The present disclosure generally relates to agricultural implements and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring a spray operation, such as by monitoring and/or altering a flow condition of an agricultural product during the spray operation.
Various types of work vehicles utilize applicators (e.g., sprayers, floaters, etc.) to deliver an agricultural product to a ground surface of a field. The agricultural product may be in the form of a solution or mixture, with a carrier (such as water) being mixed with one or more active ingredients (such as an herbicide, agricultural product, fungicide, a pesticide, or another product).
The applicators may be pulled as an implement or self-propelled and can include a tank, a pump, a boom assembly, and a plurality of nozzles carried by the boom assembly at spaced locations. The boom assembly can include a pair of boom arms, with each boom arm extending to either side of the applicator when in an unfolded state. Each boom arm may include multiple boom sections, each with a number of spray nozzles (also sometimes referred to as spray tips).
The spray nozzles on the boom assembly disperse the agricultural product carried by the applicator onto a field. During a spray operation, however, various factors may affect a quality of application of the agricultural product to the field. Accordingly, an improved system and method for monitoring the quality of application of the agricultural product to the field would be welcomed in the technology.
Aspects and advantages of the technology will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the technology.
In some aspects, the present subject matter is directed to an agricultural system that includes a product application system including one or more nozzle assemblies. A sensing system includes at least one flow sensor operably coupled with the product application system and is configured to capture data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system. A computing system is communicatively coupled to the product application system and the sensing system. The computing system is configured to calculate a spray quality index based on data from the sensing system, detect a pressure drop within the product application system based on the data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system, and generate an output based on at least one of the spray quality index and a detection of one or more pressure drops in the product application system.
In some aspects, the present subject matter is directed to a method for an agricultural application operation. The method includes exhausting an agricultural product through nozzle assembly of a product application system. The method also includes calculating, with a computing system, a spray quality index. In addition, the method includes receiving, through a sensing system, data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system. The method further includes detecting, with the computing system, a presence of one or more pressure drops within the product application system. Lastly, the method includes generating, with the computing system, an output based at least in part on the spray quality index and the presence of one or more pressure drops within the product application system.
In some aspects, the present subject matter is directed to an agricultural system that includes a product application system including one or more nozzle assemblies. A flow sensor is operably coupled with the product application system and is configured to capture data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system. A computing system is communicatively coupled to the product application system and the flow sensor. The computing system is configured to detect a pressure drop within the product application system based on the data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system and generate an output based on the detection of any pressure drops in the product application system.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present technology will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present technology, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present technology.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the discourse, not limitation of the disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify a location or importance of the individual components. The terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached to,” and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative direction with respect to an agricultural product within a fluid circuit. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which an agricultural product flows, and “downstream” refers to the direction to which the agricultural product moves. The term “selectively” refers to a component’s ability to operate in various states (e.g., an ON state and an OFF state) based on manual and/or automatic control of the component.
Furthermore, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected” or “operably coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Some examples of operably couplable include, but are not limited to, physically mateable, physically interacting components, wirelessly interactable, wirelessly interacting components, logically interacting, and/or logically interactable components.
The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “approximately,” “generally,” and “substantially,” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or apparatus for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a ten percent margin.
Moreover, the technology of the present application will be described in relation to exemplary embodiments. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary.
As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition or assembly is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition or assembly can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
In general, the present subject matter is directed to a system for various agricultural operations. In some instances, an agricultural system can include a product application system having one or more nozzle assemblies positioned along a boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom.
A sensing system can be operably coupled with the product application system. The sensing system may include one or more sensors, a weather station, and/or any other assembly, which may be installed on the vehicle and/or the boom assembly. In general, the sensing system may be configured to capture data indicative of one or more spray quality parameters that may affect a spray quality of application of the agricultural product to the field. The spray quality can be defined as a predefined application rate/range that estimates whether a spray operation has led to appropriate coverage of a field, or a portion of the field, by the agricultural product.
The one or more sensors may include a flow sensor configured to capture data indicative of a flow condition, such as a pressure and/or a velocity, of the agricultural product being supplied to the nozzle assemblies and/or within the nozzle assemblies.
A computing system can be communicatively coupled to the product application system and the sensing system. The computing system may be configured to calculate a spray quality index based on data from the sensing system. The spray quality index represents a metric indicative of a spray operation coverage of a portion of a field. In some instances, the spray quality index may be used to determine whether the agricultural product was applied to various portions of the field within a defined range and/or misapplied to various portions of the field by deviating from the defined range.
The computing system may additionally or alternatively be configured to detect a pressure drop within the product application system based on the data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system. In addition, the computing system may be configured to generate an output based on the spray quality index and/or the detection of any pressure drops in the product application system.
Referring now to
In various embodiments, the work vehicle 10 may include a chassis 12 configured to support or couple to a plurality of components. For example, front and rear wheels 14, 16 may be coupled to the chassis 12. The wheels 14, 16 may be configured to support the work vehicle 10 relative to a field 20 and move the work vehicle 10 in a direction of travel (e.g., as indicated by arrow 18 in
The chassis 12 may also support a cab 30, or any other form of user’s station, for permitting the user to control the operation of the work vehicle 10. For instance, as shown in
The chassis 12 may also support a boom assembly 42 mounted to the chassis 12. In addition, the chassis 12 may support a product application system 44 that includes one or more tanks 46, such as a rinse tank and/or a product tank. The product tank is generally configured to store or hold an agricultural product 38, such as a pesticide, a fungicide, a rodenticide, a nutrient, and/or the like. The agricultural product 38 is conveyed from the product tank through plumbing components, such as interconnected pieces of tubing, for release onto the underlying field 20 (e.g., plants and/or soil) through one or more nozzle assemblies 48 mounted on the boom assembly 42.
As shown in
Referring to
With further reference to
In accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, a sensing system 60 may include one or more sensors 62, a weather station 64, and/or any other assembly, which may be installed on the vehicle 10 and/or the boom assembly 42. In general, the sensing system 60 may be configured to capture data indicative of one or more spray quality parameters associated with the fans of the agricultural product 38 (
In several examples, the sensing system 60 may include one or more flow sensors 66. In general, the flow sensors 66 may be configured to capture data indicative of a flow condition, such as a pressure and/or a velocity, of the agricultural product 38 (
In operation, the one or more flow sensors 66 is configured to capture data indicative of a flow condition, such as a flow pressure or flow velocity, within the flow paths of the product application system 44. By detecting the flow conditions at various locations within the product application system 44, a pressure drop can be determined between two of the various locations (e.g., an upstream location and a downstream location). It should be noted, however, that velocities, instead of pressures, may be determined at similar locations to the pressures, and compared in a similar manner to determine whether the agricultural product 38 (
Referring now to
As shown in
The product application system 44 may include the one or more tanks 46 that are configured to retain an agricultural product 38. A fluid conduit 58 is fluidly coupled with the tank 46 and a pump 68. In several embodiments, the pump 68 may be a diaphragm, a piston, a scroll, or another pumping assembly. The product application system 44 may also include a flow control device 70 and a flow manifold 72. The flow control device 70 receives the agricultural product 38 from the tank 46 and is configured to control (e.g., meter) the agricultural product 38 flow into the flow manifold 72. The flow manifold 72 is configured to direct the agricultural product 38 into conduits 58 respectively coupled to the nozzle assemblies 48.
The one or more flow sensors 66 of the sensing system 60 may be positioned within the product application system 44. For example, one or more flow sensors 66 may be positioned between the tank 46 and the flow control device 70, between the flow manifold 72 and the nozzle assemblies 48, and/or within the nozzle assemblies 48. As provided herein, the one or more flow sensors 66 are configured to capture data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system 44. In various examples, the flow conditions can include at least one of a pressure and/or a velocity of the agricultural product 38 within the product application system 44.
The computing system 102 may be electrically coupled to the pump 68, the flow control device 70, the flow manifold 72, and/or the one or more flow sensors 66 of the product application system 44. The computing system 102 may be configured to adjust the flow control device 70 based at least in part on feedback from the flow sensors 66 and a desired flow rate for the nozzle assemblies 48. In some embodiments, a motor 74 is configured to adjust (e.g., open, close) the flow control device 70 to change the agricultural product 38 flow rate through the product application system 44, and/or to direct the agricultural product 38 to certain nozzle assemblies 48. One or more solenoids 76 may be configured to control the agricultural product 38 flow through the flow control device 70 and the flow manifold 72. The solenoids 76 may be used to direct the agricultural product 38 to certain nozzle assemblies 48. In addition, a position of a solenoid 76 may be altered to change a volume of the agricultural product 38 provided to a nozzle assembly 48 from a first volume to a second volume. In various examples, the first volume may be greater than or less than the second volume.
In several embodiments, the nozzle assemblies 48 may include a nozzle and a valve for activating the respective nozzle assembly 48 to perform a spray operation. The valves can include restrictive orifices, regulators, and/or the like to regulate the flow of agricultural product 38 from the product application system 44 that is emitted from each nozzle. In various embodiments, the valves may be configured as electronically controlled valves that are controlled by a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal for altering the application rate of the agricultural product 38.
In general, the computing system 102 may comprise any suitable processor-based device, such as a computing device or any suitable combination of computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the computing system 102 may include one or more processors 104 and associated memory 106 configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory 106 of the computing system 102 may generally comprise memory elements including, but not limited to, a computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), a computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disc (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory 106 may generally be configured to store information accessible to the processor 104, including data 108 that can be retrieved, manipulated, created, and/or stored by the processor 104 and instructions 110 that can be executed by the processor 104, when implemented by the processor 104, configure the computing system 102 to perform various computer-implemented functions, such as one or more aspects of the image processing algorithms and/or related methods described herein. In addition, the computing system 102 may also include various other suitable components, such as a communications circuit or module, one or more input/output channels, a data/control bus, and/or the like.
In various embodiments, the computing system 102 may correspond to an existing controller of the agricultural work vehicle 10, or the computing system 102 may correspond to a separate processing device. For instance, in some embodiments, the computing system 102 may form all or part of a separate plug-in module or computing device that is installed relative to the work vehicle 10 or boom assembly 42 (
In several embodiments, the data 108 may be information received and/or generated by the computing system 102 that is stored in one or more databases. For instance, as shown in
In the example illustrated in
In various embodiments, the memory 106 may also include an agricultural product database 114 that stores product information. The product information may include various information regarding the conditions and rates of application for an individual product that is to be applied to the field 20. In some instances, the product information may be preloaded or sent to the vehicle 10 via wired or wireless communication therewith. Additionally or alternatively, the product information may be manually inputted into the database. In some embodiments, based on the selected product information, a different spray quality index and/or acceptable range may be selected.
Additionally, in several embodiments, the memory 106 may also include a location database 116 storing location data of the work vehicle 10 and/or the boom assembly 42 (
In several embodiments, the location data stored within the location database 116 may also be correlated to the application variable data stored within the application variable database 112. For instance, in some embodiments, the location coordinates derived from the positioning system 126 and the application variable data captured by the sensing system 60 may both be time-stamped. In such embodiments, the time-stamped data may allow each individual set of data captured by the sensing system 60 to be matched or correlated to a corresponding set of location coordinates received from the positioning system 126, thereby allowing the data to be associated with a location of the field 20.
Additionally, in some embodiments, such as the one shown in
With further reference to
In general, the data analysis module 120 may be configured to analyze the data to determine a spray quality index for various sections of the field 20 and/or whether the spray quality index is within predefined ranges. In various examples, the application variables may be used to calculate an overall spray quality index. Additionally or alternatively, the data analysis module 120 may be configured to detect a pressure drop within the product application system 44 based on the data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system 44.
The active control module 122 may provide instructions 110 for various components communicatively coupled with the computing system 102 based on the results of data analysis module 120. For example, the active control module 122 may be capable of altering a system or component of the vehicle 10 in response to the spray quality index varying from a defined range and/or the detection of a pressure drop within the product application system 44. For instance, the system 100 may adjust the product application system 44 by altering a flow rate/flow pressure of the agricultural product 38 through one or more nozzle assemblies 48 based at least in part on the detected pressure at the nozzle assemblies 48 and/or within product application system 44.
In some instances, various pressure drops may occur due to the varying lengths of fluid conduits 58 operably coupling the nozzle assemblies 48 to the tank 46, boom movement, changes within the product application system 44, and/or for any other reason during a spray operation. In addition, the pressure drops may be different for each product application system 44 (including systems that use some common components from a previous spray operation but with a changed component - such as a different nozzle) and varies based on the application pressure and the application rate during a respective spray operation. As such, the system 100 may define a closed-loop monitoring system that allows for monitoring of the pressure of the agricultural product 38 at various locations within the product application system 44. In such instances, the data analysis module 120 may be configured to identify any pressure drops in the product application system 44 based on the data 108. In response, the control module 122 may generate an output based on at least one of the spray quality index and a detection of one or more pressure drops in the product application system 44. For example, the control module 122 may adjust a pressure of each nozzle independently and/or with any other nozzle assembly 48 based on the detected pressure drop across a nozzle assembly 48 and/or within the product application system 44. In some instances, the pressure generated by the pump 68 may be adjusted based on the following equation:
where Pa is an adjusted pressure of the agricultural product 38 outputted by the pump 68, Po is the output pressure of the agricultural product 38 outputted by the pump 68 while the pressure drop occurs, and Pd is the detected pressure drop within the product application system 44. For example, if a detected pressure drop across a nozzle assembly is twelve (12) psi and the desired pressure output from the nozzle is fifty (50) pounds per square inch (psi), the system 100 may adjust the pressure to be sixty-two (62) psi at the manifold to provide the appropriate pressure at each nozzle. In various embodiments, when multiple pressure drops are detected, the detected pressure drop Pd may be the largest detected pressure drop and/or an average pressure drop for each detected pressure drop within the product application system 44.
Additionally, or alternatively, in some examples, the active control module 122 may alter the operation of the product application system 44 to pause or otherwise change the application of the agricultural product 38 in response to determining that the application has deviated from the spray quality index by a defined amount, the pump 68 cannot supplement the pressure to obtain a desired flow rate, and/or for any other reason.
In some instances, the control module 122 may alter the operation of the pump 68, the flow control device 70, the flow manifold 72, and/or the nozzle assemblies 48 of the product application system 44 based on the calculated spray quality index is within a predefined range. For example, in some instances, the system 100 may first determine whether the spray quality index is within a defined range. If the spray quality index is within the defined range and a pressure drop is identified, the system 100 may monitor the pressure drop and continue the spray operation with the current operating parameters. However, if the spray quality index deviates from the defined range and a pressure drop is identified, the system 100 may alter the product application system 44 and/or any other operating parameter. In various examples, the component may be a pump 68, a flow control device 70, a flow manifold 72, a nozzle assembly 48, and/or any other component within the product application system 44. In various examples, if the spray quality index deviates from the defined range and a pressure drop is not identified, the system 100 may still alter the product application system 44 if such alteration may return the spray quality index to the defined range.
In various examples, the system 100 may implement machine learning engine methods and algorithms that utilize one or several machine learning techniques including, for example, decision tree learning, including, for example, random forest or conditional inference trees methods, neural networks, support vector machines, clustering, and Bayesian networks. These algorithms can include computer-executable code that can be retrieved by the computing system 102 and may be used to generate a predictive evaluation of the alterations to the product application system 44. For instance, the control module 122 may alter the product application system 44. In turn, the system 100 may monitor any changes to a pressure drop and/or the spray quality index. Each change may be fed back into the data analysis module 120 and the control module 122 for further alterations to the product application system 44.
In addition, various other components may be adjusted by the active control module 122 in response to one or more application variables deviating from a defined range or threshold. For example, the computing system 102 may also adjust or alter the powertrain control system 22, a steering system 124, and/or the vehicle suspension when the spray quality index deviates from a defined range.
In some embodiments, the active control module 122 may further provide notifications and/or instructions to the user interface 32, a vehicle notification system 128, and/or a remote electronic device 130. In some examples, the display 34 of the user interface 32 may be capable of displaying information related to the spray quality index and/or a pressure at one or more nozzle assemblies 48. The vehicle notification system 128 may prompt visual, auditory, and tactile notifications and/or warnings when one or more flow conditions of the product application system 44 deviate from a defined range and/or one or more functions of the vehicle 10 or the boom assembly 42 (
Further, the computing system 102 may communicate via wired and/or wireless communication with one or more remote electronic devices 130 through a transceiver 132. The network may be one or more of various wired or wireless communication mechanisms, including any combination of wired (e.g., cable and fiber) and/or wireless (e.g., cellular, wireless, satellite, microwave, and radio frequency) communication mechanisms and any desired network topology (or topologies when multiple communication mechanisms are utilized). Exemplary wireless communication networks include a wireless transceiver (e.g., a BLUETOOTH module, a ZIGBEE transceiver, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an IrDA transceiver, an RFID transceiver, etc.), local area networks (LAN), and/or wide area networks (WAN), including the Internet, providing data communication services.
The electronic device 130 may also include a display for displaying information to a user. For instance, the electronic device 130 may display one or more user interfaces and may be capable of receiving remote user inputs to set a predefined threshold for any of the application variables and/or to input any other information, such as the agricultural product 38 to be used in a spray operation. In addition, the electronic device 130 may provide feedback information, such as visual, audible, and tactile alerts, and/or allow the user to alter or adjust one or more components of the vehicle 10 or the boom assembly 42 (
Although the various control functions and/or actions are generally described herein as being executed by the computing system 102, one or more of such control functions/actions (or portions thereof) may be executed by a separate computing system 102 or may be distributed across two or more computing systems (including, for example, the computing system 102 and a separate computing system). For instance, in some embodiments, the computing system 102 may be configured to acquire data from the sensing system 60 for subsequent processing and/or analysis by a separate computing system (e.g., a computing system associated with a remote server). In other embodiments, the computing system 102 may be configured to execute the data analysis module 120, while a separate computing system (e.g., a vehicle computing system associated with the agricultural work vehicle 10) may be configured to execute the control module 122 to control the operation of the agricultural work vehicle 10 based on data and/or instructions transmitted from the computing system 102 that are associated with the monitored objects and/or field conditions. Likewise, in some embodiments, the computing system 102 may be configured to acquire data from the sensing system 60 for subsequent processing and/or analysis by a separate computing system (e.g., a computing system associated with a remote server). In other embodiments, the computing system 102 may be configured to execute the data analysis module 120 to determine a pressure drop within the product application system 44, while a separate computing system (e.g., a vehicle computing system associated with the agricultural work vehicle 10) may be configured to execute the control module 122 to control the operation of the agricultural work vehicle 10 based on data and/or instructions transmitted from the computing system 102 that are associated with the detection of the pressure drops within the product application system 44.
Referring now to
As shown in
At (204), the method 200 can include calculating a spray quality index with a computing system. During a spray operation, various spray quality parameters may affect a spray quality of application of the agricultural product to the field, which can be computed into a spray quality index in which the spray quality index represents a metric indicative of a spray operation coverage of a portion of a field. In some instances, the spray quality index may be used to determine whether the agricultural product was applied to various portions of the field within a defined range and/or misapplied to various portions of the field by deviating from the defined range. At (206), the method 200 can include comparing the calculated spray quality index to a defined range with the computing system.
At (208), the method 200 can include receiving data indicative of a flow condition within the product application system through a sensing system. In various examples, the flow conditions can include at least one of a pressure and/or a velocity of the agricultural product within the product application system. At (210), the method 200 can include detecting a presence of one or more pressure drops within the product application system with the computing system.
At (212), the method 200 can include generating an output based at least in part on the spray quality index and the presence of one or more pressure drops within the product application system with the computing system. In some examples, generating the output can include altering a component of the product application system when the spray quality index deviates from the defined range and one or more pressure drops are detected. In various examples, the component may be a pump, a control valve, a control manifold, and/or any other component within the product application system. In some instances, altering a component of the product application system can include increasing an outlet pressure of the agricultural product from a pump of the product application system. Additionally or alternatively, generating the output can include displaying a notification on a display when the spray quality index is within the defined range and one or more pressure drops are detected.
At step (214), the method 200 can include receiving location data associated with the spray quality index and the presence of one or more pressure drops within the product application system. At step (216), the method 200 can include receiving location data associated with the boom assembly correlating the location data to the one or more application variables to generate or update a field map associated with the field.
In various examples, the method 200 may implement machine learning methods and algorithms that utilize one or several vehicle learning techniques including, for example, decision tree learning, including, for example, random forest or conditional inference trees methods, neural networks, support vector machines, clustering, and Bayesian networks. These algorithms can include computer-executable code that can be retrieved by the computing system and/or through a network/cloud and may be used to evaluate and update the boom deflection model. In some instances, the vehicle learning engine may allow for changes to the boom deflection model to be performed without human intervention.
It is to be understood that the steps of any method disclosed herein may be performed by a computing system upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer-readable medium, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the computing system described herein, such as any of the disclosed methods, may be implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer-readable medium. The computing system loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer-readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the controller, the computing system may perform any of the functionality of the computing system described herein, including any steps of the disclosed methods.
The term “software code” or “code” used herein refers to any instructions or set of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or controller. They may exist in a computer-executable form, such as vehicle code, which is the set of instructions and data directly executed by a computer’s central processing unit or by a controller, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiled in order to be executed by a computer’s central processing unit or by a controller, or an intermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As used herein, the term “software code” or “code” also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer’s central processing unit or by a controller.
This written description uses examples to disclose the technology, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the technology, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the technology is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.