Patents by Inventor Chia-Chun Fu

Chia-Chun Fu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230345928
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski
  • Patent number: 11771077
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20230281987
    Abstract: A farming machine is configured to identify and compensate for occlusions in the field of view of its image acquisition system. To do so, the machine captures an image using a first set of capture parameters associated with a first set of treatment results. The farming machine identifies an occlusion in the first image that obstructs a portion of the first image and determines occlusion characteristics representative of the occlusion based on image data in the first image. The farming machine compensates for the identified occlusion based on the occlusion characteristics. The farming machine captures a second image using modified set of capture parameters that compensate for the occlusion. The second image is associated with a second set of treatment results. The farming machine transmits the second set of treatment results to a manager of the farming machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher Grant Padwick, Chia-Chun Fu, Anuradha Chandrashekar, Umabharathi Govindarajan
  • Publication number: 20230076562
    Abstract: A farming machine including a number of treatment mechanisms treats plants according to a treatment plan 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 control system generates a treatment map identifying which treatment mechanisms to actuate to treat the plants in the field. To generate a treatment map, the farming machine captures an image of plants, processes the image to identify plants, and generates a treatment map. The plant identification model can be a convolutional neural network having an input layer, an identification layer, and an output layer. The input layer has the dimensionality of the image, the identification layer has a greatly reduced dimensionality, and the output layer has the dimensionality of the treatment mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Andrei Polzounov, James Patrick Ostrowski, Lee Kamp Redden, Olgert Denas, Chia-Chun Fu, Chris Padwick
  • Patent number: 11514671
    Abstract: A farming machine including a number of treatment mechanisms treats plants according to a treatment plan 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 control system generates a treatment map identifying which treatment mechanisms to actuate to treat the plants in the field. To generate a treatment map, the farming machine captures an image of plants, processes the image to identify plants, and generates a treatment map. The plant identification model can be a convolutional neural network having an input layer, an identification layer, and an output layer. The input layer has the dimensionality of the image, the identification layer has a greatly reduced dimensionality, and the output layer has the dimensionality of the treatment mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Andrei Polzounov, James Patrick Ostrowski, Lee Kamp Redden, Olgert Denas, Chia-Chun Fu, Chris Padwick
  • Patent number: 11367207
    Abstract: 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 the visual information 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: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Blue River Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20220101554
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski, Kent Anderson
  • Publication number: 20220100996
    Abstract: 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 classifies each pixel in the image as ground pixels or plant pixels. The control system then determines a ground plane for the image based on the classified ground pixels and corrects the pixels in the image based on the determined ground plane. Plant pixels in the image can represent plants and the control system identifies plant pixel clusters as plants. The difference in height of plants relative to other plants in a field can be indicative for plant treatments. As such, the control system determines a height of each plant pixel cluster relative to the ground plane and compares the height of the pixel cluster to other plant pixel clusters in the field. Based on the determined height dissimilarity, the control system can identify the plant for treatment and actuate treatment mechanisms to treat the plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick
  • Publication number: 20210264624
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20210090274
    Abstract: 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 the visual information 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: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick, James Patrick Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20210089771
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Fu, Christopher Grant Padwick
  • Publication number: 20200302170
    Abstract: A farming machine including a number of treatment mechanisms treats plants according to a treatment plan 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 control system generates a treatment map identifying which treatment mechanisms to actuate to treat the plants in the field. To generate a treatment map, the farming machine captures an image of plants, processes the image to identify plants, and generates a treatment map. The plant identification model can be a convolutional neural network having an input layer, an identification layer, and an output layer. The input layer has the dimensionality of the image, the identification layer has a greatly reduced dimensionality, and the output layer has the dimensionality of the treatment mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Andrei Polzounov, James Patrick Ostrowski, Lee Kamp Redden, Olgert Denas, Chia-Chun Fu, Chris Padwick
  • Patent number: 10713484
    Abstract: A farming machine including a number of treatment mechanisms treats plants according to a treatment plan 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 control system generates a treatment map identifying which treatment mechanisms to actuate to treat the plants in the field. To generate a treatment map, the farming machine captures an image of plants, processes the image to identify plants, and generates a treatment map. The plant identification model can be a convolutional neural network having an input layer, an identification layer, and an output layer. The input layer has the dimensionality of the image, the identification layer has a greatly reduced dimensionality, and the output layer has the dimensionality of the treatment mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Blue River Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Andrei Polzounov, James Patrick Ostrowski, Lee Kamp Redden, Olgert Denas, Chia-Chun Fu, Chris Padwick
  • Publication number: 20100295569
    Abstract: An RF performance test structure is applied to test RF performance of an RF element via an RF measuring instrument. The RF performance test structure includes an antenna element, an RF test point and an electronic circuit switch chip. The RF test point connects to the RF measuring instrument. The electronic circuit switch chip has a first switch control input side, a second switch control input side, an RF signal input side connected to the RF element, a first RF signal output side connected to the antenna element, and a second RF signal output side connected to the RF test point. The first switch control input side and the second switch control input side respectively receive different signals in order to selectably transmit RF signals that are generated from the RF element and are received by the RF signal input side to the antenna element or the RF measuring instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: CHIH-WEI CHU, Chia-Chun Fu