METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRA PRECISE GPS-BASED MAPPING OF SEEDS OR VEGETATION DURING PLANTING
First Claim
1. In an automated planting apparatus having a seed or vegetation dispenser or the like, the improvement comprising a radio signal based system associated with said planting apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from said planting apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultra precise seed planter apparatus and method for generating a centimeter accuracy map of the location of seeds or vegetation as they are planted from an agricultural planting machine. The apparatus is fitted with a GPS receiver feeding a data logger, and optical sensors that are placed adjacent seed or vegetation dispenser. The data logger monitors GPS time and UTM coordinates, as well as the optical sensors. Ground speed and azimuth are also monitored. The seeds or vegetation are time-tagged as they are dispensed, and software is used to process the dispensing time and GPS location data and estimate the exact coordinates of each seed or plant and its distance from adjacent seeds or plants. As a result, a precise planting map is generated. The invention may also be used to determine the location to dispense seeds or vegetation, and activating the dispenser when that location is reached.
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Citations
110 Claims
- 1. In an automated planting apparatus having a seed or vegetation dispenser or the like, the improvement comprising a radio signal based system associated with said planting apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from said planting apparatus.
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19. In an automated planting apparatus having a seed or vegetation dispenser or the like, the improvement comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing dispensed seeds or vegetation;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor; and
a radio signal based geographic positioning system coupled to said data acquisition unit.
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30. In an automated planting apparatus having a seed or vegetation dispenser or the like, the improvement comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing dispensed seeds or vegetation;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor;
a radio signal based geographic positioning system coupled to said data acquisition unit; and
programming associated with said data acquisition unit carrying out the operations of monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing, and mapping the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation using geographic location information from said geographic positioning system. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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39. In an automated planting apparatus having a seed or vegetation dispenser or the like, the improvement comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing dispensed seeds or vegetation;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor;
a radio signal based geographic positioning system coupled to said data acquisition unit; and
programming associated with said data acquisition unit carrying out the operations of monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing, determining the geographic location of a receiving antenna associated with said geographic positioning system, determining the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation based on said antenna location, and mapping the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation.
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45. In an automated planting apparatus having a seed or vegetation dispenser or the like, the improvement comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing dispensed seeds or vegetation;
a data acquisition unit coupled said sensor;
a GPS-based geographic positioning receiver;
a GPS-based geographic positioning base station configured for providing geographic location reference information to said receiver; and
programming associated with said data acquisition unit carrying out the operations of monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing, determining the geographic location of an antenna associated with said receiver, determining the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation based on said antenna location, and mapping the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation.
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51. An apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor; and
means associated with said data acquisition unit for determining the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. An apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor; and
a radio signal based geographic positioning system coupled to said data acquisition unit. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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78. An apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor;
a radio signal based geographic positioning system coupled to said data acquisition unit; and
programming associated with said data acquisition unit carrying out the operations of monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing, and mapping the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation using geographic location information from said geographic positioning system.
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89. An apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor;
a radio signal based geographic positioning system coupled to said data acquisition unit; and
programming associated with said data acquisition unit carrying out the operations of monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing, determining the geographic location of a receiving antenna associated with said geographic positioning system, determining the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation based on said receiving antenna location, and mapping the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation using geographic location information from said geographic positioning system.
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98. An apparatus for mapping the geographic location of seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor configured for sensing seeds or vegetation dispensed from a planting apparatus;
a data acquisition unit coupled to said sensor;
a GPS-based geographic positioning receiver coupled to said data acquisition unit;
a GPS-based geographic positioning base station configured for providing geographic location reference information to said receiver; and
programming associated with said data acquisition unit carrying out the operations of monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing, determining the geographic location of a receiving antenna associated with said geographic positioning system, determining the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation based on said receiving antenna location, and mapping the geographic location of dispensed seeds or vegetation using geographic location information from said geographic positioning system. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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104. A precision fanning method, comprising:
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dispensing a seed or vegetation from a planting apparatus;
determining the geographic location at which said seed or vegetation is dispensed using a radio signal based geographic positioning system; and
generating a map recording the location of said dispensed seed or vegetation. - View Dependent Claims (105, 106, 107)
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108. A precision farming method, comprising:
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dispensing a seed or vegetation from a planting apparatus;
monitoring seed or vegetation dispensing;
determining the geographic location of a receiving antenna associated with a geographic positioning system on said planting apparatus;
determining th e geographic location at which said seed or vegetation is dispensed based on said receiving antenna location; and
generating a map recording the location of said dispensed seed or vegetation. - View Dependent Claims (109, 110)
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Specification