Patents by Inventor Elliott Grant
Elliott Grant 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).
-
Patent number: 11606896Abstract: Implementations are described herein for predicting soil organic carbon (“SOC”) content for agricultural fields detected in digital imagery. In various implementations, one or more digital images depicting portion(s) of one or more agricultural fields may be processed. The one or more digital images may have been acquired by a vision sensor carried through the field(s) by a ground-based vehicle. Based on the processing, one or more agricultural inferences indicating agricultural practices or conditions predicted to affect SOC content may be determined. Based on the agricultural inferences, one or more predicted SOC measurements for the field(s) may be determined.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2021Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: MINERAL EARTH SCIENCES LLCInventors: Cheng-en Guo, Jie Yang, Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20230074663Abstract: Implementations are described herein for auditing performance of large-scale tasks. In various implementations, one or more ground-level vision sensors may capture a first set of one or more images that depict an agricultural plot prior to an agricultural task being performed in the agricultural plot, and a second set of one or more images that depict the agricultural plot subsequent to the agricultural task being performed in the agricultural plot. The first and second sets of images may be processed in situ using edge computing device(s) based on a machine learning model to generate respective pluralities of pre-task and post-task inferences about the agricultural plot. Performance of the agricultural task may include comparing the pre-task inferences to the post-task inferences to generate operational metric(s) about the performance of the agricultural task in the agricultural plot. The operational metric(s) may be presented at one or more output devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2021Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20230044622Abstract: Implementations set forth herein relate to using fiducial markings on one or more localized portions of an agricultural apparatus in order to generate local and regional data that can be correlated for planning and executing agricultural maintenance. An array of fiducial markings can be disposed onto plastic mulch that surrounds individual crops, in order that each fiducial marking of the array can operate as a signature for each individual crop. Crop data, such as health and yield, corresponding to a particular crop can then be stored in association with a corresponding fiducial marking, thereby allowing the certain data for the particular crop to be tracked and analyzed. Furthermore, autonomous agricultural devices can rely on the crop data, over other sources of data, such as GPS satellites, thereby allowing the autonomous agricultural devices to be more reliable.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2022Publication date: February 9, 2023Inventor: Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20230045607Abstract: Implementations relate to detecting/replacing transient obstructions from high-elevation digital images, and/or to fusing data from high-elevation digital images having different spatial, temporal, and/or spectral resolutions. In various implementations, first and second temporal sequences of high-elevation digital images capturing a geographic area may be obtained. These temporal sequences may have different spatial, temporal, and/or spectral resolutions (or frequencies). A mapping may be generated of the pixels of the high-elevation digital images of the second temporal sequence to respective sub-pixels of the first temporal sequence. A point in time at which a synthetic high-elevation digital image of the geographic area may be selected. The synthetic high-elevation digital image may be generated for the point in time based on the mapping and other data described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2022Publication date: February 9, 2023Inventors: Jie Yang, Cheng-en Guo, Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant, Hongxu Ma
-
Patent number: 11564357Abstract: In embodiments, acquiring sensor data associated with a plant growing in a field, and analyzing the sensor data to extract one or more phenotypic traits associated with the plant from the sensor data. Indexing the one or more phenotypic traits to one or both of an identifier of the plant or a virtual representation of a part of the plant, and determining one or more plant insights based on the one or more phenotypic traits, wherein the one or more plant insights includes information about one or more of a health, a yield, a planting, a growth, a harvest, a management, a performance, and a state of the plant. One or more of the health, yield, planting, growth, harvest, management, performance, and the state of the plant are included in a plant insights report that is generated.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2020Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: X Development LLCInventors: William R. Regan, Matthew A. Bitterman, Benoit G. Schillings, David R. Brown, Elliott Grant
-
Patent number: 11562486Abstract: Implementations relate to diagnosis of crop yield predictions and/or crop yields at the field- and pixel-level. In various implementations, a first temporal sequence of high-elevation digital images may be obtained that captures a geographic area over a given time interval through a crop cycle of a first type of crop. Ground truth operational data generated through the given time interval and that influences a final crop yield of the first geographic area after the crop cycle may also be obtained. Based on these data, a ground truth-based crop yield prediction may be generated for the first geographic area at the crop cycle's end. Recommended operational change(s) may be identified based on distinct hypothetical crop yield prediction(s) for the first geographic area. Each distinct hypothetical crop yield prediction may be generated based on hypothetical operational data that includes altered data point(s) of the ground truth operational data.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2021Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLCInventors: Cheng-en Guo, Wilson Zhao, Jie Yang, Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant
-
Patent number: 11553634Abstract: Implementations are described herein for analyzing vision data depicting undesirable plants such as weeds to detect various attribute(s). The detected attribute(s) of a particular undesirable plant may then be used to select, from a plurality of available candidate remediation techniques, the most suitable remediation technique to eradicate or otherwise eliminate the undesirable plants.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2019Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLCInventors: Elliott Grant, Hongxiao Liu, Zhiqiang Yuan, Sergey Yaroshenko, Benoit Schillings, Matt VanCleave
-
Publication number: 20220391752Abstract: Implementations are described herein for automatically generating labeled synthetic images that are usable as training data for training machine learning models to make an agricultural prediction based on digital images. A method includes: generating a plurality of simulated images, each simulated image depicting one or more simulated instances of a plant; for each of the plurality of simulated images, labeling the simulated image with at least one ground truth label that identifies an attribute of the one or more simulated instances of the plant depicted in the simulated image, the attribute describing both a visible portion and an occluded portion of the one or more simulated instances of the plant depicted in the simulated image; and training a machine learning model to make an agricultural prediction using the labeled plurality of simulated images.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2021Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Elliott Grant, Kangkang Wang, Bodi Yuan, Zhiqiang Yuan
-
Patent number: 11510405Abstract: Implementations set forth herein relate to using fiducial markings on one or more localized portions of an agricultural apparatus in order to generate local and regional data that can be correlated for planning and executing agricultural maintenance. An array of fiducial markings can be disposed onto plastic mulch that surrounds individual crops, in order that each fiducial marking of the array can operate as a signature for each individual crop. Crop data, such as health and yield, corresponding to a particular crop can then be stored in association with a corresponding fiducial marking, thereby allowing the certain data for the particular crop to be tracked and analyzed. Furthermore, autonomous agricultural devices can rely on the crop data, over other sources of data, such as GPS satellites, thereby allowing the autonomous agricultural devices to be more reliable.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2019Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLCInventor: Elliott Grant
-
Patent number: 11501443Abstract: Implementations relate to detecting/replacing transient obstructions from high-elevation digital images, and/or to fusing data from high-elevation digital images having different spatial, temporal, and/or spectral resolutions. In various implementations, first and second temporal sequences of high-elevation digital images capturing a geographic area may be obtained. These temporal sequences may have different spatial, temporal, and/or spectral resolutions (or frequencies). A mapping may be generated of the pixels of the high-elevation digital images of the second temporal sequence to respective sub-pixels of the first temporal sequence. A point in time at which a synthetic high-elevation digital image of the geographic area may be selected. The synthetic high-elevation digital image may be generated for the point in time based on the mapping and other data described herein.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLCInventors: Jie Yang, Cheng-en Guo, Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant, Hongxu Ma
-
Patent number: 11403846Abstract: In embodiments, obtaining a plurality of image sets associated with a geographical region and a time period, wherein each image set of the plurality of image sets comprises multi-spectral and time series images that depict a respective particular portion of the geographical region during the time period, and predicting presence of a crop at particular locations within the particular portion of the geographical region associated with an image set of the plurality of image sets. Determining crop boundary locations within the particular portion of the geographical region based on the predicted presence of the crop at the particular locations, and generating a crop indicative image comprising at least one image of the multi-spectral and time series images of the image set overlaid with indication of crop areas, wherein the crop areas are defined by the determined crop boundary locations.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2020Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: X Development LLCInventors: Cheng-en Guo, Jie Yang, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20220217894Abstract: Implementations are described herein for predicting soil organic carbon (“SOC”) content for agricultural fields detected in digital imagery. In various implementations, one or more digital images depicting portion(s) of one or more agricultural fields may be processed. The one or more digital images may have been acquired by a vision sensor carried through the field(s) by a ground-based vehicle. Based on the processing, one or more agricultural inferences indicating agricultural practices or conditions predicted to affect SOC content may be determined. Based on the agricultural inferences, one or more predicted SOC measurements for the field(s) may be determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2021Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Cheng-en Guo, Jie Yang, Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20220219329Abstract: Implementations are described herein for coordinating semi-autonomous robots to perform agricultural tasks on a plurality of plants with minimal human intervention. In various implementations, a plurality of robots may be deployed to perform a respective plurality of agricultural tasks. Each agricultural task may be associated with a respective plant of a plurality of plants, and each plant may have been previously designated as a target for one of the agricultural tasks. It may be determined that a given robot has reached an individual plant associated with the respective agricultural task that was assigned to the given robot. Based at least in part on that determination, a manual control interface may be provided at output component(s) of a computing device in network communication with the given robot. The manual control interface may be operable to manually control the given robot to perform the respective agricultural task.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2022Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20220215037Abstract: Some implementations herein relate to a graphical user interface (GUI) that facilitates dynamically partitioning agricultural fields into clusters on an individual agricultural field-basis using agricultural features. A map of a geographic area containing a plurality of agricultural fields may be rendered as part of a GUI. The agricultural fields may be partitioned into a first set of clusters based on a first granularity value and agricultural features of individual agricultural fields. The individual agricultural fields may be visually annotated in the GUI to convey the first set of clusters of similar agricultural fields. Upon receipt of a second granularity value different from the first granularity value, the agricultural fields may be partitioned into a second set of clusters of similar agricultural fields. The map of the geographic area may be updated so that individual agricultural fields are visually annotated to convey the second set of clusters.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2022Publication date: July 7, 2022Inventors: David Clifford, Ming Zheng, Elliott Grant, Nanzhu Wang, Cheng-en Guo, Aleksandra Deis
-
Patent number: 11321347Abstract: Some implementations herein relate to a graphical user interface (GUI) that facilitates dynamically partitioning agricultural fields into clusters on an individual agricultural field-basis using agricultural features. A map of a geographic area containing a plurality of agricultural fields may be rendered as part of a GUI. The agricultural fields may be partitioned into a first set of clusters based on a first granularity value and agricultural features of individual agricultural fields. The individual agricultural fields may be visually annotated in the GUI to convey the first set of clusters of similar agricultural fields. Upon receipt of a second granularity value different from the first granularity value, the agricultural fields may be partitioned into a second set of clusters of similar agricultural fields. The map of the geographic area may be updated so that individual agricultural fields are visually annotated to convey the second set of clusters.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2020Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLCInventors: David Clifford, Ming Zheng, Elliott Grant, Nanzhu Wang, Cheng-en Guo, Aleksandra Deis
-
Patent number: 11321943Abstract: In embodiments, obtaining a plurality of image sets associated with a geographical region and a time period, wherein each image set of the plurality of image sets comprises multi-spectral and time series images that depict a respective particular portion of the geographical region during the time period, and predicting one or more crop types growing in each of particular locations within the particular portion of the geographical region associated with an image set of the plurality of image sets. Determining a crop type classification for each of the particular locations based on the predicted one or more crop types for the respective particular locations, and generating a crop indicative image comprising at least one image of the multi-spectral and time series images of the image set overlaid with indications of the crop type classification determined for the respective particular locations.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: X Development LLCInventors: Cheng-en Guo, Jie Yang, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20220122298Abstract: Some implementations herein relate to a graphical user interface (GUI) that facilitates dynamically partitioning agricultural fields into clusters on an individual agricultural field-basis using agricultural features. A map of a geographic area containing a plurality of agricultural fields may be rendered as part of a GUI. The agricultural fields may be partitioned into a first set of clusters based on a first granularity value and agricultural features of individual agricultural fields. The individual agricultural fields may be visually annotated in the GUI to convey the first set of clusters of similar agricultural fields. Upon receipt of a second granularity value different from the first granularity value, the agricultural fields may be partitioned into a second set of clusters of similar agricultural fields. The map of the geographic area may be updated so that individual agricultural fields are visually annotated to convey the second set of clusters.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2020Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: David Clifford, Ming Zheng, Elliott Grant, Nanzhu Wang, Cheng-en Guo, Aleksandra Deis
-
Patent number: 11285612Abstract: Implementations are described herein for coordinating semi-autonomous robots to perform agricultural tasks on a plurality of plants with minimal human intervention. In various implementations, a plurality of robots may be deployed to perform a respective plurality of agricultural tasks. Each agricultural task may be associated with a respective plant of a plurality of plants, and each plant may have been previously designated as a target for one of the agricultural tasks. It may be determined that a given robot has reached an individual plant associated with the respective agricultural task that was assigned to the given robot. Based at least in part on that determination, a manual control interface may be provided at output component(s) of a computing device in network communication with the given robot. The manual control interface may be operable to manually control the given robot to perform the respective agricultural task.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLCInventors: Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant
-
Publication number: 20210256702Abstract: Implementations relate to detecting/replacing transient obstructions from high-elevation digital images, and/or to fusing data from high-elevation digital images having different spatial, temporal, and/or spectral resolutions. In various implementations, first and second temporal sequences of high-elevation digital images capturing a geographic area may be obtained. These temporal sequences may have different spatial, temporal, and/or spectral resolutions (or frequencies). A mapping may be generated of the pixels of the high-elevation digital images of the second temporal sequence to respective sub-pixels of the first temporal sequence. A point in time at which a synthetic high-elevation digital image of the geographic area may be selected. The synthetic high-elevation digital image may be generated for the point in time based on the mapping and other data described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2020Publication date: August 19, 2021Inventors: Jie Yang, Cheng-en Guo, Zhiqiang Yuan, Elliott Grant, Hongxu Ma
-
Publication number: 20210150209Abstract: In embodiments, obtaining a plurality of image sets associated with a geographical region and a time period, wherein each image set of the plurality of image sets comprises multi-spectral and time series images that depict a respective particular portion of the geographical region during the time period, and predicting one or more crop types growing in each of particular locations within the particular portion of the geographical region associated with an image set of the plurality of image sets. Determining a crop type classification for each of the particular locations based on the predicted one or more crop types for the respective particular locations, and generating a crop indicative image comprising at least one image of the multi-spectral and time series images of the image set overlaid with indications of the crop type classification determined for the respective particular locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2021Publication date: May 20, 2021Inventors: Cheng-en Guo, Jie Yang, Elliott Grant