System and method of determining nitrogen levels from a digital image
First Claim
1. A method for determining nitrogen levels of a nonlegume plant, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. acquiring an image with digital photography of a colored leaf from a crop of nonlegume plants with a background, said image further comprising an internal standard to account for differences in cameras or lighting conditions or both of said digital photography, and said background having a color in a portion of the visible spectrum away from the visible spectrum of the color of said leaf;
b. performing an algorithm to determine a corrected dark green color index of said leaf in said image; and
c. determining leaf nitrogen sufficiency or deficiency of said leaf in said image from said corrected dark green color index.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of determining nitrogen levels from a digital image. In particular, a method of determining leaf nitrogen concentration and yield from a digital photograph of a fully developed leaf (collared leaf) of a crop of nonlegumes, such as corn, rice, wheat, cotton, potatoes or sugarcane. The digital image is processed to determine a dark green color index (“DGCI”), which is closely related to leaf nitrogen concentration and yield. Standardized color disks having known DGCI values are included in the digital photograph and serve as an internal standard. The internal standard allows correction of DGCI of samples when using different cameras and/or when lighting conditions change.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for determining nitrogen levels of a nonlegume plant, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. acquiring an image with digital photography of a colored leaf from a crop of nonlegume plants with a background, said image further comprising an internal standard to account for differences in cameras or lighting conditions or both of said digital photography, and said background having a color in a portion of the visible spectrum away from the visible spectrum of the color of said leaf; b. performing an algorithm to determine a corrected dark green color index of said leaf in said image; and c. determining leaf nitrogen sufficiency or deficiency of said leaf in said image from said corrected dark green color index. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system comprising:
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at least one electronic device for taking an image of a colored leaf from a crop of said nonlegume plant; an image background having a color in a portion of the visible spectrum away from the visible spectrum of the color of said leaf; an internal standard to account for differences in cameras or lighting conditions or both of said image; and a central processing unit communicably attached to said electronic device via a network connection for performing an algorithm to determine a corrected dark green color index of said leaf in said image. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for determining nitrogen levels of a nonlegume plant, said system comprising:
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an electronic device for taking an image of a colored leaf from a crop of said nonlegume plant; an external standard having a color in a portion of the visible spectrum away from the visible spectrum of the color of said leaf; an internal standard to account for differences in cameras or lighting conditions or both of said image, said internal standard representing a color value ranging from severely nitrogen deficient to nitrogen sufficient of said leaf; and a central processing unit communicably attached to said electronic device via a network connection for performing an algorithm to determine a corrected dark green color index of said leaf in said image. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification