Multi-variable model for identifying crop response zones in a field
First Claim
1. A method for processing multiple initial data sets of unclassified pixel values to enable their comparison on a relative basis, each of said data sets being representative of the vegetative growth in a field, said method comprising the steps of:
- converting each unclassified pixel value of each initial data set to a normalized value, thereby creating a new data set of unclassified normalized pixel values corresponding to each initial data set of unclassified pixel values, andusing the data sets of unclassified normalized pixel values as representative of the initial data sets for comparison purposes.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An computer implemented apparatus and method are disclosed for defining areas of a field in which a crop or other vegetation is grown based on their selective ability to grow such vegetation through a growing season, or some shorter preselected time period. The method includes making a number of temporally separated measurements through air borne imaging of a field, registering the data to the geography of the field and each other, normalizing the data including converting the data to a vegetative index indicative to the presence of vegetation in the field, comparing the data to identify clusters of like value, and classifying the clusters and images to learn how the different field areas responded in growing vegetation through the season. With this method, the field may be segregated into a number of like areas called crop response zones which exhibit similar vegetative growth characteristics as an aid to a grower in his decision making regarding how to maximize yield in his field.
-
Citations
69 Claims
-
1. A method for processing multiple initial data sets of unclassified pixel values to enable their comparison on a relative basis, each of said data sets being representative of the vegetative growth in a field, said method comprising the steps of:
-
converting each unclassified pixel value of each initial data set to a normalized value, thereby creating a new data set of unclassified normalized pixel values corresponding to each initial data set of unclassified pixel values, and using the data sets of unclassified normalized pixel values as representative of the initial data sets for comparison purposes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method for scaling multiple data sets of pixel values to enable their comparison on a relative basis, each of said data sets being representative of the vegetative growth in a field, each data set comprising unclassified pixel values, said method comprising the steps of:
-
statistically normalizing each data set of unclassified pixel values based on its own mean and standard deviation, and using the data sets of normalized values as representative of the data sets of pixel values for comparison purposes. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for characterizing different areas of a field used for growing vegetation according to the presence of vegetation in said areas over a growing season, said method comprising the steps of:
-
periodically collecting a set of data characterizing the amount of vegetation present in the field, thereby producing a plurality of data sets, normalizing the data in each data set, aggregating the normalized data comprising said normalized data sets, and grouping said normalized data into a plurality of groups based on their respective normalized values, said plurality of groups being representative of said different field areas. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for defining a plurality of crop response zones in a field used for growing vegetation, each of said crop response zones being characterized by having similar temporal growth characteristics, the method comprising the steps of:
-
periodically collecting data characterizing the vegetative growth in the field, thereby creating a plurality of temporally separated data sets, normalizing the data of each data set independently of the other data sets, and grouping the normalized data into clusters, each of said groups being representative of a crop response zone. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A pre-programmed digital electronic device for defining a plurality of crop response zones in a field used for growing vegetation, each of said crop response zones being characterized by having similar temporal vegetative growth characteristics, comprising:
-
means for processing a plurality of data sets taken periodically which characterize the vegetative growth in the field, means for normalizing the data of each data set independently of the other data sets, and means for clustering the normalized data into clusters, each of said clusters being representative of a crop response zone. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A pre-programmed digital electronic device for processing multiple initial data sets of unclassified pixel values to enable their comparison on a relative basis, each of said data sets being representative of the vegetative growth in a field, comprising:
-
means for converting each unclassified pixel value of each initial data set to a normalized value based on statistical parameters that are derived solely from the unclassified pixel values of the initial data set to which the unclassified pixel value belongs, thereby creating a new data set of normalized values corresponding to each initial data set, and means for comparing said data sets of normalized values as representative of the initial data sets. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
-
29. A method for defining areas in a field which perform substantially alike in growing vegetation over the course of at least a portion of a growing season, said method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a plurality of data sets by periodically measuring the vegetative growth across said field, said measurements being associated with a geographic location in said field, each data set comprising a plurality of pixel values and corresponding to a different measurement, converting said pixel values of each data set into vegetative index values, normalizing said each converted pixel value of each data set based on statistical parameters that are derived solely from the converted pixel values of the data set to which that converted pixel value belongs, arranging said normalized pixel values from each data set along an axis of a multi-dimensional coordinate system, defining, at least partially on the basis of the arranged normalized pixel values, a plurality of field areas in the coordinate system that substantially share the same performance, and labeling the characteristics of said field areas according to their shared performance. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
-
32. A method for processing multiple data sets of unclassified pixel values to enable their comparison on a relative basis, at least one of said data sets being representative of the agronomic variability in a field, said method comprising the steps of:
-
converting each unclassified pixel value of at least one of said data sets to a normalized value, wherein the normalization of each pixel value is based on statistical parameters derived from the unclassified pixel values of only the at least one data set to which that unclassified pixel value belongs, thereby creating a new data set of normalized values corresponding to said at least one of said data sets of pixel values, and using the data set of normalized values as representative of the data sets of pixel values for comparison purposes. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A method of scaling multiple data sets of unclassified pixel values to enable their comparison on a relative basis, at least one of said data sets being representative of the agronomic variability in a field, said method comprising the steps of:
-
statistically normalizing said at least one data set based on its own mean and standard deviation, and using said at least one data set of normalized values as representative of said at least one data set of pixel values for comparison purposes. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
46. A method for characterizing different areas of a field used for growing vegetation according to the presence of vegetation in said areas over time, said method comprising the steps of:
-
periodically collecting a set of data characterizing the presence of vegetation in the field, thereby producing a plurality of data sets, for each data set, normalizing the data therein on the basis of statistical parameters derived solely from the data of that data set, aggregating the normalized data comprising said normalized data sets, and grouping said normalized data into a plurality of groups based on their respective normalized values, said plurality of groups being representative of said different field areas. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
-
-
57. A method for defining a plurality of crop response zones in a field used for growing vegetation, each of said crop response zones being characterized by having similar temporal vegetative growth characteristics, the method comprising the steps of:
-
periodically collecting data characterizing the vegetative growth in the field, thereby generating a plurality of vegetative growth data sets, each vegetative growth data set corresponding to a different collection, normalizing the data in each vegetative growth data set independently of the data in the other vegetative growth data sets, and grouping the normalized data into groups, each of said groups being representative of a crop response zone. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
-
-
64. A method for defining areas in a field which perform substantially alike in growing vegetation over the course of time, said method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a plurality of data sets by periodically measuring the health and amount of vegetation throughout said field, said measurements being associated with specific geographic locations in said field, each data set corresponding to a different measurement, converting said data in said data sets into vegetative index values, normalizing said converted data of each data set independently of the data of the other data sets, defining a plurality of field areas that substantially share the same performance throughout the data on the basis of the normalized data, and identifying the characteristics of said field areas according to their shared performance. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
-
Specification