METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATED MICRO FARMING

• US 20140168412A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applicolor Inc.
• Original Assignee: Applicolor Inc.
• Inventors: Shulman, Alan, Scott, Miles
• Application Number:
  US14/135,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/89
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/06 Treatment of growing trees or plants, e.g. for preventing decay of wood, for tingeing flowers or wood, for prolonging the life of plants
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

System and methods for farming of crops on a plant-by-plant basis are disclosed. Plants are imaged and data is acquired on a plant-by-plant basis, which enables the visual micro management of a crop field on a plant-by-plant basis. Past and current images of a plant may be displayed in a manner that allows plants to be diagnosed and maintained. In some embodiments, images of an individual plant and instructions for maintenance are automatically displayed to a field work in real-time as the worker is in the proximity of the plant. Techniques described herein can be used in the field or during the harvest process including sorting tables or sorting conveyor belts. This can be done via signage, bar codes or RFID tags or other unique plant identifier technique. This approach compresses the acquired data and automatically selects and displays relevant information to a specific fruit or plant.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for farming of crops on an individual plant basis, the method comprising:

identifying a plant and its location within a crop using a plant geolocation identifier technique, by which the geolocation of the plant may be determined;

capturing one or more current images of the plant by an imaging device;

associating one or more current images of the plant with the determined geolocation of the plant; and

rendering to a user a display comprising one or more current images of the plant and one or more previous images of the same plant, wherein previous images of the plant are accessed based on the determined geolocation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more images of the plant are captured or displayed by the imaging device when it is determined that the imaging device is within proximity to an identified location identifier technique.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more images of the plant are captured from a point of view of a farm worker.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying task instructions to the user describing actions to be performed on the plant.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the task instructions are automatically displayed on the user'"'"'s display device when the display device is in proximity of a plant identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring and archiving an image of the plant after maintenance has been performed, wherein the image after maintenance is associated with the determined geolocation of the plant.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant geolocation identifier technique is a barcode.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant geolocation identifier technique is a RFID tag.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant geolocation identifier technique allows the geolocation of the plant to be calculated or inferred using object identification software or point cloud techniques.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant geolocation is calculated based on a geolocation position of a camera unit that considers the x,y,z pointing and ego motion of the camera platform.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying comparative biological information for the plant based on relative values rather than absolute values.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, generating an image result by performing a biological imaging technique and if desired image processing on one or more images.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating comparative thresholds of the image result of the biological imaging technique.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the rendered image can be displayed on a transparent display.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the transparent display is a partial mirror.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the transparent display is eyewear.

17. A system for farming of crops on an individual plant basis, the system comprising:

a geolocation device for identifying a plant and its location within a crop using a plant geolocation identifier technique, by which the geolocation of the plant may be determined;

an imaging device for capturing one or more current images of the plant;

a processor for associating one or more current images of the plant with the determined geolocation of the plant; and

a display device for rendering to a user a display comprising one or more current images of the plant and one or more previous images of the same plant, wherein previous images of the plant are accessed based on the determined geolocation.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the display is a transparent display.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the transparent display is a partial mirror.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the transparent display is eyewear.