System and method for visual confirmation of planter performance
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorMatthew Mentzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically capturing visual data of a seed placed by a seed planting machine (e.g., a crop row planter). An electronic controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a seed being dispensed by the seed planting machine and to trigger a camera to capture an image of the dispensed seed in response to a determination, based on the signal, that the seed has been dispensed by the seed planting machine. In some implementations, the system includes a seed sensor configured to detect a seed moving through a seed tube that dispensed seeds from the seed planting machine. In other implementations, the system is configured to detect a new seed being dispensed by the seed planting machine by analyzing image data captured by a camera.
Claims20
A system for automatically capturing visual data of a seed placed by a seed planting machine, the system comprising:
- a camera coupled to the seed planting machine and positioned with a field of view that includes a portion of a field surface;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to
- detect a seed being dispensed by the seed planting machine,
- trigger the camera to capture an image of the dispensed seed in response to the expiration of a delay period after detecting the seed being dispensed, and
- adjust the delay period based at least in part on an analysis of the captured image of the dispensed seed.
A method for automatically capturing visual data of a seed placed by a seed planting machine, the method comprising:
- detecting, by an electronic controller, a seed being dispensed by the seed planting machine,
- triggering a camera to capture an image of the dispensed seed in response to the expiration of a delay period after detecting the seed being dispensed, wherein the camera is coupled to the seed planting machine and positioned with a field of view that includes a portion of the a field surface, and
- adjusting the delay period based at least in part on an analysis of the captured image of the dispensed seed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.