Updating execution of tasks of an agricultural prescription

• US 9,904,963 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Climate Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Climate Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Rupp, Craig Eugene, Kull, A. Corbett S., Mikelson, Christopher Sears, Dumstorff, Patrick Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAVERAS, KENNY ABEL
• Application Number:
  US14/810,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20160071410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1274 for drives
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method begins by a computing device allocating a plurality of tasks of an agricultural prescription for a farming geographic area to a fleet of farming equipment. While executing tasks of the plurality of tasks, the method continues with at least some of the fleet of farming equipment collecting task execution data. Based on the task execution data, the method continues with the computing device updating at least one of the agricultural prescription, the plurality of tasks, and the allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

based at least in part on resource availability of a fleet of farming equipment, determining an agricultural prescription for achieving an expected performance level by the fleet of farming equipment, and allocating, by a computing device, a plurality of tasks of the agricultural prescription for a farming geographic area to a first resource of the fleet of farming equipment;

transmitting the plurality of tasks of the agricultural prescription to a computer device controlling the first resource of the fleet of farming equipment and causing displaying the plurality of tasks on the computer device;

while the first resource of the fleet of farming equipment is executing tasks of the plurality of tasks, gathering current weather information;

based on the current weather information, determining whether current weather is adversely affecting execution of one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks or may adversely affect future execution of the one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks;

in response to determining that the current weather is adversely affecting, or may adversely affect, execution of the one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks, to minimize adverse effects of the current weather, automatically updating, by the computing device, at least one task of the plurality of tasks of the agricultural prescription.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating the plurality of tasks comprises:

obtaining, by the computing device, capabilities of each piece of farm equipment of the fleet of farming equipment; and

affiliating, by the computing device, a task of the plurality of tasks with a piece of farm equipment based on the capabilities of each piece of farm equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the agricultural prescription comprises one or more of:

a planting plan;

a tillage plan;

a crop transportation plan;

a speed plan;

a fertilizing plan;

a watering plan;

a weeding plan; and

a harvesting plan.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising task execution data which comprises at least one of:

adherence information regarding performance of an allocated task of the plurality of tasks;

farm equipment sensor data;

farm equipment location information; and

farm equipment operational data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the updating comprises:

interpreting the task execution data in accordance with expected performance of the agricultural prescription to produce an actual performance level;

determining whether the actual performance level meets the expected performance;

in response to determining that the actual performance level does not meet the expected performance, determining whether to update the agricultural prescription, the plurality of tasks, or an allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the updating comprises:

interpreting the task execution data in accordance with expected performance of the agricultural prescription to determine whether one or more of;

combine waste, planting errors, or application data meets the expected performance; and

in response to determining that the one or more of;

the combine waste, the planting errors, and the application data does not meet the expected performance, determining whether to update the agricultural prescription, the plurality of tasks, or an allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

updating the plurality of tasks by one or more of;

adding a new task to the plurality of tasks;

deleting an existing task of the plurality of tasks; and

modifying a task of the plurality of tasks.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

updating the agricultural prescription by one or more of;

changing execution scheduling of one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more planting steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more speed steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more fertilizing steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more watering steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more weeding steps; and

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more harvesting steps.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

updating an allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks by one or more of;

reallocating an unexecuted task of the plurality of tasks from one piece of farming equipment to another piece of farming equipment of the fleet of farming equipment;

reallocating a partially completed task of the plurality of tasks from the one piece of farming equipment to other piece of farming equipment of the fleet of farming equipment; and

allocating a new task to one of the fleet of farming equipment.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises:

at least one memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices affiliated with agriculture equipment of a computing system, causes the one or more computing devices to;

based at least in part on resource availability of a fleet of farming equipment, determine an agricultural prescription for achieving an expected performance level by the fleet of farming equipment, and allocate, by a computing device, a plurality of tasks of the agricultural prescription for a farming geographic area to a first resource of the fleet of farming equipment;

transmit the plurality of tasks of the agricultural prescription to a computer device controlling the first resource of the fleet of farming equipment and cause displaying the plurality of tasks on the computer device;

while the first resource of the fleet of farming equipment is executing tasks of the plurality of tasks, gathering current weather information;

based on the current weather information, determining whether current weather is adversely affecting execution of one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks or may adversely affect future execution of the one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks;

in response to determining that the current weather is adversely affecting, or may adversely affect, execution of the one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks, to minimize adverse effects of the current weather, automatically updating, by the computing device, at least one task of the plurality of tasks of the agricultural prescription.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more processing modules function to execute the operational instructions stored by the at least one memory section to cause the one or more computing devices of the computing system to allocate the plurality of tasks by:

obtaining, by the computing device, capabilities of each piece of farm equipment of the fleet of farming equipment; and

affiliating, by the computing device, a task of the plurality of tasks with a piece of farm equipment based on the capabilities of each piece of farm equipment.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the agricultural prescription comprises one or more of:

a planting plan;

a tillage plan;

a crop transportation plan;

a speed plan;

a fertilizing plan;

a watering plan;

a weeding plan; and

a harvesting plan.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, storing additional instructions for collecting task execution data which comprises at least one of:

adherence information regarding performance of an allocated task of the plurality of tasks;

farm equipment sensor data;

farm equipment location information; and

farm equipment operational data.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing modules function to execute the operational instructions stored by the at least one memory section to cause the one or more computing devices of the computing system to update by:

interpreting the task execution data in accordance with expected performance of the agricultural prescription to produce an actual performance level;

determining whether the actual performance level meets the expected performance;

in response to determining that the actual performance level does not meet the expected performance, determining whether to update the agricultural prescription, the plurality of tasks, or an allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more processing modules function to execute the operational instructions stored by the at least one memory section to cause the one or more computing devices of the computing system to update by:

interpreting the task execution data in accordance with expected performance of the agricultural prescription to determine whether one or more of;

combine waste, planting errors, or application data meets the expected performance; and

in response to determining that the one or more of;

the combine waste, the planting errors, and the application data does not meet the expected performance, determining whether to update the agricultural prescription, the plurality of tasks, or an allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprises:

the at least one memory section stores further operational instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing modules, causes the one or more computing devices of the computing system to;

update the plurality of tasks by one or more of;

adding a new task to the plurality of tasks;

deleting an existing task of the plurality of tasks; and

modifying a task of the plurality of tasks.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprises:

the at least one memory section stores further operational instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing modules, causes the one or more computing devices of the computing system to;

update the agricultural prescription by one or more of;

changing execution scheduling of one or more tasks of the plurality of tasks;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more planting steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more speed steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more fertilizing steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more watering steps;

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more weeding steps; and

adding, deleting, or modifying one or more harvesting steps.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprises:

the at least one memory section stores further operational instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing modules, causes the one or more computing devices of the computing system to;

update an allocation of at least one task of the plurality of tasks by one or more of;

reallocating an unexecuted task of the plurality of tasks from one piece of farming equipment to another piece of farming equipment of the fleet of farming equipment;

reallocating a partially completed task of the plurality of tasks from the one piece of farming equipment to other piece of farming equipment of the fleet of farming equipment; and

allocate a new task to one of the fleet of farming equipment.