US Patent 8200399 Method of controlling a baler and a baler

A baler (1) composed of a pick-up device (4) for picking up a crop string (12), a compression device for compressing the crop in a compression direction to form a bale, the compression device having components (19) for measuring a distribution of a charging degree transversely to the compression direction. The baler (1) also has a 3D imaging device (11) for recording a 3D image (23) of the field and the crop string (12) in front of the baler (1), and a control device including a data processor (13) for controlling the baler (1) in dependence on data from the 3D image (23) and the charging degree (25).