IP Library Granted Patent US 11,234,366
Granted Patent B2
US 11,234,366 · App. 16/380,691 · Granted Feb 1, 2022

Image selection for machine control

Inventors: Matthew J. Darr (Ames, IA); Federico Pardina-Malbran (Fort Collins, CO)
Assignee: Deere & Company
A01D41/127A01B79/005A01D41/1278B60W10/04B60W10/20G05D1/0219B60W2300/158B60W2555/00B60W2710/20G05D2201/0201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,234,366
App. No.
16/380,691
Granted
Feb 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vegetation index characteristic is assigned to an image of vegetation at a worksite. The vegetation index characteristic is indicative of how a vegetation index value varies across the corresponding image. The image is selected for predictive map generation based upon the vegetation index characteristic. The predictive map is provided to a harvester control system which generates control signals that are applied to controllable subsystems of the harvester, based upon the predictive map and the location of the harvester.

Claims (44)

1. A method of controlling a work machine, comprising:

receiving a plurality of images of spectral response at a worksite;

identifying a set of vegetation index values based on the spectral response;

identifying a vegetation index characteristic, corresponding to each image, indicative of how the set of vegetation index metric values varies across the corresponding image;

selecting an image, from the plurality of images, based on the vegetation index characteristic;

generating, from the selected image, a predictive map; and

controlling a controllable subsystem of the work machine based on a location of the work machine and the predictive map.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the vegetation index characteristic comprises:

identifying a magnitude of a range of the vegetation index values, a vegetation index value distribution and a vegetation index value variability metric.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting an image comprises:

selecting a set of images, from the plurality of images, based on the vegetation index characteristics corresponding to the images, in the set of images.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating a predictive map further comprises:

generating a predicted yield map based on the selected set of images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the vegetation index characteristic comprises:

calculating a set of imagery spectral values in the spectral response for a corresponding image; and

identifying a variability of the imagery spectral values across the set of metric values.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the set of images comprises:

selecting the set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that show more variation than the vegetation index characteristics of non-selected images.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the set of images comprises:

selecting the set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that meet a threshold vegetation index characteristic value.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting the set of images comprises:

selecting the set of images based on a vegetation distribution represented in the images that inhibits spectral saturation and that reflects a predefined level of plant growth.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises controlling a machine actuator.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises controlling a propulsion subsystem.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises controlling a steering subsystem.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystems comprises:

controlling a crop processing subsystem.

13. A work machine, comprising:

a communication system configured to receive a plurality of images of vegetation at a worksite;

a controllable subsystem;

an image selector configured to generate a vegetation index characteristic that includes a variability, distribution, and magnitude metric, corresponding to each image, indicative of how a vegetation index value varies across each image, and to select an image based on the vegetation index characteristic;

a processor configured to generate a predictive map based on the selected image; and

subsystem control logic configured to control the controllable subsystem of the work machine based on a location of the work machine and the predictive map.

14. The work machine of claim 13 , wherein the image selection comprises:

variability identifier logic configured to identify a set of vegetation index metric values for a corresponding image and identify a variability of the vegetation index characteristic across the set of vegetation index metric values.

15. The work machine of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to generate a predictive yield map based on the selected set of images.

16. The work machine of claim 14 , wherein variability identifier logic is configured to identify a set of leaf area index metric values for a corresponding image and identify a variability of the leaf area metric values across the set of leaf area index metric values.

17. The work machine of claim 14 , wherein variability identifier logic is configured to identify a set of normalized difference vegetation index metric values for a corresponding image and identify a variability of the normalized difference vegetation index metric value across the set of normalized difference vegetation index metric values.

18. The work machine of claim 13 , wherein the image selector is configured to select a set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that indicate more vegetation variability than the vegetation index characteristics of non-selected images.

19. The work machine of claim 13 , wherein the image selector is configured to select a set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that meet a threshold vegetation index characteristic value.

20. An image selection system, comprising:

a communication system configured to receive a plurality of images of vegetation at a worksite;

an image selector configured to generate a vegetative index variability metric, corresponding to each image, indicative of how a vegetation index value varies across each image, and to select an image based on the vegetation index variability metric; and

a processor configured to generate at least one predictive map based on the selected images.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2019
From: DARR, MATTHEW J.; PARDINA-MALBRAN, FEDERICO
To: DEERE & COMPANY; IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 048850/0708 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200323134A1 · Oct 15, 2020
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