Managing resource prescriptions of botanical plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538714-B2
Application number	US-42704309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2009
Priority date	Apr 21, 2009
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Therefore, the illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method and system for determining individual resource needs for each plant in a plurality of plants. Current conditions are identified using a sensor system. A plurality of per plant prescriptions are calculated for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions. A resource is obtained from a selected resource source in a number of resource sources. The resource is stored in a mobile utility vehicle and applied from the mobile utility vehicle to each plant in the plurality of plants according to the plurality of per plant prescriptions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing resource use, the method comprising:
identifying by one or more computers individual resource needs for each plant in a plurality of plants to form individual resource needs;
identifying conditions in an environment in which the plurality of plants are located using a sensor system to form current conditions;
calculating by the one or more computers a plurality of per plant prescriptions for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions, wherein the plurality of per plant prescriptions for the plurality of plants are directed to individual plants in the plurality of plants, wherein each per plant prescription in the plurality of per plant prescriptions is specially formulated for a given individual plant in the plurality of plants; and
dispensing a mobile utility vehicle to the each plant in the plurality of plants to automatically apply a resource to the each plant according to the each per plant prescription.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the resource needs for the each plant in the plurality of plants utilizes a knowledge base for identifying for the each plant a plant species, a plant variety, a growth stage, and a life cycle.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a resource need for the each plant based on the plant species, the plant variety, the growth stage, and the life cycle of the each plant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying current conditions further comprises:
obtaining a current weather and solar forecast.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying current conditions further comprises:
identifying current resource rules, wherein the current resource rules include current water rules, and wherein the current water rules include at least one of an amount of water currently accessible, local water shortage information, and local water use restriction information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the plurality of per plant prescriptions for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions further comprises:
apportioning resource usage according to a utility function in order to maximize benefits and minimize costs according to a set of constraints.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein apportioning resource usage according to the utility function further comprises:
determining an amount of resource based on the individual resource needs;
adjusting the amount of resource based on the current conditions; and
calculating a per plant prescription in the plurality of per plant prescriptions that is distinct from the individual resource needs.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the plurality of per plant prescriptions for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions further comprises:
determining whether an observed growth stage of an individual plant parallels an expected growth stage of the individual plant; and
responsive to the observed growth stage of the individual plant being different than the expected growth stage of the individual plant, adjusting an amount of the resource based on the observed growth stage.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the plurality of per plant prescriptions for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions further comprises:
detecting soil moisture data associated with the plurality of plants;
analyzing the soil moisture data using a soil moisture model;
determining whether the soil moisture data parallels the soil moisture model for the plurality of plants; and
responsive to the soil moisture data being different than the soil moisture model, adjusting an amount of the resource based on the soil moisture data and updating a knowledge base with the soil moisture data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the plurality of per plant prescriptions for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions further comprises:
determining whether an observed actual resource use of an individual plant parallels an expected resource need of the individual plant, wherein the observed actual resource use of the individual plant includes information received from current weather and solar forecast and information received from soil moisture data; and
responsive to the observed actual resource use of the individual plant being different than the expected resource need of the individual plant, adjusting an amount of resource based on the observed actual resource use.

11. A system for managing resource use, the system comprising:
a communication system for accessing a knowledge base having stored information about a plurality of plants located in an outdoor, non-controlled environment;
a utility function for individually determining a per plant prescription for each individual one of the plurality of plants using a number of constraints, wherein the number of constraints include individual resource needs for each plant in the plurality of plants; and
a machine controller configured to control at least one mobile utility vehicle for executing the per plant prescription to dispense the at least one mobile utility vehicle to each individual plant in the plurality of plants to automatically apply a resource to the each individual plant according to the per plant prescription for the each individual plant.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein to automatically apply the resource to the plurality of plants according to the per plant prescription further comprises:
dispensing the mobile utility vehicle to an area containing the plurality of plants; and
transferring the resource from the resource storage unit onto the plurality of plants.

13. A system for managing resource use, the system comprising:
a communication system for accessing a knowledge base having stored information about a plurality of plants located in an outdoor, non-controlled environment;
a utility function for individually determining a per plant prescription for each individual one of the plurality of plants using a number of constraints, wherein the number of constraints include individual resource needs for each plant in the plurality of plants; and
a machine controller for controlling at least one mobile utility vehicle for executing the per plant prescription to dispense the at least one mobile utility vehicle to each individual plant in the plurality of plants to automatically apply a resource to the each individual plant according to the per plant prescription for the each individual plant.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the stored information about the plurality of plants comprises at least one of information about an operating environment, plant species and varieties located in the operating environment, information about the resource needs, growth stages, and life cycles of the plant species and the varieties located in the operating environment, current weather for the operating environment, weather history for the operating environment, current operating conditions for the operating environment, a soil moisture model, specific environmental features of the operating environment that affect the mobile utility vehicle, a number of constraints, resource rules for the operating environment, resource source authentication information, resource source identification information, and resource source level information.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communication system further receives current information comprising at least one of soil moistu

Assignees

• Anderson Noel Wayne
• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Anderson Noel Wayne

Classifications

• G06Q10/06315

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• A01G25/167 Primary

  Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors · CPC title

• G06Q10/06313

  Resource planning in a project environment · CPC title