US 12,445,709 B2
Inspection system for use in monitoring plants in plant growth areas
David Scheiner, Savyion (IL); Eilat Tal, D.N. Arava (IL); and Hai Benron, Haifa (IL)
Assigned to VIEWNETIC LTD., Tel Aviv (IL)
Filed by VIEWNETIC LTD., Tel Aviv (IL)
Filed on Nov. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/504,770.
Application 18/504,770 is a continuation of application No. 17/934,827, filed on Sep. 23, 2022, granted, now 11,849,207.
Application 17/934,827 is a continuation of application No. 17/274,567, granted, now 11,483,471, issued on Oct. 25, 2022, previously published as PCT/IL2019/051006, filed on Sep. 9, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/728,815, filed on Sep. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0080542 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. H04N 23/61 (2023.01); A01G 7/00 (2006.01); A01M 7/00 (2006.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); G01B 11/24 (2006.01); G01N 21/31 (2006.01); G01N 21/84 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01); H04N 23/695 (2023.01); H04N 23/74 (2023.01); H04N 23/90 (2023.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01); B64U 101/40 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/61 (2023.01) [A01G 7/00 (2013.01); A01M 7/0089 (2013.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); G01B 11/24 (2013.01); G01N 21/31 (2013.01); G01N 21/84 (2013.01); G01N 33/0098 (2013.01); H04N 7/188 (2013.01); H04N 23/695 (2023.01); H04N 23/74 (2023.01); H04N 23/90 (2023.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01); B64U 2101/40 (2023.01); G01N 2021/8466 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inspection system for use in monitoring plants' conditions in a plant growing area, the inspection system comprises:
an optical probe comprising at least one imaging set, each imaging set comprising: a flash illuminator unit; an imaging unit configured with a predetermined resolution; and a sensing unit; the optical probe being configured and operable to perform one or more imaging sessions on a target in a plant growing area at target locations during a movement of the optical probe along a movement path in a vicinity of the target locations along a row of plants; and
a control unit configured and operable to initiate the imaging session and synchronize operation of the flash illuminator unit and the imaging unit to capture a plurality of images of the target by the optical probe during the movement of the probe along the movement path, and
a positioning assembly configured and operable to control the movement path of the optical probe in the vicinity of the target and adjust a position of the optical probe with respect to the target locations to enable one or more of the following: imaging underside, upper side or side of a plant part by the imaging unit,
wherein the positioning assembly is configured and operable to adjust the position of the optical probe and control the movement path of the optical probe in relation to one or more of the following elements of the plant; leaves, flowers, stems of fruit, to thereby enable the optical probe to pass underneath said one or more elements of the plant and facilitate imaging by said optical probe underside said one or more elements of the plant, to prevent entanglement and damage to at least one of the plant and the optical probe, and the positioning assembly is configured and operable to bring the optical probe to a focus position relative to the leaves, thereby enabling sampling of maximum number of leaves while maintaining essentially constant forward motion of the optical probe along the movement path.