Water erosion management incorporating topography, soil type, and weather statistics

• US 8,768,667 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Lindores, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US13/280,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 703/9, 702/5, 702/47, 705/1.1, 705/4, 705/37, 700/291
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method of water erosion management comprises receiving a topographic datum indicating the topography of a defined area. Data is received indicating a soil composition found at the defined area. A model is created predicting a water runoff pattern for said defined area based upon the topography of the defined area and the soil composition of the defined area.

Claims

1. A method of water erosion management comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, topographic data indicating the topography of a defined area;

receiving, by said computer system, data indicating a soil composition found at said defined area;

creating a model, by said computer system, predicting a water runoff pattern for said defined area based upon said topographic data and said soil composition at said defined area;

receiving, by said computer system, an indication of a terraforming operation to be performed at said defined area;

modifying, by said computer system, said soil composition within said model; and

generating by said computer system a second model based upon said indication of said terraforming operation and said modifying said soil composition within said model.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising:

using said model, by said computer system, to predict erosion of soil at said defined area based upon said topographic data and said soil composition.

3. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

incorporating, by said computer system, said topographic data and said soil composition data with other farming data for a wide geographic area; and

using the other farming data for said wide geographic area to modify said model.

4. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

using weather data, by said computer system, for at least said defined area to create said model.

5. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by said computer system, a predicted condition;

applying, by said computer system, said predicted condition to said model; and

generating an alert, by said computer system, based upon said applying of said predicted condition to said model.

6. A system for management of water erosion, said system comprising:

a first reporting source configured to report a plurality of topographic data defining a location and an elevation of a plurality of sites at a defined area;

a second reporting source configured to report a soil composition data of at least one of said plurality of sites within said defined area; and

a model generator implemented by a processor and configured to generate a model which conveys a three-dimensional (3-D) map of said defined area based upon said plurality of topographic data, variations of said soil composition across said defined area based upon said soil composition data, and predicts a water runoff pattern at said defined area based upon said plurality of topographic data and said soil composition data, said model generator further configured to generate a second model comprising modified soil composition data of at least one of said plurality of sites in response to receiving an indication of a terraforming operation to be performed at said defined area.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a database coupled with said model generator and configured for storing said plurality of topographic data and said soil composition data; and

an aggregating agent implemented by said processor and configured for coupling said database and for filtering data collected across a wide geographic area based on attributes common with said defined area.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said first reporting source is coupled with a mobile device which is hand-holdable.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said first reporting source is coupled with a land bound agricultural vehicle.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said model generator is configured to receive an indication to modify at least one of said plurality of topographic data within said model and to generate said second model in response to receiving said indication.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method of water erosion management, said method comprising:

receiving a topographic datum indicating the topography of a defined area;

receiving data indicating a soil composition found at said defined area;

creating a model predicting a water runoff pattern for said defined area based upon said topographic data and said soil composition at said defined area;

receiving an indication of a terraforming operation to be performed at said defined area;

modifying said soil composition within said model; and

generating a second model based upon said indication of said terraforming operation and said modifying said soil composition within said model.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:

using said model to predict erosion of soil at said defined area based upon said topographic data and said soil composition.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:

incorporating said topographic data and said soil composition data with other farming data for a wide geographic area; and

using the other farming data for said wide geographic area to modify said model.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:

using weather data for at least said defined area to create said model.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:

accessing a predicted condition;

applying said predicted condition to said model; and

generating an alert based upon said applying of said predicted condition to said model.