Electronic tag configured to sense a plant environment

• US 20090231102A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/006 Labels or label holders specially adapted for plant receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system for tracking at least one plant includes an electronic tag including an interrogation interface and memory circuitry and a package for the electronic tag, the package being configured for physical association with at least one corresponding plant.

Claims

1. An electronic tag for measuring an environment of at least one plant, comprising:

an electronic tag including an interrogation interface, a microcontroller, and memory circuitry; and

a sensing circuit operatively coupled to the microcontroller and configured to sense a parameter corresponding to the environment of at least one plant.

2. The electronic tag of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is passive.

3. The electronic tag of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is disposed on an integrated circuit.

4. The electronic tag of claim 1, further comprising:

a package for the electronic tag, the package including at least one fluid receiving volume in operative communication with the sensing circuit.

5. The electronic tag of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one removable cover configure to provide separation of the at least one fluid receiving volume from the environment prior to removal of the at least one removable cover.

6. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume is further configured for operative communication with an environment at or in the vicinity of the at least one plant.

7. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume is substantially non-enclosed.

8. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein fluid access to the at least one fluid receiving volume is dependent upon surface tension forces.

9. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein fluid occupation of the at least one fluid receiving volume is dependent upon interaction of the fluid with at least one surface of the fluid receiving volume.

10. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume includes plural fluid receiving volumes.

22. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume is configured to receive at least one of gas or a vapor and configured to exclude a liquid.

23. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume is configured to receive at least one gas and configured to exclude a vapor.

24. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume is configured to receive at least one liquid and configured to exclude a substance dissolved in the liquid.

25. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume includes:

a first fluid receiving volume configured to receive a first fluid; and

a second fluid receiving volume configured to receive a second fluid including a first portion of the first fluid and excluding a second portion of the first fluid.

26. The electronic tag of claim 25, wherein the sensing circuit includes:

a first sensing circuit portion operatively coupled to the first fluid receiving volume and configured to measure a parameter of the first fluid; and

a second sensing circuit portion operatively coupled to the second fluid receiving volume and configured to measure the parameter of the second fluid.

29. The electronic tag of claim 4, further comprising:

a microporous membrane configured to permit passage of a gas into the at least one fluid receiving volume and exclude a vapor from the at least one fluid receiving volume.

30. The electronic tag of claim 4, further comprising:

a microporous membrane configured to permit passage of at least one of a gas or a vapor into the at least one fluid receiving volume and exclude a liquid from the at least one fluid receiving volume.

31. The electronic tag of claim 4, further comprising:

a microporous membrane configured to permit passage of at least one of a gas, a vapor, or a liquid into the at least one fluid receiving volume and exclude a dissolved substance from the at least one fluid receiving volume.

33. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume includes a fluid receiving volume configured to receive a liquid.

34. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume includes a liquid loaded prior to deployment of the electronic tag into the environment of the at least one plant.

35. The electronic tag of claim 34, wherein the fluid is selected to adsorb or dissolve an analyte from the environment and present the analyte to the sensing circuit.

36. The electronic tag of claim 34, wherein the fluid includes a hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon selected to attract and dissolve a solute from the environment of the at least one plant.

37. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the at least one fluid receiving volume includes a first fluid receiving volume configured to receive a first fluid and a second fluid receiving volume configured to receive a second fluid, the second fluid including the first fluid with a solute or suspension excluded.

38. The electronic tag of claim 4, wherein the sensing circuit includes at least one electrode array.

39. The electronic tag of claim 38, wherein the electrode array includes at least two gap sizes including a relatively large gap configured to conduct when a received fluid is relatively conductive and at least a second relatively small gap configured to conduct when the received fluid is relatively non-conductive.

40. The electronic tag of claim 38, further comprising:

a comparator circuit configured to sense when a gap between electrodes is conductive and when the gap is not conductive.

41. The electronic tag of claim 38, wherein the electrode array includes at least one test circuit configured to verify the operation of the electrode array.

53. The electronic tag of claim 1, further comprising a package for the electronic tag, the package including at least one thermal conductor in operative communication with the sensing circuit;

and wherein the sensing circuit includes a temperature sensor.

54. The electronic tag of claim 1, further comprising a package for the electronic tag, the package including at least one light conductor in operative communication with the sensing circuit;

and wherein the sensing circuit includes a light sensor.

55. The electronic tag of claim 54, wherein the at least one light conductor includes a filter configured to admit a selected wavelength portion of the light spectrum.

57. The electronic tag of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to generate a signal corresponding to the environmental parameter.

58. The electronic tag of claim 57, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to generate a signal proportional to a value of the environmental parameter.

61. The electronic tag of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is disposed on an integrated circuit;

and

wherein the sensing circuit is an integrated portion of the integrated circuit.

11-21. -21. (canceled)

27-28. -28. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

42-52. -52. (canceled)

59-60. -60. (canceled)

62. A method for measuring the environment of at least one plant, comprising:

in an electronic tag including an interrogation interface and a sensing circuit;

sensing at least one parameter corresponding to the environment of at least one plant; and

receiving an electronic tag interrogation signal through the interrogation interface.

63. The method of claim 62 further comprising:

responsive to the interrogation signal, transmitting data corresponding to the sensed at least one parameter.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the electronic tag further includes a memory circuit, and further comprising:

storing in the memory circuit data corresponding to the sensed at least one parameter.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the electronic tag further includes a microcontroller operatively coupled to the interrogation interface, the memory circuit, and the sensing circuit, and further comprising:

receiving an interrogation signal; and

responsive to the interrogation signal, storing in the memory circuit the data corresponding to the sensed at least one parameter without transmitting the first data corresponding to the sensed at least one parameter.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising:

receiving a second interrogation signal; and

responsive to the second interrogation signal;

sensing at least one second parameter corresponding to the environment of the at least one plant; and

storing in the memory circuit second data corresponding to the at least one second parameter corresponding to the environment of the at least one plant.

68. The method of claim 62, wherein the electronic tag is passive.

69. The method of claim 62, wherein the electronic tag is disposed on an integrated circuit.

70. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

removing a cover to allow communication between the environment of at least one plant and at least a portion of a sensing circuit.

72. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

receiving at least one first fluid from the environment of the at least one plant in at least one first fluid receiving volume;

and wherein the sensed parameter is sensed from the at least one first fluid in the at least one first fluid receiving volume.

73. The method of claim 72, further comprising:

receiving at least one second fluid from the environment of the at least one plant in at least one second fluid receiving volume; and

sensing a second parameter from the at least one second fluid in the at least one second fluid receiving volume.

74. The method of claim 73, further comprising:

calculating a third parameter corresponding to a combination of the first and second parameters.

75. The method of claim 73, further comprising:

excluding from the second fluid in the second fluid receiving volume a component of the first fluid.

82. The method of claim 62, wherein sensing at least one parameter includes using at least one sensor including a temperature sensor, a thermistor, a thermocouple, a bimetal spring, a biosensor, a microarray, an active region, a reactive monolayer;

an SPR sensor, a reduction-oxidation binding current sensor, a chemical sensor, an inertial sensor, a light sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, a thermal conductivity sensor, an electrical conductivity sensor, a moisture sensor, a carbon nanotubes sensor, an electromagnetic transmissivity sensor, a piezo-electric sensor, or an electrode array.

83. The method of claim 62, wherein sensing at least one parameter includes sensing using at least one electrode array.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein sensing at least one parameter includes selecting at least one gap size from an electrode array including at least two gap sizes;

and

sensing the conductivity of at least one fluid having a conductivity in a range corresponding to the selected at least one gap size.

85. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

operating at least one test circuit configured to verify the operation of the sensing circuit.

90. The method of claim 62, wherein sensing the at least one parameter includes sensing at least one of temperature and light.

91. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

drawing substantially all power to operate a sensor and interrogation interface from an interrogation electromagnetic field.

92. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

drawing at least a portion of power to operate a sensor and interrogation interface from a battery.

67. (canceled)

71. (canceled)

76-81. -81. (canceled)

86-89. -89. (canceled)

93. A method for monitoring the environment of at least one plant, comprising:

transmitting an electronic tag interrogation signal to an electronic tag including a sensing circuit operatively coupled to the environment of a plant; and

receiving data from the electronic tag corresponding to at least one sensed environmental parameter.

94. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

transmitting an interrogation command to delete an old value in the memory of the electronic tag; and

transmitting an interrogation command to write to the memory a new value from the sensing circuit.

95. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

transmitting an interrogation command to authorize the overwriting of an existing data value in the memory of the electronic tag.

96. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

transmitting an interrogation command to use the sensing circuit to sense the environmental parameter associated with the at least one plant.

97. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

transmitting an interrogation command to write a data value corresponding to the sensed environmental parameter to a memory of the electronic tag.

98. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

determining at least one treatment schedule for the at least one plant as a function of the received data from the electronic tag.

99. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

transmitting electronic tag interrogation signals to a plurality of electronic tags operatively coupled to the environments of a corresponding plurality of at least one plants;

receiving a substantially corresponding plurality of data from the plurality of electronic tags corresponding to the at least one plant environments;

analyzing the plurality of data; and

determining a substantially uniform schedule for a particular treatment as a function of the plurality of data.

102. The method of claim 93, wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes two environmental parameters;

and further comprising;

calculating a combination environmental parameter from the two environmental parameters.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein the combination environmental parameter includes a concentration of a dissolved substance in a fluid at or near the environment of the at least one plant.

105. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

determining from the received data at least one treatment schedule including planting, cutting, harvesting, grafting, staking, pruning, transplanting, repotting, temperature control, root temperature control, light intensity, light duration, light schedule, pH control, humidification, dehumidification, watering, watering volume, watering duration, watering schedule, fertilizing, fertilizer type, pesticide application, pesticide type, pesticide amount, herbicide application, herbicide type, herbicide amount, fungicide application, fungicide type, or fungicide amount.

100-101. -101. (canceled)

104. (canceled)

106. A system for sensing growth conditions of at least one plant, comprising:

a plurality of deployable radio frequency tags, at least a portion of the plurality of deployable radio frequency tags configured to sense the environment of at least one plant;

at least one interrogator configured to interrogate the plurality of deployable radio frequency tags;

a computing resource coupled to receive a signal from the at least one interrogator and operable to support execution of a computer program configured to;

interrogate at least one of the plurality of deployable radio frequency tags to receive at least one parameter value, the parameter value corresponding to the sensed environment of the at least one plant;

determine at least one treatment schedule for the at least one plant.

107. The system of claim 106, wherein the environment sensed by the plurality of deployable radio frequency tags includes a second plurality of at least one plants.

108. The system of claim 106, wherein the deployable radio frequency tags include at least one selected from the group consisting of a passive radio frequency tag, an active radio frequency tag, a backscatter radio frequency tag, a half-duplex radio frequency tag, and a full-duplex radio frequency tag.

109. The system of claim 106, wherein at least one interrogator includes at least a plurality of antennas configured to interrogate the plurality of radio frequency tags in a plant care volume greater than the interrogation range of a single antenna.

110. The system of claim 106, wherein the computing resource is further configured to drive the at least one interrogator to write at least one treatment schedule to at least one of the plurality of deployable radio frequency tags.

111. The system of claim 106, wherein the computing resource and the interrogator are included in an integrated apparatus.

112. The system of claim 106, wherein the computing resource includes a remote resource accessed via a computer network.

113-119. -119. (canceled)