Abstract:
Various embodiments of a system for automatically sensing and spraying plants and/or plant precursors as they are planted or otherwise distributed on and/or within the ground is disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/622,745, filed on Apr. 11, 2012, and entitled “System for Spraying Plants and/or Plant Precursors,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present subject matter relates generally to a system for spraying plants and/or plant precursors and, more particularly, to a system that automatically senses and sprays plants and/or plant precursors as they are planted or otherwise distributed on and/or within the ground. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In the agricultural industry, plants and plant precursors (e.g., seeds) are often sprayed with an agricultural fluid at the time of planting in order to enhance germination and early development. For example, when planting certain crops, it is often desirable to spray fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and/or various other agricultural fluids directly over and/or adjacent to seed placements. To simplify this process, various spraying systems have been developed that are designed to spray a fluid onto seeds as they are planted or otherwise distributed on and/or within the ground. 
         [0004]    However, such conventional spraying systems are typically configured to spray a continuous band of fluid across the length of the row in which the seeds are being planted. Accordingly, a significant amount of fluid is sprayed in the areas located between the seeds, resulting in excessive waste and increased material costs. These issues have become particularly relevant given the recent trend of narrowing the spacing between crop rows. For example, in the corn growing industry, narrow row spacings (e.g., 20 inches or less) have replaced traditional row spacings (e.g., 30 inches or more) in an attempt to provide higher seed populations and a quicker canopy for weed control. However, to implement such narrow row spacings, the seed spacing along each row must be increased, thereby widening the gap between each planted seed. As a result, the waste and material costs associated with the use of conventional spraying systems is even further increased. 
         [0005]    To avoid the problems associated with continuous band spraying systems, improved spraying systems have been developed that provide for seed-specific placement of agricultural fluids. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,370,589 and 8,074,585 (Wilkerson et al.), both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes, disclose a system that utilizes a sensor to detect seeds passing through a seed tube. Upon the detection of a seed, the sensor transmits information to a controller configured to control the operation of a fluid dispenser such that the fluid dispenser dispenses fluid onto the seed at a predetermined time after the seed is detected by the sensor. While this system provides advantages over conventional, continuous band spraying systems, further improvements are needed to address the ever-changing demands of the agricultural industry. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
         [0007]    Various embodiments of a system for automatically sensing and spraying plants and/or plant precursors as they are planted or otherwise distributed on and/or within the ground is disclosed. 
         [0008]    For example, in several embodiments, the system may include a sensor configured to detect seeds dropping onto the ground through a seed tube and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. In addition, the system may include a nozzle assembly having a valve and a spray nozzle. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the valve based on signals received from the sensor such that an amount of fluid may be sprayed from the spray nozzle on and/or adjacent to each seed after it is dropped from the seed tube. 
         [0009]    In addition, in one embodiment, the controller may be configured to control the operation of the valve such that a specific volume of fluid is applied on and/or adjacent to each seed. For instance, the controller may be configured to control the duration of the valve pulse based on various operating parameters, such as the pressure of the fluid supplied to the valve, the valve configuration (e.g., the sizes of the inlet and/or outlet of the valve), the nozzle configuration (e.g., the spray tip orifice size), the speed of the system and/or the like. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, the controller may be configured to control the valve such that it operates at a constant pulse duration. 
         [0011]    Moreover, in one embodiment, the controller may be configured to control a flow rate of the fluid supplied to the valve. 
         [0012]    Further, in one embodiment, the controller  22  may be configured to control the pressure of the fluid supplied to the valve. 
         [0013]    Additionally, in one embodiment, the system may include multiple nozzle assemblies. In such an embodiment, the nozzle assemblies may, for example, be configured to spray various different fluids on and/or adjacent to each seed and/or spray fluid(s) at various different locations relative to each seed. 
         [0014]    Moreover, in one embodiment, the system may include a camera configured to capture one or more images of each seed as it is being sprayed by the nozzle assembly. In such an embodiment, the controller may, for example, be configured to control the operation of the camera based on the signals received from the sensor. For instance, the controller may be configured to control the camera such that it captures an image at a predetermined time after a seed is detected by the sensor. 
         [0015]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates a simplified view of one embodiment of a system that automatically senses and sprays plants and/or plant precursors as they are planted or otherwise distributed on and/or within the ground; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  illustrates a simplified view of another embodiment of the system shown in  FIG. 1 , particularly illustrating the system including two nozzle assemblies; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates a simplified view of a further embodiment of the system shown in  FIG. 1 , particularly illustrating the system including a camera for capturing images of seeds as they are sprayed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
         [0021]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a simplified view of one embodiment of an agricultural spraying system  10  in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the system  10  may be designed to be coupled to a piece of farming equipment (not shown), such as a tractor or other work vehicle. The system  10  may include a seed tube  12  for dropping seeds  14  on the ground  16  as the system  10  moves at a speed V relative to the ground  16 . The seeds  14  may be supplied to the seed tube  12  from a suitable seed source  18  (e.g., a seed hopper). A seed sensor  20  may be operatively connected to the seed tube  12  for detecting each seed  14  as it drops through the seed tube  12 . Suitable seed sensors may include optical sensors and/or any other suitable object sensor known in the art. The seed sensor  20  may be communicatively coupled to a controller  22 . As such, each time the seed sensor  20  detects a seed  14  dropping through the seed tube  12 , a signal may be transmitted from the seed sensor  20  to the controller  22 . 
         [0022]    Additionally, the system  10  may also include a nozzle assembly  24  for spraying each seed  14  with a metered amount of fluid F. As shown in  FIG. 1 , fluid F may be supplied to the nozzle assembly  24  from a suitable fluid source  26  (e.g., a fluid tank) via a pipe  28  or other suitable flow conduit. In addition, a pump  30 , such as centrifugal pump, may be positioned downstream of the fluid source  26  for pumping fluid F from the fluid source  26  to the nozzle assembly  24 . 
         [0023]    As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle assembly  24  may generally include a spray nozzle  30  and a solenoid valve  32 . In general, the spray nozzle  30  may have any suitable nozzle configuration known in the art. For instance, in one embodiment, the spray nozzle  30  may include a spray tip  34 , such as a flat fan tip, cone tip, straight stream tip and/or any other suitable spray tip known in the art. In other embodiments, the spray nozzle  30  may have any other suitable nozzle configuration, such as by being configured as a microtube, knife, coulter, drip tube and/or the like. Similarly, the valve  32  may generally have any suitable valve configuration known in the art. For instance, in several embodiments, the valve  32  may be configured as a latching solenoid valve, 2WNC solenoid valve, pilot actuated solenoid valve, flipper solenoid valve and/or the like. 
         [0024]    In a particular embodiment of the present subject matter, the valve  32  may be configured the same as or similar to the valves disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/410,589 (Needham et al), filed on Mar. 2, 2012 and entitled “Electrically Actuated Valve for Control of Instantaneous Pressure Drop and Cyclic Durations of Flow,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. Specifically, Needham et al. discloses a solenoid valve in which the valve poppet is configured to be pulsed such that the cyclic durations of the poppet control the average flow rate through the valve. For example, the valve may be operated with a pulse-width modulation, in which the poppet moves from a sealed position to an open position relative to the valve inlet and/or valve outlet and the duty cycle of the pulse controls the average flow rate. Additionally, the pressure drop across the valve may be controlled during each pulse of the poppet by regulating the position to which the poppet is moved relative to the valve inlet and/or the valve outlet. For instance, the displacement of the poppet may be regulated such that the valve is partially opened during each pulse. 
         [0025]    Referring still to  FIG. 1 , in several embodiments the valve  32  may be configured to be mounted to and/or integrated within a portion of the spray nozzle  30  using any suitable mounting configuration and/or any other suitable configuration known in the art that permits the flow of fluid F through the nozzle  30  to be modified using pulse width modulation (PWM) technology. For example, the valve  32  may be mounted to the exterior of the body of the spray nozzle  30 , such as by being secured to the spray nozzle  30  through the nozzle&#39;s check valve port. Alternatively, the valve  32  may be integrated into a portion of the body of the spray nozzle  30 . 
         [0026]    Moreover, in several embodiments, the valve  32  may be communicatively coupled to the controller  22 . Accordingly, the controller  22  may be configured to transmit a suitable control signal to the valve  32  to cause it to open, remain open for a calculated duration, and close, thereby spraying a metered amount of fluid F on and/or adjacent to the seed  14 . 
         [0027]    It should be appreciated that the controller  22  may be configured to determine when to open and close the valve  32  by analyzing various operating parameters of the system  10 , which may be pre-stored within the controller&#39;s memory and/or received by the controller  22  as an input. Such operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, the vertical distance each seed  14  falls between the seed sensor  20  and the ground  16 , the horizontal distance between the outlet of the seed tube  12  and the nozzle assembly  24 , the speed V of the system  10  and/or any other suitable operating parameters. Based on such analysis, the controller  22  may be configured to calculate a suitable time delay for actuating the valve  32  (i.e., the amount of time between the when the seed sensor  20  detects a seed  14  and when the valve  32  needs to be opened to spray fluid F on and/or adjacent to each seed  14 ). 
         [0028]    In addition to determining the time delay for actuating the valve  32 , the controller  22  may also be configured to control the operation of the valve  32  such that a specific volume of fluid F is applied on and/or adjacent to each seed  14 . Specifically, in several embodiments, the controller  22  may be configured to analyze one or more operating parameters of the system  10  in order to determine the duration of the valve pulse (i.e., the amount of time the valve  32  is opened) needed to achieve a desired spray volume for each seed  14 . Such operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, the pressure of the fluid F supplied to the valve  32 , the valve configuration (e.g., the sizes of the inlet and/or outlet of the valve  32 ), the nozzle configuration (e.g., the spray tip orifice size), the speed V of the system  10  and/or any other suitable operating parameters. By analyzing such operating parameters, the controller  22  may be configured control the duration of the valve pulse in a manner that allows the same amount fluid F to be sprayed on and/or adjacent to each seed  14 . 
         [0029]    Alternatively, the controller  22  may be configured to implement a fixed application approach, wherein the valve  32  is operated at a constant pulse duration. In such an embodiment, the specific volume of fluid F applied on and/or adjacent to each seed  14  may generally vary depending on the speed V of the system  10  and/or the pressure of the fluid F supplied to the valve  32 . 
         [0030]    Moreover, in one embodiment, the controller  22  may also be configured to control a flow rate of the fluid F supplied to the valve  32  by the controlling the operation of a suitable flow regulating valve  36 . For example, the controller  22  may be configured to determine the flow rate of the fluid F supplied through the pipe  28  based on inputs received from one or more suitable meters and/or sensors positioned upstream of the valve  32 , such as one or more turbine meters  38  associated with the pump  30 , one or more tank level meters  40  associated with the fluid source  26 , one or more flow meters  42  associated with the pipe  28 , one or more pressure sensors  44  and/or the like. In addition, the controller  22  may also be configured to receive user inputs corresponding to a desired flow rate for the system  10 . Accordingly, based on such inputs, the controller  22  may be configured to control the operation of the flow regulating valve  36  so as to maintain the fluid F supplied to the valve  32  at the desired flow rate. 
         [0031]    Further, in one embodiment, the controller  22  may also be configured to control the pressure of the fluid F supplied to the valve  32 . For example, one or more pressure sensors  44  may be configured to monitor the pressure of the fluid F and transmit pressure measurements to the controller  22 . The controller  22  may, in turn, be configured to pulse the valve  32  at a suitable frequency and/or duty cycle in order to maintain a specific pressure within the pipe  28 . Such pressure based control may allow the controller  22  to vary the amount of fluid F being sprayed on and/or adjacent to each seed  14  while operating the valve at a constant pulse duration. 
         [0032]    It should be appreciated that controller  22  may generally comprise any suitable computer and/or other processing unit, including any suitable combination of computers, processing units and/or the like that may be operated independently or in connection within one another. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller  22  may include one or more processor(s) and associated memory device(s) configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions (e.g., performing the calculations disclosed herein). As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory device(s) of the controller  22  may generally comprise memory element(s) including, but not limited to, computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disc (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory device(s) may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s), configure the controller  22  to perform various functions including, but not limited to, controlling the operation of the valve  32 , calculating time delays for the valve  32  and/or various other suitable computer-implemented functions. 
         [0033]    Additionally, it should be appreciated that, although the system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  as including a single nozzle assembly  24  for spraying fluid F on and/or adjacent to each seed  10 , the system  10  may generally include any number nozzle assemblies  24  configured for spraying one or more fluids F on and/or adjacent to each seed  14 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, the system  10  may include a first nozzle assembly  124  and a second nozzle assembly  224 . In such an embodiment, each nozzle assembly  124 ,  224  may be configured to spray the same or a different fluid F on and/or adjacent to each seed  14 . In addition, the nozzle assemblies  124 ,  224  may be configured to spray fluid F at the same or different locations relative to the seed  14 . For example, in one embodiment, both the first and second nozzle assemblies  124 ,  224  may be configured to spray fluid F directly onto each seed  14 . Alternatively, the first nozzle assembly  124  may be configured to spray fluid F directly onto each seed  14  while the second nozzle assembly  224  may be configured to spray fluid F adjacent to each seed  14  (e.g., by spraying fluid F before and/or after each seed  14 ) or vice versa. In further embodiments, it should be appreciated that the system  10  may include three or more nozzle assemblies  24  configured to spray any number of fluids F on and/or adjacent to each seed  14 . 
         [0034]    Moreover, it should be appreciated that, in several embodiments, the disclosed system  10  may be combined with aspects from conventional, continuous band spraying systems. For example, in embodiments in which the system  10  includes multiple nozzle assemblies  24 , one or more of the nozzle assemblies  24  may be configured to spray a continuous band of fluid F along the length of the row in which seeds  14  are being planted. 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, the disclosed system  10  may also include a camera  50  configured to capture one or more images of each seed  14  as it is being sprayed by the nozzle assembly(ies)  24 . In several embodiments, the camera  50  may comprise one or more video cameras configured to continuously capture images of the seeds  14  being sprayed. Alternatively, the camera  50  may comprise one or more still-image cameras. In such embodiments, the camera  50  may be controlled so as to only capture an image(s) at a predetermined time after the seed sensor  20  detects a seed  14  passing through the seed tube  12 . For example, the camera  50  may be configured to capture an image only when a suitable control signal is received from the controller  22 . As such, the controller  22  may be configured to regulate the transmission of control signals to the camera  50  based on the signals received from the seed sensor  20 . For instance, in one embodiment, the camera  50  may be operated on the same time delay as the valve  32 . In such an embodiment, the controller  22  may be configured to simultaneously transmit control signals to both the camera  50  and the valve  32 . Alternatively, the controller  22  may be configured to transmit a control signal(s) to the camera  50  before or after the transmission of the control signal(s) for actuating the valve  32 . 
         [0036]    By capturing one or more images of each seed  14  as it is being sprayed, an operator of the system  10  may be able to monitor the accuracy of the placement of the fluid F relative to the seeds  14 . For example, the images captured by the camera  50  may be transmitted to a suitable display device viewable by the operator (e.g., a display device positioned within the operator&#39;s cab of the farming equipment on which the system  10  is installed). As such, the operator may be able to view each seed  14  being sprayed and manually adjust the settings of the system  10  in the event that the seeds  14  are not being properly sprayed. For instance, the operator may be provided with a suitable control panel (communicatively coupled to the controller  22 ) that allows for the adjustment of the pressure and/or flow rate of the fluid F supplied to the valve  32 , the duration of the valve pulse, the volume of fluid F being sprayed and/or any other suitable operating parameter. 
         [0037]    It should be appreciated that, although the system  10  is described herein with reference to spraying seeds  14 , the system  10  may generally be utilized to spray any suitable type of plant and/or plant precursor, such as seeds, seedlings, transplants, encapsulated tissue cultures and/or any other suitable plant precursors. 
         [0038]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.