Systems and methods for identifying and displaying optimal locations for a garden

• US 10,657,372 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Pattnaik, Suman, Biermann, Matthew Dwain, Lewis, Steven Jackson
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US15/882,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382103
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 22/00 Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
• 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: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/245 for agricultural purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/246 for water content for control of watering A01G25/167
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/188 Vegetation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

Abstract

A system for identifying and displaying one or more optimal locations within a lot for a garden in which to plant and grow suggested plant varieties is discussed. The system includes a robotic device positioned and configured to scan the lot and to generate at least one lot parameter. The system also includes a soil sensor positionable in soil in the lot and configured to generate at least one soil parameter. The system further includes a computing system configured to execute a location optimization module that determines varieties of suggested plants based on the soil parameter and the lot parameter. Based on a user selection from the varieties of suggested plants, the computing system identifies optimal locations for a garden within the lot for the one or more selected plants. The computing system transmits the optimal locations for the garden to a user computing device for display.

Claims

1. A system for identifying and displaying one or more optimal locations within a lot for a garden, the system comprising:

at least one robotic device positioned and configured to scan a lot and to generate at least one lot parameter;

at least one soil sensor positionable in soil in the lot and configured to generate at least one soil parameter;

a storage device storing predefined criteria for associating plant varieties, lot parameters, and soil parameters with optimal lot locations; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the at least one soil sensor, the at least one robotic device, the storage device, and a user computing device, the computing system configured to execute a location optimization module that when executed;

receives the at least one lot parameter from the at least one robotic device;

receives the at least one soil parameter from the at least one soil sensor;

determines one or more varieties of suggested plants based on the at least one soil parameter and the at least one lot parameter;

transmits an identification of the one or more varieties of suggested plants to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device displays the identification of the one or more varieties of suggested plants;

receives, from the user computing device, a selection of one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants;

identifies one or more optimal locations for a garden within the lot for the selected one or more plants based on the at least one lot parameter, the at least one soil parameter and the predefined criteria, the one or more optimal locations representing a portion of the lot that is less than the entire lot; and

transmits the one or more optimal locations for the garden to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device displays the one or more optimal locations for the garden within the lot.

2. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising an application installed on the user computing device that when executed captures one or more images of the lot, the application configured to use augmented reality to display the one or more optimal locations for the garden within a depiction of the lot created using the one or more images.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the application when executed generates an augmented reality display of an arrangement of the one or more varieties of suggested plants in the garden.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one robotic device is an autonomous rover and the at least one soil sensor is attached to the rover.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one robotic device is an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one lot parameter includes at least one of a lot area size, a geographic location, a date, an identification of water sources, an elevation, an identification of buildings located in the lot, a current garden layout, an identification of trees and shrubbery, and shade density information for locations within the lot.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one soil parameter includes at least one of a moisture content level of the soil, a potential hydrogen (pH) level of the soil, a temperature level of the soil, and an intensity level of light that reaches the soil.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the location optimization module when executed receives dimensions of the lot from the user computing device, and determines the one or more optimal locations of the garden within the dimensions of the lot.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the location optimization module when executed:

receives, from the user computing device, a new selection of one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants; and

changes at least one optimal location for the garden within the lot based on the new selection of one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more optimal locations for the garden within the lot includes at least one of an size, a shape, and an orientation of the garden within the lot.

11. A system for identifying and displaying one or more optimal locations within a lot for a garden, the system comprising:

at least one robotic device positioned and configured to scan a lot and to generate at least one lot parameter;

a storage device storing predefined criteria for associating plant varieties and lot parameters with optimal lot locations;

a computing system communicatively coupled to the at least one soil sensor, the at least one robotic device, the storage device, and a user computing device, the computing system configured to execute a location optimization module; and

an application installed on the user computing device and configured to capture one or more images of the lot, wherein the location optimization module when executed;

receives the at least one lot parameter from the at least one robotic device,

determines one or more varieties of suggested plants based on the at least one lot parameter,

transmits an identification of the one or more varieties of suggested plants to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device displays the identification of the one or more varieties of suggested plants,

receives, from the user computing device, a selection of one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants,

identifies one or more optimal locations for a garden within the lot for the one or more selected plants based on the at least one lot parameter and the predefined criteria, the one or more optimal locations representing a portion of the lot that is less than the entire lot, and

transmits the one or more optimal locations for the garden to the user computing device, and

wherein the application is configured to use augmented reality to display the one or more optimal locations for the garden within a depiction of the lot created using the one or more images.

12. A computer-implemented method for generating and displaying one or more optimal locations within a lot for a garden within a lot, the method comprising:

receiving, with a computing system, at least one lot parameter generated by at least one robotic device scanning the lot;

receiving, with the computing system, from a sensor positioned in soil in the lot at least one soil parameter;

determining, with the computing system, one or more varieties of suggested plants based on the at least one soil parameter and the at least one lot parameter;

transmitting, from the computing system, an identification of the one or more varieties of suggested plants to a user computing device, wherein the user computing device displays the identification of the one or more varieties of suggested plants;

receiving, with the computing system, from the user computing device, a selection of one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants;

identifying, with the computing system, one or more optimal locations for a garden within the lot for the selected one or more plants based on the at least one lot parameter and previously stored predefined criteria for associating plant varieties, lot parameters, and soil parameters with optimal locations, the one or more optimal locations representing a portion of the lot that is less than the entire lot; and

transmitting, by the computing system, the one or more optimal locations for the garden within the lot to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device displays the one or more optimal locations for the garden within the lot.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one robotic device is an autonomous rover and the at least one soil sensor is attached to the rover.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one lot parameter includes at least one of a lot area size, a geographic location, a date, an identification of water sources, an elevation, an identification of buildings located in the lot, a current garden layout, an identification of trees and shrubbery, and shade density information of locations in the lot.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one soil parameter includes at least one of a moisture content level of the soil, a potential hydrogen (pH) level of the soil, a temperature level of the soil, and an intensity level of light that reaches the soil.

16. The method of claim 12, the method further implemented via an application installed on the user computing device configured to capture one or more images of the lot, the method further comprising using, via the application, augmented reality to display the one or more optimal locations of the garden within a depiction of the lot created using the one or more images.

17. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising using, by the application, augmented reality to display an arrangement of the one or more varieties of suggested plants in the garden.

18. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising receiving, by the computing system, dimensions of the lot from the user computing device, and determining, by the computing system, the one or more optimal locations of the garden within the dimensions of the lot.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, from the user computing device, a new selection of one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants; and

changing, by the computing system, the one or more optimal locations for the garden within the lot based on the new selection of the one or more plants of the one or more varieties of suggested plants.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more optimal locations for the garden within the lot includes at least one of an size, a shape, and an orientation for the garden within the lot.