicle having a GNSS receiver mounted thereon at an offset distance from said nozzle and outputting position data representing a position of said thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver, said receiver being interfaced to a controller which is interfaced to and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing said turn-on boundary and said turn-off boundary boundaries of said spray zone relative to said exclusion zone stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity spray zone; 
 (b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver; 
 (c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at a spray turn-on distance beyond said turn-on boundary equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone; 
 (d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary exclusion zone; and 
 (e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at a which spray turn-off distance beyond said turn-off boundary equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-off lag time of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented; 
 storing data identifying a spray turn-on boundary separating said spray zone from said exclusion zone when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone; 
 activating said pump causing said material to spray to a spray range from a nozzle communicating with said pump and positioned at an offset distance from said receiver, a turn-on lag time being required between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range; 
 moving said vehicle toward said spray turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity; and 
 activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said spray turn-on boundary equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time. 
 
     
     
       2. A spray control method as set forth in  claim 1  and including the steps of further comprising:
 (a) mounting a transverse spray boom on said vehicle; and 
 (b) supporting said nozzle and a plurality thereof on said spray boom in transversely spaced relation and in communication with said pump. 
 
     
     
       3. A method as set forth in  claim 1  and including a plurality of spray valves connecting said a plurality of nozzles respectively with said pump, said valves being interfaced to said controller, and said valves having a valve turn-on lag time and a valve turn-off lag time which are stored in said controller, and including the steps of:
 (a) individually controlling each valve to open when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at a valve open distance beyond a portion of said turn-on boundary aligned with the nozzle associated with said valve equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said valve open turn-on lag time; and 
 (b) individually controlling each valve to close when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at a valve close distance beyond a portion of said turn-off boundary aligned with the nozzle associated with said valve equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said valve close turn-off lag time. 
 
     
     
       4. A spray control method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein:
 (a) said vehicle includes a tractor and a towed spray implement hitched to said tractor and having said tank and said pump mounted thereon. 
 
     
     
       5. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material from a vehicle on a spray zone of a field that also including has an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material; said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, a GNSS receiver outputting position data representing a position thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing boundaries of said spray zone relative to said exclusion zone stored therein, and, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said spray zone; 
 (b) communicating receiving, by a controller, position data from said a receiver to said controller to track the a position of said receiver; 
 (c) activating said a pump by said controller when said receiver detects a the position of said receiver is detected within said spray zone at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone; 
 (d) movingdetecting movement of said vehicle in said spray zone toward said exclusion zone; 
 (e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a the position of said receiver is within said exclusion zone at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented; 
 (f)storing data identifying a turn-on boundary separating said spray zone from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone; 
 (g) activating said pump causing said material to spray to a spray range from a nozzle communicating with said pump and positioned at an offset distance from said receiver,; 
 storing a measurement of a turn-on lag time being required between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range; 
 (h) movingdetecting movement of said vehicle toward said turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity; and 
 (i) activating said pump by when said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary substantially equal to the a sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the a product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time. 
 
     
     
       6. A method as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said spray zone is separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone, and said method includes the steps of further comprising:
 (a) movingdetecting said vehicle moving toward said turn-on boundary; and 
 (b) activating said pump by when said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone is beyond said turn-on boundary at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone. 
 
     
     
       7. A method as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said spray zone is separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone, and said method includes the steps of further comprising:
 (a) movingdetecting movement of said vehicle in said spray zone toward saida turn-off boundary separating the spray zone from the exclusion zone; and 
 (b) deactivating said pump by when said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented. 
 
     
     
       8. A method as set forth in  claim 5  and including the steps of further comprising:
 (a) mounting a transverse spray boom on said vehicle; and 
 (b) supporting said nozzle and a plurality thereof on said spray boom in transversely spaced relation and in communication with said pump. 
 
     
     
       9. A method as set forth in  claim 8  and including a plurality of spray valves connecting said nozzles respectively with said pump, said valves being interfaced to said controller, and including the steps of further comprising:
 (a) individually controlling each valve to open when said receiver controller detects a position of said vehicle within said spray zone at which spray of said material from the nozzle associated with said valve is retained within said spray zone; and 
 (b) individually controlling each valve to close when said receiver controller detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone from the nozzle associated with said valve is prevented. 
 
     
     
       10. A method as set forth in  claim 5  wherein:
 (a) said vehicle includes a tractor and a towed spray implement hitched to said tractor and having said a tank and said pump mounted thereon. 
 
     
     
       11. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material; said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, a GNSS receiver outputting position data representing a position thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing boundaries of said spray zone relative to said exclusion zone stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said spray zone; 
 (b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver; 
 (c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone; 
 (d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said exclusion zone; 
 (e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented; 
 (f)storing data in the controller identifying a turn-off boundary separating said spray zone from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone; 
 (g) said vehicle including a nozzle positionedstoring data in the controller identifying an offset distance of a nozzel from said receiver and communicating with said pump; 
 (h)storing data in the controller identifying a turn-off lag time elapsing between deactivation of said pump and cessation of material being sprayed from said nozzle; 
 (i) movingmonitoring said vehicle moving in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary at a vehicle velocity; and 
 (j) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary is at least equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-off lag time. 
 
     
     
       12. A spray control method for controlling spraying of a material on a spray zone of a field also including an exclusion zone which is not to receive said material, said spray zone being separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone and by a spray turn-off boundary when passing from said spray zone to said exclusion zone; said method employing a spray vehicle including a material tank storing said material, a pump communicating with said tank, a GNSS receiver outputting position data representing a position thereof, and a controller interfaced between said receiver and said pump, said controller selectively activating said pump and having data representing said turn-on boundary and said turn-off boundary stored therein, and said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) moving said vehicle in said exclusion zone toward said turn-on boundary; 
 (b) communicating position data from said receiver to said controller to track the position of said receiver; 
 (c) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary at which spray of said material is retained within said spray zone; 
 (d) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary; 
 (e) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone is prevented; 
 (f) said vehicle including a nozzle positionedstoring data identifying an offset distance of a nozzle from said receiver and, said nozzle communicating with said pump; 
 (g)storing data identifying a turn-off lag time elapsing between deactivation of said pump and cessation of material being sprayed from said nozzle; 
 (h) moving said vehicle in said spray zone toward said turn-off boundary at a vehicle velocity; and 
 (i) deactivating said pump by said controller when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary equal to said offset distance minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-off lag time. 
 
     
     
       13. A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said spray zone is separated from said exclusion zone by a spray turn-on boundary when passing from said exclusion zone to said spray zone, activation of said pump causes said material to spray to a spray range from a said nozzle communicating with said pump and positioned at an offset distance from said receiver, and a turn-on lag time is required between activation of said pump and said material reaching said spray range, and said method includes the steps of further comprising:
 (a) moving said vehicle toward said turn-on boundary at a vehicle velocity; and 
 (b) activating said pump by said controller when said receiver controller detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary equal to the sum of said offset distance plus said spray range minus the product of said vehicle velocity times said turn-on lag time. 
 
     
     
       14. A method as set forth in  claim 12  and including the steps of further comprising:
 (a) mounting a transverse spray boom on said vehicle; and 
 (b) supporting a plurality of said nozzles on said spray boom in transversely spaced relation and in communication with said pump. 
 
     
     
       15. A method as set forth in  claim 14  and including a plurality of spray valves connecting said nozzles respectively with said pump, said valves being interfaced to said controller, and including the steps of further comprising:
 (a) individually controlling each valve to open when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said spray zone beyond said turn-on boundary at which spray of said material from the nozzle associated with said valve is retained within said spray zone; and 
 (b) individually controlling each valve to close when said receiver detects a position of said receiver within said exclusion zone beyond said turn-off boundary at which spray of said material within said exclusion zone from the nozzle associated with said valve is prevented. 
 
     
     
       16. A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein:
 (a) said vehicle includes a tractor and a towed spray implement hitched to said tractor and having said tank and said pump mounted thereon. 
 
     
     
       17. A control system for controlling spraying of a material from a vehicle or from an implement hitched to the vehicle, the vehicle or implement including a tank storing the material, a pump communicating with the tank, and a receiver outputting position data, the control system comprising:
 a processor; and   memory storing one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:   activate the pump to cause the material to spray to a spray range distance from a nozzle communicating with the pump;   store data identifying a spray zone for a field which is to receive the material;   store data identifying an exclusion zone for the field which is not to receive the material;   store data identifying a turn-on lag time between activation of the pump and said material reaching the spray range;   store data identifying a turn-off lag time between deactivation of the pump and termination of emission of the material from the nozzle;   store data identifying an offset distance between the receiver and the nozzle;   monitor a vehicle velocity;   identify the vehicle entering the spray zone; and   activate the pump when a position of the receiver in the spray zone is at least equal to a sum of the offset distance plus the spray range distance minus a product of the vehicle velocity times the turn-on lag time.    
     
     
       18. The control system according to claim 17, including:
 identifying the vehicle leaving the spray zone and entering the exclusion zone;   deactivating the pump when a location of the receiver in the exclusion zone is at least equal to the offset distance minus a product of the vehicle velocity times the turn-off lag time.    
     
     
       19. The control system according to claim 17, wherein the nozzle is located on a transverse spray boom.  
     
     
       20. A control system according to claim 19 wherein the spray boom is attached to the vehicle through an articulated joint.  
     
     
       21. A control system according to claim 17, wherein the receiver is at least one of an inertial navigation system, an attitude heading reference system, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver.  
     
     
       22. A control system according to claim 17, wherein the receiver uses one or more antennas.