US 12,389,898 B2
Automated nozzle adjustments for plant treatment application
Kent Michael Anderson, Signal Mountain, TN (US); Benjamin Ray Chostner, San Francisco, CA (US); and Bryon William Majusiak, Incline Village, NV (US)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Feb. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/665,322.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/146,433, filed on Feb. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0248655 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. A01M 7/00 (2006.01); A01C 23/04 (2006.01)
CPC A01M 7/006 (2013.01) [A01C 23/047 (2013.01); A01M 7/0089 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for treating a plant in a field by a farming machine that moves through the field, the farming machine comprising a treatment mechanism for treating the plant in the field, and the treatment mechanism comprising a plurality of nozzle holders with each nozzle holder comprising a plurality of nozzles and each of the nozzles corresponding to a unique magnet having a unique magnetic field, the method comprising:
receiving a plant treatment instruction for treating the plant, the plant treatment instruction comprising a treatment nozzle of the plurality of nozzles having a treatment position in a nozzle holder of the plurality of nozzle holders, the treatment position allowing the treatment nozzle to apply a treatment to the plant in the field;
determining a current nozzle of the plurality of nozzles in a current position of the nozzle holder in the treatment mechanism by:
measuring a unique magnetic field produced by a unique magnet corresponding to the current nozzle, and
identifying the current nozzle in the current position of the nozzle holder based on the measurement of the unique magnetic field;
automatically exchanging the current nozzle for the treatment nozzle by adjusting the current position of the nozzle holder to the treatment position such that the treatment nozzle can apply the treatment to the plant in the field; and
actuating, based on the plant treatment instruction, the treatment mechanism such that the plant is treated via the treatment nozzle while the nozzle holder is in the treatment position as the farming machine moves past the plant in the field.