Agricultural machine with resonance vibration response detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12270802-B2
Application number	US-201816114916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

An agricultural machine includes a vibration stimulation source configured to generate a vibration stimulation signal directed toward plant matter and a sensor system configured to sense electromagnetic radiation reflected from the plant matter, generate a first signal based on the sensed electromagnetic radiation, and generate a second signal indicative of a resonant vibration response of the plant matter, that is in response to the vibration stimulation signal. The agricultural machine includes a plant evaluation system configured to, based on the first and second signals, generate plant characterization data indicative of one or more physical characteristics of the plant matter, and a control system configured to generate an action signal based on the plant characterization data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural machine comprising:
a stimulation source configured to generate a vibration stimulation signal, transmitted through air, that mechanically stimulates plant matter on a field;
a sensor system configured to:
sense electromagnetic radiation reflected from the plant matter;
generate a first signal based on the sensed electromagnetic radiation; and
sense a physical response of the plant matter to the vibration stimulation signal;

a plant evaluation system configured to:
obtain prior response data indicative of at least one of structure or condition of a particular plant species;
generate first and second plant characterization data based on:
the sensed physical response of the plant matter to the mechanical stimulation of the plant matter, and
the first signal, wherein
the first plant characterization data identities that a particular plant is of the particular plant species,
the second plant characterization data identities an additional physical characteristic of the particular plant, in addition to plant species, and
one or more of the first plant characterization data and the second plant characterization data is generated based on correlating the sensed physical response with the prior response data; and

a control system configured to generate an action signal based on one or more of the first and second plant characterization data.

2. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the control stem is configured to send the action signal to at least one of:
a display device, wherein the action signal controls the display device to display an indication of one or more of the first and second plant characterization data;
a storage device, wherein the action signal controls the storage device to store an indication of one or more of the first and second plant characterization data; or
a controllable machine subsystem, wherein the action signal controls the controllable machine subsystem to perform an agricultural operation relative to the plant matter.

3. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to send the action signal to a controllable spraying subsystem to perform a spraying operation that applies an agricultural substance to at least a portion of the plant matter.

4. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the physical response comprises a resonant vibration response, and the first plant characterization data is generated based on at least one of a magnitude or a gradient of the resonant vibration response.

5. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the plant evaluation system is configured to generate the second plant characterization data based on correlating the sensed physical response with the prior response data.

6. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the additional physical characteristic indicates a yield of the particular plant.

7. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the additional physical characteristic indicates a health of the particular plant.

8. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the plant evaluation system is configured to distinguish between a plurality of plants of the particular plant species, and generate plant characterization data indicative of different sets of characteristics of each plant in the plurality of plants.

9. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the vibration stimulation signal comprises an acoustic wave, and the physical response comprises a vibration response.

10. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to send the action signal to a controllable machine subsystem configured to perform a harvesting operation.

11. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises:
an imaging sensor configured to capture one or more images of the plant matter by sensing the electromagnetic radiation; and
a laser vibrometer configured to sense the physical response of the plant matter.

12. The agricultural machine of claim 11 , wherein the first signal is based on an image of the plant matter, and the physical response of the plant matter is determined based on a time series of images of the plant matter.

13. The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural machine comprises at least one of a drone or a handheld computing device.

14. The agricultural machine of claim 6 , wherein the plant evaluation system is configured to determine, based on the first signal, at least one of:
a shape of the particular plant, a location of the particular plant, or a color of the particular plant;
and further comprising:
a location sensor configured to generate an indication of a geographical location of the particular plant; and
a geographical correlation component that correlates the first plant characterization data to the geographical location.

15. A method performed by an agricultural machine, the method comprising:
generating, by a stimulation source associated with the agricultural machine, a mechanical wave, transmitted through air, that mechanically stimulates plant matter on a field;
sensing electromagnetic radiation reflected from the plant matter;
generating, a first signal based on the sensed electromagnetic radiation;
determining, based on the first signal, at least one of a shape of the plant matter, a location of the plant matter, or a color of the plant matter;
detecting a physical response of the plant matter to the mechanical wave;
generating first plant characterization data that identifies a particular plant species of a particular plant in the plant matter based on correlating the detected physical response of the plant matter with prior response data correlated to the particular plant species, the prior response data being indicative of at least one of structure or condition of the particular plant species;
generating second plant characterization data based on correlating the detected physical response of the plant matter with the prior response data, wherein the second plant characterization data is indicative of at least one of:
a plant health, a plant yield, or a number of plants of the particular plant species; and

generating an action signal based on at least one of the first plant characterization data or the second plant characterization data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the physical response is detected based on at least one of:
an output from a laser vibrometer that senses the plant matter; or
one or more images of the plant matter captured by an imaging sensor.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first signal is based on a first image of the plant matter, and the physical response is detected based on a time series of images of the plant matter.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein
the physical response comprises a resonant vibration response, and
the first plant characterization data is generated based on correlating at least one of a magnitude or a gradient of the resonant vibration response with the prior response data.

19. An agricultural machine comprising:
an acoustic source configured to generate an acoustic wave, transmitted though air, that mechanically stimulates plant matter on a field;
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions when executed, configure the agricultural machine to:
detect a physical response of the plant matter, that is in response to the acoustic wave;
identify prior response data indicative of at least one of structur

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Bhanu Mahesh N
• Smith Benjamin M
• Anderson Noel W

Classifications

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• B64U2101/40

  for agriculture or forestry operations · CPC title

• B64U20/87

  Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G01N2223/612

  biological material · CPC title