Handheld device and method for determining a plant status
AssigneeYara International Asa
InventorStefan REUSCH
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Abstract
The invention relates to a handheld device and method for determining a status of one or more plants. The device includes a digital color camera arranged for obtaining a color image of plants within a field of view, a light source arranged for providing broadband illumination to the plants within the field of view, and a processing unit arranged for controlling the camera and the light source for obtaining a first image of the plants while the light source illuminates the plants with broadband illumination, and obtaining a second image of the plants while the light source does not illuminate the plants.
Claims20
Handheld device for determining a status of one or more plants comprising:
- a digital color camera arranged for obtaining a color image of plants within a field of view, the color image including pixels, each of which comprises at least a red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color component, together forming a set of color components;
- a light source arranged for providing broadband illumination at least to the plants within the field of view;
- a processing unit arranged for controlling the camera and the light source for obtaining a first image of the plants while the light source illuminates the plants with the broadband illumination, and obtaining a second image of the plants while the light source does not illuminate the plants,
- wherein the processing unit is arranged for performing at least the following operations:
- (i) determining a first color value representative of a difference in intensity values in the first and the second image for a first of the color components;
- (ii) determining a second color value representative of a difference in intensity values in the first and the second image for a second of the color components;
- (iii) calculating a value representative of a status of the plants using the first color value and the second color value.
Casing for a smartphone or tablet, including a first polarization filter positioned to cover a camera lens of the smartphone or tablet, and a second polarization filter positioned to cover an illumination unit of the smartphone or tablet.
Computer program product for determining a status of one or more plants including software code portions arranged for, when executed on a programmable device, causing the device to:
- obtain a first image of plants with a digital color camera of the device while a light source of the device illuminates the plants with broadband illumination,
- obtain a second image of the plants with the digital color camera while the light source does not illuminate the plants, and
- calculate a status of the plants by:
- (i) determining a first color value representative of a difference in intensity values in the first and the second image for a first of the color components;
- (ii) determining a second color value representative of a difference in intensity values in the first and the second image for a second of the color components;
- and
- (iii) calculating a value representative of a status of the plants using the first color value and the second color value.
Method for determining a status of one or more plants using a device including a digital color camera arranged for obtaining a color image of plants within a field of view, the color image including pixels, each of which comprises at least a red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color component, together forming a set of color components, a light source arranged for providing broadband illumination at least to the plants within the field of view, and a processing unit, the method including:
- obtaining, using the camera, a first image of the plants while the light source illuminates the plants with the broadband illumination,
- obtaining, using the camera, a second image of the plants while the light source does not illuminate the plants, and
- calculating a status of the plants by having the processing unit:
- (i) determine a first color value representative of a difference in intensity values in the first and the second image for a first of the color components;
- (ii) determine a second color value representative of a difference in intensity values in the first and the second image for a second of the color components;
- and
- (iii) calculate a value representative of a status of the plants using the first color value and the second color value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.