David L Mercer

US Patent:

20190082582, Mar 21, 2019

Filed:

Nov 13, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/188428

Inventors:

- Moline IL, US
SCOTT A. STEPHENS - Carefree AZ, US
DOLLY WU - Carrollton TX, US
DAVID S. MERCER - W DES MOINES IA, US
MARK A. HARRIS - BLUE GRASS IA, US

International Classification:

A01B 69/04
G05D 1/02
G01S 19/48
G01S 5/16
G01S 19/14

Abstract:

A scouting system can include an autonomous ground vehicle having a perception sensor and a motion sensor to construct an occupancy grid referenced to a coordinate system of the autonomous ground vehicle. The autonomous ground vehicle is configured to use information from the occupancy grid to detect crop rows in a crop field. The autonomous ground vehicle is configured to identify and classify one or more non-crop plant in-lier objects arranged within the crop rows and generate an output signal received by an external vehicle to cause the external vehicle to perform a task when the one or more non-crop plant in-lier objects are identified within the crop rows.

US Patent:

20160157414, Jun 9, 2016

Filed:

Oct 23, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/921217

Inventors:

- Moline IL, US
Scott A. Stephens - Carefree AZ, US
Dolly Y. Wu - Silvis IL, US
Mark A. Harris - Blue Grass IA, US
David S. Mercer - West Des Moines IA, US

International Classification:

A01B 69/04
G05D 1/02
G01S 19/01
G05D 1/00

Abstract:

Embodiments include a ground scout having an ability to identify the location of rows of crops and the end of the rows so that it can navigate, but in other embodiments, the ground scout can also rely more on an aerial drone to navigate, to act as a communication relay system, and so on. A buddy system including a ground scout and an air scout (e.g. drone) communicate their findings with each other.