IP Library Granted Patent US 11,744,189
Granted Patent B2
US 11,744,189 · App. 18/132,345 · Granted Sep 5, 2023

Plant treatment based on morphological and physiological measurements

Inventors: Lee Kamp Redden (Palo Alto, CA); Matthew Colgan (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
A01G7/00A01C21/007A01G7/06G01B11/24G01N33/0098G06V10/751G06V20/68
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,744,189
App. No.
18/132,345
Granted
Sep 5, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for plant parameter detection, including: a plant morphology sensor having a first field of view and configured to record a morphology measurement of a plant portion and an ambient environment adjacent the plant, a plant physiology sensor having a second field of view and configured to record a plant physiology parameter measurement of a plant portion and an ambient environment adjacent the plant, wherein the second field of view overlaps with the first field of view; a support statically coupling the plant morphology sensor to the physiology sensor, and a computing system configured to: identify a plant set of pixels within the physiology measurement based on the morphology measurement; determine physiology values for each pixel of the plant set of pixels; and extract a growth parameter based on the physiology values.

Claims (58)

1. A system for applying a treatment fluid to a plurality of plants in a field, comprising:

a set of one or more sensor systems configured to record a morphology measurement of a plant of the plurality of plants in the field describing a structure of the plant and a physiology measurement of the plant describing a functionality of the plant;

a nozzle mounted to a vehicle to apply the treatment fluid to the plurality of plants; and

a computer communicatively coupled to the set of one or more sensor systems, the computer executing a set of instructions that when executed causes the system to:

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the physiology measurement;

identify a plant portion of the plant at which the treatment fluid is to be applied based on the morphology measurement; and

control the nozzle to apply the treatment fluid to the plant portion using a treatment mechanism as the vehicle navigates through the field.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein identifying the treatment fluid comprises selecting one treatment fluid of a plurality of treatment fluids over another treatment fluid of the plurality of treatment fluids based on the physiology measurement.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the physiology measurement comprises a set of physiology pixels; and

the computer is further configured to identify a subset of physiology pixels of the set of physiology pixels that are associated with the plant portion.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine a physiology value for the plant based on the physiology measurement and the morphology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid and the plant portion based on the determined physiology value.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the physiology measurement comprises a set of physiology pixels, and the physiology value for the plant is determined based on a physiology value determined for each pixel of the physiology measurement.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further configured to:

generate a three-dimensional model of the plant based on the morphology measurement; and

identify the plant portion based on the generated three-dimensional model.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine a set of treatment parameters based on the morphology measurement and the physiology measurement; and

apply the treatment fluid to the plant portion based on the determined set of treatment parameters.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further configured to:

identify a phenotype of the plant based on the physiology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the phenotype of the plant.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further configured to:

identify a genotype of the plant based on the physiology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the genotype of the plant.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine a plant index for the plant based on the physiology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the plant index.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more sensors comprises a LIDAR system.

12. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a morphology measurement and a physiology measurement recorded by a set of one or more sensor systems, wherein the morphology measurement describes a structure of a plant and the physiology measurement describes a functionality of the plant;

identify, with a computer communicatively coupled to the set of one or more sensor systems, a treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the physiology measurement;

identify, with the computer, a plant portion of the plant at which the treatment fluid is to be applied based on the morphology measurement; and

applying the treatment fluid to the plant portion with a nozzle mounted to a vehicle.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , instructions for identifying the treatment fluid comprises further cause the computer to select one treatment fluid of a plurality of treatment fluids over another treatment fluid of the plurality of treatment fluids based on the physiology measurement.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein:

the physiology measurement comprises a set of physiology pixels; and

the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the computer to identify, with the computer, a subset of physiology pixels of the set of physiology pixels that are associated with the plant portion.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

determine, with the computer, a physiology value for the plant based on the physiology measurement and the morphology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid and the plant portion based on the determined physiology value.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

generate, with the computer, a three-dimensional model of the plant based on the morphology measurement; and

identify the plant portion based on the generated three-dimensional model.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

determine, with the computer, a set of treatment parameters based on the morphology measurement and the physiology measurement; and

apply the treatment fluid to the plant portion based on the determined set of treatment parameters.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

identify, with the computer, a phenotype of the plant based on the physiology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the phenotype of the plant.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

identify, with the computer, a genotype of the plant based on the physiology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the genotype of the plant.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

determine, with the computer, a plant index for the plant based on the physiology measurement; and

identify the treatment fluid to be applied to the plant based on the plant index.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2024
From: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
To: DEERE & COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069164/0195 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2023
From: REDDEN, LEE KAMP; COLGAN, MATTHEW
To: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
Reel/Frame 063437/0254 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 17884566 · Aug 10, 2022
Continuation 16937515 · Jul 23, 2020
Continuation 16174232 · Oct 29, 2018
Continuation 15486654 · Apr 13, 2017
Continuation 14329161 · Jul 11, 2014
Provisional Application 62004722 · May 29, 2014
Provisional Application 61942740 · Feb 21, 2014
Provisional Application 61859091 · Jul 26, 2013
Provisional Application 61844967 · Jul 11, 2013
Related Publication 20230240195A1 · Aug 3, 2023