Method and apparatus for target plant foliage sensing and mappin

Details Method and apparatus for target plant foliage sensing and mappin Method and apparatus for target plant foliage sensing and mappin

1987-06-23

1989-04-18

Mis, David

Boots, shoes, and leggings

239 77, G06F 1514, B05B 906

Patent

active

048232688

ABSTRACT:
An electronic orchard tree measuring system based on ultrasonic range transducers may be used to determine the amount and vertical distribution of sensed load centroids in vertical sectors of orchard trees. The ultrasonic transducers may be operated independently of any processor or memory which receives their distance data outputs. Displacement sensing of the apparatus relative a row of target trees may instead be used to select ultrasonic distance data at predetermined incremental distances of travel relative the trees being sensed. Thus, the most recent value of sensed data is always available as input to the processor or memory, without requiring any timing circuitry between such sensing and control circuits. The detection data may be stored in memory for subsequent processing to create a map of foliar volumes of the sensed target trees. Alternatively, the spatial characteristics of the sensed amount and vertical distribution of load centroids for a given vertical segment of target trees may be further compared spatially with determined application patterns of controllable spray nozzles to configure subsequent activation of such nozzles for optimal material application to the given vertical segment of the sensed target trees.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4078365 (1978-03-01), Ingalls
patent: 4768713 (1988-09-01), Roper
Four (4) page color brochure of DjSC1000 Sprayer Control by Dickey-john Corp., Auburn, Illinois (undated).
Final Draft of Chapter II "Review of Literature" of Doctoral Discertation by Durham Kennemer Giles, May, 1987, entitled "Control of Orchard Spraying Based on Electronic Sensing of Spray Target Characteristics".
"Electronic Sensing of Plant Canopy Volume" by Giles et al., American Society of Agriculture Engineers Paper No. 86-1087, Jun. 29, 1986-Jul. 2, 1986.
"Electronic Measurement of Tree-Row-Volume" by McConnell et al., Agricultural Electronics, vol. I, pp. 85-90, 1983, ASAE, St. Joseph, Michigan.
Various magazine articles dated Jul. 1984 to Sep. 1985 from "The Citrus Industry" and other materials relative a spray system by Roper Growers Cooperative, Winter Garden, Florida.
"Ultrasonic Ranging System" owners manual by Polaroid Corporation for Ultrasonic Transducer Model 604142 and Ultrasonic Ranging Board Model 607089.
Polaroid Ultrasonic Ranging System Handbook for Polaroid Corporation Ultrasonic Transducers and associated Ranging Boards.
"Home In On The Range!; an Ultrasonic Ranging System" by Steve Ciarcia, BYTE Publications, Nov. 1980, pp. 32, 34, 36, 38, 42, 46, 48, 50, 52, 56, and 58.
"An Ultrasonic Ranging System" by Steve Ciarcia, BYTE Publications, Oct. 1984, pp. 112 through 123.

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