System and method for automated odometry calibration for precision agriculture systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10098273-B2
Application number	US-201715632583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A method including: recording a first image of a first field region; automatically treating a plant within the first region in-situ based on the first image; automatically verifying the plant treatment with a second image of the first region; and automatically treating a second region concurrently with treatment verification.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of detecting a failure of a precision agriculture system during operation of the precision agriculture system within a field, the method comprising:
capturing a set of images with a camera physically mounted to the precision agriculture system, each image capturing a field region of the field and a treatment applied by the precision agriculture system;
determining, with a computer, a set of timing delays based on the set of images, each timing delay representing a duration between when a treatment mechanism physically mounted to the precision agriculture system is actuated and when treatment via the treatment mechanism is applied to a plant in the field;
determining, with the computer, a set of correction factors based on the set of images, each correction factor correcting for a distance between a location of treatment as captured in the images and a target treatment location;
capturing a new set of images with the camera, the new set of images capturing a new field region of the field and a new treatment applied by the treatment mechanism;
determining, by the computer, a new timing delay and a new correction factor for the new set of images, wherein the new timing delay is a duration between when the treatment mechanism was actuated to apply the new treatment and when the new treatment via the treatment mechanism was applied to a plant in the field, and wherein the new correction factor corrects for a distance between a location of the new treatment as captured by the new set of images and a target treatment location for the new treatment;
comparing, with the computer, the new timing delay to the set of timing delays and the new correction factor to the set of correction factors to determine whether a failure has occurred with the treatment mechanism; and
responsive to determining that a failure has occurred, communicating a notification to a remote system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a failure has occurred with the treatment mechanism comprises:
determining whether the new timing delay and the new correction factor deviate from the set of timing delays and the set of correction factors, respectively, by a threshold deviation.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the new timing delay or the new correction factor deviate from the set of timing delays or the set of correction factors by a threshold deviation, determining that a failure has occurred.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that neither the new timing delay nor the new correction factor deviate from the set of timing delays or the set of correction factors by a threshold deviation,
calibrating the treatment mechanism based on the new timing delay and the new correction factor.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining whether the new timing delay and the new correction factor deviate from the set of timing delays and the set of correction factors, respectively, by a threshold deviation comprises:
applying a least-squares method to the set of timing delays and the set of correction factors.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new timing delay and the new correction factor are determined based on a distance between the target treatment location and the location of treatment as captured in the new set of images.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each timing delay in the set of timing delays is associated with one of the correction factors in the set of correction factors.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of timing delays and the set of correction factors are further determined based on a second set of images captured via a second camera of the precision agriculture system, wherein each image of the second set of images is associated with one of the images of the set of images.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the camera and the second camera are mounted a physical distance apart on the precision agriculture system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new timing delay and the new correction factor are determined based on at least one of a velocity of the precision agriculture system, a position correction factor, and a number of pixels per inch for the camera.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
responsive to determining that the failure has occurred, transmitting a notification to at least one of a monitoring system communicatively coupled to the precision agriculture system.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment mechanism is a spray implement, and wherein the set of timing delays correct for delayed actuation of the spray implement.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment mechanism is a spray implement, and wherein the set of correction factors correct for overtreatment or undertreatment of a target treatment location.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: responsive to determining that a failure has occurred, automatically halting operation of the treatment mechanism.

15. A precision agriculture system comprising:
a camera physically mounted to the precision agriculture system;
a treatment mechanism physically mounted to the precision agriculture system;
a processor; and
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
capture a set of images with the camera, each image capturing a field region of the field and a treatment applied by the precision agriculture system;
determine a set of timing delays based on the set of images, each timing delay representing a duration between when the treatment mechanism is actuated and when treatment via the treatment mechanism is applied to a plant in the field;
determine a set of correction factors based on the set of images, each correction factor correcting for a distance between a location of treatment as captured in the images and a target treatment location;
capture a new set of images with the camera, the new set of images capturing a new field region of the field and a new treatment applied by the treatment mechanism;
determine a new timing delay and a new correction factor for the new set of images, wherein the new timing delay is a duration between when the treatment mechanism was actuated to apply the new treatment and when the new treatment via the treatment mechanism was applied to a plant in the field, and wherein the new correction factor corrects for a distance between a location of the new treatment as captured by the new set of images and a target treatment location for the new treatment;
compare, with the computer, the new timing delay to the set of timing delays and the new correction factor to the set of correction factors to determine whether a failure has occurred with the treatment mechanism; and
responsive to determining that a failure has occurred, communicate a notification to a remote system.

16. The precision agriculture system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions for determining whether a failure has occurred with the treatment mechanism comprises instructions that cause the processor to:
determine whether the new timing delay and the new correction factor deviate from the set of timing delays and the set of correction factors, respectively, by a threshold deviation.

17. The precision agriculture system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
responsive to determining that the new timing delay or the new correction factor deviate from the set of timing delays or the set of correction factors by a threshold deviation, determinin

Assignees

• Blue River Tech Inc

Inventors

• Redden Lee Kamp
• Anderson Kent
• Pell Edward William Jeffcott
• Ostrowski James Patrick

Classifications

• A01B41/06

  with electric, e.g. photo-electric control of thinning operations · CPC title

• A01M21/00

  Apparatus for the destruction of unwanted vegetation, e.g. weeds (control of undesirable vegetation on roads or permanent ways of railways E01H11/00) · CPC title

• A01C21/00

  Methods of fertilising {, sowing or planting} · CPC title

• G01C7/04

  involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced · CPC title

• G01C11/06

  by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area · CPC title