Automated location-based information recall

• US 9,111,320 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belzer, William A., Peterson, Todd A., Gardner, Douglas L., Richardson, Warren, Anderson, Barry, Terndrup, Dana Torquil, Hershey, Tracy, Corak, Steven J., Langer, David K., Bowen, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/800,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/150, 702/155, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A geoposition is determined at a point using a geoposition determining mobile communication device. A crop management zone is identified based on one or more predetermined crop management boundaries and the geoposition of the point. Information about the field is wirelessly communicated between the geoposition determining mobile communications device and a remote site. Analysis may be performed at the remote site with the results of the analysis communicated to the mobile communication device at the growing point. Information may be collected at the point which is stored or analyzed at the remote site. Information may include digital images of plant conditions which may be analyzed to determine conditions such as disease or pest infestation. Contextual information from a number of different types of sources may be used to provide meaningful analysis and feedback to the producer. The producer may define crop management zones using the geoposition determining mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving geoposition data that was collected during a production operation of at least one crop, wherein the geoposition data includes an indication of a location of the at least one crop;

determining a first set of crop management boundaries for a first crop management zone in which the at least one crop is located;

determining a second set of crop management boundaries for a second crop management zone in which the at least one crop is located;

receiving a geoposition associated with a mobile communication device;

identifying a select one of the first or second crop management zones based on a proximity of the received geoposition associated with the mobile communication device to the determined crop management boundaries of the first or the second crop management zones; and

sending information about the identified crop management zone to the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing agriculture production information associated with the first or the second crop management zone.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving agricultural production information about the first or the second crop management zone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein sending information about the identified crop management zone comprises sending at least one of genetics of plants growing in the crop management zone, crop production information associated with the crop management zone, weather data associated with the crop management zone, agronomic conditions in the crop management zone, plant growth conditions in the crop management zone, environmental conditions in the crop management zone, or image analysis of the crop management zone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first set of crop management boundaries for a first crop management zone or the second set of crop management boundaries for a second crop management zone is done with a GPS enabled device while at the crop location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first crop management zone and the second crop management zone differ in at least one of:

a production practice, an agronomic condition, a plant growth condition, or an environmental condition.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a point at the location is associated with more than one crop management zone.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first crop management zone is represented in a different layer than the second crop management zone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first crop management zone or the second crop management zone is defined as a three-dimensional space.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a digital image associated with the first or the second crop management zone; and

analyzing the digital image to determine a condition of at least one plant within the first or the second crop management zone, and wherein the information about the first or the second crop management zone comprises the condition of the at least one plant.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting the plant condition to the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the condition of the at least one plant comprises determining a disease or pest affecting the at least one plant.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the plant condition comprises a presence of a pest, a nutrient deficiency, a biotic condition, an abiotic condition, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising sending treatment information associated with the plant condition to the mobile communication device.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving a request on the mobile communication device for scheduling of a service to treat the plant condition.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of said first set or said second set of crop management boundaries are determined by analysis of as-planted data and wherein said one or more first set or second set of crop management boundaries comprise an isolation zone that extends a pre-determined distance from the location of the at least one crop located in the first or the second crop management zone to determine whether the at least one crop is isolated from other crops outside of the first or the second crop management zone.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile communication device comprises a GPS enabled cellular phone.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said first set or said second set of crop management boundaries are used to track at least one of soil type, soil moisture, soil temperature, weather conditions, precipitation, rainfall, snowfall, hail, wind speed, or temperature.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein sending information about the identified crop management zone to the mobile communication device comprises sending an alert or reminder.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the alert or reminder verifies the entry into the identified crop management zone, is a warning message about the identified crop management zone, comprises weather information about the identified crop management zone, or is additional information containing user observations about the identified crop management zone.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the warning comprises herbicide resistance information about crop located in the identified crop management zone.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the weather information comprises a predicted weather forecast.

23. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving additional data collected within the crop management zone from the mobile communication device, wherein the mobile communication device is adapted to receive the additional data through wireless communication with a sensor network;

and analyzing the additional data to assist in determining the condition associated with the crop management zone.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile communication device comprises a GPS-enabled cell phone.

25. A method comprising:

receiving geoposition data that was collected during a production operation of at least one crop, wherein the geoposition data includes an indication of a location of the at least one crop;

determining a first set of land management boundaries for a first land management zone;

determining a second set of land management boundaries for a second land management zone;

receiving a geoposition associated with a mobile communication device;

identifying a select one of land management zone of the first or second land management zones based on a proximity of the received geoposition associated with the mobile communication device to the determined land management boundaries of the first or the second land management zones; and

sending information about the identified land management zone to the mobile communication device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said first or said second land management zone is a crop management zone comprising the at least one crop.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said first or said second land management zone is a refuge zone.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the mobile communication device comprises a GPS-enabled cell phone.