The present invention generally relates to a distribution assembly for an aerial vehicle, and more particularly to a distribution assembly configured to discharge product from the distribution assembly attached to the aerial vehicle.
Aerial vehicles have been used to distribute products therefrom such as various chemicals and seeds to large areas of land in an attempt to efficiently farm the land. Aerial vehicles such as airplanes, helicopters, hovercrafts, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been utilized for delivering products, surveillance, and other related services. Aerial vehicles are convenient for rapid delivery and providing aerial surveillance of a location. In one example, UAVs are used in a system for farming crop dusting, planting, fertilizing and other field jobs as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,382,003 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The '003 patent discloses the use of a drone with a seeder assembly that includes a drill bit and auger to drill into the ground to plant seeds.
Drawbacks exist with some of the methods identified by this patent and by other seeding assemblies for aerial vehicles for use in farming. In particular, these known agricultural systems have been unable to provide a way to efficiently distribute seeds from remote vehicles such as by aerial vehicles. Thus, there is a need to provide a distribution assembly that may be capable of distributing seeds or other product in a controlled manner. There is also a need to provide a cartridge to house a seed to be able to propel seeds into desired depths from a remote vehicle.
Provided is a seeder assembly for an aerial vehicle as shown and described. The distribution assembly includes a frame selectively attachable to an aerial vehicle and at least one distribution device attached to the frame. The distribution device having a body defining a cavity to receive a plurality of products and a barrel to discharge the plurality of products. A control device configured to communicate with the aerial vehicle and the distribution device to coordinate the timing that products are discharged and a spacing of a subsequent discharged product relative to the speed of the aerial vehicle. A variable pressure device may be provided for applying pressure to discharge product from the cavity of the body. A vacuum member may be provided for drawing product towards the cavity. A hopper may be provided for containing said plurality of products, the hopper including at least one distribution channel in communication with the cavity of the body to transport products from the hopper to the cavity. Alternatively, a cartridge assembly may be configured to be attached to the distribution device to provide the plurality of products to the cavity. The cartridge assembly may hold a plurality of products each having a cartridge body for receiving or supporting a seed. The control device may be in wireless communication with a remote computer device through a network to receive information related to the operation of the distribution assembly as the aerial vehicle is in flight. The control device may be configured to control the variable pressure device to discharge the product from the cavity. A plurality of distribution devices may be positioned along said frame. The plurality of distribution devices may include a first distribution device and a second distribution device wherein the control device controls the first distribution device to discharge a first product and controls the second distribution device to discharge a second product wherein the control device coordinates the timing and spacing of the discharge of said first product and said second product relative to the speed of the aerial vehicle. The control device may control a third distribution device to discharge a third product wherein the control device coordinates the timing and spacing of the discharge of the third product relative to the discharge of the first and second products and relative to the speed of the aerial vehicle. An application device may be provided that includes at least one spray nozzle to apply an actuation solution to the product as the product is discharged from the distribution device. The distribution device may includes a housing having an upper cavity to receive a seed and a lower cavity to receive a cartridge device wherein the distribution device may be configured to position the seed within the cartridge device while in the housing and to discharge the cartridge device with the seed from the distribution device.
In another embodiment, a system is provided for distributing product in a field. The system includes an aerial vehicle and a distribution assembly including a frame selectively attachable to an aerial vehicle. At least one distribution device may be attached to the frame. The distribution device having a body defining a cavity to receive a plurality of products and a barrel to discharge the plurality of products. A control device may be configured to communicate with the aerial vehicle and the distribution assembly. A logic comprising a flight control module, an area mapping module, and a distribution device control module may be programmed to analyze data and to communicate signals to the control device to operate the distribution assembly and the aerial vehicle wherein operation of the distribution assembly includes discharging said plurality of products from the distribution device in a timed manner to achieve desired spacing of said products relative to the speed of the aerial vehicle. The flight control module may communicate with sensors to analyze sensed data for the control of the flight of the aerial vehicle, wherein the sensed data includes at least one of: stabilization of the aerial vehicle, weather, weight of the aerial vehicle and product payload, and the speed of the aerial vehicle. The area mapping module may communicate with sensors to analyze sensed data to determine a flight path of the aerial vehicle and to determine locations to distribute product in a field, wherein the sensed data includes at least one of: soil type, moisture content, field terrain, and planting pattern. The distribution device control module may communicate with sensors to analyze sensed data to determine a desired time to discharge product from the distribution device, wherein the sensed data includes number of stored product, number of loaded product, timing and spacing related to a first propelled product from a first distribution device related to a second propelled product from a second distribution device, location of a plurality of distribution devices aligned in position on the frame relative to the field, type of product, trajectory of product, accuracy of the propelled product relative to the desired location, the timing of propelling a plurality of distribution devices, and the relative spacing between propelled product and landed product in the field. The control device may continuously monitor the aerial vehicle and the distribution device such that the control device sends signals to adjust operation of at least one of: stabilization, flight pattern accuracy, control of discharging product, product count, and accuracy of discharged product for the aerial vehicle and the distribution assembly.
In another embodiment, provided is a method of distributing product from an aerial vehicle. Here, a frame may be provided that is selectively attachable to an aerial vehicle. A plurality of distribution devices may be attached to the frame. An aerial vehicle may be operated to fly along a flight pattern above a field designated to receive a planted product. A plurality of products may be provided to the plurality of distribution devices. The plurality of products may be selectively discharged from the plurality of distribution devices wherein a control device may be configured to coordinate the timing and spacing of the discharged products relative to the speed of the aerial vehicle. An activator solution may be applied to the products before the product is discharged from the distribution devices.
In another embodiment, provided is a cartridge device comprising a generally hollow cartridge body that includes a cavity for receiving and supporting at least one seed wherein the cartridge body is shaped as and aerodynamic projectile. A tapered end may extend from the cartridge body, said tapered end includes at least one of an open portion or a continuous closed portion. The cartridge body may be configured to be discharged from a barrel of a distribution device and to be lodged within soil to deploy the seed at a predetermined depth. The cavity may be pre-loaded with a chemical material, wherein the chemical material includes at least one of a fungicide, an insecticide, and a fertilizer. Surface mounted protrusions, such as threads, may be provided along an outer perimeter surface to assist with burying into the soil as it is received therein. A tracer material may be located on or within the cartridge device, wherein the tracer material is biodegradable and allows for tracking by an imaging device after being discharged by the distribution device. The cartridge body may be made from a compressible aerodynamic membrane such that once a portion of the cartridge body enters into the soil, that portion of the cartridge body contorts in a designed manner to open and allow the seed to be discharged into a desired depth within the soil. The membrane may be one of a continuous collagen material or polymer, wherein said membrane may be rigid to receive and support a seed and be propelled from the distribution device and wherein said membrane may be configured to contort once received in the soil and wherein said membrane may be configured to begin decomposing after being sprayed by an activator spray based on the level of water that may exist in the soil. The membrane may be made of one of a hydrophobic or a hydrophilic material that is capable to degrade at a controlled and known rate based on the level of water measured in the soil. An adjustment member may be configured to modify the desired depth within the soil that the seed is planted after being discharged by the distribution device. A ground stop member may be positioned along the cartridge body to prevent the cartridge body from entering the soil further than the position of the ground stop member on the cartridge body. A retainer member may protrude from a side of the cartridge body for alignment with a cartridge assembly and within an inner passageway of a distribution device.
Operation of the invention may be better understood by reference to the detailed description taken in connection with the following illustrations, wherein:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present teachings, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the respective scope of the present teachings. Moreover, features of the various embodiments may be combined, switched, or altered without departing from the scope of the present teachings, e.g., features of each embodiment disclosed herein may be combined, switched, or replaced with features of the other embodiments disclosed herein. As such, the following description is presented by way of illustration only and should not limit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may be made to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit and scope of the present teachings.
As illustrated by
In one embodiment, the distribution assembly 10 may include a hopper 30 that is operatively connected with an aerial vehicle 20 by a connection member 40. The hopper 30 may be attached to the aerial vehicle 20 in any known manner such that the distribution assembly 10 may be supportably attached while in use and may be detached as needed or when not in use. In one embodiment, the distribution assembly 10 may include an implement hitch mount assembly as disclosed by U.S. Provisional Patent No. 62/552,564, titled AERIAL VEHICLE IMPLEMENT HITCH ASSEMBLY, filed Aug. 31, 2017 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The hopper 30 may define a cavity 32 capable of containing an agricultural product such as feed, seed, fertilizer. The hopper 30 may include an opening 34 to allow for access to the cavity 32. The hopper 30 may include a tapered configuration to allow for product to flow towards a bottom portion 36. The hopper 30 may also be configured to be refilled while in use as a separate aerial vehicle may be able to transport additional product and dispose that additional product through the opening 34 to fill or refill the cavity 32 of the hopper 30.
As illustrated by
An example of the distribution device 60 is illustrated by
In one embodiment, the distribution device 60 includes a vacuum member 90 that applies a suction force to the distribution channel 50 to draw product into the cavity 72 of the body 70. Once within the cavity 72, the product 80 may abut against an abutment surface 92. The abutment surface 92 may include a screen or vent that allows the vacuum member 90 to apply the suction force within the cavity 72 and the distribution channel 50 as the product 80 may be maintained within the cavity 72.
A piston member 100 may be operably engaged with the body 70. The piston member 100 may include a surface 102 that faces within the cavity 72 and may abut against the product 80. An inner passageway 104 may communicate with the cavity 72 and communicate pressure from a variable pressure device 110 to the cavity 72. The variable pressure device 110 may be controlled to apply pneumatic pressure therethrough. The pressure may be varied and controlled based on the operation of the distribution assembly 10 which will be described more fully below.
A barrel 120 may extend from the body 70 and allow the product 80 to be distributed therethough. A control device 150 may be operable to control the distribution device 60 and to modify the amount of pressure applied to the cavity 72 by the variable pressure device 110 to propel product 80 through the barrel 120. A biasing member 130 may be attached to the body 70 and the piston member 100 to apply a bias force against the piston member 100 to position it in an open position as illustrated by
In operation, the vacuum member 90 may introduce pressure to the distribution channel 50 to cause product 80 to be received within the cavity 72. In one embodiment, the vacuum member 90 may provide a constant amount of pressure to draw the product 80.
Further, the piston member 100 may be moveable relative to the body 70 between an open position (
As illustrated by
In one embodiment, the control device 150 may receive constant stream of information as the aerial vehicle flies over the soil to be planted. The distribution assembly 10 may communicate with various systems that may identify the types of soils and the level of moisture of the soil. As the aerial vehicle traverses the terrain, the differences in the types and moisture level of soil may be communicated to the control device 150 of the distribution assembly 10 as well as precise location of the distribution assembly 10 in relation to the ground. The control device 150 may send a signal to the variable pressure device 110 to provide a desired amount of pressure to propel the product 80 towards the soil.
In another embodiment illustrated by
Turning to
The cartridge device 220 may also include a tracer material located on or within the cartridge device 220. The tracer material may be biodegradable and may allow for tracking of the cartridge device 220 after being discharged by the distribution device wherein an imaging device (i.e., a plant counting image device to count seeds at a high rate of speed) may be able to easily view, sense, or identify the tracer material to identify areas in the land 300 that may or may not have a cartridge device 220 planted within the ground 300. In this instance, a scout drone or alternate aerial vehicle may scout or retrace the flight path of the aerial vehicle 20 with the distribution assembly 10 to identify missed or skipped areas. The scout drone or alternate aerial vehicle may include a single distribution device or a plurality of distribution devices to precisely plant a cartridge device 220 in identified areas without a cartridge device 220. Alternatively, the aerial vehicle 20 with the distribution assembly 10 may retrace its flight path to plant cartridge devices 220 at identified missed areas.
As illustrated by the
In another embodiment as illustrated by
In another embodiment as illustrated by
In one embodiment, the plurality of distribution devices 60, 200, 310, 400 of the distribution assembly 10 may be structurally mounted to a frame 500 as illustrated by
As illustrated by
The furrow device 630 may include at least one first distribution assembly 640 such as an anhydrous knife dispensing assembly may be used to dispense anhydrous chemicals adjacent either side of the furrow device 630.
The ground contact assembly 600 includes a rear device 660 that includes an arm 660 that extends from the frame 500 of the distribution assembly 10 to reach the ground 300. Wheels 670 are provided along the end of the arm 660 to support the ground contact assembly 600 and allow operation of the system. The rear device 660 may include a third distribution assembly to distribute further fertilization chemicals after the distribution assembly 10. The third distribution assembly 680 may include a rotary granular application. The ground contact assembly 600 maybe operated with an aerial vehicle 20 such as a UAV or may be operated with a ground vehicle that may also be unmanned. The ground contact assembly 600 may include a variety of configurations having a plurality of wheels for structural stability. The ground contact assembly 600 may allow fro the frame 500 to support a large number of distribution devices thereon and is configurable to support a large number of rows of distribution devices.
The embodiments disclosed herein may be used as a system for planting crops in a field in an improved manner from existing systems. The system may be executed automatically using various modules and logic programmed in computer devices and communicated over a network to the aerial vehicle 20 or may be operated manually be a user with a remote located computer device. The control device 150 may be programmed to communicate with the components of the distribution assembly 10 to propel product (such as cartridge devices 220) from each of the plurality of barrels 120 of the plurality of distribution devices 60, 200, 310, 400 in a timed and controlled manner. This operation may be a function of the speed of the aerial vehicle 20 and the desired spacing between each planted or distributed product. The spacing of planted product may be adjusted and controlled by a logic which may be communicated to the aerial vehicle 20 and distribution assembly 10 though the control device 150. The logic communicated to the control device 150 may include a flight control module 450, an area mapping module 550 and a distribution device control module 750. These modules may include various algorithms programed to work together to propel product from the plurality of distribution devices in a timed manner to achieve desired spacing of planted product at desired depths relative to the speed of the aerial vehicle.
The organizational structure of the logic communicated to the control device 150 is illustrated by
In one example, an aerial vehicle 20 may be manually operated, remotely controlled, or automatically programmed to fly along a flight pattern over a field intended to receive planted crops for farming purposes. The aerial vehicle 20 may be attached to the distribution assembly 10 that includes a plurality of distribution devices 60 aligned in a desired arrangement along a frame 500. The aerial vehicle 20 may be flying at a desired speed (e.g. 40 miles per hour) to plant corn seeds in particular rows in the field having a desired spacing along each row in the field. The aerial vehicle 20 and distribution assembly 10 may communicate with the control device 150 which may be wirelessly communicating with a server or other computer device through a network. The control device 150, network, or computer device, may include the logic including the modules 450, 550, 750 or algorithms stored on memory. The modules are configured to process a variety of information to allow for automated operation of the system. The control device 150 may be in communication with a plurality of sensors to receive and process data to precisely and automatically control the operation of the aerial vehicle and distribution assembly. The timing algorithm considers a variety of characteristics of the environment including the type of product, soil quality, level of moisture in the soil, and whether to determine which, of the plurality of distribution devices, propels a product as the aerial vehicle travels at a desired and adjustable speed to achieve proper spacing of product in the field as well as proper depth of penetration of product in the soil.
The control device 150 may continuously monitor the aerial vehicle 20 and distribution assembly 10 and a variety of factors to ensure stabilization, flight pattern accuracy, control of distributed product, product count, accuracy of distributed product, etc. The communication between the control device 150 and the various components described herein allow for the control of the aerial vehicle 20 to be coordinated to ensure stabilization during flight as well as accurate distribution of product in the desired manner. The weight and configuration of the distribution assembly 10 and aerial vehicle 20 may require adjustments for a successful flight and the disclosed system accounts for the variety of sizes and weights of the system. The control device 150 may undergo a load stabilization step that may account for various characteristics to allow for adjustments and operational control of the aerial vehicle 20 and distribution assembly 10. These characteristics may include but are not limited to: air data, flight path, altitude, pitch, roll, yaw, gyroscopic forces, GPS, inertia, outside atmosphere conditions both calculated and observed. These characteristics may be included in the programmable logic or algorithm to allow for automatic stabilization. The control device 150 may also include a programmable logic or algorithm that includes a guidance system to assist with operating the aerial vehicle 20. The guidance systems may include a DGPS, Inertial Navigation Signal, cellphone compatible GPS, marker stakes positioned on a field, or single satellite GPS. The control device 150, remote computing device, or server may be programmed to include a logic or algorithm that utilizes the guidance system, timing algorithm, and load stabilization steps to automatically align the aerial vehicle 20 and plurality of distribution devices to operate the aerial vehicle 20 and to propel product therefrom in a timed and controlled manner to sufficiently place product within the soil of the field. The algorithms may be a logic programmed into memory stored on the control device 150 or communicated to the control device 150 and aerial vehicle 20 over a network from a remote location or device such as a cell phone, computer, tablet, or server.
“Logic” refers to any information and/or data that may be applied to direct the operation of a processor. Logic may be formed from instruction signals stored in a memory (e.g., a non-transitory memory). Software is one example of logic. In another aspect, logic may include hardware, alone or in combination with software. For instance, logic may include digital and/or analog hardware circuits, such as hardware circuits comprising logical gates (e.g., AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and other logical operations). Furthermore, logic may be programmed and/or include aspects of various devices and is not limited to a single device.
The control device 150 may communicate to various computers, devices, or servers through a communication framework having the ability to communicate through a wireless network. Communication connection(s) may include devices or components capable of connecting to a network. For instance, communication connection(s) may include cellular antennas, satellites, wireless antennas, wired connections, and the like. Such communication connection(s) may connect to networks via the communication framework. The networks may include wide area networks, local area networks, facility or enterprise wide networks (e.g., intranet), global networks (e.g., Internet), satellite networks, and the like. Some examples of wireless networks include Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, BLUETOOTH™, Zigbee, and other 802.XX wireless technologies. It is noted that communication framework may include multiple networks connected together. For instance, a Wi-Fi network may be connected to a wired Ethernet network.
Claim statements for a cartridge device:
a generally hollow cartridge body that includes a cavity for receiving and supporting at least one seed wherein the cartridge body is shaped as and aerodynamic projectile; and
a tapered end extending from the cartridge body, said tapered end includes at least one of an open portion or a continuous closed portion;
wherein the cartridge body is configured to be discharged from a barrel of a distribution device and to be lodged within soil to deploy the seed at a predetermined depth in the soil.
wherein said membrane is rigid to receive and support a seed and be propelled from the distribution device; and wherein said material is configured to contort once received in the soil; and
wherein said membrane is configured to begin decomposing after being sprayed by an activator spray based on the level of water that may exist in the soil.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that the disclosure described herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the claims hereafter. The claims as follows are intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalent thereof
This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 16/120,500 entitled “DISTRIBUTION ASSEMBLY FOR AN AERIAL VEHICLE” filed on Sep. 4, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 62/553,839 entitled “SEEDER ASSEMBLY FOR AN AERIAL VEHICLE” filed on Sep. 2, 2017 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20210053681 A1 | Feb 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62553839 | Sep 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 16120500 | Sep 2018 | US |
Child | 17079890 | US |