US 12,135,320 B2
Methods and systems for analyzing a field
Brian Harold Sutton, Lowell, IN (US)
Assigned to Airscout Inc., Lowell, IN (US)
Filed by Airscout Inc., Lowell, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/366,365.
Application 18/366,365 is a division of application No. 17/520,836, filed on Nov. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,719,680.
Application 17/520,836 is a division of application No. 16/356,528, filed on Mar. 18, 2019, granted, now 11,181,516, issued on Nov. 23, 2021.
Application 16/356,528 is a continuation of application No. 15/005,612, filed on Jan. 25, 2016, granted, now 10,234,439, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/107,120, filed on Jan. 23, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0384280 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 33/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06V 20/10 (2022.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); G06V 30/18 (2022.01); G06V 20/68 (2022.01)
CPC G01N 33/0098 (2013.01) [G06T 7/0016 (2013.01); G06V 20/10 (2022.01); G06V 20/188 (2022.01); G06V 30/18124 (2022.01); G06F 2218/08 (2023.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10032 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10048 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30188 (2013.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); G06V 20/68 (2022.01); Y10T 137/189 (2015.04)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of analyzing a field, the method comprising:
positioning an imaging system in an aircraft, the imaging system comprising a long-wave thermal imaging camera operable to collect thermal energy emitted by plants in a long-wave infrared spectrum of about 7 to about 14 micrometers;
acquiring with the long-wave thermal imaging camera a first aerial thermal image of at least a portion of the field that contains plants while the aircraft is in flight over the field, wherein the first aerial thermal image comprises thermal energy emitted by the plants in the long-wave infrared spectrum and pixels indicating different levels of thermal energy emitted in the long-wave infrared spectrum by the plants within the portion of the field while the aircraft is in flight over the field;
processing the first aerial thermal image to assess relative variations in temperatures among the plants within the portion of the field by assessing variations in the pixels of the first aerial thermal image;
acquiring with the long-wave thermal imaging camera a second aerial thermal image of the portion of the field that is indicative of the thermal energy emitted in the long-wave infrared spectrum by the plants within the portion of the field while the aircraft is in flight over the field at a time after the first aerial thermal image is acquired;
processing the second aerial thermal image to assess variations in temperatures among the plants within the portion of the field by assessing variations in the pixels of the second aerial thermal image; and
comparing the first aerial thermal image with the second aerial thermal image to assess the health or growth of the plants over a time period between when the first aerial thermal image was acquired and the time when the second aerial thermal image was acquired.