Patents by Inventor Janice Huxley Jens

Janice Huxley Jens 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: 10198806
    Abstract: A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant using a camera mounted to a frame being moved along a planting bed by a harvester, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images as a region of contamination on the plant based on a color criterion and a morphological criterion applied to the region of interest, and transmitting data including an instruction to increase a vertical distance between the plant and a cutter of the harvester to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination. The method further includes generating a second series of images of an additional plant as the frame continues to be moved along the planting bed by the harvester while the vertical distance between the plant and the cutter is being increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Harvest Moon Automation Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20180260948
    Abstract: A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant using a camera mounted to a frame being moved along a planting bed by a harvester, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images as a region of contamination on the plant based on a color criterion and a morphological criterion applied to the region of interest, and transmitting data including an instruction to increase a vertical distance between the plant and a cutter of the harvester to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination. The method further includes generating a second series of images of an additional plant as the frame continues to be moved along the planting bed by the harvester while the vertical distance between the plant and the cutter is being increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9965845
    Abstract: A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant using a camera mounted to a frame being moved along a planting bed by a harvester, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images as a region of contamination on the plant based on a color criterion and a morphological criterion applied to the region of interest, and transmitting data including an instruction to increase a vertical distance between the plant and a cutter of the harvester to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination. The method further includes generating a second series of images of an additional plant as the frame continues to be moved along the planting bed by the harvester while the vertical distance between the plant and the cutter is being increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Harvest Moon Automation Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9928584
    Abstract: A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images, comparing a color parameter of the region of interest to a color criterion associated with a type of contamination, comparing a morphological parameter of the region of interest to a reference parameter associated with the type of contamination, and upon determining that the color parameter meets the color criterion and that the morphological parameter sufficiently matches the reference parameter, identifying the region of interest as a region of contamination on the plant. The method further includes transmitting an instruction to lift a cutter of a harvester up from a planting bed to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination, and generating a second series of images of an additional plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Harvest Moon Automation Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20180012344
    Abstract: A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images, comparing a color parameter of the region of interest to a color criterion associated with a type of contamination, comparing a morphological parameter of the region of interest to a reference parameter associated with the type of contamination, and upon determining that the color parameter meets the color criterion and that the morphological parameter sufficiently matches the reference parameter, identifying the region of interest as a region of contamination on the plant. The method further includes transmitting an instruction to lift a cutter of a harvester up from a planting bed to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination, and generating a second series of images of an additional plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen JENS, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20180012347
    Abstract: A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant using a camera mounted to a frame being moved along a planting bed by a harvester, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images as a region of contamination on the plant based on a color criterion and a morphological criterion applied to the region of interest, and transmitting data including an instruction to increase a vertical distance between the plant and a cutter of the harvester to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination. The method further includes generating a second series of images of an additional plant as the frame continues to be moved along the planting bed by the harvester while the vertical distance between the plant and the cutter is being increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20160309650
    Abstract: A method of selectively harvesting fruits includes generating a first series of images of a plant while the plant is moved to expose hidden fruits, identifying an object displayed in the first series of images as a suspect fruit from feature boundary data defined by color regions, comparing a color parameter of the suspect fruit to a criterion associated with a ripeness, advancing an automated picker toward the suspect fruit based on a determined position of the suspect fruit and while monitoring a proximity sensor of the automated picker, detecting a color of the impediment and confirming that the impediment is a fruit, operating the automated picker to pick the fruit from the plant, and while the automated picker is operated to pick the fruit, generating a second series of images of one or more additional plants while the one or more additional plants are moved to expose additional fruits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9468152
    Abstract: A method of pruning plants includes generating a first series of images of a plant, identifying a first object displayed in the images as a fruit of the plant, collecting data associated with a state of the fruit, identifying a second object displayed in the images as a suspect plant component of the plant, comparing a parameter of the suspect plant component to a reference parameter associated with plant components to be pruned, in response to determining that the parameter of the suspect plant component sufficiently matches the reference parameter, identifying the suspect plant component as a plant component to be pruned from the plant, advancing an automated pruner toward the plant component, operating the automated pruner to sever the plant component from the plant, and while the automated pruner is operated to sever the plant component, generating a second series of images of one or more additional plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Harvest Moon Automation Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9462749
    Abstract: A method of selectively harvesting fruits includes generating a first series of images of a plant while the plant is moved to expose hidden fruits, identifying an object displayed in the first series of images as a suspect fruit from feature boundary data defined by color regions, comparing a color parameter of the suspect fruit to a criterion associated with a ripeness, advancing an automated picker toward the suspect fruit based on a determined position of the suspect fruit and while monitoring a proximity sensor of the automated picker, detecting a color of the impediment and confirming that the impediment is a fruit, operating the automated picker to pick the fruit from the plant, and while the automated picker is operated to pick the fruit, generating a second series of images of one or more additional plants while the one or more additional plants are moved to expose additional fruits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Harvest Moon Automation Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Jens, Janice Huxley Jens, Edward Dickinson