Plant stand counter

• US 10,303,944 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Hundley, Christopher A., Crain, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Tracy Y.
• Application Number:
  US15/350,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/188 Vegetation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/194 using hyperspectral data, i.e. more or other wavelengths than RGB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths

Abstract

A method for recognizing individual plants of a selected type growing in a field, wherein the method comprises capturing color NIR image data of an entire field having plants of a selected type growing therein utilizing an automated plant counting system and calculating a ratio value between each pixel of the color image data and the corresponding pixel of the NIR image data utilizing a plant recognition algorithm executed via a data processing system of the plant counting system. The method additionally comprises generating, via execution of the plant recognition algorithm, a false color image of the field based on the calculated ratios for each pixel, and identifying, via execution of the plant recognition algorithm, all plants of the selected type in the false color image based on a plant distinguishing characteristic uniquely rendered for each individual plant of the selected type in the false color image.

Claims

1. A system for detecting individual plants growing in a field, said system comprising:

a mobile platform structured and operable to controllably traverse a field having plants growing therein;

at least one multispectral camera adjustably mounted to the mobile platform such that a width of a field of view of the at least one camera can be adjusted to encompass one or more of the plants within a desired number of plant rows in the field, the at least one camera structured and operable to capture color image data and near infrared (NIR) image data as the mobile platform traverses the field;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver disposed on the mobile platform and structured and operable to receive satellite positioning data signals identifying the geospatial location of the at least one camera as the at least one camera traverses the field, via the mobile platform, collecting the color and NIR image data;

a computer based data processing system communicatively connected to the at least one camera and the GPS receiver, the computer based data processing system structured and operable to execute a plant recognition algorithm to detect individual plants growing in the field, and

at least one camera suspension and positioning assembly mounted to the mobile platform structured and operable to position at least one camera such that the field of view width of a respective camera encompasses the at least one or more of the plants within the desired number of plant rows in the field, the camera suspension and positioning assembly comprising;

a mast and boom subassembly structured and operable to move camera vertically up or down to position the at least one camera at a desired height above the field; and

a horizontal stage mounted to the mast and boom subassembly and structured and operable to move at least one camera horizontally back and forth to position at least one camera at a desired position above a plant.