US 12,405,149 B2
Systems and methods for detecting fill-levels in crop transport receptacles
Brittany Schroeder, Lowell, IN (US)
Filed by CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed on Dec. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/552,838.
Prior Publication US 2023/0194326 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. A01D 41/127 (2006.01); A01D 90/02 (2006.01); G01F 23/00 (2022.01); G01F 23/14 (2006.01); G01F 23/284 (2006.01)
CPC G01F 23/284 (2013.01) [A01D 41/127 (2013.01); A01D 90/02 (2013.01); G01F 23/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for monitoring crop fill-levels of transport receptacles, the system comprising:
a crop transport receptacle defining a storage volume configured to receive harvested crops, the storage volume including at least a first sub-region and a second sub-region;
a support member coupled at opposed ends to a first wall of the crop transport receptacle and a second wall of the crop transport receptacle such that the support member extends lengthwise between the first wall and the second wall;
a first reflection-based fill-level sensor coupled to the support member such that the first fill-level sensor has a field of view directed towards harvested crops contained within the first sub-region of the storage volume;
a second reflection-based fill-level sensor coupled to the support member such that the second fill-level sensor has a field of view directed towards harvested crops contained within the second sub-region of the storage volume; and
a computing system communicatively coupled to the first and second fill-level sensors, the computing system being configured to determine a first fill-level value associated with a fill-level of the first sub-region based on data received from the first fill-level sensor and a second fill-level value associated with a fill-level of the second sub-region based on data received from the second fill-level sensor, the computing system being further configured to determine an estimated fill-level value associated with at least a portion of the storage volume including the first and second sub-regions based on the first and second fill-level values.