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US 10,371,683 B2Granted
Systems and methods for monitoring agricultural products
AssigneeAgerpoint, Inc.
InventorK. Thomas McPeek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring agricultural products. In particular, the present invention relates to monitoring fruit production, plant growth, and plant vitality.
Claims16
A plant analysis system, comprising:
- a server configured to receive data from a 3D laser scanner, a camera, and a global positioning satellite (“GPS”) receiver, wherein the 3D laser scanner assembles point cloud data of a plant by creating a plurality of three dimensional vertices having three dimensional coordinates that are relative to the 3D laser scanner, the camera collects photographic data by taking an image of the plant, and the GPS receiver measures a location of a transport vehicle;
- a processor configured to:
- geo-register the assembled point cloud data by associating each three dimensional coordinate of the assembled point cloud data with a GPS coordinate using a relational database,
- geo-register the photographic data by associating each three dimensional vertex of the assembled point cloud data with a pixel of the photographic data using the relational database,
- determine plant color based on the photographic data,
- generate classification data selected from one of plant stem diameter, plant height, plant volume, and plant leaf density using the GPS coordinates of the assembled point cloud data and the plant color,
- determining plant quality based on plant color and one of plant stem diameter, plant height, plant volume, and plant leaf density, and
- communicate instructions that control a fruit tree sprayer;
- wherein the fruit tree sprayer receives the instructions from the processor to spray the plant based on the quality of the plant, wherein the instructions control when the fruit tree sprayer sprays, how long the fruit tree sprayer sprays, and what chemicals the fruit tree sprayer sprays on said plant based on said quality of said plant.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving data from a 3D laser scanner, wherein the 30 laser scanner assembles point cloud data of a plant by creating a plurality of three dimensional vertices having three dimensional coordinates that are relative to the 3D laser scanner;
- receiving data from a camera, wherein the camera collects photographic data by taking an image of the plant;
- receiving data from a global positioning satellite (“GPS”) receiver, wherein the GPS receiver measures a location of a transport vehicle;
- geo-registering, with a processor, the assembled point cloud data by associating each three dimensional coordinate of the assembled point cloud data with a GPS coordinate using a relational database;
- geo-registering, with a processor, the photographic data by associating each three dimensional vertex of the assembled point cloud data with a pixel of the photographic data using the relational database;
- determining plant color based on said photographic data;
- generating classification data selected from one of plant stem diameter, plant height, plant volume, and plant leaf density using the GPS coordinates of the assembled point cloud data and the plant color;
- determining plant quality based on plant color and one of plant stem diameter, plant height, plant volume, and plant leaf density;
- and
- communicating instructions that control a fruit tree sprayer;
- receiving the instructions at the fruit tree sprayer;
- controlling the fruit tree sprayer with the instructions to spray the plant based on the quality of the plant, wherein the instructions control when the fruit tree sprayer sprays, how long the fruit tree sprayer sprays, and what chemicals the fruit tree sprayer sprays on the plant based on the quality of the plant.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.