US 12,103,684 B2
Drift correction during the application of crop protection agents
Ole Peters, Langenfeld (DE); Holger Hoffmann, Langenfeld (DE); and Eva Hill, Langenfeld (DE)
Assigned to BASF AGRO TRADEMARKS GMBH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
Filed by BASF AGRO TRADEMARKS GMBH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
Filed on Mar. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/123,434.
Application 18/123,434 is a continuation of application No. 16/495,853, granted, now 11,608,175, previously published as PCT/EP2018/056822, filed on Mar. 19, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 17162863 (EP), filed on Mar. 24, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0225306 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B64D 1/18 (2006.01); A01M 7/00 (2006.01); A01M 11/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64D 1/16 (2006.01); B64U 10/00 (2023.01); B64U 101/00 (2023.01); B64U 101/40 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01)
CPC B64D 1/18 (2013.01) [A01M 7/0089 (2013.01); A01M 11/00 (2013.01); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64U 10/00 (2023.01); G05D 1/042 (2013.01); B64D 1/16 (2013.01); B64U 2101/00 (2023.01); B64U 2101/40 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of applying a crop protection product to a field using an autonomous aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a digital application map for the field comprising indications of amounts of the crop protection product to be applied for individual partial areas of the field;
causing the autonomous aerial vehicle to pass over the field along a route and apply the crop protection product via at least one nozzle;
determining, based on a plurality of parameters measured during the application of the crop protection product, amounts of the crop protection product that reach partial areas of the field that, according to the route and/or the digital application map, should not and/or not yet be treated with crop protection product, and wherein the plurality of parameters comprises at least: the spatial distribution of the crop protection product, a plurality of wind parameters, and a plurality of application parameters; and
computing or updating drift parameters to compensate for drift phenomena, wherein the drift parameters are computed or updated such that, during further application, no amounts of the crop protection product reach the partial areas that, according to the digital application map, should not and/or not yet be treated with the crop protection product, and wherein the computing or updating is based on the determined amounts of the crop protection product that reach the partial areas of the field that, according to the route and/or the digital application map, should not and/or not yet be treated with crop protection product.