Systems and methods for deactivating plant material outside of a growing region

• US 9,709,987 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Kare, Jordin T., Hyde, Roderick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/448,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 701 28, 2502221, 126569
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 22/00 Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/02 Apparatus for mechanical destruction hand-tools for uprooting weeds A01B1/16; machines for working soil and for weeding A01B39/18; harvesting machines A01D; cutting implements A01G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/04 Apparatus for destruction by steam, chemicals, burning, or electricity apparatus for burning A01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/043 by chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0042 Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0098 Plants or trees wood G01N33/46
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A system for deactivating plant material outside of a growing region includes an emitter device configured to deactivate plant material, a sensor configured to remotely detect plant material outside of the growing region, and a controller configured to aim and activate the emitter device to deactivate the plant material in response to the plant material being detected by the sensor.

Claims

1. A system for deactivating plant material outside of a growing region, comprising:

an emitter device configured to deactivate a plant material;

a sensor configured to remotely detect a presence of the plant material outside of a boundary defining the growing region; and

a controller configured to aim and activate the emitter device to deactivate the plant material in response to the plant material being detected by the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plant material comprises a plant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plant material comprises a reproductive component of a plant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plant material comprises transgenic plant material.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to aim and activate the emitter device at stationary plant material.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to aim and activate the emitter device at moving plant material.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the moving plant material is airborne.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the moving plant material is waterborne.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an imaging sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a radar device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a LIDAR device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a component of the plant material.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the component is responsive to nonvisible light.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the component is responsive to ultraviolet light.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an expression of a genetic marker of the plant material.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter device comprises a movable beamed energy emitter.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter device comprises a movable chemical emitter.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter device comprises a movable high temperature emitter.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter device comprises a plurality of fixed beamed energy emitters, each fixed beamed energy emitter producing a deactivation zone, and wherein the controller is further configured to identity the deactivation zone that includes the plant material detected by the sensor and activate the corresponding fixed beam energy emitter.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter device comprises a plurality of fixed chemical emitters, each chemical emitter producing a deactivation zone, and wherein the controller is further configured to identity the deactivation zone that includes the plant material detected by the sensor and activate the corresponding chemical emitter.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter device comprises a plurality of fixed high temperature emitters, each high temperature emitter producing a deactivation zone, and wherein the controller is further configured to identity the deactivation zone that includes the plant material detected by the sensor and activate the corresponding high temperature emitter.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle to which the emitter device is mounted.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mapping device, wherein the controller is further configured to receive data from the mapping device and plot the growing region.

24. A method of deactivating plant material, comprising:

establishing a boundary separating a growing region from an exclusion region;

remotely detecting a plant material in the exclusion region;

targeting the detected plant material in the exclusion region; and

emitting an emission at the targeted detected plant material to deactivate the targeted detected plant material.

25. A system for deactivating plant material outside of a growing region, comprising:

an emitter device configured to deactivate a plant material;

a plurality of sensors configured to remotely detect a presence of the plant material outside of a boundary defining the growing region; and

a controller configured to aim and activate the emitter device to deactivate the plant material in response to the plant material being detected outside of the growing region by one or more of the sensors.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the plant material comprises a plant.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the plant material comprises a reproductive component of a plant.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the plant material comprises transgenic plant material.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to aim and activate the emitter device at stationary plant material.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to aim and activate the emitter device at moving plant material.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the emitter device comprises a movable beamed energy emitter.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the emitter device comprises a movable chemical emitter.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the emitter device comprises a movable high temperature emitter.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the emitter device comprises a plurality of fixed beamed energy emitters, each fixed beamed energy emitter producing a deactivation zone, and wherein the controller is further configured to identity the deactivation zone that includes the plant material detected by at least one of the sensors and activate the corresponding fixed beam energy emitter.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the emitter device comprises a plurality of fixed chemical emitters, each chemical emitter producing a deactivation zone, and wherein the controller is further configured to identity the deactivation zone that includes the plant material detected by at least one of the sensors and activate the corresponding chemical emitter.