IP Library Granted Patent US 11,521,381
Granted Patent B2
US 11,521,381 · App. 17/088,455 · Granted Dec 6, 2022

Smart farming

Inventors: Bao Tran (Saratoga, CA); Ha Tran (Saratoga, CA)
G06V20/188A01B79/005A01B79/02A01C23/047A01G22/00A01G25/09A01G25/165A01G25/167B64C39/024G05B17/02G05D1/0088G05D1/102G06F3/017G06Q30/0206G06Q50/02G06T7/0002G16Y10/05G16Y20/20H04L9/0643B64C2201/108B64C2201/123G06Q2220/00H04L9/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,521,381
App. No.
17/088,455
Granted
Dec 6, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for managing an irrigation system by generating a multi-dimensional model of an environment of the irrigation system; determining irrigation system control options based on the model, a current state of the irrigation system and the environment of the irrigation system; analyzing water spray pattern, wind speed and weather parameters, and beamforming water spray to reach edges of the spray pattern to water a predetermined area; with a drone, inspecting plants or crops for a problem; and controlling the irrigation system to respond to the problem.

Claims (45)

1. A method for managing an irrigation system, the method comprising:

generating a multi-dimensional model of an environment of the irrigation system;

determining irrigation system control options based on the model, a current state of the irrigation system and the environment of the irrigation system;

analyzing a spray pattern of a water spray, a wind speed and weather parameters, and beamforming the water spray pattern to water a predetermined area;

with a drone, inspecting plants or crops for a problem; and

controlling the irrigation system to respond to the problem.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the drone in a field.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying machine learning to dispense a solution or liquid to the plants or crops.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising dispensing a solution or liquid to the plants or crops.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying a weed region and depositing a weed chemical to the weed region.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying the crops and collecting the crops with the drone.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the drone is an autonomous drone.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising using artificial intelligence to identify insects, weeds, and diseased plants and applying a treatment to the identified insects, weeds, and diseased plants.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising tracking crop origin and transit of each crop using a blockchain.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying computer vision to detect the plants, the crops, insects, and leaves.

11. A system, comprising

a frame,

cameras and position sensors attached to the frame to capture field data and to detect insects, leaves, or crops in a field, and

a processor with code to:

generating a multi-dimensional model of an environment of the irrigation system;

determining irrigation system control options based on the model, a current state of the irrigation system and the environment of the irrigation system;

analyzing a spray pattern of a water spray, a wind speed and weather parameters, and beamforming the water spray to reach edges of the spray pattern to water a predetermined area;

with the frame, inspecting plants or crops for a problem; and

controlling the irrigation system to respond to the problem.

12. A method for managing an irrigation system, comprising:

generating a multi-dimensional model of an environment of the irrigation system;

determining irrigation system control options based on the model, a current state of the irrigation system and the environment of the irrigation system;

analyzing a spray pattern of a water spray, a wind speed and weather parameters, and beamforming the water spray to reach edges of the spray pattern to water a predetermined area;

with a drone, inspecting plants or crops for a problem; and

controlling the irrigation system to respond to the problem.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising analyzing aerial images of a field.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying a liquid microbial solution to help the plants absorb fertilizer.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying artificial intelligence to identify insects, weeds, and diseases.

16. A system, comprising

a computer to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment of the irrigation system and generate a 3D drone path; and

a drone including:

a frame,

valves attached to the frame to dispense a liquid to a field;

cameras and position sensors to capture field data to form a model of the field, and

a processor with code to:

generating a multi-dimensional model of an environment of the irrigation system;

determining irrigation system control options based on the model, a current state of the irrigation system and the environment of the irrigation system;

analyzing a spray pattern of a water spray, a wind speed and weather parameters, and beamforming the edges of the spray pattern to water a predetermined area;

with drone, inspecting plants or crops for a problem; and

controlling the irrigation system to respond to the problem.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2026
From: TRAN, BAO
To: WREATH, INC.
Reel/Frame 074589/0977 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16528508 · Jul 31, 2019
Provisional Application 62846786 · May 13, 2019
Related Publication 20210073540A1 · Mar 11, 2021
Cited By (3)
US 12,193,429 US 12,578,725 US 12,721,288