Systems and methods for pruning plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9420748-B2
Application number	US-201514600500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

An unmanned pruning vehicle includes a pruning device configured to prune plant material from a plant. The unmanned pruning vehicle also includes a processing circuit is configured to control operation of the pruning device to prune a plant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned pruning vehicle, comprising:
a pruning device configured to prune plant material from a plant; and
a processing circuit configured to control operation of the pruning device based on pruning data regarding a growing envelope for the plant and impact of the plant on growth of a second plant.

2. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the growing envelope is based on a growth model for the plant.

3. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive plant sensor data from a sensor and control operation of the pruning device further based on the plant sensor data.

4. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the plant for pruning based on a pruning schedule.

5. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the growing envelope is defined by an object in an environment surrounding the plant.

6. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control operation of the pruning device based on environment data regarding an environment surrounding the plant.

7. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the pruning device includes at least one of a cutting device, a thermal pruning device, a chemical pruning device, and a laser pruning device.

8. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control application of a treatment to a newly exposed portion of the plant after pruning.

9. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive plant sensor data from a sensor, the plant sensor data comprising at least one of pre-pruning data and post-pruning data.

10. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to wirelessly receive one or more pruning instructions from a remote device.

11. The pruning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to wirelessly receive one or more vehicle motion control instructions from a remote device.

12. A system for pruning plants, comprising:
an unmanned pruning vehicle configured to prune plant material from a first plant; and
a processing circuit including a central processing unit and a memory device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to control operation of the unmanned pruning vehicle to prune the first plant based on pruning data regarding an impact of the first plant on growth of a second plant.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the pruning data includes at least one of a growth model for the first plant and a growth model for the second plant.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a diagnostic device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the diagnostic device is configured to collect sensor data including at least one of a first set of plant sensor data regarding the first plant, a first set of environment data regarding an environment surrounding the first plant, a second set of plant sensor data regarding the second plant, and a second set of environment data regarding an environment surrounding the second plant; and
the processing circuit is configured to receive the sensor data and control operation of the unmanned pruning vehicle further based on the sensor data.

16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a remote sensor device located remote from the unmanned pruning vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the remote sensor device is configured to collect remote sensor data including at least one of a first set of plant sensor data regarding the first plant, a first set of environment data regarding an environment surrounding the first plant, a second set of plant sensor data regarding the second plant, and a second set of environment data regarding an environment surrounding the second plant; and
the processing circuit is configured to receive the remote sensor data and control operation of the unmanned pruning vehicle further based on the remote sensor data.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the first plant for pruning based on a pruning schedule.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the first plant for pruning based on a determination of blockage by the first plant of sunlight from reaching the second plant.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned pruning vehicle includes at least one of a cutting device, a thermal pruning device, a chemical pruning device, and a laser pruning device.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned pruning vehicle includes a treatment device.

22. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive plant sensor data from a sensor, the plant sensor data comprising at least one of pre-pruning data and post-pruning data.

23. A system for pruning plants, comprising:
an unmanned pruning vehicle configured to prune a plant; and
a processing circuit configured to control operation of the unmanned pruning vehicle to selectively prune each of a plurality of branches of the plant based on plant data regarding the plurality of branches of the plant and pruning data regarding an impact of the plurality of branches of the plant on growth of a second plant.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the plant data includes historical data regarding at least one branch of the plurality of branches.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to control operation of the unmanned pruning vehicle based further on a growing envelope for at least one branch of the plurality of branches.

26. The system of claim 23 , further comprising a diagnostic device.

27. The system of claim 23 , further comprising a remote sensor device located remote from the pruning vehicle.

28. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control operation of the unmanned pruning vehicle based on environment data regarding an environment surrounding at least one branch of the plurality of branches.

29. The system of claim 23 , wherein the unmanned pruning vehicle includes at least one of a cutting device, a thermal pruning device, a chemical pruning device, and a laser pruning device.

30. The system of claim 23 , wherein the unmanned pruning vehicle includes a treatment device.

31. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control pruning of at least one branch based on a determination of blockage by a first branch of sunlight from reaching a second branch.

32. The system of claim 23 , wherein the pruning data includes at least one of a growth model for the plurality of branches and a growth model for the second plant.

33. The system of claim 23 , further comprising a diagnostic device.

34. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive plant sensor data from a sensor, the plant sensor data comprising at least one of pre-pruning data and post-pruning data.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Chan Alistair K
• Hyde Roderick A
• Pan Tony S
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• A01G3/085

  Motor-driven saws for pruning or branching · CPC title

• A01G3/08 Primary

  Other tools for pruning, branching or delimbing standing trees · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title