US 12,464,967 B2
System and method for determining surface finish within an agricultural field
Brittany Schroeder, Bunker Hill, IN (US); and Joshua D. Knoblauch, Lowpoint, IL (US)
Assigned to CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed by CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed on Nov. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/071,139.
Prior Publication US 2024/0172579 A1, May 30, 2024
Int. Cl. A01B 79/00 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01)
CPC A01B 79/005 (2013.01) [G01S 17/89 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An agricultural machine, comprising:
a frame;
a LiDAR sensor supported on the frame, the LiDAR sensor configured to generate a three-dimensional point cloud depicting a portion of a field surface present within a field of view of the LiDAR sensor; and
a computing system communicatively coupled to the LiDAR sensor, wherein the computing system:
receives the generated three-dimensional point cloud from the LiDAR sensor;
generates a plurality of two-dimensional point cloud slices from the received three-dimensional point cloud, the plurality of two-dimensional point cloud slices being spaced apart from each other such that each of the plurality of spaced apart two-dimensional point cloud slices corresponds to a different two-dimensional plane within the received three-dimensional point cloud; and
determines a surface finish parameter associated with the portion of the field surface present within the field of view of the LiDAR sensor based on the generated plurality of two-dimensional point cloud slices.