Patents by Inventor Gerald J. McNabb

Gerald J. McNabb 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: 5927603
    Abstract: An automatic irrigation system includes a movable irrigation device having a fluid delivery nozzle and a fluid manifold positioned along the mobile irrigation device and adapted to receive irrigation fluid from a supply source. The system includes a detector of moisture present within an agricultural field including an output on which signals representing the detected moisture level are placed. The system also includes an electronic storage device having an addressing and reproduction unit that can selectively address and reproduce a plurality of stored command signals. The system also includes first electronic circuitry coupled to the storage device and including an input for command control signals reproduced from the storage device. The electronic circuitry applies the reproduced command control signal to cause the detector to detect moisture from a plurality of different locations within an agricultural field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: J. R. Simplot Company
    Inventor: Gerald J. McNabb
  • Patent number: 5884224
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting agronomic information on a field to be cultivated. The apparatus has at least one sensor configured to detect agronomic information from an area of interest from within a field. The agronomic information detected over space and time being desirable to facilitate the optimized growing of a crop. A mobile carrier is configured to carry the sensor in close proximity to the area of interest. The sensor is constructed and arranged to detect the agronomic information from the area of interest as it passes near the field. The computer has a central processing unit, a memory coupled to the central processing unit, and an electronic interface coupled between the memory and the sensor for transferring sensed information into the memory. The computer is configured to collect detected agronomic information from the areas of interest within the field. An apparatus is also provided for facilitating cultivation of an agriculture field via an interface device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: J.R. Simplot Company
    Inventors: Gerald J. McNabb, Byron Smith