Integrated remote sensing tools for timely predictions of crop quality and yield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11080361-B2
Application number	US-201715663112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A method includes receiving outside temperatures for a plurality of days and calculating growing degree units based on the received temperatures. Intensities for a plurality of wavelengths of light measured over at least one portion of a field containing a crop are received and are used with the growing degree units to predict a quality value for the crop. The predicted quality value for the crop is then displayed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle interweaving capturing light intensity values of a portion of a field containing a crop and capturing images of the field;
receiving outside temperatures for a plurality of days;
determining growing degree units based on the received temperatures;
determining a height for the crop using structure-from-motion and the captured images of the field;
using the intensities in combination with the height and the growing degree units to predict a quality value for the crop; and
displaying the predicted quality value for the crop.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the intensities in combination with the growing degree units to predict a yield for the crop and displaying the yield for the crop.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving outside temperatures for a plurality of days comprises receiving a maximum temperature for each day since a last harvest of the crop.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving outside temperatures further comprises receiving a predicted maximum temperature for at least one day in the future.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein using the intensities for the plurality of wavelengths comprises grouping at least some of the wavelengths into a waveband and averaging intensities of wavelengths in the waveband to form an intensity for the waveband.

6. A system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle interweaving capturing light intensity values of a portion of a field containing a crop and capturing images of the field;
a computing device comprising:
a memory containing instructions; and
a processor executing the instructions in the memory to perform steps comprising:
receiving a respective weather value for each of a plurality of days;
receiving the intensity values for the plurality of wavebands of light detected over the field containing the crop;
determining a height of the crop using structure from motion and the captured images of the field; and
using the weather values in combination with the height and the intensity values to determine a predicted yield for the crop.

7. The computing device of claim 6 wherein receiving a weather value comprises receiving a combination of past weather values and future weather values.

8. The computing device of claim 7 wherein receiving a weather value comprises receiving a temperature for each of the plurality of days.

9. The computing device of claim 8 wherein using the weather values to determine the predicted yield comprises choosing a date and using the received temperatures for all days between a last harvest date and the chosen date to determine growing degree units between the two dates and using the growing degree units to determine the predicted yield on the chosen date.

10. The computing device of claim 9 wherein the chosen date is a future date.

11. The computing device of claim 6 further comprising using the weather values and the intensity values to determine a predicted quality measure for the crop.

12. A method comprising:
using an unmanned aerial vehicle having at least one light sensor to interweave between collecting light intensity values for a plurality of wavelengths of light above a crop and capturing pictures of the crop;
receiving weather values for a plurality of days;
using the pictures of the crop to estimate a height of the crop;
using the collected intensity values in combination with the estimated height of the crop and the weather values to predict a quality value for the crop displaying the quality value on an electronic display.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein using the weather values to predict the quality value for the crop comprises using the weather values to determine growing degree units since a last harvest of the crop.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining a growing degree unit for a date comprises using a base temperature that is a function of the date.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving the weather values for a plurality of days comprises receiving whether values measured for past days and predicted weather values predicted for future days.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein using the collected intensity values to predict the quality value for the crop comprises averaging intensity values for wavelengths in a waveband to form an average intensity for the waveband and using the average intensity for the waveband to predict the quality value for the crop.

Assignees

• Univ Minnesota

Inventors

• Noland Reagan
• Wells Scott
• Sheaffer Craig

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• A01B79/005 Primary

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• B64U2101/40

  for agriculture or forestry operations · CPC title

• G01N33/025

  Fruits or vegetables · CPC title

• G01J1/4204

  with determination of ambient light (solar light G01J2001/4266) · CPC title