Modular precision agriculture system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016255778-A1
Application number	US-201615061624-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A modular system includes a hub and a set of modules removably coupled to the hub. The modules are physically coupled to the frame relative to each other so that each module can operate with respect to a different row of a field. An individual module includes a sensor for capturing field measurement data of individual plants along a row as the modular system moves through the geographic region. An individual module further includes a treatment mechanism for applying a treatment to the individual plants of the row based on the field measurement data before the modular system passes by the individual plants. An individual module further includes a computing device that determines the treatment based on the field measurement data and communicates data to the hub. The hub is communicatively coupled to the modules, so that it may exchange data between the modules and with a remote computing system.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A modular system comprising:
a frame physically coupled to a drive mechanism moving the modular system through a geographic region including a plurality of rows of plants; a plurality of modules physically coupled to the frame, the modules physically coupled relative to each other so that each module can operate with respect to a different one of the rows, wherein each module comprises:
a sensor for capturing field measurement data of individual plants along one of the rows as the modular system moves through the geographic region;
a treatment mechanism for applying a treatment to the individual plants of the row based on the field measurement data before the modular system passes by the individual plants; and
a computing device configured to determine the treatment based on the field measurement data and communicate the field measurement data and the treatment to the hub; and
a hub physically coupled to the frame, the hub comprising:
a module communications hub communicatively coupled to the computing devices of the modules to exchange data with the modules.

2 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is configured to determine the treatment further based on data provided by the hub.

3 . The modular system of claim 2 wherein the data provided by the hub comprises a treatment applied by another one of the modules.

4 . The modular system of claim 2 wherein the data provided by the hub comprises field measurement data collected by the sensor of another one of the modules.

5 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is configured to determine the treatment further based on a previous treatment applied by the treatment mechanism of the module during the modular system's current run through the geographic region.

6 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is configured to determine the treatment further based on a previous treatment applied by the treatment mechanism to a particular plant during a prior run through the geographic region.

7 . The modular system of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one positioning system recording a change in position of the modular system in the geographic region as a function of time;
wherein the treatment mechanism determines the treatment based on the changing position of the modular system.

8 . The modular system of claim 7 wherein the at least one positioning system is a part of the hub.

9 . The modular system of claim 7 wherein the modular system comprises a plurality of positioning systems, and wherein a different one of the positioning systems is attached to a different one of the modules.

10 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing devices are configured to send field measurement data captured by the sensors to the module communications hub.

11 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor configured to capture image data as part of the field measurement data.

12 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises at least one from the group consisting of:
an optical sensor;
an audio sensor;
an accelerometer;
a gyroscope;
an environmental sensor including at least one from the group consisting of: a temperature sensor, a wind speed sensor, and an audio sensor.

13 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the hub comprises at least one hub sensor, the hub sensors comprising at least one from the group consisting of:
a position sensor; and
an environmental sensor including at least one from the group consisting of: a temperature sensor, a wind speed sensor, and an audio sensor.

14 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the module communications hub is configured to send at least one from the group consisting of synchronization data and software updates with the modules.

15 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing devices are configured to send fault notifications and module operation parameters to the module communications hub, and wherein the module communications hub is configured to send failure rectification instructions to the computing devices.

16 . The modular system of claim 15 further comprising:
a remote computing system communicatively coupled to the module communications hub,
wherein the module communications hub is configured to send the fault notifications and the module operation parameters to the remote computing system; and
wherein the remote computing system is configured to send failure rectification instructions to the module communications hub.

17 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the module operation parameters include at least one from the group consisting of:
module height;
module angle relative to ground;
inter module spacing;
module order; and
relative module position.

18 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing devices are configured to exchange spatial parameters with the with the module communications hub, the spatial parameters including at least one of a time and a location of a last plant treated by one of the modules as the modular system travels through the geographic system.

19 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing devices are configured to exchange population parameters with the module communications hub, the population parameters including at least one from the group consisting of:
individual plant sizes from the plants of the rows;
individual plant shapes from the plants of the rows; and
color of individual plants of the rows.

20 . The modular system of claim 1 wherein the computing devices are configured to exchange population parameters with the module communications hub, the population parameters including at least one from the group consisting of:
uniformity of the plants of the rows;
color uniformity of the plants of the rows; and
spacing uniformity of the plants of the rows.

21 . The modular system of claim 1 further comprising:
a power distribution hub that distributes electrical power to at least one from the group consisting of the hub and the modules.

22 . A method comprising:
moving a modular system including a plurality of modules through a geographic region including a plurality of rows of plants; activating a first sensor on a first of the modules, the first sensor capturing field measurement data of individual plants along a first of the rows as the modular system moves through the geographic region; determining, using a first computer included within the first module, a first treatment for the individual plants as the modular system moves through the geographic region; applying the first treatment to the individual plants using a first treatment mechanism before the modular system passes by the individual plants; activating a second sensor on a second of the modules, the second sensor capturing field measurement data of individual plants along a second of the rows as the modular system moves through the geographic region; determining, using a second computer included within the second module, a second treatment for the individual plants as the modular system moves through the geographic region; and applying the second treatment to the individual plants using a second treatment mechanism before the modular system passes by the individual plants.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein at least one of the activating, determining, and applying steps performed by one of the com

Assignees

• Blue River Tech Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A01M21/043

  by chemicals · CPC title

• A01M21/04

  Apparatus for destruction by steam, chemicals, burning, or electricity {(apparatus for burning A01M15/00)} · CPC title

• A01M21/046

  by electricity · CPC title

• A01G1/001 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A01C21/002 Primary

  Apparatus for sowing fertiliser; Fertiliser drill · CPC title