PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15960538
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-04
Publication Date: 2018-10
Patent Classification: ["111", "170000"]

Abstract:
A seed delivery apparatus and methods in which a seed conveyor delivers seed from a metering device to a furrow in a controlled manner to maintain seed placement accuracy within the furrow.

Claim (Index 1):
A method of delivering seed via a seed conveyor to a planting surface coincident with planting boundaries, the seed conveyor receiving seeds discharged from a seed meter of a planter row unit, the conveyor having a belt rotatably driven by a conveyor motor, the belt receiving the seeds discharged by seed meter near an upper end of the seed conveyor, wherein as the belt is rotatably driven by the conveyor motor, the seeds are conveyed by the belt toward a lower end of the seed conveyor whereupon the conveyed seed is released to the planting surface through an exit in the seed conveyor in a direction opposite a forward direction of travel of the row unit, the method comprising:\n identifying planting boundaries of a field, wherein the planting boundaries define planting regions or no-planting regions; as the row unit approaches one of said planting boundaries, estimating when said seed conveyor will cross said one approaching planting boundary based on a ground speed of said seed conveyor; determining which of the conveyed seeds will be an earliest seed to be released through the exit of the seed conveyor coincident with the seed conveyor crossing said one approaching planting boundary; determining if said one approaching planting boundary defines a no-planting region or a planting region; if said one approaching planting boundary defines a no-planting region, stopping release of seed by the seed meter and stopping rotation of the belt so that said earliest seed does not pass through the exit of the seed conveyor when the seed conveyor crosses said no-planting region boundary; and if said one approaching planting boundary defines a planting region, advancing rotation of the belt so that said earliest seed passes through the exit of the seed conveyor when the seed conveyor crosses said planting region boundary and thereupon starting release of seed by the seed meter.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 1.0
- Percentile: 91.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.375
- Patent Class: 111.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['14347902', '14667293', '15441628', '14915530', '15714697']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7653716562007493
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4899238696071968
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7378268775413941
- Mean Citation Score: 265.94804
- Max Citation Score: 296.54724
- Similarity Product: 262.75972552719355

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 0
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 0
- Combined Label: 0
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test