On-the-go optical spectroscopy soil analyzer

Claim 2

An on-the-go probe for determining the presence of materials in a soil comprising: a soil implement for pulling through the soil, said soil implement having a chamber therein; means on said soil implement for creating a temperature differential between a layer of soil proximate said soil implement and a layer of soil remote from the soil implement by raising the temperature sufficiently high to generate a measurable thermal radiation change in a thin layer of soil proximate the soil implement; a window located in said soil implement for transmission of the measurable thermal radiation change to a receiving instrument in the soil implement; and further means for moving the soil implement sufficiently fast with respect to the thin layer of soil to enable measuring the radiation characteristics of the thin layer of soil before the thin layer of soil thickens sufficiently to substantially change its emission characteristics.

Claim 3

The on-the-go probe of claim 1 wherein said on-the-go probe includes an apparatus Ibr directing chemicals on to the soil in response to a measurement of materials in the soil.

Claim 4

The on-the-go probe of claim 1 wherein said on-the-go probe includes a heating element for heating the soil proximate the soil implement.

Claim 5

The on-the-go probe of claim 3 wherein the heating element comprises a ribbon heating element.

Claim 6

The on-the-go probe of claim 1 including a hydraulic cylinder for controlling the depth of the soil implement in the soil.

Claim 7

The on-the-go probe of claim 1 including a tank for holding a herbicide and means for spraying the herbicide on the ground in response to a measurement of contaminants in the soil.

Claim 8

The on-the-go probe of claim 1 including a tank for holding fertilizer and means liar spraying the fertilizer on the ground in response to a measurement of fertilizer deficiencies in the soil.

Claim 9

The on-the-go probe of claim 2 including a computer for comparing a measured signal from the on-the-go probe to a reference in the computer to determine a correctable amount of chemical to be applied to the soil in accordance with the measurements.

Claim 10

The on-the-go probe of claim 8 wherein the computer controls valves for increasing and decreasing the amount of chemical to be applied to the soil in accordance with a signal generated by the computer.

Claim 11

The on-the-go probe of claim 9 wherein the probe is directed vertically into the ground and the means on said soil implement pulses infrared radiation into the soil.

Claim 14

An on-the-go probe for determining the presence of chemical residues in a soil comprising: a soil implement located proximate a surface of the soil for displacement relative to the soil, said soil implement having a chamber therein; a radiation source on said soil implement for creating a measurable temperature differential between a surface layer of soil proximate said soil implement and a layer of soil remote from the soil implement to generate a temporary and reversible measurable thermal radiation change in a thin layer of soil proximate the soil implement; a window located in said soil implement for transmission of an emission spectra from the thin layer of soil proximate the probe to a receiving instrument in the soil implement; and a member for moving the soil implement sufficiently fast with respect to the thin layer of soil to enable measuring the radiation characteristics of the thin layer of soil before the thin layer of soil thickens sufficiently to substantially change its emission characteristics.

Claim 15

An on-the-go probe for determining the presence of chemical residues in a soil comprising: a soil implement located proximate a surface of the soil for displacement relative to the soil, said soil implement having a chamber therein; a radiation source on said soil implement for creating a measurable temperature differential between a surface layer of soil proximate said soil implement and a layer of soil remote from the soil implement to generate a temporary and reversible measurable thermal radiation change in a thin layer of soil proximate the soil implement; a window located in said soil implement for transmission of an emission spectra from the thin layer of soil proximate the probe to a receiving instrument in the soil implement; and a member for moving the soil implement sufficiently fast with respect to the thin layer of soil to enable measuring the radiation characteristics of the thin layer of soil before the thin layer of soil thickens sufficiently to substantially change its emission characteristics.

Claim 16

An on-the-go probe for determining the presence of chemical residues in a soil comprising: a soil implement for displacement relative to the soil, said soil implement having a chamber therein; a radiation source on said soil implement for creating a measurable temperature differential between a layer of soil proximate said soil implement and a layer of soil remote from the soil implement to generate a measurable thermal radiation change in a thin layer of soil proximate the soil implement; a window located in said soil implement for transmission of an emission spectra from the thin layer of soil proximate the probe to a receiving instrument in the soil implement; and a member for moving the soil implement sufficiently fast with respect to the thin layer of soil to enable measuring the radiation characteristics of the thin layer of soil before the thin layer of soil thickens sufficiently to substantially change its emission characteristics; and a spectrometer for measuring the radiation characteristics for determining the chemical residue in the soil and a computer for comparing the measured signal to a reference signal and means for applying corrective chemicals to the soil in accordance with the determined chemical residue measurements.

Claim 17

An on-the-go probe for determining the presence of chemical residues in a soil comprising: a soil implement for displacement relative to the soil, said soil implement having a chamber therein; a radiation source on said soil implement for creating a measurable temperature differential between a layer of soil proximate said soil implement and a layer of soil remote from the soil implement to generate a measurable thermal radiation change in a thin layer of soil proximate the soil implement; a window located in said soil implement for transmission of an emission spectra from the thin layer of soil proximate the probe to a receiving instrument in the soil implement; and a member for moving the soil implement sufficiently fast with respect to the thin layer of soil to enable measuring the radiation characteristics of the thin layer of soil before the thin layer of soil thickens sufficiently to substantially change its emission characteristics; and a spectrometer for measuring the radiation characteristics for determining the chemical residue in the soil and a computer for comparing the measured signal to a reference signal and means for applying corrective chemicals to the soil in accordance with the determined chemical residue measurements.