Patents by Inventor William R. Raun
William R. Raun 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).
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Patent number: 9635801Abstract: A hand-planter for singulation planting of cereal, grain, seed and other crops includes a tapered soil engagement component for striking and penetrating a soil surface. With each planter strike to the soil surface, the planter is actuated to meter a granular material product by reciprocating a drum to rotate, thereby exposing a cavity to a material hopper. As the actuation force is released, the reciprocating drum rotates in an opposite direction to its original location and drops the material that has been metered.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOR OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITYInventors: Adrian A. Koller, Randal K. Taylor, William R. Raun
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Publication number: 20160037711Abstract: A device and method for hand planting cereal grain seed, and other crops where singulation (single seeds planted per strike) is taught. The device and method are capable of serving as a small scale fertilizer and alternative product applicator. The inventive method includes the capability of applying fertilizer and/or other products that are collected and dispensed via a reciprocating drum device. The device preferably includes a tapered (or pointed) soil engagement component capable of striking or penetrating the soil surface. With each planter strike to the soil surface, the device is actuated to meter a granular material product and the reciprocating drum rotates to expose the cavity to a material hopper. As the actuation force is released, the reciprocating drum rotates in the opposite direction to its original location and drops the material that has been metered.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Adrian A. Koller, Randal K. Taylor, William R. Raun
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Publication number: 20100324830Abstract: A handheld sensor is disclosed. The sensor has a microcontroller, a current pulse control unit coupled to a light emitting diode (LED), and a photodiode. The microcontroller controls the current pulse control unit to provide a pulsed illumination of a target plant and the photodiode reads the magnitude of the reflectance from the target plant. The microcontroller accepts the reading from the photodiode and computes a normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) based at least on the reading.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2010Publication date: December 23, 2010Inventors: JOHN B. SOLIE, MARVIN L. STONE, WILLIAM R. RAUN
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Patent number: 7188450Abstract: A method for in-season macro and micronutrient application based on predicted yield potential, coefficient of variation, and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of an area to fertilize; determining the coefficient of variation of NDVI over a plot; determining a predicted crop yield for the area without additional nutrient; determining an attainable crop yield for the area with additional nutrient; determining the nutrient requirement for the area as the difference between the nutrient removal at the attainable yield minus the nutrient removal at the predicted yield, adjusted by the efficiency of nutrient utilization in the particular crop as indicated by the coefficient of variation.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2004Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignee: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson, John B. Solie, Marvin L. Stone, Kyle Freeman
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Patent number: 6880291Abstract: A method for in-season macro and micronutrient application based on predicted yield potential and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of an area to fertilize; determining a predicted crop yield for the area; determining an attainable crop yield for the area; determining the nutrient requirement for the area as the difference between the nutrient removal at the attainable yield minus the nutrient removal at the predicted yield, adjusted by the efficiency of nutrient uptake in the particular crop. In one preferred embodiment, processing requirements at the time of application of the nutrient are eased by generating a lookup table of nutrient requirement relative to measured NDVI prior to application of the nutrient.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson, John B. Solie, Marvin L. Stone
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Patent number: 6855933Abstract: A spectral reflectance sensor including: a light source for emitting a modulated beam of red light; a light source for emitting a modulated beam of near infrared light; a receiver for receiving reflected light produced by either the red source or the near infrared source; a receiver for receiving incident light from either the red source or the infrared source; a signal conditioner responsive to the modulation such that the signals produced by the receivers in response to reflected and incident light from the source can be discriminated from signals produced by ambient light; and a microprocessor having an input such that the microprocessor can determine the intensities of incident red light, reflected red light; incident near infrared light; and reflected near infrared light. From these intensities, and by knowing the growing days since emergence or planting, the sensor can calculate the mid-growing season nitrogen fertilizer requirements of a plant.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2003Date of Patent: February 15, 2005Assignee: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: Marvin L. Stone, Duane Needham, John B. Solie, William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson
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Publication number: 20040231239Abstract: A method for in-season macro and micronutrient application based on predicted yield potential, coefficient of variation, and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of an area to fertilize; determining the coefficient of variation of NDVI over a plot; determining a predicted crop yield for the area without additional nutrient; determining an attainable crop yield for the area with additional nutrient; determining the nutrient requirement for the area as the difference between the nutrient removal at the attainable yield minus the nutrient removal at the predicted yield, adjusted by the efficiency of nutrient utilization in the particular crop as indicated by the coefficient of variation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2004Publication date: November 25, 2004Applicant: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson, John B. Solie, Marvin L. Stone, Kyle Freeman
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Publication number: 20040065834Abstract: A spectral reflectance sensor including: a light source for emitting a modulated beam of red light; a light source for emitting a modulated beam of near infrared light; a receiver for receiving reflected light produced by either the red source or the near infrared source; a receiver for receiving incident light from either the red source or the infrared source; a signal conditioner responsive to the modulation such that the signals produced by the receivers in response to reflected and incident light from the source can be discriminated from signals produced by ambient light; and a microprocessor having an input such that the microprocessor can determine the intensities of incident red light, reflected red light; incident near infrared light; and reflected near infrared light. From these intensities, and by knowing the growing days since emergence or planting, the sensor can calculate the mid-growing season nitrogen fertilizer requirements of a plant.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2003Publication date: April 8, 2004Applicant: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: Marvin L. Stone, Duane Needham, John B. Solie, William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson
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Patent number: 6601341Abstract: A method for in-season fertilizer nitrogen application based on predicted yield potential and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index of an area to fertilize; determining a predicted crop yield for the area; determining an attainable crop yield for the area; determining nitrogen uptake for the vegetation within the area; and determining the amount of fertilizer nitrogen required by said vegetation. In one embodiment, the normalized difference vegetation index is determined by scanning an area to fertilize with a spectral reflectance sensor which provides reflectance values for red light and near infrared light. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is defined by: NDVI=(NIR−red)/(NIR+red) where “NIR” is the reflectance value for near infrared light and “red” is the reflectance value for red light.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2001Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignee: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson, John B. Solie, Marvin L. Stone
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Patent number: 6596996Abstract: A spectral reflectance sensor including: a light source for emitting a modulated beam of red light; a light source for emitting a modulated beam of near infrared light; a receiver for receiving reflected light produced by either the red source or the near infrared source; a receiver for receiving incident light from either the red source or the infrared source; a signal conditioner responsive to the modulation such that the signals produced by the receivers in response to reflected and incident light from the source can be discriminated from signals produced by ambient light; and a microprocessor having an input such that the microprocessor can determine the intensities of incident red light, reflected red light; incident near infrared light; and reflected near infrared light. From these intensities, and by knowing the growing days since emergence or planting, the sensor can calculate the mid-growing season nitrogen fertilizer requirements of a plant.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2001Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Assignee: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State UniversityInventors: Marvin L. Stone, Duane Needham, John B. Solie, William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson
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Publication number: 20030019152Abstract: A method for in-season macro and micronutrient application based on predicted yield potential and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of an area to fertilize; determining a predicted crop yield for the area; determining an attainable crop yield for the area; determining the nutrient requirement for the area as the difference between the nutrient removal at the attainable yield minus the nutrient removal at the predicted yield, adjusted by the efficiency of nutrient uptake in the particular crop. In one preferred embodiment, processing requirements at the time of application of the nutrient are eased by generating a lookup table of nutrient requirement relative to measured NDVI prior to application of the nutrient.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2002Publication date: January 30, 2003Inventors: William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson, John B. Solie, Marvin L. Stone
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Publication number: 20030019151Abstract: A method for in-season fertilizer nitrogen application based on predicted yield potential and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index of an area to fertilize; determining a predicted crop yield for said area; determining an attainable crop yield for said area; determining nitrogen uptake for the vegetation within said area; and determining the amount of fertilizer nitrogen required by said vegetation. In one embodiment, the normalized difference vegetation index is determined by scanning an area to fertilize with a spectral reflectance sensor which provides reflectance values for red light and near infrared light. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is defined by: NDVI=(NIR−red)/(NIR+red) where “NIR” is the reflectance value for near infrared light and “red” is the reflectance value for red light.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2001Publication date: January 30, 2003Inventors: William R. Raun, Gordon V. Johnson, John B. Solie, Marvin L. Stone