Moisture status measuring device that measures moisture status in soil, moisture status measuring method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program

• US 10,107,738 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Tomida, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzgerald, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frank, Rodney T
• Application Number:
  US13/973,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20140060164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 73 73
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/10 Measuring moisture content, e.g. by measuring change in length of hygroscopic filament; Hygrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/26 Oils; viscous liquids; paints; inks G01N33/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A moisture status measuring device includes a moisture amount sensor that acquires an output value according to an amount of moisture contained in soil, a drainage sensor that detects water discharge from the soil, and a moisture status deriver that derives moisture status information expressing a moisture status of the soil based on the output value acquired by the moisture amount sensor and detection of the water discharge by the drainage sensor. Every time when the drainage sensor detects the water discharge, the moisture status deriver acquires the output value at a time when the drainage sensor detects the water discharge. The moisture status deriver derives moisture status information expressing the moisture status of the soil at an arbitrary time based on the output value acquired at the time when the drainage sensor detects the water discharge and the output value at the arbitrary time.

Claims

1. A moisture status measuring device comprising:

a moisture amount sensor that acquires an output value according to an amount of moisture contained in soil;

a drainage sensor that detects water discharge from the soil; and

a moisture status deriver that derives moisture status information expressing a moisture status of the soil based on the output value acquired by the moisture amount sensor and the detection of the water discharge by the drainage sensor;

wherein the moisture status deriver derives the moisture status information according to the following formula;

2. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plant type-specific threshold value table that stores, for each type of plant, a type-specific threshold value at which each type of plant will grow;

a selector that selects a plant that will grow in the soil; and

a report controller that specifies the type-specific threshold value corresponding to a type of the plant selected by the selector from the plant type-specific threshold value table, and causes a reporter to report that watering of the soil should be performed or that watering of the soil is not allowed based on a moisture status value expressed by the moisture status information and the specified type-specific threshold value.

3. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the report controller controls the reporter to report that the moisture status of the soil is full when the drainage sensor detects the water discharge.

4. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the report controller controls the reporter to report that the watering of the soil is not allowed when the moisture status value expressed by the moisture status information is equal to or greater than the specified type-specific threshold value.

5. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the report controller controls the reporter to report that the watering of the soil should be performed when the moisture status value expressed by the moisture status information is less than the specified type-specific threshold value.

6. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the plant type-specific threshold value table stores the type-specific threshold value expressing an appropriate moisture status of the soil that grows the plant for each type of the plant.

7. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage that stores the type-specific threshold value table;

wherein the report controller specifies the type-specific threshold value corresponding to the type of the plant selected by the selector from the plant type-specific threshold value table stored in the storage.

8. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a transmitter that transmits the moisture status information derived by the moisture status deriver to outside;

wherein the report controller controls the transmitter to transmit the moisture status information to a communication terminal device.

9. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 8, wherein the report controller controls a communication terminal side reporter of the communication terminal device to report the moisture status information to a user.

10. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the communication terminal side reporter is a communication terminal side display that displays an image, a communication terminal side sound output device that outputs a sound, or a communication terminal side light emitter that emits light.

11. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the reporter is a display that displays an image, and

wherein the report controller reports the moisture status information to a user by controlling the display to display the moisture status information as the image.

12. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the reporter is a sound output device that outputs a sound, and

wherein the report controller reports the moisture status information to a user by controlling the sound output device to output the moisture status information as the sound.

13. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the reporter is a light emitter that emits light, and

wherein the report controller reports the moisture status information to a user by controlling an on/off, a luminous color, or an emission intensity of the light emitter, and emitting the light.

14. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the moisture amount sensor acquires the output value according to the amount of moisture contained in the soil housed in a container having a drain hole, and

wherein the drainage sensor detects water discharged from the drain hole.

15. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 14, wherein the moisture amount sensor has an electrode to be inserted into the soil, and detects a voltage value according to the moisture amount contained in the soil as the output value, and

wherein the drainage sensor is disposed on a pan that receives the water discharge discharged from the drain hole, and detects the water discharged from the soil to the pan.

16. The moisture status measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the moisture status information is indicated as a degree of moisture, taking 0 to be a state in which the soil is dry, and 100 to be a state of the soil at the time when the drainage sensor detects the water discharge.

17. A moisture status measurement method comprising:

acquiring an output value according to an amount of moisture contained in soil;

detecting water discharge from the soil; and

deriving moisture status information expressing a moisture status of the soil based on the acquired output value and the detection of the water discharge;

wherein the moisture status information is derived according to the following formula;

18. The moisture status measurement method according to claim 17, the moisture status measurement method using a plant type-specific threshold value table that stores, for each type of plant, a type-specific threshold value of the plant, and the moisture status measurement method further comprising:

selecting a plant that will grow in the soil;

specifying the type-specific threshold value corresponding to a type of the selected plant from the plant type-specific threshold value table, and performing control to report that watering of the soil should be performed or that watering of the soil is not allowed based on a moisture status value expressed by the moisture status information and the specified type-specific threshold value.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program, the program being executable by a computer of a moisture status measurement device including a moisture amount sensor and a drainage sensor, to control the moisture status measurement device to perform functions comprising:

acquiring an output value according to an amount of moisture contained in soil, by the moisture amount sensor;

detecting water discharge from the soil, by the drainage sensor; and

deriving moisture status information expressing a moisture status of the soil based on the acquired output value and the detection of the water discharge;

wherein the moisture status information is derived according to the following formula;

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, the moisture status measurement device using a plant type-specific threshold value table that stores, for each type of plant, a type-specific threshold value of the plant, and the functions further comprising:

selecting a plant that will grow in the soil;

specifying the type-specific threshold value corresponding to a type of the selected plant from the plant type-specific threshold value table, and performing control to report that watering of the soil should be performed or that watering of the soil is not allowed based on a moisture status value expressed by the moisture status information and the specified type-specific threshold value.