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Agricultural situational awareness tool

  • US 10,402,835 B2
  • Filed: 07/16/2015
  • Issued: 09/03/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for collecting crop data and environmental data from a field, the system comprising:

  • a plurality of mobile devices configured to be deployed to the field; and

    a central controller;

    the mobile devices being configured to be connected to each other and to the central controller, while in the field, by wireless data connections;

    each mobile device being configured;

    to display a current device location;

    to store and display a current scouting path, the current scouting path comprising a series of waypoints and a plurality of data collection points, the displaying comprising displaying the series of waypoints as a continuous route on a map;

    to receive, in the field, from the central controller, a revised scouting path, the revised scouting path comprising a series of waypoints and a plurality of data collection points, and to substitute the revised scouting path for the stored current scouting path; and

    to receive, while in the field, input including current crop data or current environmental data, and to send, while in the field, to the central controller, the current crop data or current environmental datawherein the central controller is configured to;

    receive a data request from the mobile device, the data request including a crop scout location and a radius, andprovide to the mobile device spatially filtered data, the spatially filtered data including only data corresponding to positions in the field in a circular region defined by the radius and centered at the crop scout location, andwherein the mobile device is further configured to display, overlaid on a map or image, a circle representing the circular region;

    wherein the system further comprises a sensor configured to measure soil pH,a sensor configured to measure soil nitrogen level, anda field base station with a high-gain cellular antenna, the field base station being configured to provide Internet connectivity to the mobile devices using Federal Information Processing Standard—

    compliant encryption,wherein a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices is further configured;

    to determine whether an Internet connection is available, andin response to determining that an Internet connection is not available, to;

    store crop data and environmental data on the mobile device, andupload the crop data and environmental data in a batch mode when an Internet connection becomes available,wherein the central controller is geographically distributed, and is further configured to;

    calculate an amount of water needed during a coming week based on;

    soil moisture data received from the first mobile device,expected temperatures, andexpected humidity,set an irrigation schedule based on the calculation, the schedule being subject to override by a farm operator,control a pesticide prescription based on data received from the first mobile device, andcontrol a fertilizer prescription based on data received from the first mobile device.

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