System and method for presentation of ears of corn for image acquisition and evaluation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539618-B2
Application number	US-201213367402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2012
Priority date	Apr 14, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A system for automated high throughput presentation of an ear of corn for image acquisition and evaluation is provided. The ear evaluation system may include an image acquisition system for acquiring an image of the ear of corn. An ear staging system may be configured for coordinating timing and movement of the ear of corn through the image acquisition system. The ear evaluation system may define a mobile structure. Thereby the mobile structure may be driven or towed over rows of corn in order to acquire images of the corn substantially simultaneously with picking the ears of corn. Accordingly, image data relating to ears of corn may be obtained in a rapid manner. A method for high throughput presentation of a plurality of ears of corn for image acquisition and evaluation is also provided.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A mobile system for automated high throughput presentation of an ear of corn for image acquisition and evaluation, comprising:
a mobile ear husking unit adapted to strip a husk and a plurality of silks from the ear of corn, said ear husking system comprising a downwardly sloped lane formed by two parallel rollers and connected to
an ear staging system configured for coordinating timing and movement of the ear of corn through an image acquisition system, wherein said ear staging system comprises a singulation device configured for timing separated advancement of the husked ear of corn through the image acquisition system and an outlet in ear delivering communication with a mobile image acquisition system for acquiring an image of the ear of corn, wherein the image is used to determine at least one of kernels per ear, kernel area, ear size, scattergrain or tip kernel abortion; and
a post processing system comprising at least one of:
a. an ear disposal system for destroying and/or discarding ears of corn which are not collected; and
b. an ear collection and storage system configured for associating the ear of corn with the image.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ear staging system further comprises an orientation device configured for orienting the ear of corn for presentation at a desired attitude while passing through the image acquisition system.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a sensory system configured for determining the presence or absence of the ear of corn for triggering one or more systems or actions.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the sensory system is configured to trigger an image sensor adapted to acquire the image of the ear of corn.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the sensory system comprises at least one of:
a. an electronic sensor;
b. an electromechanical sensor; and
c. a mechanical sensor.

6. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an onboard image storage and processing system:
a. adapted to store the image or a plurality of image data in a data store; and/or
b. adapted to apply one or more image processing algorithms to the image of the ear of corn for extracting the image data and adapted to extract interpreted data from the image data.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ear staging system comprises an ear advancement device configured for advancing the ear of corn through the image acquisition system.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ear staging system comprises one or more conveyance paths having a confluence in ear delivering communication with the image acquisition system.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the one or more conveyance paths comprise:
a. an inlet in ear receiving communication with an ear husking system; and
b. an outlet in ear delivering communication with the image acquisition system.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system comprises:
a. an ear picking system for picking the ear of corn; and
b. an ear husking system for revealing one or more characteristics of the ear of corn.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the ear picking system comprises an ear picking row unit attached to a forward receiving end of the mobile structure.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the ear picking row unit comprises:
a. a stalk receiving end for passing over a row of corn; and
b. an ear delivering end for delivering the ear of corn to the ear husking system.

13. The system according to claim 10 further comprising a conveyor system disposed between the ear picking system and the ear husking system.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein associating the ear of corn with the image comprises attaching an identifier label to the ear of corn associated with the image.

15. The system according to claim 10 further comprising a user interface and a controller for manual and/or automated operation of:
a. the ear picking system;
b. the ear husking system;
c. the ear staging system; and
d. the image acquisition system.

16. A method for automated high throughput presentation of a plurality of ears of corn for image acquisition and evaluation, comprising:
providing the ears of corn;
stripping a husk and a plurality of silks from each of the ears of corn using a mobile ear husking unit comprising a lane formed by two parallel rollers and sloped in a generally downward direction;
coordinating timing and movement of the ears of corn through a mobile image acquisition system using an ear staging system, wherein the ear staging system comprises singulating each of the ears for timing separated advancement of the husked ears using a sensing device to detect the presence and/or absence of the ear of corn, and an outlet in ear delivering communication with the mobile image acquisition system;
delivering a singulated husked ear to the image acquisition system;
acquiring an image of the singulated husked ear of corn using an image sensor of the image acquisition system, wherein the image is used to determine at least one of kernels per ear, kernel area, ear size, scattergrain or tip kernel abortion; and
destroying or disposing of one or more uncollected ears of corn or collecting and associating one or more ears of corn with the image.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising orienting each of the ears of corn for presentation at a desired attitude at the image acquisition system.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein sensing the presence and/or absence of the ears of corn comprises at least one of:
a. sensing with electronic sensors;
b. sensing with electromechanical sensors; and
c. sensing with mechanical sensors.

19. The method according to claim 16 further comprising picking the ears of corn using a mobile structure that includes an ear picking system and an ear husking system.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising conveying the ears of corn from the ear picking system to the ear husking system.

21. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:
a. towing the mobile structure over a row of corn; or
b. driving the mobile structure over the row of corn.

22. The method according to claim 16 further comprising picking a plurality of rows of corn and substantially simultaneously acquiring the image for each of the ears of corn which are picked from the rows of corn.

23. The method according to claim 16 further comprising collecting and storing a plurality of image data for the ears of corn with the image acquisition system.

24. The method according to claim 16 further comprising:
a. applying one or more image processing algorithms to the image for generating a plurality of image data; and
b. extracting and analyzing a plurality of interpreted data from the image data.

Assignees

• Alley Scott E
• Hausmann Neil J
• Homan Craig R
• Kelsick Jason J
• Parlett Michelle L
• Pioneer Hi Bred Int

Inventors

• Alley Scott E
• Hausmann Neil J
• Homan Craig R
• Kelsick Jason J
• Parlett Michelle L

Classifications

• B07C2501/009

  Sorting of fruit · CPC title

• A01D45/02

  of maize {, i.e. kernel harvesting (for ensilage maize A01D43/081)} · CPC title

• B07C5/02 Primary

  Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating {(sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06)} · CPC title