Li-cor, Inc.

John H Wurm

Lyle R Middendorf

William W Biggs

Kyle H Holland

Donald Thomas Lamb

Tanvir Demetriades-Shah

James S Schepers

Gregory L Biggs

Tracey M Blackmer

The preferred embodiments described herein provide an apparatus and method for intersecting a light beam and a focal point of a detector at an object of interest. In one preferred embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a first support element and a first member carrying a light source and a detector. The first member is pivotable between first and second positions, and when the first member is in the first position, a light beam generated by the light source and a focal point of the detector intersect at an object of interest carried by the first support element. When the first member is in the second position, the light beam and the focal point of the detector intersect at an object of interest carried by a second support element disposed on the first support element.

Apparatus and method for analyzing an object of interest having a pivotably movable source and detector

Method and apparatus for real-time determination and application of nitrogen fertilizer using rapid, non-destructive crop canopy measurements

To provide sufficient sensitivity, spectral resolution and speed of measurement for field environmental measurements in a portable spectroradiometer, a silicon photodiode receives light: (1) having a bandwidth in the range of between 2 and 15 nm (nanometers) from a pivotable concave holographic diffraction grating within the wavelength range of between 250 and 1150 nm at a scanning rate in the range of 20 to 100 nm per second; (2) having stray light of high intensity and undesired frequencies and the shorter wavelength harmonics of the selected frequency range blocked by filters; and (3) having flux of at least 10 microwatts per square meter of diffuser plate for each nanometer of bandwidth. Automatic electrical zeroing is obtained by blocking all light once at the beginning of each scan, obtaining an electrical drift-related signal and using the drift signal to adjust the measured signal during the scan. Several different sensing interfaces can be used, including a quartz, light fiber probe having at least a 50% packing density and a cone angle of at least 24 degrees. The data and the programming storage is at least 30K bytes but the instrument uses no more than watts of power when the instrument is not scanning.

Spectroradio-meter and spectrophotometer

The resolution of the measuring system of a conveyor type leaf-area meter is optimized when changes are made in the size of the area that is scanned by adjusting: (1) the lens of the scanner; (2) the rate of readout of the pulses from the scanner; and (3) the decimal place of the display unit.

Area meter

To synchronize the belt of a conveyor, a scanner, a fluorescent lamp, and an LED display unit of an area meter, the main AC power supply of the area meter drives the conveyor belt through a synchronous motor and supplies the same frequency of power to a phase locked loop. The phase locked loop provides synchronous pulses of higher frequencies to the scanning system, fluorescent lamp and LED display unit to maintain synchronism. The resolution of the measuring system is optimized when changes are made in the size of the area that is scanned by adjusting: (1) the lens of the scanner; (2) the rate of readout of the pulses from the scanner; and (3) the decimal place of the display unit. Travel from side to side of the belt is avoided by individually adjusting the ends of the pulleys until the belt runs true and an idler which lifts both bottom and top run of the belt when an object moves under it prevents slippage of the belt with respect to the rollers and the bite of the conveyor is adjustable.

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Lincoln, NE, United States of America

John H Wurm