Plot placement systems and methods

• US 10,375,878 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Climate Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Climate Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Sauder, Derek, Sauder, Doug, Baurer, Phil, Sauder, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US15/496,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20180303025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing a plot in a field based on the location of a marker placed in an application prescription map prior to a crop input application operation are disclosed. The plot defines a plot region. The plot region is defined during the crop input application operation based on the marker location.

Claims

1. A method for generating a plot in a field during a crop input application operation using a variable application implement, comprising:

displaying a geo referenced map of the field;

prompting a user to select a marker location on said displayed map corresponding to at least one geo referenced location in the field and storing said marker location in memory;

receiving data identifying a marker location corresponding to at least one geo-referenced location of the field;

initiating the crop input application operation using the variable application implement;

applying a crop input on a first portion of the field at varying application rates according to a prescription map, said prescription map associating each of a plurality of regions in the field with one of a plurality of application rates; and

implementing a plot in the field, said plot defining a plot region within the field, said plot region being selected during the crop input application operation based on said marker location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said prescription map calls for at least one prescription application rate within said plot region, wherein said crop input is applied at a plot application rate within said plot region, said plot application rate being different than said at least one prescription application rate, said plot application rate being determined prior to said crop input application operation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

completing said plot;

exiting said plot region; and

applying said crop input to a remainder of the field at varying application rates according to said prescription map.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing a boundary of said plot region in memory.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing a modified prescription map in memory, said modified prescription map including said plot region, said modified prescription map including said boundary of said plot region; and

displaying said modified prescription map to the user.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

defining a leading edge of said plot region by the ordered steps of;

comparing a position of the implement to said marker location;

determining that the implement has passed over said marker location;

determining whether a new pass condition has been met; and

beginning application at said plot application rate after said new pass condition has been met.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving yield data corresponding to the field;

comparing yield data corresponding to the plot region with yield data corresponding to one or more other regions in the field identified by the prescription map.

8. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving data identifying a marker location corresponding to at least one geo-referenced location of the field;

initiating the crop input application operation using the variable application implement;

applying a crop input on a first portion of the field at varying application rates according to a prescription map, said prescription map associating each of a plurality of regions in the field with one of a plurality of application rates; and

implementing a plot in the field, said plot defining a plot region within the field.

9. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein said prescription map calls for at least one prescription application rate within said plot region, wherein said crop input is applied at a plot application rate within said plot region, said plot application rate being different than said at least one prescription application rate, said plot application rate being determined prior to said crop input application operation.

10. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

completing said plot;

exiting said plot region; and

applying said crop input to a remainder of the field at varying application rates according to said prescription map.

11. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

storing a boundary of said plot region in memory.

12. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

storing a modified prescription map in memory, said modified prescription map including said plot region, said modified prescription map including said boundary of said plot region; and

displaying said modified prescription map to the user.

13. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

defining a leading edge of said plot region by the ordered steps of;

comparing a position of the implement to said marker location;

determining that the implement has passed over said marker location;

determining whether a new pass condition has been met; and

beginning application at said plot application rate after said new pass condition has been met.

14. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

receiving yield data corresponding to the field;

comparing yield data corresponding to the plot region with yield data corresponding to one or more other regions in the field identified by the prescription map.

15. A system comprising:

a variable application implement;

one or more processors;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of;

receiving data identifying a marker location corresponding to at least one geo-referenced location of the field;

initiating the crop input application operation using the variable application implement;

applying a crop input on a first portion of the field at varying application rates according to a prescription map, said prescription map associating each of a plurality of regions in the field with one of a plurality of application rates; and

implementing a plot in the field, said plot defining a plot region within the field.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said prescription map calls for at least one prescription application rate within said plot region, wherein said crop input is applied at a plot application rate within said plot region, said plot application rate being different than said at least one prescription application rate, said plot application rate being determined prior to said crop input application operation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

completing said plot;

exiting said plot region; and

applying said crop input to a remainder of the field at varying application rates according to said prescription map.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

storing a boundary of said plot region in memory.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

storing a modified prescription map in memory, said modified prescription map including said plot region, said modified prescription map including said boundary of said plot region; and

displaying said modified prescription map to the user.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

defining a leading edge of said plot region by the ordered steps of;

comparing a position of the implement to said marker location;

determining that the implement has passed over said marker location;

determining whether a new pass condition has been met; and

beginning application at said plot application rate after said new pass condition has been met.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

receiving yield data corresponding to the field;

comparing yield data corresponding to the plot region with yield data corresponding to one or more other regions in the field identified by the prescription map.