Systems and methods for detecting soil characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733355-B2
Application number	US-201715450476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A soil detection and planting apparatus. The apparatus includes a vehicle and a controller coupled to the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a planting device coupled to the vehicle, the planting device configured to plant seeds or plants into a soil material. The apparatus includes a ground penetrating radar sensor coupled to the vehicle. The ground penetrating radar soil sensor is configured to scan the soil material up to a designated depth beneath a surface of the soil material, wherein the ground penetrating radar soil sensor is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to the controller with respect to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material. The controller is configured to instruct placement of a seed or a plant into the soil material based on the feedback signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A soil detection apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a controller;
a non-contact soil sensor coupled to the housing, the non-contact soil sensor configured to scan a soil material and to provide a sensor feedback signal to the controller with respect to a characteristic of the soil material; and
a location sensor configured to provide a location feedback signal to the controller;
wherein the controller is configured to create a map of the soil material based on the sensor feedback signal and the location feedback signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the soil characteristic is an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material comprising at least one of a composition of the soil material, a water property of the soil material, a presence of humus in the soil material, a density of the soil material, and a soil material porosity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller analyzes the location feedback signal to determine a specific location of the soil characteristic.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller indicates the soil characteristic on the map at the specific location.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is an extrinsic characteristic of the soil material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the extrinsic characteristic comprises a presence of the soil material.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the extrinsic characteristic comprises a depth of the soil material.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the extrinsic characteristic comprises a presence of an object beneath the surface of the soil material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller identifies the object based on the sensor feedback signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller analyzes the location feedback signal to determine a specific location of the extrinsic soil characteristic.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller updates the map with an indication of a location of the extrinsic soil characteristic.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be mounted in a bed of a pickup truck.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is part of the ground-driven vehicle.

14. An air-based soil detection apparatus comprising:
an aircraft;
a controller;
a soil sensor coupled to the aircraft, the soil sensor configured to locate at least a portion of an irrigation system contained within a soil material or on a surface of the soil material, wherein the soil sensor is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal relating to the detected portion of the irrigation system to the controller; and
a location sensor coupled to the aircraft, the location sensor configured to provide a location feedback signal to the controller;
wherein the controller is configured to create a map of the soil material including a location of the portion of the irrigation system based on the sensor feedback signal and the location feedback signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the soil sensor is a ground penetrating radar unit that emits electromagnetic radio waves into the soil material.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the soil sensor is a reflection seismology sensor that transmits acoustic waves into the soil material.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the aircraft is an airplane.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a spraying device coupled to the aircraft.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the controller instructs the spraying device to spray a liquid over a target area of land.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the controller updates the map with an indication of a location of the liquid.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 , further including memory coupled to the controller, wherein the controller stores the map in the memory.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a network interface coupled to the controller.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the controller exports the map to an external computing device through the network interface.

24. A apparatus comprising:
a vehicle;
a controller;
a soil sensor coupled to the vehicle, the soil sensor configured to locate at least a portion of an irrigation system contained within a soil material or on a surface of the soil material, wherein the soil sensor is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal relating to the detected portion of the irrigation system to the controller; and
a location sensor coupled to the vehicle, the location sensor configured to provide a location feedback signal to the controller;
wherein the controller is configured to create a map of the soil material including a location of the portion of the irrigation system based on the sensor feedback signal and the location feedback signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the soil sensor is a ground penetrating radar unit that emits electromagnetic radio waves into the soil material.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the soil sensor is a reflection seismology sensor that transmits acoustic waves into the soil material.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the vehicle is an airplane.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the vehicle is a ground-driven vehicle.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising a spraying device coupled to the vehicle.

30. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the controller instructs the spraying device to spray a liquid over a target area of land.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the controller updates the map with an indication of a location of the liquid.

32. The apparatus of claim 24 , further including memory coupled to the controller, wherein the controller stores the map in the memory.

33. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising a network interface coupled to the controller.

34. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the controller exports the map to an external computing device through the network interface.

35. A soil detection and planting apparatus comprising:
a vehicle;
a controller;
a planting device coupled to the vehicle, the planting device configured to plant seeds or plants into a soil material at varying depths;
a non-contact soil sensor in communication with the controller and configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to the controller with respect to a characteristic of the soil material; and
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a designated planting depth in the soil material based on the sensor feedback signal, and
instruct placement of a seed or a plant into the soil material at the designated planting depth by the planting device.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Chan Alistair K
• Duncan William D
• Hyde Roderick A
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• G01S7/412

  based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values · CPC title

• G01S15/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• A01G25/167

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

• A01C23/04

  Distributing under pressure; Distributing mud; Adaptation of watering systems for fertilising-liquids · CPC title

• B64D1/18

  by spraying, e.g. insecticides · CPC title