Systems and methods for detecting soil characteristics

• US 10,371,814 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chan, Alistair K., Duncan, William David, Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US16/017,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20180306914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/00 Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/04 Distributing under pressure; Distributing mud; Adaptation of watering systems for fertilising-liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/085 Broadcast seeders
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/18 by spraying, e.g. insecticides spraying apparatus per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/412 based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values

Abstract

A soil detection and planting apparatus. The apparatus includes a vehicle and a controller coupled to the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a planting device coupled to the vehicle, the planting device configured to plant seeds or plants into a soil material. The apparatus includes a ground penetrating radar sensor coupled to the vehicle. The ground penetrating radar soil sensor is configured to scan the soil material up to a designated depth beneath a surface of the soil material, wherein the ground penetrating radar soil sensor is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to the controller with respect to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material. The controller is configured to instruct placement of a seed or a plant into the soil material based on the feedback signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

means for scanning soil material beneath a land-traversing vehicle up to a designated depth with a ground penetrating radar, the scanning including receiving a radar return signal responsive to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material;

means for determining a suitability of the soil material at a specific location for a particular type of seed or plant in response to the received radar return signal;

means for selecting an optimal depth or density for the particular type of seed or plant in response to the determined suitability; and

means for planting in the soil material at the specific location the particular type of seed or plant using the selected optimal depth or density.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the soil material scanning means, the soil suitability determining means, the optimal depth or density selecting means, and the material planting means are disposable on a land-traversing vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the soil material scanning means includes a ground penetrating radar configured to scan soil material beneath a land-traversing vehicle up to a designated depth, the scan including receiving a radar return signal responsive to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the soil suitability determining means includes a processing circuit configured to determine a suitability of the soil material at a specific location for a particular type of seed or plant in response to the received radar return signal responsive to the intrinsic characteristic of the soil material.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the optimal depth or density selecting means includes the processing circuit, the processing circuit being further configured to select an optimal depth or density for the particular type of seed or plant in response to the determined suitability.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the material planting means includes a planting device configured to plant in the soil material at the specific location the particular type of seed or plant using the selected optimal depth or density.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the intrinsic soil characteristic includes at least one characteristic chosen from a composition of the soil material, a moisture property of the soil material, a presence of humus in the soil material, a density of the soil material, or a soil material porosity.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determine a suitability of the soil includes determine a depth of water beneath the surface of the soil material.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determine a suitability of the soil includes determine a quantity of water beneath the surface of the soil material.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ground penetrating radar unit includes a non-insertion ground penetrating radar unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ground penetrating radar unit includes an insertion ground penetrating radar unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to create a map indicative of at least two specific locations, the map including the respective selected optimal depth or density of the planting of the particular seed or plant of each specific location of the at least two locations.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the map includes a correlation of a GPS-based location with each specific location of the at least two locations.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus further comprises a GPS-based location sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radar return signal is further responsive to an extrinsic characteristic of the soil material.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radar return signal is further responsive to a presence of an irrigation system below the surface of the soil material.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a land-traversing vehicle; and

a system disposed on the and-traversing vehicle, the system including;

means for scanning soil material beneath the land-traversing vehicle up to a designated depth with a ground penetrating radar, the scanning including receiving a radar return signal responsive to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material;

means for determining a suitability of the soil material at a specific location for a particular type of seed or plant in response to the received radar return signal;

means for selecting an optimal depth or density for the particular type of seed or plant in response to the determined suitability; and

means for planting in the soil material at the specific location the particular type of seed or plant using the selected optimal depth or density.

18. The apparatus of claim 17,

wherein the material planting means includes a planting device configured to plant in the soil material at the specific location the particular type of seed or plant using the selected optimal depth or density.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the intrinsic soil characteristic includes at least one characteristic chosen from a composition of the soil material, a moisture property of the soil material, a presence of humus in the soil material, a density of the soil material, or a soil material porosity.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a land-traversing vehicle; and

a system disposed on the and-traversing vehicle, the system including;

means for scanning soil material beneath the land-traversing vehicle up to a designated depth with a ground penetrating radar, the scanning including receiving a radar return signal responsive to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material;

means for determining a suitability of the soil material at a specific location for a particular type of seed or plant in response to the received radar return signal;

means for selecting an optimal depth or density for the particular type of seed or plant in response to the determined suitability;

means for creating a map indicative of at least two specific locations, the map including the respective selected optimal depth or density of the planting of the particular seed or plant of each specific location of the at least two locations; and

means for planting in the soil material at the specific location the particular type of seed or plant using the selected optimal depth or density.