Wireless Sensor Probe

• US 20090007706A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dale K. Hitt, Kurtis G. Heaton
• Original Assignee: Dale K. Hitt, Kurtis G. Heaton
• Inventors: Hitt, Dale K., Heaton, Kurtis G.
• Application Number:
  US12/186,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20090007706A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/866
• 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 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless sensor probe for use in environmental monitoring and control includes a separable probe body and sensor mast. The probe body includes a void configured to house the sensor mast including one or more sensor devices for sensing a soil property surrounding the probe body when the probe body is inserted partially into the ground. The probe body includes a probe top part for encapsulating the probe body and the sensor mast. The sensor mast is inserted into the probe body to form the sensor probe. In another embodiment, a wireless sensor probe includes a housing containing one or more sensor devices. The probe further includes a collar situated near a top portion of the housing being used to anchor the housing to the top of the ground and a gasket formed on the outside perimeter of the housing for securing the housing in the ground.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring conditions of an area of soil comprising:

a first wireless node comprising;

a first node body configured for being at least partially disposed within the ground;

a first microprocessor disposed within said first node body;

a first transceiver in communication with said first microprocessor and a first antenna; and

,

a first soil sensor in communication with said first microprocessor;

a second wireless node comprising;

a second node body;

a second microprocessor disposed within said second node body; and

,

a second transceiver in communication with said second microprocessor and a second antenna;

a gateway node having a third transceiver and being connected to a network;

wherein said second wireless node is configured to relay messages to and from said first wireless node; and

,

wherein at least some of said messages includes soil data from said first soil sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said second wireless node is a repeater node configured to relay said messages between said first wireless node and said gateway node.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said second wireless node further comprises a second sensor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said first soil sensor is selected from a group comprising:

an air temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, a light level sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a soil temperature sensor, a soil dissolved oxygen sensor, a soil pH sensor, a soil conductivity sensor, and a soil dielectric frequency response sensor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said first soil sensor further comprises a plurality of soil moisture sensors.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first soil sensor is further configured to sense soil moisture at a plurality of depths.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is a multi-hop wireless communication system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said network is a local area network or the internet.

9. A monitoring system for measuring conditions of an area of soil comprising:

a plurality of wireless soil sensors, each comprising;

a body;

a microprocessor disposed in said body;

a transceiver in communication with said microprocessor;

an antenna in communication with said transceiver; and

a plurality of sensors in communication with said microprocessor, said sensors measuring a condition of said area of soil;

a gateway configured to receive and transmit wireless messages and further configured to communicate with a computer; and

a repeater configured to receive and retransmit wireless messages from said plurality of wireless soil sensors;

wherein said monitoring system is further configured to communicate a message containing soil data from at least one of said plurality of sensors to said computer via said repeater and said gateway.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9, wherein at least said repeater is further configured to determine a best route to send said message to an intended destination.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of sensors include soil moisture sensors.

12. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of sensors are positioned along said body to measure a first soil depth and a second soil depth.

13. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of moisture sensors are soil moisture sensors.

14. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein each of said wireless moisture soil sensors monitor a battery power level.

15. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein said soil data is filtered prior to its transmission.

16. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein said soil data is processed prior to its transmission.

17. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein said soil data is compressed prior to its transmission.

18. The monitoring system of claim 11, wherein said soil data is aggregated in said soil moisture sensor prior to communicating said message.

19. The monitoring system of claim 9, wherein each said wireless soil sensors can repeat wireless transmissions from other wireless soil sensors.

20. The monitoring system of claim 9, wherein said soil data from said wireless soil sensors is associated with an irrigation zone of an irrigation system.

21. A system for measuring conditions in an area of soil comprising:

a plurality of wireless soil moisture sensor, each comprising;

a sensor body;

a microprocessor within said sensor body;

a transceiver in communication with said microprocessor and coupled to an antenna;

a plurality of sensors disposed in a row along an exterior surface of said body;

a gateway configured to receive and transmit wireless messages and further configured to communicate with a local area network or the internet; and

a repeater configured to receive and relay wireless messages from said plurality of wireless soil moisture sensors;

wherein each of said wireless moisture sensors collect data of soil conditions from said plurality of sensors along a length of soil.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said plurality of sensors collect soil moisture data from at least two depths.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said data of soil conditions is used to modify an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein each of said wireless moisture sensors is configured to receive and relay wireless messages from said plurality of wireless soil moisture sensors.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein each of said wireless moisture sensors is configured to measure a radio frequency power from another of said wireless moisture sensors.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said moisture sensor further comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein said microprocessor and said transceiver are disposed in close proximity to each other.