US 7,412,330 B2 · Sensor system, method, and computer program product for plant phenotype measurement in agricultural environments

Abstract

A sensor system, method, and computer program product for determining physical characteristics of individual plants within a row located in an agricultural environment is provided. Embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, a sensor assembly including a plurality of emitters and a corresponding plurality of receivers disposed substantially opposite one another such that the receivers may receive a plurality of signals emitted by said emitters to generate a binary profile image of each plant within a row of plants positioned along a row axis. Embodiments of the present invention also include supplementary sensors for determining other plant characteristics including leaf pattern and plant location along the row axis. The method and computer program product embodiments of the present invention may also differentiate selected plants of interest from invasive or weed species using the outputs of the sensor device of the present invention.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A system for measuring physical characteristics of a plant in an agricultural environment, the system comprising:

a sensor assembly including a plurality of emitters and a plurality of receivers disposed substantially opposite and parallel to said plurality of emitters for receiving a plurality of signals emitted by said emitters such that said receivers and said emitters may be positioned on opposite sides of the plant;
a computer device in communication with said sensor assembly for detecting the reception of signals by said receivers;
wherein said emitters emit the plurality of signals such that a portion of the plant obscures at least a portion of the plurality of signals;
wherein said computer device receives a plant profile data set generated by said plurality of receivers comprising a plurality of positive data points corresponding to a received signal and a plurality of negative data points corresponding to the portion of the plurality of signals obscured by the plant;
and
wherein said computer device generates a plant characteristic data set containing plant characteristic data based at least in part on the plant profile data received from said plurality of receivers such that the plant characteristic data set may be used to measure the physical characteristics of the plant.

3 more elements

A method for measuring physical characteristics of a plant in an agricultural environment, the method comprising:

providing a sensor assembly including a plurality of emitters and a plurality of receivers disposed substantially opposite and parallel to said plurality of emitters for receiving a plurality of signals emitted by said emitters and a computer device in communication with said profile sensor assembly;
positioning said sensor assembly relative to the plant such that said receivers and said emitters are positioned on opposite sides of the plant;
emitting the plurality of signals from said emitters such that a portion of the plant obscures at least a portion of the plurality of signals;
receiving a portion of the plurality of signals at said receivers such that said receivers generate a plant profile data set comprising a plurality of positive data points corresponding to a received signal and a plurality of negative data points corresponding to the signals obscured by the portion of the plant;
and,
generating a plant characteristic data set containing plant characteristic data based at least in part on the plant profile data received from said plurality of receivers such that the plant characteristic data set may be used to measure the physical characteristics the plant.

3 more elements

A computer program product for controlling a computer device in communication with a sensor assembly comprising a plurality of emitters and a corresponding plurality of receivers disposed substantially opposite and parallel to said emitters for receiving a plurality of signals emitted by said emitters to determine physical characteristics of a plant in an agricultural environment, wherein a portion of a plant obscures at least a portion of the plurality of signals, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code instructions stored therein comprising:

a first set of computer instructions for receiving a portion of the plurality of signals at said receivers such that said receivers generate a plant profile data set comprising a plurality of positive data points corresponding to a received signal and a plurality of negative data points corresponding to the signals obscured by the portion of the plant;
and,
a second set of computer instructions for generating a plant characteristic data set containing plant characteristic data based at least in part on the plant profile data received from said plurality of receivers such that the plant characteristic data set may be used to measure the physical characteristics of the plant.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sensor system, method, and computer program product for plant phenotype measurement in agricultural environments

Life of this patent

Sensor system, method, and computer program product for plant phenotype measurement in agricultural environments

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44