Patents by Inventor Steven T. Snyder

Steven T. Snyder 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: 12279540
    Abstract: An illustrative modular smart tool arm operable by a precision agricultural implement includes a mount for coupling the tool arm to the implement, an articulating base including a pair of linkages, a lift actuator, and linear motion bearings coupling the base to the mount. A unitary backbone member is coupled to the linkages and defines a mount for an agricultural tool and defines a mount for a machine vision module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Stout Industrial Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder
  • Patent number: 12048300
    Abstract: An illustrative modular smart implement for precision agriculture includes a chassis having a hydraulic system, a control system, and articulating tool arms that are adapted to releasably receive one of a tool attachment for working a crop and/or field, including precision planting, cultivating, thinning, spraying, harvesting, and/or data collection. A toolbar fixed to the chassis receives and supports the articulating tools arms. An alignment member and side shift actuator provide movement of a portion of the tool arms along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toolbar, and a lift actuator provides movement along a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Stout Industrial Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder, Austin J. Larick
  • Publication number: 20230108283
    Abstract: An illustrative smart sprayer for a precision agricultural implement includes a mount for coupling the sprayer to a modular tool arm of the implement, and a spray head, an airflow generator, a solenoid valve, and an inspirator mixer located within a containment shroud. The smart sprayer is one of alternative agricultural tools that can be selectively coupled to and be operated by a control system of the common platform precision agricultural implement, including a machine vision module for identifying and locating commodity plants, non-commodity plants, and positioning the agricultural tools laterally and vertically relative to commodity plant lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder
  • Patent number: 11521382
    Abstract: An illustrative control system for a precision agricultural implement includes a controller having a convolutional neural network, an imaging device, a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of actuators in communication with the controller, the controller configured for detecting and tracking objects of interest in a commodity field, such a commodity plants, and the plurality of actuators including a plurality of agricultural tool actuators the controller operates based on the detection and tracking of object of interest in the commodity field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Stout Industrial Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David Grant, Steven T. Snyder, Jeffrey L. Antle
  • Publication number: 20220201924
    Abstract: An illustrative modular smart implement for precision agriculture includes a chassis having a hydraulic system, a control system, and articulating tool arms that are adapted to releasably receive one of a tool attachment for working a crop and/or field, including precision planting, cultivating, thinning, spraying, harvesting, and/or data collection. A toolbar fixed to the chassis receives and supports the articulating tools arms. An alignment member and side shift actuator provide movement of a portion of the tool arms along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toolbar, and a lift actuator provide movement along a vertical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder, Austin J. Larick
  • Publication number: 20220172466
    Abstract: An illustrative control system for a precision agricultural implement includes a controller having a convolutional neural network, an imaging device, a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of actuators in communication with the controller, the controller configured for detecting and tracking objects of interest in a commodity field, such a commodity plants, and the plurality of actuators including a plurality of agricultural tool actuators the controller operates based on the detection and tracking of object of interest in the commodity field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Steven T. Snyder, David Grant, Jeffrey L. Antle
  • Patent number: 11272655
    Abstract: An illustrative modular smart implement for precision agriculture includes a chassis having a hydraulic system, a control system, and articulating tool arms that are adapted to releasably receive one of a tool attachment for working a crop and/or field, including precision planting, cultivating, thinning, spraying, harvesting, and/or data collection. A toolbar fixed to the chassis receives and supports the articulating tools arms. An alignment member and side shift actuator provide movement of a portion of the tool arms along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toolbar, and a lift actuator provide movement along a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Stout Industrial Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder, Austin J. Larick
  • Patent number: 11246256
    Abstract: An illustrative control system for an precision agricultural implement includes a controller having a convolutional neural network, a machine vision module, a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of actuators in communication with the controller, the plurality of actuators including a plurality of agricultural tool actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Stout Industrial Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven T. Snyder, Jeffrey L. Antle
  • Publication number: 20210243933
    Abstract: An illustrative modular smart tool arm operable by a precision agricultural implement includes a mount for coupling the tool arm to the implement, an articulating base including a pair of linkages, a lift actuator, and linear motion bearings coupling the base to the mount. A unitary backbone member is coupled to the linkages and defines a mount for an agricultural tool and defines a mount for a machine vision module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20210243940
    Abstract: An illustrative control system for an precision agricultural implement includes a controller having a convolutional neural network, a machine vision module, a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of actuators in communication with the controller, the plurality of actuators including a plurality of agricultural tool actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Steven T. Snyder, Jeffrey L. Antle
  • Publication number: 20210243937
    Abstract: An illustrative modular smart implement for precision agriculture includes a chassis having a hydraulic system, a control system, and articulating tool arms that are adapted to releasably receive one of a tool attachment for working a crop and/or field, including precision planting, cultivating, thinning, spraying, harvesting, and/or data collection. A toolbar fixed to the chassis receives and supports the articulating tools arms. An alignment member and side shift actuator provide movement of a portion of the tool arms along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toolbar, and a lift actuator provide movement along a vertical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Antle, Steven T. Snyder, Austin J. Larick