Source: http://www.google.de/patents/US5442552
Timestamp: 2013-12-11 06:39:25
Document Index: 231010419

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3']

Patent US5442552 - Robotic cultivator - Google PatenteSuche Bilder Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive Mehr » Erweiterte Patentsuche | Anmelden Erweiterte Patentsuche PatenteA robotic cultivator is provided for automatically positioning cultivation tools relative to a centerline of a plant row. The cultivator comprises a video camera for gathering visual information about plants in a plant row. A frame grabber is then utilized to generate a digitized image of the visual...http://www.google.de/patents/US5442552?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5442552 - Robotic cultivator Ver�ffentlichungsnummerUS5442552 APublikationstypErteilung AnmeldenummerUS 08/032,075 Ver�ffentlichungsdatum15. Aug. 1995Eingetragen16. M�rz 1993 Priorit�tsdatum16. M�rz 1993Geb�hrenstatusVerfallenAuch ver�ffentlicht unterWO1994022094A1 Ver�ffentlichungsnummer032075, 08032075, US 5442552 A, US 5442552A, US-A-5442552, US5442552 A, US5442552A ErfinderPictiaw Chen, Robert G. Curley, Durham K. Giles, David C. SlaughterUrspr�nglich Bevollm�chtigterThe Regents Of The University Of CaliforniaZitat exportierenBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatentzitate (11), Nichtpatentzitate (15), Referenziert von (34), Klassifizierungen (6), Juristische Ereignisse (7) Externe Links: USPTO, USPTO-Zuordnung, EspacenetRobotic cultivatorUS 5442552 A Zusammenfassung A robotic cultivator is provided for automatically positioning cultivation tools relative to a centerline of a plant row. The cultivator comprises a video camera for gathering visual information about plants in a plant row. A frame grabber is then utilized to generate a digitized image of the visual information. A computer then manipulates the visual information to determine a centerline of the plant row. Finally, a positioning device moves the cultivation tools based upon the current position of the tools with respect to the centerline.
11. A method of controlling a robotic cultivator, having tools thereon, based upon visual information of plants in a plant row, said method comprising the steps of:generating a visual image of plants and weeds in said plant row, said visual image being represented by pixels; digitizing said pixels based upon visual characteristics of said plants and weeds; generating mean and covariance values based upon said visual characteristics; generating a probability table from said mean and covariance values; comparing each of said pixels with said probability table to determine whether each of said pixels represents a plant; generating a representative image from said digitized image where a logic state of one is assigned to each pixel representing a plant; and determining a centerline of only said plants based upon said representative image. 12. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said step of generating a probability table comprises the steps of:using Bayes Law to compute the probability that a particular color will be in a plant; and assigning the value of a logical one to all probabilities where a particular color will be in said plant. 13. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said step of determining a centerline comprises the steps of:scanning each pixel in said representative image, one row at a time, to determine if the value of that particular pixel is non zero; incrementing one of a plurality of counters, said particular incremented counter associated with said pixel, if said pixel has a non zero value; calculating a histogram from said plurality of counters; calculating a mean of said histogram; and assigning said centerline to the location corresponding to a mean of said histogram. 14. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:dividing said plurality of counters into subsets; calculating a histogram of each subset; calculating a median for each histogram; disregarding any median which significantly differs from an average of said medians of each histogram; and assigning said centerline location based upon the remaining medians and their corresponding physical locations. 15. The method recited in claim 11, wherein said step of determining a centerline comprises the steps of:dividing said representative image into a plurality of regions with associated counters; scanning each pixel in said representative image to determine if the value of that particular pixel is non zero; determining which region each pixel having a non zero value is located and incrementing said associated counter; repeating said scanning and determining steps until each pixel has been scanned; comparing each counter to determine which counter has the maximum value; and assigning the location corresponding to the counter with the maximum value to said centerline. 16. The method recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:determining a position of said tools; comparing said tool position to a position relative to said centerline to generate an position error signal; and moving said tools to reduce said error signal; repeating said determining and comparing steps until said error signal is within a predetermined tolerance. Beschreibung
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Okt. 2010Noel Wayne AndersonMethod for Providing an Application to Plants* Vom Pr�fer zitiertKlassifizierungen US-Klassifikation701/50, 701/28Internationale KlassifikationG05D1/02 UnternehmensklassifikationG05D1/0246, G05D2201/0201 Europ�ische KlassifikationG05D1/02E6VJuristische Ereignisse DatumCodeEreignisBeschreibung2. Okt. 2007FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 2007081515. Aug. 2007LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance fees28. Febr. 2007REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailed14. Febr. 2003FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 816. Febr. 1999FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 416. M�rz 1993ASAssignmentOwner name: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THE, CALIFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:SLAUGHTER, DAVID C.;CURLEY, ROBERT G.;CHEN, PICTIAW;ANDOTHERS;REEL/FRAME:006480/0868Effective date: 1993031516. M�rz 1993AS02Assignment of assignor's interestOwner name: CHEN, PICTIAWOwner name: CURLEY, ROBERT G.Effective date: 19930315Owner name: GILES, DURHAM K.Owner name: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THE 300 LOwner name: SLAUGHTER, DAVID C.DrehenOriginalbildGoogle-Startseite - Sitemap - USPTO-Bulk-Downloads - Datenschutzerkl�rung - Nutzungsbedingungen - �ber Google Patente - Feedback gebenDaten bereitgestellt von IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.© 2012 Google