Horticultural knowledge base for managing yards and gardens

• US 8,321,365 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US12/427,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

Therefore, the illustrative embodiments provide an apparatus for performing horticultural tasks. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus is comprised of a number of data storage devices, a planning process, and a processor unit. The number of data storage devices includes a knowledge base. The processor unit executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base on the number of data storage devices to identify a horticultural need for a plurality of plants.

Claims

1. A system for performing horticultural tasks, the system comprising:

at least one data storage device, wherein the at least one data storage device includes a knowledge base comprising a fixed knowledge base and a learned knowledge base; and

a processor unit configured to execute a planning process and accesses the knowledge base to identify a horticultural need for a plurality of plants.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit further executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to identify at least one of a plant, a plant species, a plant variety, a growth stage, a life cycle, a water need, a pruning pattern, a cultivation method, and a winterization method.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit further executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to generate plans for execution of horticultural tasks.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the horticultural tasks are selected from at least one of watering, pruning, cultivating, and winterizing a number of plants.

2. A system for performing horticultural tasks, the system comprising:

at least one data storage device, wherein the at least one data storage device includes a knowledge base comprising an online knowledge base; and

a processor unit configured to execute a planning process and execute the knowledge base to identify a horticultural need for a plurality of plants.

3. The apparatus system of claim 2, wherein the processor unit is located at a remote location.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor unit is located on a mobile utility vehicle.

23. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor unit further executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to identify at least one of a plant, a plant species, a plant variety, a growth stage, a life cycle, a water need, a pruning pattern, a cultivation method, and a winterization method.

24. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor unit further executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to generate plans for execution of horticultural tasks.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the horticultural tasks are selected from at least one of watering, pruning, cultivating, and winterizing a number of plants.

5. A system for performing horticultural tasks, the system comprising:

a number of data storage devices, wherein the number of storage devices includes a knowledge base;

a planning process; and

a processor unit, wherein the processor unit executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to identify a horticultural need for a plurality of plants, wherein the number of data storage devices are distributed across a number of locations including a remote location and a mobile utility vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor unit further executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to identify at least one of a plant, a plant species, a plant variety, a growth stage, a life cycle, a water need, a pruning pattern, a cultivation method, and a winterization method.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor unit further executes the planning process and accesses the knowledge base to generate plans for execution of horticultural tasks.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the horticultural tasks are selected from at least one of watering, pruning, cultivating, and winterizing a number of plants.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a machine controller;

a steering system;

a propulsion system;

a braking system;

a link for receiving input from a number of sensors and

a knowledge base comprising a fixed knowledge base and a learned knowledge base,

wherein the machine controller is connected to the knowledge base and wherein the machine controller uses the knowledge base to identify a watering need for a plurality of plants.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller identifies the watering need for the plurality of plants using the knowledge base and information obtained from the number of sensors on the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the fixed knowledge base is connected to an online knowledge base and wherein the machine controller uses the online knowledge base to identify an environment around the plurality of plants.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller receives data from a plurality of sensors for the vehicle to form received data and generates a per plant prescription for the plurality of plants using the received data and the knowledge base.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller uses the fixed knowledge base to identify at least one of a plant, a plant species, a plant variety, a growth stage, a life cycle, a water need, a pruning pattern, a cultivation method, and a winterization method.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the machine controller selectively updates the learned knowledge base using the received data.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the machine controller further identifies a set of differences between an environment as detected by the sensor system for the vehicle and a description of the environment in the fixed knowledge base.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the machine controller updates the learned knowledge base with the set of differences.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the set of differences comprises at least one of a change in an object in the environment, a new object in the environment, and a missing object from the environment.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the machine controller further sends the set of differences to a server, and wherein the set of differences are used to update the fixed knowledge base.

19. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the number of sensors comprises at least one of a global positioning system, structured light sensor, infrared camera, visible light camera, soil moisture sensor, rain sensor, temperature gauge, wind sensor, and ambient light sensor.