System and method for providing prescribed resources to plants

• US 8,437,879 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US12/427,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 700282-284, 701/50, 701/207, 701/213, 701/223, 239/61, 239/67, 239/76, 239/146, 239/159, 239/225.1, 111/129, 111/170, 111/177, 111/200, 56/102.A, 56/102.D, 56/143
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Therefore, the illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method and system for providing an application of a resource to plants. A plurality of per plant prescriptions for a plurality of plants are received and a source is selected to fulfill the plurality of per plant prescriptions to form a selected source. Movement of a mobile utility vehicle is controlled to the selected source, the resource is obtained, and movement of the mobile utility vehicle is controlled to each plant in the plurality of plants. The resource is applied from the mobile utility vehicle to each plant according to the per plant prescription.

Claims

1. A method for providing an application of a resource to plants, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of per plant prescriptions for a plurality of plants, wherein each per plant prescription of the plurality of per plant prescriptions is for a given plant of the plurality of plants;

responsive to receiving the plurality of per plant prescriptions, selecting a source to fulfill the plurality of per plant prescriptions to form a selected source;

controlling movement of a mobile utility vehicle to the selected source;

obtaining the resource from the selected source;

responsive to obtaining the resource, controlling movement of the mobile utility vehicle to each plant in the plurality of plants; and

applying the resource from the mobile utility vehicle to the each plant in the plurality of plants according to the per plant prescription.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring in situ parameters of the each plant in the plurality of plants using a sensor system;

determining whether a per plant prescription in the plurality of per plant prescriptions is accurate for the each plant in the plurality of plants; and

responsive to the determination that the per plant prescription is accurate, applying the resource from the mobile utility vehicle to the each plant in the plurality of plants according to the per plant prescription.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to the determination that the per plant prescription is inaccurate, adjusting the per plant prescription to form an adjusted per plant prescription; and

applying the resource from the mobile utility vehicle to the each plant in the plurality of plants according to the adjusted per plant prescription.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the source further comprises:

identifying a number of sources associated with the plurality of per plant prescriptions;

identifying a preferred source in the number of sources associated with the plurality of per plant prescriptions; and

selecting the preferred source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of sources associated with the plurality of per plant prescriptions comprises at least one source comprising a number of resources required to fulfill the plurality of per plant prescriptions.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of sources comprise a number of resources required to fulfill the plurality of per plant prescriptions, and wherein the number of resources comprise at least one of water, fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, nutrients, and plant food.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the source further comprises at least one of:

determining current resource rules;

determining current resource levels of a number of resource sources;

determining a resource source with the most proximity to the mobile utility vehicle; and

determining the resource source currently available to the mobile utility vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the current resource rules include water rules, and wherein the water rules include at least one of an amount of water currently accessible, local water shortage information, and local water restriction information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the resource from the source selected further comprises:

authenticating the mobile utility vehicle with the source selected;

sending a signal to the source selected to send the resource to the mobile utility vehicle;

monitoring a resource level in a reservoir of the mobile utility vehicle; and

sending a signal to the source selected to stop sending the resource to the mobile utility vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein authenticating the mobile utility vehicle with the source selected further comprises:

the mobile utility vehicle sending identification information to the source selected; and

the mobile utility vehicle receiving authentication from the source selected.

11. A system for applying an application of a resource to plants, the system comprising:

a machine controller capable of controlling at least one mobile utility vehicle for executing a plurality of per plant prescriptions for a plurality of plants, wherein the machine controller controls movement of the at least one mobile utility vehicle to each plant in the plurality of plants, measures in situ parameters of the each plant in the plurality of plants using a sensor system, and determines whether a per plant prescription in the plurality of per plant prescriptions is accurate for the each plant in the plurality of plants;

an acquisition system capable of obtaining a resource from a number of sources to fulfill the plurality of per plant prescriptions;

a storage system comprising a reservoir for storing the resource obtained; and

an application system capable of applying the resource obtained to the plurality of plants,

wherein the machine controller directs the application system to apply the resource to the each plant in the plurality of plants according to the per plant prescription associated with the each plant in response to a determination that the per plant prescription is accurate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor system identifies information about the plurality of plants.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the information about the plurality of plants comprises at least one of soil moisture, precipitation, temperature, wind, ambient light, observed growth stage, plant health, and observed actual water use.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a pumping system capable of obtaining and applying the resource.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a valve system capable of obtaining and applying the resource.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the resource comprises at least one of water, fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, nutrients, and plant food.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

an agitator capable of mixing a number of resources obtained by the acquisition system.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a communication device capable of receiving input from a number of sensors.

19. The system of claim 11, where the machine controller adjusts the per plant prescription to form an adjusted per plant prescription in response to a determination that the per plant prescription is inaccurate, and wherein the machine controller directs the application system to apply the resource to the each plant in the plurality of plants according to the adjusted per plant prescription in response to a determination that the per plant prescription is inaccurate.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein each per plant prescription of the plurality of per plant prescriptions is for a given plant of the plurality of plants.