Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100222922 | VARIABLE RATE CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES - An apparatus for applying agrochemicals within a geographical area includes a dispensing system configured for dispensing the agrochemicals and a variable rate controller operatively connected to the dispensing system and configured to control dispensement of agrochemicals from the dispensing system. The variable rate controller is programmed with an algorithm which uses a plant growth stage appropriate plug value for an initial calibration. A method for applying agrochemicals within a geographical area includes acquiring a growth stage appropriate plug value for an initial calibration, using the growth state appropriate plug value in the initial calibration, and applying agrochemicals to the geographical area according to the initial calibration. | 09-02-2010 |
20100249998 | SENSOR-BASED CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES - An apparatus for applying agrochemicals within a geographical area includes a dispensing system configured for dispensing the agrochemicals and a variable rate controller operatively connected to the dispensing system and configured to control dispensement of agrochemicals from the dispensing system. The variable rate controller is programmed with an algorithm which uses a plant growth stage appropriate plug value for an initial calibration. A method for applying agrochemicals within a geographical area includes acquiring a growth stage appropriate plug value for an initial calibration, using the growth state appropriate plug value in the initial calibration, and applying agrochemicals to the geographical area according to the initial calibration. | 09-30-2010 |
20110047867 | PLANT TREATMENT BASED ON A WATER INVARIANT CHLOROPHYLL INDEX - A method and system of treating plants is provided. The method includes measuring optical properties of a plant using a plurality of spectral bands. The method further includes calculating in a computational device at least two vegetative indexes using the optical properties, each of the at least two vegetative indexes correlating to one or more plant growth parameters. The method further includes calculating in the computational device a water invariant chlorophyll index from at least two vegetative indexes using the plurality of spectral bands. The also provides for treating one or more of the plants based on the water invariant chlorophyll index. | 03-03-2011 |
20110102798 | OPTICAL REAL-TIME SOIL SENSOR - A light sensing apparatus for measuring the reflectance of sub surface soil in real-time while attached to a moving vehicle is disclosed. Reflectance measurements from the apparatus can be related to the organic matter content of the soil. The apparatus is housed in a corrosion resistant enclosure having field rebuildable wear surfaces. The wear surfaces help extend the life of the apparatus by isolating the apparatus's main enclosure from soil abrasion. The wear surfaces also assist in conditioning the sensed soil surface by smoothing the surface prior to sensing. Signal conditioning circuitry in the apparatus is utilized to reject the influence of ambient light in the advent that the soil/apparatus interface opens. A digital processor or other “intelligent controller” is utilized in the apparatus to auto calibrate the apparatus in real-time and/or use predetermined tables or mathematical relationships in order to convert reflectance information into organic matter measurements. | 05-05-2011 |
20120016517 | AUTO-CALIBRATION METHOD FOR REAL-TIME AGRICULTURAL SENSORS - A method for application of an agricultural product to a field is provided. The method includes acquiring real-time sampled data using real-time agricultural sensors, auto-calibrating the real-time agricultural sensors using statistical characteristics of the real-time sampled data to determine an application rate, and applying the agricultural product to the field based on the application rate. The step of auto-calibrating can be performed in various ways depending upon the type of agricultural product, the data available from the agricultural sensors or otherwise, or otherwise. | 01-19-2012 |
20130250280 | PLANT TREATMENT BASED ON A WATER INVARIANT CHLOROPHYLL INDEX - A method and system of treating plants is provided. The method includes measuring optical properties of a plant using a plurality of spectral bands. The method further includes calculating in a computational device at least two vegetative indexes using the optical properties, each of the at least two vegetative indexes correlating to one or more plant growth parameters. The method further includes calculating in the computational device a water invariant chlorophyll index from at least two vegetative indexes using the plurality of spectral bands. The also provides for treating one or more of the plants based on the water invariant chlorophyll index. | 09-26-2013 |
20130250305 | OPTICAL REAL-TIME SOIL SENSOR - A light sensing apparatus for measuring the reflectance of sub surface soil in real-time while attached to a moving vehicle is disclosed. Reflectance measurements from the apparatus can be related to the organic matter content of the soil. The apparatus is housed in a corrosion resistant enclosure having field rebuildable wear surfaces. The wear surfaces help extend the life of the apparatus by isolating the apparatus's main enclosure from soil abrasion. The wear surfaces also assist in conditioning the sensed soil surface by smoothing the surface prior to sensing. Signal conditioning circuitry in the apparatus is utilized to reject the influence of ambient light in the advent that the soil/apparatus interface opens. A digital processor or other “intelligent controller” is utilized in the apparatus to auto calibrate the apparatus in real-time and/or use predetermined tables or mathematical relationships in order to convert reflectance information into organic matter measurements. | 09-26-2013 |
20140091199 | VARIABLE RATE CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES WITH NUTRITION BOOST - An apparatus configured for dispensing nutrients is provided. The apparatus includes a dispensing system configured for dispensing the nutrients, a variable rate controller operatively connected to the dispensing system and configured to control dispensement of the nutrients from the dispensing system. The variable rate controller is programmed to determine a primary nutrient application rate and an additional nutrient boost rate. | 04-03-2014 |
20140345340 | VARIABLE RATE CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES USING MULTIFORM GROWTH RESPONSE FUNCTION - A method for applying agrochemicals within a geographical area, the method includes determining identify of a first hybrid or variety within the geographical area, determining identify of a second hybrid or variety within the geographical area, and applying agrochemicals to the geographical area using a variable rate controller based on the identity of the first hybrid or variety and the identity of the second hybrid or variety and wherein the variable rate controller is configured to apply the agrochemicals using a first model for the first hybrid or variety within the geographical area and a second model for the second hybrid or variety within the geographical area. | 11-27-2014 |
20140346319 | VARIABLE RATE CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES USING MULTIFORM GROWTH RESPONSE FUNCTION - An apparatus configured for dispensing nutrients includes a dispensing system configured for dispensing the nutrients for a particular plant hybrid or plant variety and a variable rate controller operatively connected to the dispensing system and configured to control dispensement of the nutrients from the dispensing system. The variable rate controller may be programmed to use a plant growth response function for the particular plant hybrid or plant variety and adjust the dispensement of the nutrients from the dispensing system based on the plant growth response function and further programmed to use a pre-determined plug value for the particular plant hybrid or plant variety for initial calibration. | 11-27-2014 |
20140358381 | OPTICAL REAL-TIME SOIL SENSOR AND AUTO-CALIBRATION METHODS - A method for application of an agricultural product to a field, the method includes acquiring real-time sampled data using real-time agricultural sensors, wherein the real-time agricultural sensors include a soil sensor, auto-calibrating the real-time agricultural sensors using statistical characteristics of the real-time sampled data to determine an application rate, and applying the agricultural product to the field based on the application rate. | 12-04-2014 |