IP Library Granted Patent US 10,334,864
Granted Patent B2
US 10,334,864 · App. 14/973,667 · Granted Jul 2, 2019

Grain management based on growing characteristics

Inventors: Johnselvakumar Lawrence (Harrisonville, MO); Charles Todd Sears (Archie, MO)
Assignee: IntelliFarms, LLC
A23B9/00A23V2002/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,334,864
App. No.
14/973,667
Granted
Jul 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A grain management system can condition a grain mass held in grain storage equipment using environmental inputs, varietal inputs, nutrient inputs, and/or characteristic inputs. The inputs can provide a customized grain conditioning strategy or program to maintain nutritional attributes of the grain mass and/or prevent overdrying, mold, decomposition, or other spoilage of the grain mass. The inputs can be entered by a user or automatically detected or entered based on present or historical data associated with the grain or grain conditioning equipment.

Claims (27)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving data associated with a grain mass;

receiving at least one growing characteristic of grain in the grain mass, the growing characteristic being representative of a characteristic of the grain at or prior to a time of harvest of the grain;

determining a desired grain conditioning operation for the grain mass based at least on the data associated with the grain mass and the at least one growing characteristic; and

sending a signal representative of the desired grain conditioning operation to control grain conditioning equipment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the grain mass comprises humidity data of air within the grain mass and grain variety data of the grain mass.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one growing characteristic comprises at least one of a soil type, harvest time, fertilizer, planting mode, growing degree unit, tillage type, soil moisture, soil temperature, cultivation practice, nighttime temperature during critical growth stage, and seed coating.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise controlling the grain conditioning equipment based on the desired grain conditioning operation.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the desired grain conditioning operation comprises a drying operation and the grain conditioning equipment comprises drying equipment.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the grain mass is received from a sensor configured to be positioned within the grain mass to detect the data associated with the grain mass.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an interface for displaying the data associated with the grain mass and the at least one growing characteristic.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the interface facilitates inputting of the data associated with the grain mass and the at least one growing characteristic.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the interface comprises a plurality of grain varieties, at least one of the plurality of grain varieties selected through the interface as the data associated with the grain mass, wherein the interface comprises a plurality of growing characteristics, at least one of the plurality of growing characteristics selected through the interface as the at least one growing characteristic.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the interface comprises a touch input.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a handheld device for presenting the interface.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving humidity data of air within a grain mass;

receiving at least one growing characteristic of grain in the grain mass, the growing characteristic being representative of a characteristic of the grain at or prior to a time of harvest of the grain;

determining a desired grain conditioning operation for the grain mass based at least on the humidity data and the at least one growing characteristic; and

sending a signal representative of the desired grain conditioning operation to control grain conditioning equipment.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the at least one growing characteristic comprises at least one of a soil type, harvest time, fertilizer, planting mode, growing degree unit, tillage type, soil moisture, soil temperature, cultivation practice, nighttime temperature during critical growth stage, and seed coating.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise controlling the grain conditioning equipment based on the desired grain conditioning operation.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the humidity data is received from a sensor positioned within the grain mass.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising receiving grain variety data of the grain mass, wherein the desired grain conditioning operation is further determined based on the grain variety data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the at least one growing characteristic and the grain variety data are received from an interface comprising a plurality of growing characteristics and a plurality of grain varieties.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: AGI SURETRACK LLC
To: CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE
Reel/Frame 060288/0205 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2022
From: AG GROWTH INTERNATIONAL INC.
To: AGI SURETRACK LLC
Reel/Frame 060216/0962 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2022
From: AG GROWTH INTERNATIONAL INC.
To: AGI SURETRACK LLC
Reel/Frame 060176/0987 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2020
From: AG GROWTH INTERNATIONAL INC.
To: CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE
Reel/Frame 052923/0366 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2020
From: INTELLIFARMS, LLC (NOW AGI SURETRACK LLC)
To: AG GROWTH INTERNATIONAL INC.
Reel/Frame 052815/0499 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2019
From: LAWRENCE, JOHNSELVAKUMAR; SEARS, CHARLES TODD
To: INTELLIFARMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 049141/0823 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2017
From: INTELLIFARMS, LLC
To: COUNTRY CLUB BANK
Reel/Frame 043911/0669 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62097346 · Dec 29, 2014
Related Publication 20160183547A1 · Jun 30, 2016