SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING SOIL CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20140365084A1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chan, Alistair K., Duncan, William D., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood,, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,265,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/00 Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/04 Distributing under pressure; Distributing mud; Adaptation of watering systems for fertilising-liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/085 Broadcast seeders
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• 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: B64D 1/18 by spraying, e.g. insecticides spraying apparatus per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/412 based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values

Abstract

A soil detection and planting apparatus. The apparatus includes a vehicle and a controller coupled to the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a planting device coupled to the vehicle, the planting device configured to plant seeds or plants into a soil material. The apparatus includes a ground penetrating radar sensor coupled to the vehicle. The ground penetrating radar soil sensor is configured to scan the soil material up to a designated depth beneath a surface of the soil material, wherein the ground penetrating radar soil sensor is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to the controller with respect to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material. The controller is configured to instruct placement of a seed or a plant into the soil material based on the feedback signal.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vehicle including a controller, wherein the vehicle is configured to map soil characteristics and plant seeds or plants, comprising:

detecting intrinsic soil characteristics of a soil material through a ground penetrating radar unit coupled to the vehicle, wherein the ground penetrating radar unit is configured to scan the soil material up to a designated depth beneath a surface of the soil material, and wherein the ground penetrating radar unit is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to a controller with respect to the intrinsic soil characteristics; and

in response to the intrinsic soil characteristics, instructing a planting mechanism coupled to the vehicle to plant a seed or a plant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the intrinsic soil characteristics comprises at least one of a composition of the soil material, a water property of the soil material, a presence of humus in the soil material, a density of the soil material, and a soil material porosity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving operating parameters through a user input of the vehicle;

navigating the vehicle through a planting pattern; and

tracking a location of the vehicle through a location sensor coupled to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising creating, by the controller, a map of an area of land traversed by the vehicle, wherein the map includes detected intrinsic soil characteristics and a location of the seed or the plant.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an extrinsic characteristic of the soil material through the soil-penetrating radar unit.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying the extrinsic characteristic by the controller, wherein the controller is configured to analyze a feedback signal of the soil-penetrating radar unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the object is identified as at least a portion of an irrigation system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising planting the seed or the plant with the planting mechanism within a percolation distance of the irrigation pipe.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting a planting depth of the planting mechanism to avoid contact between the planting mechanism and the portion of the irrigation system.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a location of the extrinsic characteristic through a location sensor coupled to the vehicle and plotting the location of the extrinsic characteristic on a map.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the extrinsic characteristic is identified as a portion of a laid-on-surface irrigation system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising planting the seed or the plant with the planting mechanism within a percolation distance of the portion of the laid-on-surface irrigation system.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting a planting depth of the planting mechanism to avoid contact between the planting mechanism and the portion of the laid-on-surface irrigation pipe.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the extrinsic characteristic includes the presence of the soil material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the extrinsic characteristic includes the depth of the soil material.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the extrinsic characteristic is identified as a subsurface material emplaced for water retention.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the controller of the vehicle is unable to ascertain an identity of the object and the extrinsic characteristic is marked as an unidentified object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising alerting a user of a presence of the unidentified extrinsic characteristic through a user output mechanism of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving an input from the user through the user input of the vehicle, wherein the input relates to the unidentified extrinsic characteristic.

20. A method of mapping soil characteristics with a vehicle having a controller, comprising:

receiving operating parameters through a user input of the vehicle;

navigating the vehicle through a vehicle path;

detecting intrinsic soil characteristics of a soil material through a ground penetrating radar unit coupled to the vehicle, wherein the ground penetrating radar unit is configured to scan the soil material up to a designated depth beneath a surface of the soil material, and wherein the ground penetrating radar unit is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to a controller of the vehicle;

tracking a location of the vehicle through a location sensor coupled to the vehicle; and

creating a map of an area of land traversed by the vehicle, wherein the map includes detected intrinsic soil characteristics.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the detected intrinsic soil characteristics include at least one of a composition of the soil material, a water property of the soil material, a presence of humus in the soil material, a density of the soil material, and a soil material porosity.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting an extrinsic soil characteristic on or beneath the surface of the soil material through the ground penetrating radar unit.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising identifying the extrinsic soil characteristic by the controller of the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to analyze a feedback signal of the ground penetrating radar unit.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the extrinsic soil characteristic is identified as at least a portion of an irrigation system.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the extrinsic soil characteristic is identified as at least a portion of a laid-on-surface irrigation system.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the extrinsic soil characteristic is identified as a subsurface material emplaced for water retention.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the controller of the vehicle is unable to ascertain an identity of the extrinsic soil characteristic and the extrinsic soil characteristic is marked as an unidentified object.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising alerting a user of a presence of the unidentified object through a user output mechanism of the vehicle.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving an input from the user through the user input of the vehicle, wherein the input relates to the unidentified object.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a specific location of the extrinsic soil characteristic.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising plotting the extrinsic soil characteristic on the map.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving an indication of the area of land to be mapped through the user input.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising analyzing the area of land to be mapped and determining the vehicle path.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the indication of the area of land to be mapped includes the vehicle path.