Patents Assigned to BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
-
Patent number: 12080019Abstract: A farming machine includes one or more image sensors for capturing an image as the farming machine moves through the field. A control system accesses the image(s) and creates a labelled three-dimensional point cloud representing the field. The control system identifies and treats plants based on the labelled point cloud. To do so, the control system applies pre-processing functions to the labelled point cloud to determine characteristics of the field and/or modify labels in the point cloud. Point clusters in the point cloud are identified as plants, crops, weeds, ground, etc., using the determined characteristics and modified labels. The control system derives feature values for the plants based on the determined characteristics and labels. If the feature value indicates that the plant should be treated, the farming machine actuates a treatment mechanism to treat the plant.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2020Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski, Kent Anderson
-
Patent number: 12073475Abstract: A farming machine is configured to identify and treat plants in a field. The farming machine includes one or more light sensors for measuring a characteristic of light. The one or more light sensors are coupled to the farming machine and are directed a substantially upwards orientation away from the plants. A control system adjusts settings of an image acquisition system based on a characteristic of light measured by the one or more light sensors. The image acquisition system captures an image of a plant using one or more image sensors coupled to the farming machine, the one or more image sensors directed in a substantially downwards orientation towards the plants. The control system identifies a plant in the image and actuates a treatment mechanism to treat the identified plant.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2023Date of Patent: August 27, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Matthew Stephen Colgan, Charles McCauley Ross
-
Patent number: 12056845Abstract: A farming machine identifies and treats a plant as the farming machine travels through a field. The farming machine includes an array of tiled image sensors for capturing images of the field. A control system identifies an active region in the captured images and generates a tiled image that includes the active region. The control system applies image processing functions to identify the plant in the tiled image and actuates a treatment mechanism to treat the identified plant. The control system causes the array of image sensors to capture the image, identifies the plant, and actuates the treatment mechanism in real time as the farming machine travels through the field.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2021Date of Patent: August 6, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: John William Peake, Rajesh Radhakrishnan
-
Patent number: 12041867Abstract: A method including: recording a first image of a first field region; automatically treating a plant within the first region in-situ based on the first image; automatically verifying the plant treatment with a second image of the first region; and automatically treating a second region concurrently with treatment verification.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2021Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Lee Kamp Redden, Kent Anderson, Edward William Jeffcott Pell, James Patrick Ostrowski
-
Patent number: 12016325Abstract: A farming machine including a number of treatment mechanisms treats plants as the farming machine moves through the field. The control system of the farming machine executes a plant identification model configured to identify plants in the field for treatment. The plant identification model is also configured to identify plants in non-ideal operating conditions. For example, the control system can identify and treat plants in non-ideal operating conditions where airborne particulates are present in an accessed image. The plant identification model is also configured to determine a particulate level in an accessed image and transmit a notification of the particulate level to an operator of the farming system. The control system generates a treatment map identifying which treatment mechanisms to actuate to treat the plants in the field. The farming machine treats the plants in the field according to the treatment map.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick
-
Patent number: 12020465Abstract: A method of real-time plant selection and removal from a plant field including capturing a first image of a first section of the plant field, segmenting the first image into regions indicative of individual plants within the first section, selecting the optimal plants for retention from the first image based on the first image and the previously thinned plant field sections, sending instructions to the plant removal mechanism for removal of the plants corresponding to the unselected regions of the first image from the second section before the machine passes the unselected regions, and repeating the aforementioned steps for a second section of the plant field adjacent the first section in the direction of machine travel.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2021Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventor: Lee Kamp Redden
-
Patent number: 11991947Abstract: A treatment system for spraying treatment fluid onto plants in a field is described. The treatment system includes a highly configurable treatment mechanism including an array of nozzles and valve assemblies coupled into manifolds, and manifold assemblies. The manifolds of the manifold assemblies can be oriented in an open state or a nested state, the open state with no overlap between nozzles of adjacent manifolds and the nested state with overlap between nozzles of adjacent manifolds. The manifolds can have multiple configurations, examples of which include a tube manifold and an offset manifold. The nozzles of the system can have multiple configurations, examples of which include a tri-spray nozzle, a bar nozzle, a fan nozzle, and a deflected fan nozzle. The system can be controlled by a system controller which detects plant material and instructs a nozzle or combination of nozzles to spray treatment fluid.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2023Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Thomas W. Brown, Eric M. Gawehn, Kent Anderson
-
Patent number: 11992004Abstract: A treatment system for spraying treatment fluid onto plants in a field is described. The treatment system includes a configurable treatment mechanism including an array of nozzles and valve assemblies coupled into manifolds, and manifold assemblies. The nozzle comprises a nozzle housing and an insert assembly contained within the nozzle housing. When coupled, a top casing including a fluid inlet and a bottom casing including at least one fluid outlet form the nozzle housing. The insert assembly comprises at least one nozzle insert to fluidically couple the fluid inlet and the fluid outlets such that fluid entering from the fluid inlet exits the nozzle housing through the fluid outlets.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2021Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Thomas Welch Brown, Eric M. Gawehn
-
Patent number: 11983934Abstract: A control system of a farming machine is configured to identify obstruction in a field from image data of the field. The control system accesses an obstruction model configured to identify obstructions in a field from image data of the field. The obstruction model is generated by accessing image data of obstructions in a training field, each obstruction corresponding to a prescribed action occurring at a prescribed time, labelling the image data of the obstructions, and training the obstruction model based on the labelled image data. The control system captures image data of the field including an obstruction and inputs the image data into the obstruction model. Responsive to identifying the obstruction in the field, the control system modifies treatment instructions of the farming machine such that the farming machine performs a implements a farming objective while avoiding the obstruction in the field.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Rahul Agrawal, Rajesh Radhakrishnan, Brent William West
-
Patent number: 11974562Abstract: A method for plant treatment, including: receiving a first measurement for a plant from a sensor as the sensor moves within a geographic area comprising a plurality of plants; in response to receipt of the first measurement and prior to receipt of a second measurement for a second plant of the plurality, determining a set of treatment mechanism operation parameters for the plant to optimize a geographic area output parameter based on the first measurement and historical measurements for the geographic area; determining an initial treatment parameter for the plant; and operating a treatment mechanism in a treatment mode based on the set of operating parameters in response to satisfaction of the initial treatment parameter.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2022Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventor: Lee Kamp Redden
-
Patent number: 11972551Abstract: A detection system detects malfunctions in an autonomous farming vehicle during an autonomous routine using one or more models and data from sensors coupled to the autonomous farming vehicle. The models may include machine-learned models trained on the sensor data and configured to identify objects indicative of an operational or malfunctioning component within a tilling assembly such as a tilling shank or sweep. Additionally, a machine-learned model may be trained on sensor data to detect whether debris has plugged the tilling assembly of the autonomous farming vehicle. In response to detecting a malfunction or a plug, the detection system may modify the autonomous routine (e.g., pausing operation) or provide information for the malfunction to be addressed (e.g., the likely location of a malfunctioning sweep that has detached from the tilling assembly).Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2020Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Divya Sharma, Michael Albert Elcano, Byron Gajun Ho, Jeremy Douglas Krantz, Tyler Niday, Robert Joseph Plumeau
-
Patent number: 11961259Abstract: The calibration system of the farming machine receives images from each camera of the camera array. The images comprise visual information representing a view of a portion of an area surrounding the farming machine. To calibrate a pair of cameras including a first camera and second camera, the calibration system determines a relative pose between the pair of cameras by extracting relative position and orientation characteristics from visual information in both an image received from the first camera and an image received from the second camera. The calibration system identifies a calibration error for the pair of cameras based on a comparison of the relative pose with an expected pose between the first pair of cameras. The calibration system transmits a notification to an operator of the farming machine that describes the calibration error and instructions for remedying the calibration error.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: James Patrick Ostrowski, John William Peake, Jacqueline Gao Song
-
Patent number: 11926333Abstract: As a farming machine travels through a field of plants, the farming machine operates in a normal operational state to perform one or more farming operations. The farming machine detects an operational failure of a component of the farming machine using measurements obtained from one or more sensors coupled to and monitoring the farming machine. The operational failure of the component impacts performance of a first farming operation of the farming operations. The farming machine configures the farming machine to operate in a remedial operational state. In the remedial operational state, the farming machine diagnoses the operational failure of the component using the obtained measurements. In the remedial operational state, the farming machine selects a solution operation to address the operational failure of the component based on the diagnosis. The farming machine performs the determined solution operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2021Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: John William Peake, James Patrick Ostrowski, Erik Ehn, Kent Michael Anderson, Benjamin Ray Chostner
-
Patent number: 11823369Abstract: A detection system detects malfunctions in an autonomous farming vehicle during an autonomous routine using one or more models and data from sensors coupled to the autonomous farming vehicle. The models may include machine-learned models trained on the sensor data and configured to identify objects indicative of an operational or malfunctioning component within a tilling assembly such as a tilling shank or sweep. Additionally, a machine-learned model may be trained on sensor data to detect whether debris has plugged the tilling assembly of the autonomous farming vehicle. In response to detecting a malfunction or a plug, the detection system may modify the autonomous routine (e.g., pausing operation) or provide information for the malfunction to be addressed (e.g., the likely location of a malfunctioning sweep that has detached from the tilling assembly).Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2020Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Divya Sharma, Michael Albert Elcano, Byron Gajun Ho, Jeremy Douglas Krantz, Tyler Niday, Robert Joseph Plumeau
-
Patent number: 11823388Abstract: A farming machine moves through a field and includes an image sensor that captures an image of a plant in the field. A control system accesses the captured image and applies the image to a machine learned plant identification model. The plant identification model identifies pixels representing the plant and categorizes the plant into a plant group (e.g., plant species). The identified pixels are labeled as the plant group and a location of the pixels is determined. The control system actuates a treatment mechanism based on the identified plant group and location. Additionally, the images from the image sensor and the plant identification model may be used to generate a plant identification map. The plant identification map is a map of the field that indicates the locations of the plant groups identified by the plant identification model.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2023Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Christopher Grant Padwick, William Louis Patzoldt, Benjamin Kahn Cline, Olgert Denas, Sonali Subhash Tanna
-
Patent number: 11816874Abstract: A farming machine identifies and treats a plant as the farming machine travels through a field. The farming machine includes a pair of image sensors for capturing images of a plant. The image sensors are different, and their output images are used to generate a depth map to improve the plant identification process. A control system identifies a plant using the depth map. The control system captures images, identifies a plant, and actuates a treatment mechanism in real time.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2021Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: John William Peake, James Patrick Ostrowski
-
Patent number: 11812010Abstract: Described are methods for identifying the in-field positions of plant features on a plant by plant basis. These positions are determined based on images captured as a vehicle (e.g., tractor, sprayer, etc.) including one or more cameras travels through the field along a row of crops. The in-field positions of the plant features are useful for a variety of purposes including, for example, generating three-dimensional data models of plants growing in the field, assessing plant growth and phenotypic features, determining what kinds of treatments to apply including both where to apply the treatments and how much, determining whether to remove weeds or other undesirable plants, and so on.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventor: Lee Kamp Redden
-
Patent number: 11771077Abstract: A farming machine includes one or more image sensors for capturing an image as the farming machine moves through the field. A control system accesses an image captured by the one or more sensors and identifies a distance value associated with each pixel of the image. The distance value corresponds to a distance between a point and an object that the pixel represents. The control system classifies pixels in the image as crop, plant, ground, etc. based on depth information in in the pixels. The control system generates a labelled point cloud using the labels and depth information, and identifies features about the crops, plants, ground, etc. in the point cloud. The control system generates treatment actions based on any of the depth information, visual information, point cloud, and feature values. The control system actuates a treatment mechanism based on the classified pixels.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski
-
Patent number: 11756136Abstract: A farming machine is configured to identify and treat plants in a field. The farming machine includes one or more light sensors for measuring a characteristic of light. The one or more light sensors are coupled to the farming machine and are directed a substantially upwards orientation away from the plants. A control system adjusts settings of an image acquisition system based on a characteristic of light measured by the one or more light sensors. The image acquisition system captures an image of a plant using one or more image sensors coupled to the farming machine, the one or more image sensors directed in a substantially downwards orientation towards the plants. The control system identifies a plant in the image and actuates a treatment mechanism to treat the identified plant.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2023Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Matthew Stephen Colgan, Charles McCauley Ross
-
Patent number: 11744189Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2023Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.Inventors: Lee Kamp Redden, Matthew Colgan