AUTOMATED LOCATION-BASED INFORMATION RECALL

• US 20080157990A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: CORAK, STEVEN J., RICHARDSON, WARREN, TERNDRUP, DANA Torquil, HERSHEY, TRACY, LANGER, DAVID K., BOWEN, DAVID, ANDERSON, BARRY, GARDNER, DOUGLAS L., BELZER, WILLIAM A., PETERSON, TODD A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/678
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A geoposition is determined at a point using a geoposition determining mobile communication device. A crop management zone is identified based on one or more predetermined crop management boundaries and the geoposition of the point. Information about the field is wirelessly communicated between the geoposition determining mobile communications device and a remote site. Analysis may be performed at the remote site with the results of the analysis communicated to the mobile communication device at the growing point. Information may be collected at the point which is stored or analyzed at the remote site. Information may include digital images of plant conditions which may be analyzed to determine conditions such as disease or pest infestation. Contextual information from a number of different types of sources may be used to provide meaningful analysis and feedback to the producer. The producer may define crop management zones using the geoposition determining mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method for automated location-based information recall comprising:

determining a geoposition at a point using a geoposition determining mobile communication device;

identifying a land management zone based on one or more predetermined land management boundaries and the geoposition of the point;

wirelessly communicating information about the land management zone between the geoposition determining mobile communications system and a remote site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the land management zone is a crop management zone, the method further comprising analyzing agriculture production information associated with the crop management zone at the remote site.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the land management zone is a crop management zone, the method further comprising collecting agricultural production information at the point and wherein the step of wirelessly communication information includes wirelessly communicating information about the crop management zone from the crop management zone to the remote site.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing an analysis at the remote site and wherein the step of wirelessly communicating information includes wirelessly communicating information about the analysis from the remote site to the geoposition determining mobile communications system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the analysis is at least partially based on at least one genetics of plants growing in the land management zone, crop production information associated with the land management zone, weather data associated with the land management zone, and image analysis.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of wirelessly communicating information about the land management zone between the geoposition determining mobile communications system and the remote site includes sending a digital image to the remote site, analyzing the digital image at the remote site to determine condition of at least one plant within the land management zone using image analysis.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining condition of the at least one plant includes determining a disease or pest affecting the at least one plant.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more predetermined land management boundaries being determined by analysis of as-planted data and wherein the one or more predetermined land management boundaries include an isolation zone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile communications system comprises a GPS enabled cellular phone.

10. A method for making a representation of geolocation data, comprising:

identifying a first land management zone using a geoposition determining mobile communication device;

determining a land management boundary for the first land management zone based on geolocation information using a geoposition determining mobile communication device;

maintaining a record of the first land management zone and the land management boundary for the first land management zone;

associating data with the first land management zone; and

forming the representation of the geolocation data from the record of the first land management zone and the land management boundary for the first land management zone and the data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first land management zone is a first crop management zone and wherein the land management boundary for the first crop management zone is a crop management boundary for the first crop management zone.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising identifying a second crop management zone corresponding with planting of a plant genotype;

and determining a second crop management boundary for the second field.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first crop management zone is separated from and not adjacent to the second crop management zone.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the crop management boundary for the first crop management zone is performed by analyzing GPS data acquired during planting of the first crop management zone and wherein the step of determining the crop management boundary for the second crop management zone is performed by analyzing GPS data acquired during planting of the second crop management zone.

15. A method for providing agricultural information to users, comprising:

receiving an electronic communication from a GPS-enabled cell phone associated with a user, the electronic communication comprising a geoposition of the GPS-enabled cell phone;

determining a land management zone having boundaries containing the geoposition;

electronically communicating agricultural production information for the land management zone to the user;

electronically receiving from the user agricultural production information about the land management zone.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the information is selected from the set consisting of an alert indicating that the user is within the land management zone, an alert indicating that a production operation should not be performed in the land management zone, and additional information containing user observations about the land management zone.

17. A method of collecting data within a crop management zone regarding a plant condition and providing an analysis regarding the plant condition, comprising:

acquiring an image of a plant having the plant condition within the crop management zone using an electronic device;

communicating the image of the plant to a remote location for analysis;

analyzing the image of the plant at the remote location to determine the plant condition;

reporting the plant condition to the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the electronic device is a GPS-enabled cell phone.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising sending treatment information for the plant condition to the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving a request from the electronic device for scheduling of a service to treat the plant condition.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the plant condition being determined at least in part by at least one of the set consisting of presence of a pest, a nutrient deficiency, a biotic condition, and an abiotic condition.

22. A method of collecting data within a land management zone regarding a physical condition associated with the land management zone and providing an analysis regarding the condition associated with the land management zone, comprising:

acquiring an image within the land management zone using an electronic device;

communicating the image to a remote location for analysis;

analyzing the image at the remote location to assist in determining the condition associated with the land management zone;

reporting the condition associated with the land management zone to the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising sending treatment information for the condition associated with the land management zone to the electronic device.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising receiving a request from the electronic device for scheduling of a service to treat the condition associated with the land management zone.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

acquiring additional data collected within the land management zone using the electronic device;

communicating the additional data to the remote location for analysis;

analyzing the additional data to assist in determining the condition associated with the land management zone;

wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive the additional data through wireless communication with a sensor network.