Soil and topography surveying

• US 6,597,992 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Soil And Topography Information, LLC
• Inventors: Cheyne, Mark Andrew, Dudka, Marek, Rooney, Daniel James
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Victor J.
• Application Number:
  US09/998,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 702/5, 702/2, 702/47, 702/50, 700/283
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/007 Determining fertilization requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00

Abstract

Methods of characterizing subsurface conditions in a selected geographic region previously associated as a whole with a specific subsurface material characteristic reference profile such as from a USDA-NRCS soil survey. The method includes deploying a sensing tool at selected positions within the geographic region to determine a depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic such as soil type or strata, comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region to determine a correlation between the subsurface material characteristic reference profile and the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic, and then deciding whether to deploy the tool at another position, and at what optimum position to deploy the tool, by considering the correlation.

Claims

1. A method of characterizing subsurface conditions in a selected geographic region previously associated as a whole with a specific subsurface material characteristic reference profile, the method comprising

deploying a sensing tool at a selected position within the geographic region, the tool constructed to be responsive to a selected subsurface material attribute;

determining, from a signal received from the deployed tool, a depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic at the selected position;

comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region to determine a correlation between the subsurface material characteristic reference profile and the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic as determined from the signal received from the deployed tool; and

then

deciding whether to deploy the tool at another position within said geographic region by considering the correlation determined from said selected position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic region corresponds to one bounded area of a patchwork of such bounded areas on a map, each bounded area having an associated subsurface material characteristic reference profile.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the geographic region comprises an individual Soil Map Unit as outlined on an USDA-NRCS Soil Survey map and referenced to said subsurface material characteristic reference profile by the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey map.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic comprises a digital log of a soil property as a function of depth.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material reference characteristic profile associated with the geographic region includes comparing a soil layer boundary depth, as determined from the soil property log, with a reference layer boundary depth as determined from the subsurface material reference characteristic profile.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the subsurface material reference characteristic profile comprises a digital reference profile log containing at least about 10 discrete, depth-referenced data points, said correlation comprising a computed numerical value indicative of degree of similarity between the digital soil property log and the digital reference profile log.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material reference characteristic profile associated with the geographic region includes comparing soil texture at a selected depth, as determined from the determined subsurface material characteristic, with a reference texture as determined from the subsurface material reference characteristic profile.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the tool includes penetrating soil with the tool to a depth of at least 6 inches.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the tool includes penetrating soil with the tool to a depth of at least 24 inches.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising geo-referencing the selected position to a coordinate system with a Global Positioning System.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic comprises a log of data taken at multiple depths at the selected position.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool is responsive to light reflected from adjacent subsurface material in situ, and wherein determining the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic includes generating a depth-referenced, rastered image of the subsurface material.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising collecting and digitally processing a series of images of adjacent subsurface materials as the tool is forced through the subsurface materials.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising

traversing the geographic region while obtaining landscape position and elevation measurements;

combining the position and elevation measurements to form a digital elevation model;

adjusting a depth reference of the subsurface material characteristic determined at each of several test locations in accordance with the digital elevation model; and

then

combining the depth reference-adjusted subsurface material characteristics to form a three-dimensional subsurface model of the material characteristic.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic comprises multiple, discrete data points obtained at selected depths at the selected position.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selected depths are chosen to correspond to soil layers identified in the subsurface material characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the discrete data points are spaced apart in elevation according to soil layer thickness included in the subsurface material characteristic reference profile.

18. A method of characterizing subsurface conditions in a selected geographic region previously associated as a whole with a specific subsurface soil characteristic reference profile, the method comprising

deploying a soil attribute sensing tool at a selected position within the geographic region;

determining, from a signal received from the deployed tool, a depth-referenced soil characteristic at the selected position;

comparing the determined soil characteristic to the subsurface soil characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region to determine a correlation between the soil characteristic reference profile and the depth-referenced soil characteristic as determined from the signal received from the deployed tool; and

selecting a next tool deployment location within the selected geographic region on a basis of said correlation.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising

deploying a subsurface tool at said next tool deployment location;

determining, from a signal received from the deployed subsurface tool, a second depth-referenced soil characteristic;

comparing said second depth-referenced soil characteristic to the subsurface soil characteristic profile associated with the geographic region to determine another correlation, between the soil characteristic reference profile and the second depth-referenced soil characteristic; and

selecting a third tool deployment location within the selected geographic region on a basis of both determined correlations.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the geographic region corresponds to one bounded area of a patchwork of such bounded areas on a map, each bounded area having an associated subsurface material characteristic reference profile.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the geographic region comprises an individual Soil Map Unit as outlined on an USDA-NRCS Soil Survey map and referenced to said subsurface material characteristic reference profile by the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey map.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic comprises a digital log of a soil property as a function of depth.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material reference characteristic profile associated with the geographic region includes comparing a soil layer boundary depth, as determined from the soil property log, with a reference layer boundary depth as determined from the subsurface material reference characteristic profile.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the subsurface material reference characteristic profile comprises a digital reference profile log containing at least about 10 discrete, depth-referenced data points, said correlation comprising a computed numerical value indicative of degree of similarity between the digital soil property log and the digital reference profile log.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the soil attribute sensing tool is deployed in at least three initial positions within the geographic region, to determine a depth-referenced soil characteristic at each of the initial positions, and wherein the step of comparing includes comparing the determined soil characteristics to each other and to the subsurface soil characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region to determine a correlation between the depth-referenced soil characteristics at the initial positions, and between the depth-referenced soil characteristics and the soil characteristic reference profile.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the next tool deployment location within the selected geographic region is selected on a basis of the correlation between the depth-referenced soil characteristics at the initial positions.

27. The method of claim 18 including generating a three-dimensional model of the soil characteristic from depth-referenced soil characteristics obtained at multiple positions within the geographic region.

28. The method of claim 27 further including updating the three-dimensional model as data is generated at additional locations within the geographic region.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the three-dimensional model is created digitally using punctual Kriging estimation techniques.

30. The method of claim 18 wherein comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material reference characteristic profile associated with the geographic region includes comparing soil texture at a selected depth, as determined from the determined subsurface material characteristic, with a reference texture as determined from the subsurface material reference characteristic profile.

31. The method of claim 18 wherein deploying the tool includes penetrating soil with the tool to a depth of at least 6 inches.

32. The method of claim 18 wherein the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic comprises a log of data taken at multiple depths at the selected position.

33. The method of claim 18 further comprising

traversing the geographic region while obtaining landscape position and elevation measurements;

combining the position and elevation measurements to form a digital elevation model; and

adjusting a depth reference of the subsurface material characteristic determined at each of several test locations in accordance with the digital elevation model; and

then

combining the depth reference-adjusted subsurface material characteristics to form a three-dimensional subsurface model of the material characteristic.

34. The method of claim 18 wherein the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic comprises multiple, discrete data points obtained at selected depths at the selected position.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the selected depths are chosen to correspond to soil layers identified in the subsurface material characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the discrete data points are spaced apart in elevation according to soil layer thickness included in the subsurface material characteristic reference profile.

37. A method of generating first order survey information in an individual Soil Map Unit as outlined in a map of a USDA-NRCS Soil Survey that establishes an SMU Inclusion Percentage associated with the Soil Map Unit, the method comprising

selecting an initial number of positions for tool deployment within the Soil Map Unit, the initial number of selected surface positions being determined as a function of the associated SMU Inclusion Percentage;

deploying a subsurface attribute sensing tool to generate subsurface characteristic logs, based on signals received from the deployed tool, at the selected surface positions;

identifying a soil boundary layer feature common to the generated subsurface characteristic logs; and

calculating an expected depth of the soil boundary layer feature at further surface positions within the bounded area as a function of depth of the soil boundary layer feature in the three selected surface positions and a spatial relationship between the selected surface positions and each further surface position.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising

determining, from a signal received from the deployed subsurface tool, a depth-referenced soil characteristic at each of the selected positions;

comparing the determined soil characteristics to a subsurface soil characteristic reference profile associated with the Soil Map Unit to determine an overall correlation between the soil characteristic reference profile and the depth-referenced soil characteristics of the selected positions; and

deciding whether to deploy a subsurface tool to determine depth-referenced soil characteristics at another position within said Soil Map Unit by considering said overall correlation.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the initial number of positions selected for tool deployment is also determined as a function of known Soil Map Unit topographical information.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein the initial number of positions selected for tool deployment is also determined as a function of known land use information.

41. The method of claim 37 wherein the initial number of positions selected for tool deployment is also determined as a function of past agricultural yield information.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein the initial number of positions is selected automatically and modified by user input before tool deployment.

43. A method of characterizing subsurface properties of a field, the method comprising

moving a test platform to the field, the test platform having a tool deployment ram for advancing a probe into topsoil of the field at selected locations while receiving signals back from the probe indicating a subsurface material characteristic;

moving the test platform to multiple points along a boundary of the field to define a field perimeter;

connecting the test platform to a remote network server over a wireless data link;

uploading a reference map segment data request from the test platform to the remote network server, the request including a representation of the defined field perimeter;

receiving a reference map segment data packet from the remote network server over the wireless data link, the data packet comprising a segmented portion of a reference map database covering a geographic area containing the field, the segmented portion being of extent and location as selected at the remote network server in response to the map segment data request uploaded from the test platform;

advancing the probe into the topsoil at a first selected location within the field;

recording subsurface material characteristic data received from the advancing probe; and

evaluating the recorded material characteristic data by comparing the recorded subsurface material characteristic data with data from the reference map segment data packet.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the reference map segment data request also includes an indication of an intended use of data obtained by characterizing the subsurface properties.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the wireless data link includes an intermediate server disposed outside the field, and wherein the intermediate server

receives and interprets the reference map segment data request;

selects, in response to the request, among particular network map data servers;

downloads from each selected server a segmented portion of an associated reference map database;

generates said reference map segment data packet; and

downloads said reference map segment data packet to the test platform.

46. The method of claim 43 further including, after recording subsurface material characteristic data received from the advancing probe, determining further test activity to be performed within the field as a function of the received data at the first selected location.