US 12,033,224 B2
Systems and methods for enhancing harvest yield
Shrikant Jarugumilli, Dardenne Prairie, MO (US); Hadi Panahi, St. Louis, MO (US); Steven J. Swanton, Wentzville, MO (US); and Dustin M. Theis, O'Fallon, IL (US)
Assigned to MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC, Saint Louis, MO (US)
Filed by Monsanto Technology LLC, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/513,764.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/108,259, filed on Oct. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0138868 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/06 (2023.01); G06F 17/10 (2006.01); G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01); G06Q 50/02 (2012.01)
CPC G06Q 50/02 (2013.01) [G06F 17/10 (2013.01); G06Q 10/06313 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for use in allocating resources in harvest operations involving multiple fields and multiple pickers, the method comprising:
(a) retrieving, by a platform computing device, from a data structure, data specific to a harvest project, the harvest project including at least one site, the at least one site including multiple fields, and wherein the data includes identifying data for the multiple fields, location data for the multiple fields and multiple pickers, and moisture content(s) for one or more crops included in the multiple fields;
(b) for each of at least one individual site stage, for each site of the at least one site, where the at least one individual site stage is applicable to each site of the at least one site:
determining, by the platform computing device in communication with the data structure, via a decision service, multiple potential allocations of the multiple pickers to the multiple fields of the at least one site based on the retrieved data and one or more applicable constraints;
determining, by the platform computing device, a first parameter of the multiple potential allocations;
advancing, by the platform computing device, one or more of the multiple potential allocations, based on the determined first parameter; and
imposing, by the platform computing device, at least one first constraint consistent with ones of the advanced one or more of the multiple potential allocations; and then
(c) further determining, by the platform computing device in communication with the data structure, via the decision service, at least one allocation of the multiple pickers to the multiple fields based on the retrieved data and the at least one first constraint;
(d) for at least one all-site stage and for each site of the at least one site, where the at least one all-site stage is applicable to each site of the at least one site:
determining, by the platform computing device, a second parameter of the at least one allocation of the multiple pickers for each site of the at least one site;
advancing, by the platform computing device, one or more of the at least one allocation, based on the determined second parameter of the at least one allocation; and
imposing, by the platform computing device, at least one second constraint consistent with the advanced one or more of the at least one allocation;
(e) determining, by the platform computing device, via the decision service, at least one final allocation for the at least one site, based on the retrieved data and the at least one second constraint;
(f) storing, by the platform computing device, in memory associated with the platform computing device, a harvest plan for the harvest project, based on the at least one final allocation of the multiple pickers to the multiple fields; and
(g) sending, by the platform computing device, the harvest plan to the multiple pickers, which causes the multiple pickers to travel to the multiple fields and to automatically harvest, based on GPS included in the multiple pickers, one or more crops in the multiple fields, consistent with the harvest plan.