Method and system for collecting image data

• US 9,916,505 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Pickett, Terence D.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUJITA, KATRINA R
• Application Number:
  US14/492,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30188 Vegetation; Agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/188 Vegetation

Abstract

An evaluator can determine whether there is a material change in the observed parameter of a crop or field with respect to average measurements of the observed parameter. A location-determining receiver is adapted to determine a location of a vehicle corresponding to the material change in the observed parameter. An imaging device is adapted to collect the image data for a time interval associated with the material change. A data processor is arranged for associating the image data with the corresponding location data and storing the image data and corresponding location data in a data storage device.

Claims

1. A method for collecting image data, the method comprising:

determining whether there is a material change in an observed parameter of a crop or field with respect to average measurements of the observed parameter from a sensor of a vehicle in the field;

determining a location of the vehicle and a deviation zone corresponding to the material change in the observed parameter, where the deviation zone represents a local region, segment, portion, row or point of the field;

during operation of the vehicle in the field, automatically collecting the image data of the deviation zone for a time interval associated with the material change of the observed parameter of the crop or field, the image data collected from the vehicle in the field, where the time interval is adjusted based on the operating speed of the vehicle and a historic evaluation of inclusiveness of the image data of the deviation zone;

associating the image data with the corresponding location data and storing the image data and corresponding location data in a data storage device.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

making available the collected image data and corresponding location data for agronomic decision or analysis such any of the following;

(a) estimating crop plant health for one or more plants in the deviation zone, (b) estimating crop plant nitrogen content for the one or more plants in the deviation zone, or (c) estimating crop plant size, crop plant width or crop plant height for the one or more plants in the deviation zone.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the making available comprises:

wirelessly communicating the associated image data and corresponding location data to a server coupled to a communications network, where the server provides the associated image data and corresponding location data in response to requests to one or more terminals in communication on or with the communications network.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the observed parameter is selected from the group consisting of crop yield and crop moisture for one or more zones of a field or work area.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the average measurements comprise a mean, mode, or median of the observed parameter for the field or the work area, where the field encompasses a greater geographic area than one or more zones of the field or work area.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein determining whether there is a material change in an observed parameter comprises determining whether there is a first material change in a first observed parameter with respect to a first average measurement and whether there is a second material change in a second observed parameter of the crop or field with respect to a second average measurement.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the collecting the image data for a time interval associated with the material change comprises collecting the image data for a particular time interval associated with a simultaneous occurrence of the first material change and the second material change.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the material change is representative of one or more measurements of the observed parameter that are indicative of an absence of a crop in one or more corresponding zones.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining comprises determining, by the sensor whether there is the material change in the observed parameter of the crop or field with respect to average measurements of the observed parameter for a current growing season or a past growing season.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the observed parameter for the deviation zone is approximately one standard deviation or more below an aggregate observed parameter or field average of the observed parameter throughout the field.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the where the automatically collecting of the image data provides a data source on a condition of one or more problem areas in the deviation zone within the entire field.

12. A method for collecting image data, the method comprising:

determining whether there is a first material change in a first observed parameter with respect to a first average measurement, the first observed parameter observed from a sensor of a vehicle in the field;

determining whether there is a second material change in a second observed parameter of the crop or field with respect to a second average measurement;

determining a location of the vehicle and a deviation zone corresponding to a simultaneous occurrence of the first material change in the first observed parameter and the second material change in the second observed parameter, where the deviation zone represents a local region, segment, portion, row or point of a field;

during operation of the vehicle in the field, automatically collecting the image data of the deviation zone for a particular time interval associated with the simultaneous occurrence of the first material change and the second material change of the observed parameters of the crop or field, the image data collected from the vehicle in the field, where the time interval is adjusted based on the operating speed of the vehicle and a historic evaluation of inclusiveness of the image data of the deviation zone; and

associating the image data with the corresponding location data and storing the image data and corresponding location data in a data storage device.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising:

making available the collected image data and corresponding location data for agronomic decision or analysis such any of the following;

(a) estimating crop plant health for one or more plants in the deviation zone, (b) estimating crop plant nitrogen content for the one or more plants in the deviation zone, or (c) estimating crop plant size, crop plant width or crop plant height for the one or more plants in the deviation zone.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the making available comprises:

wirelessly communicating the associated image data and corresponding location data to a server coupled to a communications network, where the server provides the associated image data and corresponding location data in response to requests to one or more terminals in communication on or with the communications network.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the first observed parameter comprises crop yield for one or more zones of a field or work are and the second observed parameter comprises crop moisture for one or more zones of a field or work area.

16. The method according to claim 12 wherein the first average measurements comprise a mean, mode, or median of the first observed parameter for the field or the work area, where the field encompasses a greater geographic area than one or more zones of the field or work area.

17. The method according to claim 12 wherein the first average measurements comprise a mean, mode, or median of the second observed parameter for the field or the work area, where the field encompasses a greater geographic area than one or more zones of the field or work area.

18. A system for collecting image data, the system comprising:

a sensor for measuring an observed parameter of a crop or field, the sensor associated with a vehicle in the field;

an evaluator to determine whether there is a material change in the observed parameter of a crop or field with respect to average measurements of the observed parameter;

a location-determining receiver for determining a location of the vehicle and a deviation zone corresponding to the material change in the observed parameter, where the deviation zone represents a local region, segment, portion, row or point of a field;

an imaging device for automatically collecting the image data of the deviation zone for a time interval associated with the material change of the observed parameter of the crop or field, the image data collected from the vehicle in the field, where a triggering module establishes or triggers the time interval for collection of the image data by the imaging device and where the time interval is adjusted based on the operating speed of the vehicle and a historic evaluation of inclusiveness of the image data of the deviation zone; and

a data processor for associating the image data with the corresponding location data and storing the image data and corresponding location data in a data storage device.

19. The system according to claim 18 further comprising:

a server associated with a communications network;

a second wireless communications device coupled to the server;

a first wireless communications device in communication with the data storage device and the second wireless communications device, the first wireless communications device and the second communications device adapted to make available to the server the collected image data and corresponding location data for agronomic decision or analysis.

20. The system according to claim 19 further comprising:

one or more terminals in communication on or with the communications network; and

wherein the server is adapted to provide the associated image data and corresponding location data in response to requests to the one or more terminals.

21. The system according to claim 18 wherein the observed parameter is selected from the group consisting of crop yield and crop moisture for one or more zones of a field or work area.

22. The system according to claim 18 wherein the average measurements comprise a mean, mode, or median of the observed parameter for the field or the work area, where the field encompasses a greater geographic area than one or more zones of the field or work area.