System and method for controlling the release of material

• US 20090050705A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harrison AG Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harrison AG Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Harrison, John H. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Abstract

A system includes one or more actuators (such as valve assemblies) that are configured to release a material. The system also includes a wireless receiver configured to receive wireless positioning signals. The system further includes a processing device configured to determine a position associated with the one or more actuators based on the wireless positioning signals and to determine whether to open or close the one or more actuators based on the determined position. In addition, the system includes a controller configured to control the opening and closing of the one or more actuators based on signals from the processing device. The processing device may be configured to determine whether to open or close the one or more actuators by determining whether the material has already been released at the determined position.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more actuators that are configured to release a material;

a wireless receiver configured to receive wireless positioning signals;

a processing device configured to determine a position associated with the one or more actuators based on the wireless positioning signals and to determine whether to open or close the one or more actuators based on the determined position; and

a controller configured to control the opening and closing of the one or more actuators based on signals from the processing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine an extent to which the one or more actuators are opened.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless junction coupled to the controller and configured to enable wireless communication between the processing device and the controller;

wherein the processing device is configured to be placed in a first location and a second location, the processing device wired to the controller in the first location, the processing device in wireless communication with the controller in the second location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the second location comprises a location in which the one or more actuators are visible to a user; and

the processing device is further configured to allow the user to turn the one or more actuators on and off.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to determine whether to open or close the one or more actuators by determining whether the material has already been released at the determined position.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more control modules, each control module configured to receive control signals from the controller and to open and close at least one of the actuators based on the control signals.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a container configured to store the material; and

a pump configured to provide the material from the container to the one or more actuators.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is placed on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising multiple booms, each boom carrying multiple actuators.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the material comprises at least one of:

seeds, plants, fertilizer, pesticide, weed killer, and water.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the material comprises paint.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

12. A method comprising:

receiving wireless positioning signals;

identifying a position associated with one or more actuators based on the wireless positioning signals, the one or more actuators configured to release a material;

determining whether to open or close the one or more actuators based on the identified position; and

opening and closing the one or more actuators based on the determination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

a first device identifies the position associated with the one or more actuators and determines whether to open or close the one or more actuators;

a second device opens and closes the one or more actuators; and

further comprising moving the first device from a first location to a second location, the first and second devices wired together in one of the locations and in wireless communication in another of the locations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the other location comprises a location in which the one or more actuators are visible to a user; and

further comprising using the first device to turn the one or more actuators on and off.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether to open or close the one or more actuators comprises determining whether the material has already been released at the identified position.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing the material in a container; and

providing the material from the container to the one or more actuators.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the material from the container comprises providing the material from the container to the one or more actuators at an elevated pressure.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the material comprises at least one of:

seeds, plants, fertilizer, pesticide, weed killer, and water.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the material comprises paint.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless positioning signals comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

21. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:

identifying a position associated with one or more actuators based on wireless positioning signals, the one or more actuators configured to release a material;

determining whether to open or close the one or more actuators based on the identified position; and

causing the one or more actuators to open and close based on the determination.