Apparatus, systems and methods are provided for monitoring yield while harvesting grain. Grain released from paddles on the clean grain elevator chain of a harvester contacts a flow sensor which reports the rate of grain flow through the clean grain elevator. In some embodiments a brush is mounted to the chain and disposed to clean the flow sensor surface. In other embodiments a bucket mounted to the clean grain elevator chain releases grain against the flow sensor at a rate dependent on a grain property.

A crop mass predictive sensor, comprising an imaging device, a laser-based device such as a LIDAR, a first radar emitting a frequency of energy that is absorbed by plant mass, and a second radar emitting a frequency of energy that passes through plant mass without being absorbed, wherein the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar are focused on the crop material in front of an agricultural vehicle, and the information gathered from the imaging device, laser-based device, first radar, and second radar is used to calculate an estimated mass for the crop material that is about to enter the agricultural vehicle.

Systems, methods and apparatus for monitoring yield while harvesting. In one embodiment a mass flow rate sensor measures the mass flow rate of the harvested grain. A weight sensor measures the weight of the harvested grain. The measured mass flow rate is correlated with the weight of the harvested grain. Processing circuitry calculates any error in the measured mass flow rate using the measured weight. The calculated error is used to correct any inaccuracy in the measured mass flow rate.

A grain quality sensor comprising a lens, a filter, a photosite array, an illumination source, and an electronics module, wherein the illumination source directs light containing a known set of wavelengths onto a crop sample, wherein the lens picks up light reflected by the crop sample and directs it into the filter, which allows light to pass into different parts of the photosite array such that certain locations on the photosite array only get certain frequencies of the reflected light, wherein the electronics module is electrically connected to the photosite array and capable of determining which parts of the photosite array received light and what frequency the light received was, wherein the electronics module can analyze the optical data received by the photosite array, and wherein the analysis of the optical data is used to determine the composition of different parts of the crop sample.

A topographical indication for a field is detected by an aerial sensor and, based on the topographical indication, an area of consistent elevation is calculated. An estimated yield indication for a field is also detected, and an area of consistent estimated yield is calculated. With a controller, a calibration candidate zone is generated, wherein the calibration candidate zone comprises an area of the field with a consistent topography and a consistent estimated yield along a width and a length of the area.

A yield monitor system is configured to determine how the calibration characteristics of a grain mass flow sensor on an individual combine are affected by grain moisture content and/or other grain parameters which can be measured instantaneously or periodically by the yield monitor system or its operator, or which can be observed by the operator, or which can be determined from other reference information, such as maps of where different grain varieties or hybrids were planted. Other systems, methods, and apparatuses are also provided.

Apparatus, systems and methods are provided for monitoring yield while harvesting grain. Grain released from paddles on the clean grain elevator chain of a harvester contacts a flow sensor which reports the rate of grain flow through the clean grain elevator. In some embodiments a brush is mounted to the chain and disposed to clean the flow sensor surface. In other embodiments a bucket mounted to the clean grain elevator chain releases grain against the flow sensor at a rate dependent on a grain property.

Systems, methods and apparatus for monitoring yield while harvesting. In one embodiment a mass flow rate sensor measures the mass flow rate of the harvested grain. A weight sensor measures the weight of the harvested grain. The measured mass flow rate is correlated with the weight of the harvested grain. Processing circuitry calculates any error in the measured mass flow rate using the measured weight. The calculated error is used to correct any inaccuracy in the measured mass flow rate.

A combine has a grain sample sensor for detecting frequencies of impacts of separated grain on the grain sample sensor, a grain loss sensor for detecting frequencies of impacts of residue and lost grain on the grain loss sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive, from the grain sample sensor, the frequencies of the impacts of the separated grain, receive, from the grain loss sensor, the frequencies of the impacts of the residue and the lost grain, set a detection frequency band based on the frequencies of the impacts of the separated grain, filter the frequencies of the impacts of the residue and the lost grain based on the detection frequency band, determine, from the filtered frequencies, grain loss information, and indicate the grain loss information to an operator of the combine, or control the combine based on the grain loss information.

A sensor system for counting elements of a flow of harvested material. The sensor system comprises an oscillating circuit and a measuring device, wherein the oscillating circuit comprises at least one capacitive component with a capacitance and an inductive component with an inductance. The oscillating circuit has a resonance frequency which depends on the capacitance and the inductance. Further, the capacitive component is positioned in the region of the flow of harvested material, so that the capacitance is influenced by individual elements of the flow of harvested material. The measuring device is configured to determine the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit. In this way, the sensor system is configured to deduce at least one property of the particular element of the flow of harvested material from the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit.