Global Neighbor Incorporated

Spectra Precision, Inc.

Mh Gopower Company Limited

Jonathan A Jackson

Patrick A Jackson

Mark J Elting

Norman Novotney

Remigio Perales

Christopher Hoffman

Joseph Carroll

Robert M Perchak

Kordon E Krofft

Terry L Zahuranec

Francisco Roberto Green

Edward E Hart

John P Dugan

Cheng-liang Wu

Mei-huan Yang

Christopher Kirk Carter

Chiun-Yen Tung

Richard D'Alessandro

Tymothy Jay Henry

Ping-Pang Lee

Ying-Jie Peng

Chin-Wei Hsu

Michael J Creager

Austin Erdman

A hybrid twin process uses an independent mechanical destructive process and an illumination process to change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability by illuminating a seed with at least one of 2 J/cmcumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cmirradiance, but no more than 7 W/cmaverage irradiance, of at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, preferably 2-8 microns. The process can be incorporated into a harvester combine to convert a tailings flow prior to discharge on an agricultural field. For the mechanical destructive process, high required applied energy, noise, wear, and difficulty treating impact-resistant seeds are avoided by modifying a driven load flow via increased capability of exposure to illumination and underdriving the mechanical destructive process. This can include randomization, rarefaction and enhanced circulation.

Hybrid complementary mechanical and unnatural illumination twin process for reduced seed germination viability

Rapid pulse programming of a seed, to obtain improved germination probability, and increased root mass, and crop yield, by illuminating the seed with radiation of a wavelength distribution from 300 nm to 20 microns, with a minimum average irradiance of 0.2 Watts/cmand a maximum average irradiance of 7 Watts/cm, and having a narrow specific range of cumulative illumination energy from ½ Joules/cmto 3 Joules/cm2 or a higher transition point cumulative illumination energy, so as to specifically engage an irradiance-sensitive and energy-sensitive hidden stimulative exposure response in the seed and so as to avoid illumination of higher cumulative illumination energy that would cause a different and destructive exposure response in the seed. Preferred wavelengths include one or both of Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation and an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), which may be applied to an illuminated agricultural planter.

Rapid pulse programming of seeds using unnatural light exposure

A change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability in under one minute by illuminating a seed with at least one of 2 J/cmcumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cmirradiance, but no more than 7 W/cmaverage irradiance, of at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, preferably 2-8 microns. The MWIR radiation from heated borosilicate glass or glass powder at just under 500 C offered a peak MWIR emission of 3.75 microns was unexpectedly effective, and can be used in a radiant and transmissive weed seed accumulator transport belt. The process can be incorporated into a harvester combine to convert a tailings flow prior to discharge on an agricultural field. An illuminated harvest combine using an illuminator according to the invention allows reduction of the weed seed bank.

Fast change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability using low energy unnatural indigo region and medium wavelength infrared illumination

Plant eradication and stressing of plants using illumination signaling where a short-time dual component, low energy, unnatural set of irradiances is applied, with no mutagenic or high radiative energy transfers in any wavelength for eradication by substantial high temperature thermally-induced leaf and plant component failure or incineration. An Indigo Region Illumination Distribution of wavelength 300 nm to 550 nm is directed to plant foliage and/or a plant root crown, while infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared radiation of 2-20 microns wavelength, 2.4-8.0 microns preferred, is directed to a plant root crown and/or soil immediately adjacent the root crown. The Indigo Region Illumination Distribution can pass through the MWIR emitter to form a compact illuminator that uses specific unnatural irradiances that provide unexpected plant control. The MWIR emitter can comprise borosilicate glass at 400&#xb0; F. to 1000&#xb0; F.

Fast plant eradication using aimed unnatural low energy dual component indigo region and medium wavelength infrared signaling illumination

Plant eradication and stressing of plants using illumination signaling where a short-time dual component, low energy, unnatural set of irradiances is applied, with no mutagenic or high radiative energy transfers in any wavelength for eradication by substantial high temperature thermally-induced leaf and plant component failure or incineration. An Indigo Region Illumination Distribution of wavelength 300 nm to 550 nm is directed to plant foliage and/or a plant root crown, while infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared radiation of 2-20 microns wavelength, 2.4-8.0 microns preferred, is directed to a plant root crown and/or soil immediately adjacent the root crown. The Indigo Region Illumination Distribution can pass through the MWIR emitter to form a compact illuminator. The MWIR emitter can comprise borosilicate glass at 400&#xb0; F. to 1000&#xb0; F.

Fast plant eradication using aimed unnatural low energy dual component indigo region and medium wavelength

A field image is formed using a tristimulus color model and used to detect target plants or entities on a field. Through the use of a luminance parameter floor, hue and saturation selection steps, feature recognition, a sizing floor and an aspect ratio ceiling, a very fast way is devised to recognize a target plant without need for consulting plant attribute databases, or to analyze spectral or other specialized data for comparison with known attributes. This allows a low calculational processing load and use of simple hardware such as a single board computer to handle machine vision in real time. Treatment steps can include a spray event, a light treatment, and a thermal/mechanical trauma.

Selective plant detection and treatment using green luminance photometric machine vision scan with real time chromaticity operations and image parameter floors for low processing load

Extremely fast dynamic control is allowed for hybrid PV/T (photovoltaic/thermal) distributed power production using concentrated solar power by manipulating the transmissive or reflective state of a capture element or mirror or lens that can pass highly concentrated solar light from one energy conversion device to another, such as a thermal collector and a photovoltaic receiver, such as a vertical multijunction cell array. This allows superior quality electrical backfeed into an electric utility, enhanced plant electrical production revenue, and responsiveness to a multitude of conditions to meet new stringent engineering requirements for distributed power plants. The mirror or lens can be physically articulated using fast changing of a spatial variable, or can be a fixed smart material that changes state. A mechanical jitter or variable state jitter can be applied to the capture element, including at utility electric grid line frequency.

Utility-friendly hybrid energy conversion system for apportioning concentrated solar radiation in real time upon selective demand between a plurality of solar energy conversion devices, including a photovoltaic receiver

Non soil-invasive four-parameter rapid unnatural dual component selective illumination protocol (UDCIP) for plant eradication using a process time under one minute. Application of a relatively low level of non-mutating UV-A optical energy to root crowns and/or soil grades allows below-ground UV-A penetration into soil to illuminate root crowns, and when preceded by or coincident with an above ground near-IR defoliation and root crown illumination step, results in an unexpected rise in lethality. Very high lethality, including 100 percent, is obtained using low deposited energy. UV-A optical energy can be delivered to root crowns and adjacent soil via a UV-transmissive knive blade.

Plant eradication using non-mutating low energy rapid unnatural dual component illumination protocol (RUDCIP) in four parameters

Plant eradication using by inflicting upon a plant root (R) unnatural hot wound mechanical and thermal trauma delivered from a hot stab knife (V) which produces a stab gash (K) sufficiently deep to traverse plant cortex (C) and penetrate to plant xylem (X), simultaneous with or followed by heating the damaged area to a temperature of higher than 70 C, preferably 200 C for a sufficient time to cause cellular damage to the plant root. The root and hot stab knife may be shrouded to increase the temperature adjacent the stab gash. Preferably, the stab knife is formed to be sufficiently acuate and flat so as to allow a surface/volume ratio for the stab knife to be at least twice that of a cone of similar size and extent. Unhealable damage results, believed to caused by role conversion of organisms in the rhizosphere from sybiosis to antagonism.

Plant eradication using unnatural mechanical and thermal trauma

Plant eradication using by inflicting upon a plant root (R) unnatural hot wound mechanical and thermal trauma delivered from a hot stab knife (V) which produces a stab gash (K) sufficiently deep to traverse plant cortex (C) and penetrate to plant xylem (X), simultaneous with or followed by heating the damaged area to a temperature of higher than 70 C, preferably 200 C for a sufficient time to cause cellular damage to the plant root. The root and hot stab knife may be shrouded to increase the temperature adjacent the stab gash. Preferably, the stab knife is formed to be sufficiently acuate and flat so as to allow a surface/volume ratio for the stab knife to be at least twice that of a cone of similar size and extent. Unhealable damage results, believed to caused by role conversion of organisms in the rhizosphere from symbiosis to antagonism.

Controlled gap thin blade shear process to cut grass using a low energy sickle mower. A thin dull blade moves without interference across a stator. Blades and stators are not biased or pressed together while cutting, but rather the cutting blade is guidingly supported by upper and lower stators formed and positioned to maintain forceably a total controlled gap (Z) therebetween of preferably 1-5 mils. The cutting blade is thin (10-50 mils). Tensile failure of grass is avoided. Torque management system performs motor load monitoring and modulation of blade position. To reject obstructions and clean the blade, the blade can reverse, jitter, or reciprocate. Instead of attempting to slice or slam through obstructions using a high torque prime mover, a low energy low torque prime mover is utilized with intelligent reversing, obstruction clearing, and blade cleaning that saves energy, reduces noise, rejects obstructions, and prevents blade damage or operator injury.

Low energy sickle mower system using controlled gap thin blade shear process and torque management

Low energy non-interference unbiased shear process employing a thin dull blade laterally moving between upper and lower stators. Blades and stators are not biased or pressed together while cutting, as is done with a pair of scissors. Instead, the dull cutting blade is guidingly supported by said upper and lower stators, and the upper and lower stators are sized and formed such that a thickness of a cutting zone (M) formed therebetween exceeds the thickness of a blade zone (VZ) formed by the dull cutting blade, by a total controlled gap (Z) of preferably between 1 and 5 mils (0.0254-0.127 mm). The cutting blade is preferably thin in relation to grass cross section, preferably 10 to 50 mils (0.254 mm-1.27 mm). This arrangement provides two true shearing sites for grass at upper and lower leading edges of the blade. Adequate blade swipe frequency is provided, with gentle C-shape blade profiles yielding self-cleaning blades with lower running friction. Tensile failure of the grass is avoided. A torque management system performs motor load monitoring and modulation of blade position. To reject obstructions and clean the blade, the blade can be made to reverse direction, jitter, or reciprocate. Instead of attempting to slice or slam through obstructions using a high energy, high torque prime mover, a low energy low torque prime mover is utilized in conjunction with an intelligent reversing, obstruction clearing, and blade cleaning system that saves energy, reduces noise, frees and rejects obstructions, avoids high power surges and prevents blade damage or operator injury.

Low energy sickle mower and system using controlled gap thin blade shear process and torque management

A laser receiver is provided that is capable of providing an accurate indication of laser receiver tilt and correcting a generated elevation signal based upon the indicated laser receiver tilt. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a laser receiver is provided comprising a laser beam detection unit, an inclination detection unit, and suitable laser receiver control circuitry. The laser beam detection unit is arranged to enable production of an elevation signal indicative of an elevation of a laser beam relative to the laser receiver. The inclination detection unit comprises a reference light source, an optical fiber, and an optical detector. The optical fiber defines a light input end and a light output end and is coupled to the reference light source such that light from the reference light source enters at the light input end and exits from the light output end as an output beam of light. The optical detector is arranged to receive the output beam of light. The inclination detection unit is arranged to permit the output end of the optical fiber to move relative to the optical detector as the primary receiver axis tilts relative to a vertical reference axis. The optical detector is arranged to produce an optical detection signal indicative of a position of the output beam on the optical detector. The laser receiver control circuitry is arranged to generate a receiver tilt signal from the optical detection signal. The receiver tilt signal is indicative of a degree to which the primary receiver axis is tilted relative to the vertical reference axis. The laser receiver control circuitry is also arranged to correct the elevation signal as a function of the receiver tilt signal.

Laser receiver with out-of-plumb indication and compensation

A laser transmitter and a method of transmitting a reference laser beam are provided comprising an auto scan dither mode. According to one aspect of the present invention, a laser transmitter is provided comprising a laser detection module, an optical system, and a controller. The laser detection module is operative to produce a reflected laser beam signal. The optical system is arranged to generate a reference laser beam selectively in one of a search mode and a target dither mode and to direct a reflected laser beam to the laser detection module. The optical system defines a rotational axis and the reference beam projects radially from the rotational axis. The search mode is characterized by movement of the reference beam through a rotational arc defined about the rotational axis and the target dither mode is characterized by movement of the reference beam through a dither zone occupying a portion of the rotational arc. The controller is programmed to produce selectively one of a target-sighted signal and a target-missing signal and produce a rotary position signal indicative of the position of the reference beam relative to the rotational arc. The controller is also programmed to identify a target position based upon the reflected laser beam signal and the rotary position signal and establish the dither zone about the target position. The dither zone is characterized by a dither range and the dither range is changed gradually in response to the target-sighted signal. The dither range is maintained substantially constant in response to the target-missing signal.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

Jonathan A Jackson