# US 12,117,841 B2 · Methods and systems for detection of agricultural spraying errors

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- Number: US 12,117,841 B2
- Document ID: US12117841B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/489,123
- Filed: 2021-09-29
- Published: 2022-01-20
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-29
- Assignees: Agromentum Ltd.
- Applicants: Agromentum Ltd.
- Inventors: Iftach Birger; Boaz Bachar; Tal Weksler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12117841B2

## CPC

- A01B 76/00: Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00
- G05D 1/0223: {involving speed control of the vehicle (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00)}
- A01M 7/0089: {Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06)}
- G01S 19/42: Determining position
- G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface}
- G05D 1/648: Performing a task within a working area or space, e.g. cleaning
- G05D 1/65: Following a desired speed profile
- A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- 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
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A method includes receiving a location sample; determining whether the location sample is sufficient quality; if the location sample is not sufficient quality, discarding the current location sample; if the location sample is sufficient quality, determining whether the location sample is within a same row as a prior location sample; if the location sample is not within the same row as the prior location sample, discarding the location sample; if the location sample is within the same row as the prior location sample, assigning the location sample to the same row and generating an updated block map; determining whether the updated block map includes a potential skipped row; and issuing an alert if the potential skipped row remains a potential skipped row for an amount of time greater than a first threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving a tractor speed of a tractor;
comparing the tractor speed to a stop threshold speed;
if the tractor speed does not exceed the stop threshold speed, determining that the tractor is stationary;
if the tractor speed exceeds the stop threshold speed, determining whether the tractor is within a block;
if the tractor is not within the block, determining that the tractor is driving;
if the tractor is within the block, determining whether the tractor speed exceeds an operation threshold speed;
if the tractor speed exceeds the operation threshold speed, determining that the tractor is driving;
if the tractor speed does not exceed the operation threshold speed, determining whether the tractor has a specific action sensor;
if the tractor has a specific action sensor, detecting an activity of the tractor based on the specific action sensor;
if the tractor does not have a specific action sensor, determining whether the tractor has a further sensor;
if the tractor has the further sensor, detecting the activity of the tractor based on the further sensor;
if the tractor does not have the further sensor, determining whether the tractor has an RFID tag;
if the tractor has the RFID tag, determining the tractor activity based on a default activity of the RFID tag; and
if the tractor does not have the RFID tag, determining the tractor activity based on a default activity for the tractor.

### Claim 2

A method, comprising:
determining whether a tractor is spraying;
if the tractor is not spraying, determining that no spraying error is occurring;
if the tractor is spraying, determining whether the spraying is appropriate for a current weather condition;
if the spraying is not appropriate for the current weather condition, issuing an alert;
if the spraying is appropriate for the current weather conditions, determining whether a current speed of the tractor is within a speed guideline;
if the current speed of the tractor is not within the speed guideline, issuing an alert;
if the current speed of the tractor is within the speed guideline, determining whether a current flow rate of the tractor is within a flow rate guideline;
if the current flow rate of the tractor is not within the flow rate guideline, issuing an alert;
if the current flow rate of the tractor is within the flow rate guideline, determining whether a current location of the tractor is within a block; and
if the current location of the tractor is not within the block, issuing an alert.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether the tractor is spraying is performed by a method comprising steps of:
receiving a tractor speed of the tractor;
comparing the tractor speed to a stop threshold speed;
if the tractor speed does not exceed the stop threshold speed, determining that the tractor is stationary;
if the tractor speed exceeds the stop threshold speed, determining whether the tractor is within a block;
if the tractor is not within the block, determining that the tractor is driving;
if the tractor is within the block, determining whether the tractor speed exceeds an operation threshold speed;
if the tractor speed exceeds the operation threshold speed, determining that the tractor is driving;
if the tractor speed does not exceed the operation threshold speed, determining whether the tractor has a specific action sensor;
if the tractor has a specific action sensor, detecting an activity of the tractor based on the specific action sensor;
if the tractor does not have a specific action sensor, determining whether the tractor has a further sensor;
if the tractor has the further sensor, detecting the activity of the tractor based on the further sensor;
if the tractor does not have the further sensor, determining whether the tractor has an RFID tag;
if the tractor has the RFID tag, determining the tractor activity based on a default activity of the RFID tag; and
if the tractor does not have the RFID tag, determining the tractor activity based on a default activity for the tractor.

### Claim 4

A method, comprising:
receiving a current location sample;
determining whether the current location sample is of sufficient quality;
if the current location sample is not of sufficient quality, discarding the current location sample;
if the current location sample is of sufficient quality, determining whether the current location sample is within a same row as at least one prior location sample;
if the current location sample is not within the same row as the at least one prior location sample, discarding the current location sample;
if the current location sample is within the same row as the at least one prior location sample, assigning the current location sample to the same row and generating an updated block map;
determining whether the updated block map includes a potential skipped row;
issuing an alert if the potential skipped row remains a potential skipped row for an amount of time greater than a first threshold;
determining whether the updated block map includes potential adjacent skipped rows;
issuing an alert if the potential adjacent skipped rows remain potential adjacent skipped rows for an amount of time greater than a second threshold;
identifying duplicate spraying within a duplicate spraying row; and
issuing an alert for the duplicate spraying.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether the current location sample is of sufficient quality comprises comparing a current location sample accuracy to a threshold accuracy, wherein the current location sample is determined to be of sufficient quality if the current location sample accuracy is better than the threshold accuracy, and wherein the current location sample is determined not to be of sufficient quality if the current location sample accuracy is worse than the threshold accuracy.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the current location sample accuracy is received from a global navigation satellite system receiver.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold accuracy is three meters.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein a potential skipped row is a row that has not been sprayed and that has rows that have been sprayed to either side thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the first threshold is one hour.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the second threshold is between six hours and eighteen hours.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein a duplicate spraying row is a row that has been sprayed by more than one tractor.