Search

US-12620221-B2 - Remote sensing multivariate / multidimensional agriculture enhancement apparatus and method of use thereof

US12620221B2US 12620221 B2US12620221 B2US 12620221B2US-12620221-B2

Abstract

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for managing cropland, comprising the steps of: (1) optically measuring, each of a set of spatially resolved locations, level zero data with an orbiting satellite, the level zero data comprising: first reflected cropland radiation, in a first range of 400 to 1,100 nm; second reflected cropland radiation in a second range of 1,100 to 2,500 nm; and emitted radiation, in a third range of 2,500 to 12,000 nm; (2) processing, on-board the orbiting satellite, the level zero data comprising a first data storage size, to yield crop condition information comprising a second data storage size of less than one percent of the first data storage size; (3) receiving from the orbiting satellite to a ground-based communication system the crop condition information; and (4) relaying at least a portion of the crop condition information and an actionable prescription to a farmer within twenty-four hours.

Inventors

  • Thomas George

Assignees

  • Thomas George

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20221027

Claims (17)

  1. 1 . A method for managing cropland for a client, comprising the steps of: optically measuring, each of a set of spatially resolved locations, level zero data with an orbiting satellite, said level zero data comprising: first reflected cropland radiation, in a first range of 400 to 1,000 nm; second reflected cropland radiation in a second range of 1,000 to 2,500 nm; and emitted radiation, in a third range of 2,500 to 12,000 nm; processing, on-board said orbiting satellite, said level zero data comprising a first data storage size, to yield crop condition information comprising a second data storage size of less than one percent of said first data storage size; receiving from said orbiting satellite to a ground-based communication system said crop condition information, comprising a prescription for crop stress mitigation; relaying at least a portion of said crop condition information to the client within twenty-four hours; uploading a model result to said orbiting satellite, said model result comprising a weather model result; said step of processing incorporating said weather model result into a model yielding said crop condition information; said step of uploading further uploading spatially resolved pest drought, nitrogen content, disease, fungus, weed, and pest infestation rates in a first area; said step of processing combining said level zero data with said spatially resolved pest drought, nitrogen content, disease, fungus, weed, and pest infestation rates to predict a potential spatially resolved pest drought, nitrogen content, disease, fungus, weed, and pest infestation rate in a second area, the second area spatially separate from the first area; measuring transpiration in the second area with a near-infrared wavelength; and said step of processing further using a moisture measure from said step of measuring transpiration in said step of predicting the spatially resolved pest drought, nitrogen content, disease, fungus, weed, and pest infestation rate in the second area.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: determining, on-board said satellite, said crop condition information, for a spatially resolved section of cropland, said crop condition information comprising at least two of: a determined crop temperature; a crop watering recommendation; a determined developmental stage of the crops; a crop fertilizer recommendation; and a crop pest control recommendation.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: providing, on board said satellite, a crop condition spectral library; and comparing said crop condition information with said crop condition spectral library prior to said step of receiving to said ground-based communication system said crop condition information and said prescription for crop stress mitigation information.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: measuring, on-board said satellite, a first water content in an outer 0.25 mm of a leaf of a crop with at least one wavelength in a range of 2350 to 2600 nm.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of: determining, on-board said satellite, a second water content in an outer 0.5 millimeter of a leaf of a crop with at least one wavelength in a range of at least one of: 700 to 1350 nm and 1500 to 1750 nm and a carbon dioxide emission in a range of 1500 to 2100 nm.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , said step of processing further comprising the step of: combining said level zero data with said second water content and said carbon dioxide emission.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step: determining a crop temperature, said step of determining including use of a first measurement in a range of 2272 to 3000 nm and a second measurement in a range of 1900 to 2272 nm; and determining an evapotranspiration rate with a third measurement in a range of 1500 to 2100 nm.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 6 , said step of determining a crop temperature further comprising the step of: determining a difference between said first measurement and said second measurement.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 7 , said step of processing further comprising the step of: combining said level zero data with said crop temperature.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: determining a crop temperature, said step of determining including use of a first measurement in a range of 2272 to 3000 nm and a second measurement in a range of 1900 to 2272 nm; and determining a difference between said first measurement and said second measurement.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , said step of processing further comprising the step of: calculating a normalized difference vegetative index.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , said step of calculating further comprising the step of: incorporating into an equation of said normalized difference vegetative index a measure of light in the 2,500 to 12,000 nm region.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 11 , said step of processing further comprising the step of: incorporating into an equation of said normalized difference vegetative index measures of light in at least five wavelength resolved spectral regions from 700 to 3000 nm.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 11 , said step of processing further comprising the step of: determining at least one of: (1) a measure of protein and (2) a measure of fat.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 1 , said step of processing further comprising the steps of: generating a crop stress metric using: (1) a daytime reading of a member of the set of locations in a range of 8,000 to 12,000 nm and (2) a non-daytime reading of the member of the set of locations in a range of 8,000 to 12,000 nm.
  16. 16 . A method for managing cropland for a client, comprising the steps of: optically measuring, each of a set of spatially resolved locations, level zero data with an orbiting satellite, said level zero data comprising: first reflected cropland radiation, in a first range of 400 to 1,000 nm; second reflected cropland radiation in a second range of 1,000 to 2,500 nm; and emitted radiation, in a third range of 2,500 to 12,000 nm; processing, on-board said orbiting satellite, said level zero data comprising a first data storage size, to yield crop condition information comprising a second data storage size of less than one percent of said first data storage size; receiving from said orbiting satellite to a ground-based communication system said crop condition information, comprising a prescription for crop stress mitigation; relaying at least a portion of said crop condition information to the client within twenty-four hours; measuring, on-board said satellite, a first water content in an outer 0.25 mm of a leaf of a crop with at least one wavelength in a range of 2350 to 2600 nm; and combining said level zero data with said first water content and carbon dioxide emission as measured in a range of 3,000 to 12,000 nm.
  17. 17 . A method for managing cropland for a client, comprising the step of: optically measuring, each of a set of spatially resolved locations, level zero data with an orbiting satellite, said level zero data comprising: first reflected cropland radiation, in a first range of 400 to 1,000 nm; second reflected cropland radiation in a second range of 1,000 to 2,500 nm; and emitted radiation, in a third range of 2,500 to 12,000 nm; processing, on-board said orbiting satellite, said level zero data comprising a first data storage size, to yield crop condition information comprising a second data storage size of less than one percent of said first data storage size; receiving from said orbiting satellite to a ground-based communication system said crop condition information, comprising a prescription for crop stress mitigation; relaying at least a portion of said crop condition information to the client within twenty-four hours; and calculating a normalized difference vegetative index with a least one measure in a range of 2,500 to 12,000 nm.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to agriculture. Discussion of the Prior Art Patents related to the current invention are summarized here. R. Lindores, et.al., “Wide-Area Agricultural Monitoring and Predicting”, U.S. Pat. No. 8,731,836 (May 20, 2014) describe a ground-based normalized difference vegetative index used to calibrate an aerial agricultural measurement. Problem There exists in the art of agriculture a need for accurate, precise, and timely intervention to alter crop growing conditions. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises an iteratively updated, multivariate/multi-dimensional, and spatially resolved agriculture aid apparatus and method of use thereof. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES A more complete understanding of the present invention is derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar items throughout the Figures. FIG. 1 illustrates remote monitoring of agricultural land; FIG. 2 illustrates on-board satellite processing of crop image data; FIG. 3 illustrates analysis of cropland with various spectral regions; FIG. 4 illustrates image rectification; FIG. 5 illustrates data processing and data reduction; FIG. 6 illustrates spatially resolved monitoring of agricultural land; FIG. 7 illustrates on-board cropland image processing; FIG. 8 illustrates monitoring agricultural land using multiple regions of the electromagnetic spectrum; FIG. 9 illustrates combining multiple regions of spatially resolved light and resulting actionable intelligence; FIG. 10 illustrates agricultural monitoring using a dynamically updated, spatially resolved, and multi-region wavelength resolved system; FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B illustrate a temporally updated wavelength and spatially resolved agricultural monitoring system; FIG. 12 illustrates normalized difference vegetative index readings; FIG. 13 illustrate pest infestation as measured by NDVI; FIG. 14A illustrates water and fat absorbance and FIG. 14B illustrates fat and protein absorbance; FIG. 15 illustrates water absorbance; FIG. 16 illustrates an n-dimensional data cube; and FIG. 17 illustrates a crop selection/monitoring tool. Elements and steps in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any particular sequence. For example, steps that are performed concurrently or in different order are illustrated in the figures to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a method and apparatus for managing cropland, comprising the steps of: (1) optically measuring, each of a set of spatially resolved locations, level zero data with an orbiting satellite, the level zero data comprising: first reflected cropland radiation, in a first range of 400 to 1,000 nm; second reflected cropland radiation in a second range of 1,000 to 2,500 nm; and emitted radiation, in a third range of 2,500 to 12,000 nm; (2) processing, on-board the orbiting satellite, the level zero data comprising a first data storage size, to yield crop condition information comprising a second data storage size of less than one percent of the first data storage size; (3) receiving from the orbiting satellite to a ground-based communication system the crop condition information; and (4) relaying at least a portion of the crop condition information to a farmer within twenty-four hours. Herein, the farmer is an example of a client or a consumer. More generally, the client is optionally any one or more of: a crop insurance company, an agriculture company, a farmer supply company, and/or a financial market/financial company. Herein, a z-axis is aligned with gravity and an x/y-plane represents a place, such as cropland, perpendicular to the z-axis. As cropland is often not level, the cropland is optionally represented as a projection of the cropland along the z-axis onto the x/y-plane. Herein, near-infrared light (NIR) light comprises light from 700 to 2500 nm and short wave near-infrared light comprises light from 700 to 1000 nm. Infrared light comprises: (1) short wave infrared light (SWIR) light from 700 to 1000 nm (2) NIR non-SWIR light from 1000 to 3000 nm; (2) mid-wave infrared (MIR or MWIR) from 3000 to 5000 nm (2000-3333 cm−1 or wave numbers); and (3) long wave infrared (LWIR), also referred to as thermal infrared (TIR) from 8,000 to 12,000 nm (833-1250 cm−1), which is the molecular “fingerprint region” to chemists. Herein, spectral relates to and/or is made by a spectrum, especially relating to or derived from the electromagnetic spectrum of visible light and/or infrared light. Herein spectral data refers to one or more intensities of light detected at one or more wavelengths. As further described, infra, a remote agriculture monitoring system yields simultaneous information on the state of growth, stat