Process for using localized agricultural data to optimize the cultivation of perennial plants

• US 6,336,066 B1
• Filed: 09/21/1999
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PELLENC SA
• Original Assignee: PELLENC SA
• Inventors: Bourely, Antoine, Pellenc, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/400,480
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/25, 701/26, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 702/2, 702/5, 56/102.A, 340/988, 340/995, 72/5, 72/6, 72/2, 342/22
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture

Abstract

A process for using localized agricultural data to optimize the cultivation of perennial plants, the process including: passage through a parcel of perennial plants by a farm machine; automatic production of positioning signals at several points in the parcel, by means of an absolute positioning sensor, for example, of the differential GPS type installed on board the farm machine; automatic measurement by means of appropriate sensors of one or more pieces of agricultural data at each of these points; recording of the positioning signals and the data measured at these points by a data processing unit; processing of the positioning signals by means of a computer and an appropriate algorithm so as to organize them according to the rows of the parcel, so that the same row can be found again unambiguously during different passes; real-time or deferred representation of the positions passed through and/or the agricultural data in the form of a computer-generated map.

Claims

1. A process for using localized agricultural data to optimize cultivation of perennial plants, said process comprising:

passing through a parcel of perennial plants, the passing being performed by one of a vehicle or a person on foot;

automatically producing positioning signals at several points in the parcel during the passing, by way of an absolute positioning sensor showing its longitude, latitude, and altitude, installed on board said vehicle or carried by the person on foot;

automatically measuring, by way of appropriate sensors, one or more pieces of agricultural data of the perennial plants at each of the several points, the sensors being installed on board said vehicle or carried by the person on foot;

recording the positioning signals and said data measured at the several points with a data processing unit, wherein the data processing unit is installed on board said vehicle or carried by the person on foot;

processing the positioning signals by way of a computer and an appropriate algorithm so as to improve positioning precision by using a fixed row structure in the parcel, so that a same row can be found again unambiguously during different passes; and

representing in a real-time or deferred representation, at least one of, the positions passed through and said agricultural data in the form of a computer-generated map.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm is adapted for locating not only each row, but also each trunk of the perennial plants in the row, by calculating a distance traveled from one end of the row and for associating with a trunk the datum or data recorded during successive passes, which passes can by associated with farming operations that are different or are performed during different years.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm is adapted for improving portioning data using a parallel nature of the rows.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm is adapted for improving positioning data using a parallel and evenly spaced nature of the rows.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm is adapted for improving positioning data using a straight nature of the rows.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm is adapted for allowing a reconstruction in a data base of a natural order of the rows, even if the rows were not traveled in the natural order.

7. The process according to claim 4, wherein the algorithm is adapted and used for detecting untraveled rows located between traveled rows.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein beginnings and ends of the rows are detected and recorded by way of an appropriate sensor or manual data entry.

9. The process according to claim 8, wherein the beginnings and ends of the rows are detected by a signal of a starting and a stopping of active elements of the farm machine performing the passing.

10. The process according to claim 8, wherein the beginnings and ends of the rows are detected by an ultrasound sensor sensing the presence of vegetation.

11. The process according to claim 8, wherein the beginnings and ends of the rows are detected by fixed markers placed at the ends of the rows.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein separating spaces between rows, and at least one of the individual plants, are revealed by a representation of data.

13. The process according to claim 2, wherein localized data are used to recommend operations localized directly at an individual plant level, especially winter pruning, summer pruning, leaf trimming, or thinning.

14. The process according to claim 2, wherein a record of one or more farming operations performed at an individual plant level is maintained for several years.

15. The process according to claim 1, wherein the process is applied to grape vines and to a grape harvesting operation, and wherein at least two types of data, one type quantitative, linked to the yield of a harvest, another type qualitative, are measured by means of appropriate sensors and recorded for each point.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein a density of measurements performed is equal to a density of individual plants, so that one measurement per plant is obtained.

17. The process according to claim 1, wherein the computer-generated map is designed to highlight separating spaces between rows and/or between the individual plants.

18. The process according to claim 1, wherein the absolute positioning sensor showing the longitude, latitude, and altitude is of a differential GPS type.

19. The process according to claim 15, wherein the qualitative type data is sugar content or acidity.

20. A process for using localized agricultural data to optimize cultivation of perennial plants, the process comprising:

passing through at least one row of a parcel of perennial plants, the passing being accomplished by a moving object, the object being one of a user and a vehicle;

automatically producing positioning signals at several points along the at least one row in the parcel during the passing;

using GPS to determine a longitude, latitude, and altitude, for each of the several points;

automatically measuring with at least one sensor one or more pieces of agricultural data of the perennial plants at each of the several points, the at least one sensor being installed on the object;

recording a positioning signal at each of the several points with a data processing unit, the data processing unit being installed on board the object;

recording data measured at the several points with the data processing unit;

processing each of the positioning signals using a computer and an algorithm;

representing in one of real-time and deferred representation, one of the positions passed through and the agricultural data as a computer-generated map,

wherein the process provides for an improve positioning precision by using a fixed row structure in the parcel, such that a same row can be found again unambiguously during different passes of the object.