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US 11,181,516 B2Granted
Methods and systems for analyzing a field
AssigneeAirscout Inc.
InventorBrian Harold Sutton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for analyzing a field. The methods and systems acquire a thermal image indicative of thermal energy emitted by the soil and/or plants in the field and process the thermal image to assess variations in certain characteristics of the soil and/or plants.
Claims8
A method of analyzing a field, the method comprising:
- positioning an imaging system in an aircraft;
- acquiring with the imaging system an aerial thermal image of at least a portion of the field while the aircraft is in flight over the field;
- georeferencing the aerial thermal image by superimposing the aerial thermal image on a geographical map of the field to obtain a georeferenced aerial thermal image;
- providing the georeferenced aerial thermal image to a user interface;
- indicating with the user interface a location on the georeferenced aerial thermal image to be inspected in the field;
- operating an unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over the location in the field, the unmanned aerial vehicle having a camera, means for location tracking the unmanned aerial vehicle, and means for communicating through a cellular network;
- and
- controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle with the user interface through the cellular network to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over the location in the field while providing to the user interface a live camera view of the field with the camera and an indication on the georeferenced aerial thermal image of where the unmanned aerial vehicle is over the field as the live camera view is acquired.
5 more elements
A system for analyzing a field, the system comprising:
- an imaging system in an aircraft, the imaging system being operable to acquire an aerial thermal image of at least a portion of the field while the aircraft is in flight over the field;
- means for georeferencing the aerial thermal image by superimposing the aerial thermal image on a geographical map of the field to obtain a georeferenced aerial thermal image;
- means for overlaying the aerial thermal image on the geographical map;
- an unmanned aerial vehicle having a camera for providing a live camera view of the field, means for location tracking the unmanned aerial vehicle, and means for communicating through a cellular network;
- and
- a user interface having means for displaying the georeferenced aerial thermal image, means for indicating the location to be inspected on the georeferenced aerial thermal image, means for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle through the cellular network to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over the location in the field while providing to the user interface the live camera view of the field and an indication on the georeferenced aerial thermal image of where the unmanned aerial vehicle is over the field as the live camera view is acquired.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.