IP Library Granted Patent US 11,793,101
Granted Patent B2
US 11,793,101 · App. 17/181,684 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

Flagging operational differences in agricultural implements

Inventors: Christina Bogdan (Queens, NY); Daniel Williams (Sacramento, CA)
Assignee: CLIMATE LLC
A01B79/005A01C21/007A01C7/102A01C21/005G06Q50/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,793,101
App. No.
17/181,684
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying operational abnormalities based on data received from an agricultural implement performing a task in an agricultural field are described herein. In an embodiment, a system receives time-series data captured from an agricultural implement performing an agronomic activity on an agricultural field, the time-series data including, for each of a plurality of timestamps, a location of the agricultural implement. The system identifies a plurality of passes in the time-series data and using the identified plurality of passes, identifies a plurality of location on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included a particular operational abnormality. The system generates a map of operational abnormalities for the agricultural field, the map of operational abnormalities including the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality.

Claims (108)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes performance of:

receiving time-series data captured from an agricultural implement performing an agronomic activity on an agricultural field, the time-series data including, for each of a plurality of timestamps, a location of the agricultural implement;

identifying a plurality of passes in the time-series data including:

computing a time difference between a first timestamp and a second timestamp;

computing a space difference between a location corresponding to the first timestamp and a location corresponding to the second timestamp;

computing a heading difference between a heading of the agricultural implement at the first timestamp and a heading of the agricultural implement at the second timestamp; and

determining that the time difference is greater than a first threshold value, the space difference is greater than a second threshold value, and the heading difference is greater than a third threshold value and, in response, determining that the second timestamp corresponds to a different pass as the first timestamp;

using the identified plurality of passes, identifying a plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included a particular operational abnormality, the particular operational abnormality including an edge pass, a point row or an end row; and

generating a map of operational abnormalities for the agricultural field, the map of operational abnormalities including the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the edge pass and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

determining a width of the agricultural implement;

determining a boundary of the agricultural field from the time-series data; and

identifying each location within the determined width from the boundary of the agricultural field as an edge pass location.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the end row and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

identifying a first timestamp and a second timestamp in the time-series data that are associated with a particular location; and

determining that a heading of the agricultural implement for the first timestamp is different from a heading of the agricultural implement for the second time stamp by a threshold value and, in response, identifying the particular location as an end row location.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

generating a prescription map corresponding to the map of operational abnormalities which identifies a second activity to perform in the plurality of locations;

generating a script which, when executed by a second agricultural implement, causes the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field; and

sending the script to the second agricultural implement to cause the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

using the map of operational abnormalities, identifying one or more trial locations on the agricultural field;

generating a prescription map which identifies a second activity to perform in the trial locations;

generating a script which, when executed by a second agricultural implement, causes the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field; and

sending the script to the second agricultural implement to cause the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

receiving yield data for the agricultural field;

using the map of operational abnormalities, generating updated yield data for the agricultural field; and

generating a yield analysis for the agricultural field excluding the data identified using the map of operational abnormalities.

7. A method comprising:

receiving time-series data captured from an agricultural implement performing an agronomic activity on an agricultural field, the time-series data including, for each of a plurality of timestamps, a location of the agricultural implement;

identifying a plurality of passes in the time-series data including:

computing a time difference between a first timestamp and a second timestamp;

computing a space difference between a location corresponding to the first timestamp and a location corresponding to the second timestamp;

computing a heading difference between a heading of the agricultural implement at the first timestamp and a heading of the agricultural implement at the second timestamp; and

determining that the time difference is greater than a first threshold value, the space difference is greater than a second threshold value, and the heading difference is greater than a third threshold value and, in response, determining that the second timestamp corresponds to a different pass as the first timestamp;

using the identified plurality of passes, identifying a plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included a particular operational abnormality, the particular operational abnormality including an edge pass, a point row or an end row; and

generating a map of operational abnormalities for the agricultural field, the map of operational abnormalities including the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the edge pass and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

determining a width of the agricultural implement;

determining a boundary of the agricultural field from the time-series data; and

identifying each location within the determined width from the boundary of the agricultural field as an edge pass location.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the end row and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

identifying a first timestamp and a second timestamp in the time-series data that are associated with a particular location; and

determining that a heading of the agricultural implement for the first timestamp is different from a heading of the agricultural implement for the second time stamp by a threshold value and, in response, identifying the particular location as an end row location.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating a prescription map corresponding to the map of operational abnormalities which identifies a second activity to perform in the plurality of locations;

generating a script which, when executed by a second agricultural implement, causes the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field; and

sending the script to the second agricultural implement to cause the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

using the map of operational abnormalities, identifying one or more trial locations on the agricultural field;

generating a prescription map which identifies a second activity to perform in the trial locations;

generating a script which, when executed by a second agricultural implement, causes the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field; and

sending the script to the second agricultural implement to cause the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving yield data for the agricultural field;

using the map of operational abnormalities, generating updated yield data for the agricultural field; and

generating a yield analysis for the agricultural field excluding the data identified using the map of operational abnormalities.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes performance of:

receiving time-series data captured from an agricultural implement performing an agronomic activity on an agricultural field, the time-series data including, for each of a plurality of timestamps, a location of the agricultural implement;

identifying a plurality of passes in the time-series data including:

using the time-series data, generating a heading difference time-series comprising changes in heading of the agricultural implement for a plurality of intervals of time;

identifying a peak heading change in the heading difference time-series; and

identifying a first pass of the plurality of passes as including locations corresponding to time-series data prior to the peak and a second pass of the plurality of passes as including locations corresponding to time-series data after the peak;

using the identified plurality of passes, identifying a plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included a particular operational abnormality, the particular operational abnormality including an edge pass, a point row or an end row; and

generating a map of operational abnormalities for the agricultural field, the map of operational abnormalities including the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the edge pass and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

determining a width of the agricultural implement;

determining a boundary of the agricultural field from the time-series data; and

identifying each location within the determined width from the boundary of the agricultural field as an edge pass location.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the end row and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

identifying a first timestamp and a second timestamp in the time-series data that are associated with a particular location; and

determining that a heading of the agricultural implement for the first timestamp is different from a heading of the agricultural implement for the second time stamp by a threshold value and, in response, identifying the particular location as an end row location.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

generating a prescription map corresponding to the map of operational abnormalities which identifies a second activity to perform in the plurality of locations;

generating a script which, when executed by a second agricultural implement, causes the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field; and

sending the script to the second agricultural implement to cause the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

receiving yield data for the agricultural field;

using the map of operational abnormalities, generating updated yield data for the agricultural field; and

generating a yield analysis for the agricultural field excluding the data identified using the map of operational abnormalities.

18. A method comprising:

receiving time-series data captured from an agricultural implement performing an agronomic activity on an agricultural field, the time-series data including, for each of a plurality of timestamps, a location of the agricultural implement;

identifying a plurality of passes in the time-series data including:

using the time-series data, generating a heading difference time-series comprising changes in heading of the agricultural implement for a plurality of intervals of time;

identifying a peak heading change in the heading difference time-series; and

identifying a first pass of the plurality of passes as including locations corresponding to time-series data prior to the peak and a second pass of the plurality of passes as including locations corresponding to time-series data after the peak;

using the identified plurality of passes, identifying a plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included a particular operational abnormality, the particular operational abnormality including an edge pass, a point row or an end row; and

generating a map of operational abnormalities for the agricultural field, the map of operational abnormalities including the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the edge pass and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

determining a width of the agricultural implement;

determining a boundary of the agricultural field from the time-series data; and

identifying each location within the determined width from the boundary of the agricultural field as an edge pass location.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the particular operational abnormality comprises the end row and wherein identifying the plurality of locations on the agricultural field in which the activity performed by the agricultural implement included the particular operational abnormality comprises:

identifying a first timestamp and a second timestamp in the time-series data that are associated with a particular location; and

determining that a heading of the agricultural implement for the first timestamp is different from a heading of the agricultural implement for the second time stamp by a threshold value and, in response, identifying the particular location as an end row location.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

generating a prescription map corresponding to the map of operational abnormalities which identifies a second activity to perform in the plurality of locations;

generating a script which, when executed by a second agricultural implement, causes the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field; and

sending the script to the second agricultural implement to cause the second agricultural implement to perform the second activity in the plurality of locations on the agricultural field.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving yield data for the agricultural field;

using the map of operational abnormalities, generating updated yield data for the agricultural field; and

generating a yield analysis for the agricultural field excluding the data identified using the map of operational abnormalities.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2026
From: CLIMATE LLC
To: MONSANTO COMPANY
Reel/Frame 075177/0751 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2026
From: MONSANTO COMPANY
To: MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 075177/0908 →
CHANGE IN PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS Recorded Sep 2, 2025
From: CLIMATE LLC
To: CLIMATE LLC
Reel/Frame 072810/0487 →
CHANGE OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE Recorded Nov 16, 2023
From: CLIMATE LLC
To: CLIMATE LLC
Reel/Frame 065609/0300 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 12, 2022
From: THE CLIMATE CORPORATION
To: CLIMATE LLC
Reel/Frame 061664/0657 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2022
From: BOGDAN, CHRISTINA; WILLIAMS, DANIEL
To: THE CLIMATE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061380/0742 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62980065 · Feb 21, 2020
Related Publication 20210267117A1 · Sep 2, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,302,774