Identifying management zones in agricultural fields and generating planting plans for the zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10667474-B2
Application number	US-201816044063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

In an embodiment, computer processes are programmed to determine planting plans based on planting characteristics data received for an agricultural field and a plurality of management zone delineation options defined for the agricultural field. Each of the planting plans specifies different planting recommendations for the agricultural field. A first graphical representation of the planting plans, and an interactive object is generated and displayed on a computing device. The interactive object is configured to receive input specifying a relative importance ratio between the planting plans for determining a new planting plan for the agricultural field. A particular relative importance ratio is received via the interactive object, and is used to determine the new planting plan, which specifies new planting recommendations for the agricultural field. Information about the new planting plan is displayed on the computer device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
using instructions programmed in a computer system comprising one or more processors and computer memory: determining a first planting plan based on, at least in part, planting characteristics data received for an agricultural field and a plurality of management zone delineation options defined for the agricultural field;
using presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on a computing device, a first graphical representation of the first planting plan having first planting recommendations;
wherein the first graphical representation comprises a delineation option that was generated based on the planting characteristic data;
using the presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on the computer device, one or more interactive objects that are programmed to automatically receive one or more modified data values for the planting characteristics data;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, receiving, via the one or more interactive objects, the one or more modified data values for second planting recommendations;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, automatically generating modified planting characteristic data based on, at least in part, the one or more modified data values;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, determining, based on the modified planting characteristic data, a second planting plan having the second planting recommendations;
using the presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on the computer device, a second graphical representation of the second planting plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, determining a first weight and a second weight based on a particular relative importance ratio;
wherein the first weight specifies a first contribution of the first planting plan to the second planting plan;
wherein the second weight specifies a second contribution of the second planting plan to the first planting plan;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, computing new values for the second planting recommendations by averaging first values of the first planting recommendations of the first planting plan and second values of the second planting recommendations of the second planting plan according to the first weight and the second weight, respectively;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, associating the new values of the second planting recommendations with the second planting plan.

3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the one or more interactive objects are implemented as interactive graphical sliders;
wherein the one or more interactive objects are programmed to be repositioned along a path displayed on the computer device;
wherein the path has two ends;
wherein one end of the two ends corresponds to the first planting plan, and another end of the two ends corresponds to the second planting plan.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
using the presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on the computing device, a request object that is configured to receive a request to generate the second planting plan for the agricultural field;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, determining whether a request to generate the second planting plan for the agricultural field has been received via the request object;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, generating the second planting plan for the agricultural field in response to determining that the request to generate the second planting plan has been received via the request object.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
using the presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on the computer device, one or more additional interactive objects;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, receiving, via the one or more additional interactive objects, one or more modified data values for the second planting recommendations;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, determining an additional planting plan based on at least in part the one or more modified data values and the second planting plan;
using the presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on the computer device, a third graphical representation of the additional planting plan.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
using the presentation instructions, generating and causing displaying, on the computer device, help information that includes instructions for generating the second planting plan and instructions for using interactive graphical objects.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, receiving yield data representing yields of crops that have been harvested from the agricultural field, and field characteristics data representing one or more characteristics of the agricultural field;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, determining the plurality of management zone delineation options for the agricultural field based on at least in part the yield data and the field characteristics data;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, receiving the planting characteristics data representing initial planting preferences for the agricultural field;
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, determining two new planting plans based on, at least in part, the planting characteristics data and the plurality of management zone delineation options for the agricultural field.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each option, of the plurality of management zone delineation options, comprises zone layout digital data for an option, wherein the plurality of management delineation options is determined by: determining a plurality of count values for a management class count; for each count value, of the plurality of count values, generating a management zone delineation option by clustering, using a count value of the plurality of count values, the yield data and the field characteristics data, assigning zones to clusters, and including the management zone delineation option in the plurality of management zone delineation options.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
using the instructions programmed in the computer system, receiving one or more selection criteria; and based on, at least in part, the one or more selection criteria, selecting one or more options from the plurality of management zone delineation options, and determining one or more planting plans for each of the one or more options.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
using the instructions, and based upon the one or more options of the plurality of management zone delineation options and the one or more planting plans associated with the one or more options, causing driving one or more of: a seeding apparatus, an irrigation apparatus, an apparatus for application of fertilizers such as nitrogen, or a harvesting apparatus to perform, respectively, seeding, irrigation, application of fertilizers, and/or harvesting of the agricultural field according to an options from the one or more options.

11. A data processing system comprising:
a memory;
one or more processors coupled to the memory and programmed to:
determining a first planting plan based on, at least in part, planting characteristics data received for an agricultural field and a plurality of management zone delineation options defined for the agricultural field;
generating and causing displaying, on a com

Assignees

• Climate Corp

Inventors

• Rowan Emily
• Ewart Tracey
• Crampton Stephen
• Wimbush Alex

Classifications

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• G06Q10/063

  Operations research, analysis or management · CPC title

• A01G22/00 Primary

  Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A01C21/005 Primary

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title