Method and system for identifying an edge of a crop
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorNoel Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere & Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill. 61265, U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere & Company or otherwise.
Claims30
A method for identifying an edge of a crop, the method comprising:
- emitting a transmitted radiation pattern within a defined spatial zone;
- collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone;
- detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least a portion of the transmitted radiation pattern, the observed illumination radiation pattern associated with at least one of an upper interface and a lower interface;
- the upper interface defining a boundary between a top of the unharvested crop and the spatial area thereabove, the lower interface defining a boundary between a bottom of the unharvested crop and the ground or harvested crop;
- and
- identifying image coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.
A method for identifying an edge of a crop, the method comprising:
- emitting a transmitted radiation pattern of one or more generally linear beams spaced apart within a defined spatial zone;
- collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone;
- detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least one of the generally linear beams;
- and
- identifying coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.
A system for identifying an edge of a crop, the system comprising:
- a transmitter for emitting a transmitted radiation pattern within a defined spatial zone in accordance with at least one of a structured light mode and a range-finding mode;
- a receiver for collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone;
- a data processor for detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least a portion of the transmitted radiation pattern, the observed illumination radiation pattern associated with at least one of an upper interface and a lower interface;
- the upper interface defining a boundary between a top of the unharvested portion and the spatial area thereabove, the lower interface defining a boundary between a bottom of the unharvested portion and the ground or harvested portion;
- and the data processor arranged for identifying image coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.