# US 12,004,445 B2 · System and process for dispensing multiple and low rate agricultural products > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,445 B2 - Document ID: US12004445B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/074,466 - Filed: 2020-10-19 - Published: 2021-02-04 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-27 - Assignees: Amvac Chemical Corporation - Applicants: AMVAC Chemical Corporation - Inventors: Larry M. Conrad; Rex A Rysdam; Nathaniel R. Claussen; Richard M. Porter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004445B2 ## CPC - A01C 21/005: {Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern} - A01C 7/06: Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus - A01M 7/0092: {Adding active material (used as well for the introduction of fertilisers in water A01C23/042)} - A01M 9/0092: {Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06)} - A01C 23/007: {Metering or regulating systems} - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS ## Abstract A system for dispensing agricultural products includes an agricultural product container having a memory circuit associated therewith for storing data, the stored data including data unique to the container and the quantity of material dispensed including specific rates of application. An application rate meter device is operatively connected to the agricultural product container and is configured to dispense the agricultural product from the agricultural product container. Precision placement equipment includes a placement tube assembly operatively connected to the application rate meter device to place the agricultural products in the desired locations for efficient activity of the agricultural product. Each placement tube assembly is mounted between depth wheels of a depth control wheel assembly of a planter for placement of product in-furrow between the depth wheels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by at least one computer processor executing computer program instructions stored on at least one main control unit for reporting of actual usage of agricultural product dispensing by a user, the method comprising: a. reading and processing information from at least one container RFID memory circuit when said at least one RFID container memory circuit positioned on an agricultural product container is in operational proximity to at least one row control unit that can read information from said at least one RFID container memory circuit; b. receiving and processing GPS location information while dispensing product from said agricultural product container; and, c. recording said processed GPS location information and RFID container memory circuit information pertaining to usage and application of said agricultural product for later use by the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including determining a change in the product in the container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one computer processor calculates and records on an on-going/constant basis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one computer-processor calculates and records on an on-going/constant basis, the quantity of product that has been removed from each container. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one computer processor is configured to disallow application of the crop input product and notify the human operator via an error message on the graphical user interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a meter controller module is operatively connected to a plurality of RFID-tagged crop input product container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an RFID tag provides information of the net contents of each container. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said memory circuit comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip positioned on the agricultural product container. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said memory circuit comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip and wherein if a product identification is not for an authorized product then an operatively connected meter device will not operate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said stored data includes fields treated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said stored data includes a serial number unique to the container. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said application rate meter device comprises a low application rate meter device, said low application rate meter device configured to dispense low application rate, dry granular crop enhancement products, said low application rate being below 3 ounces per 1000 feet of row. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said application rate meter device comprises a low application rate meter device, said low application rate meter device configured to dispense low application rate, dry granular crop enhancement products, said low application rate being below 3 ounces per 1000 feet of row; and, wherein said low application rate, dry granular crop enhancement products are selected from the set of agricultural products consisting of: insecticides, biological products, fertility products, fungicides, micro-nutrients, growth stimulants, and, RNA silencing or interference gene technology products. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein each placement tube assembly is mounted between depth wheels of a depth control wheel assembly of a planter for placement of product in furrow between the depth wheels; wherein said placement tube assembly includes an elongated placement tube arranged so that it descends from a portion of a frame behind the depth wheels to between the depth wheels. ### Claim 15 A system for dispensing agricultural products, comprising: a) an agricultural product container having a memory circuit associated therewith for storing data, the stored data including data unique to the container and the quantity of material dispensed including specific rates of application; b) an application rate meter device operatively connected to said agricultural product container configured to dispense the agricultural product from the agricultural product container; c) precision placement equipment including a placement tube assembly operatively connected to said application rate meter device to place the agricultural products in the desired locations for efficient activity of the agricultural product, wherein each placement tube assembly is mounted for placement of product in into the seed furrow; and, wherein said memory circuit includes user identity information. ### Claim 16 A process for dispensing agricultural products at a low application rate, comprising the steps of: a. providing a plurality of product containers containing low application rate, dry granular crop enhancement agricultural products; b. providing a plurality of low application rate meter devices operatively connected to said plurality of product containers configured to dispense the agricultural products from the plurality of product containers, said plurality of low application rate meter devices being mounted on planters, said low application rate being defined as a rate below 3 ounces per 1000 feet of row; c. providing precision placement equipment including placement tube assemblies operatively connected to said plurality of low rate meter devices to place the agricultural products in desired locations for efficient activity of the agricultural products wherein each placement tube assembly is mounted between the depth wheels for placement of product in-furrow between the depth wheels of a depth control wheel assembly of the planter; and, d. operating said plurality of low application rate meter devices and said precision placement equipment to dispense the agricultural products at an optimized efficiency, wherein each of said placement tube assemblies includes an elongated placement tube arranged so that it descends from a portion of a planter frame to direct placement of the agricultural products into the seed furrow, wherein each product container has a memory circuit associated therewith for storing data including a quantity of material dispensed, the quantity of material dispensed including specific rates of application; and, wherein said memory circuit includes user identity information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process of claim 16, wherein each placement tube assembly is mounted between depth wheels of a depth control wheel assembly of the planter for placement of product in furrow between the depth wheels; wherein said placement tube assembly includes an elongated placement tube arranged so that it descends from a portion of a frame behind the depth wheels to between the depth wheels.