APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING VOLUMETRIC MOISTURE CONTENT AND CONTROLLING AN IRRIGATOR
First Claim
1. An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil, the apparatus comprising:
- a microwave signal generator arranged to generate a first microwave signal;
a detector;
a probe comprising an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and
a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of said detector, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal, the second end of said probe carrying the third microwave signal connected to an input of said detector;
said detector arranged to square each of said third microwave signal and said microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and
a control circuitry coupled to the output of said detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to said phase difference signal.
17 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil responsive to a first a first microwave signal, constituted of: a detector; a probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the first microwave signal to the first end of the probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of the detector; the detector arranged to square each of the microwave signal exiting the probe and the microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared probe output microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and a control circuitry coupled to the output of the detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to the phase difference signal.
7 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil, the apparatus comprising:
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a microwave signal generator arranged to generate a first microwave signal; a detector; a probe comprising an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of said detector, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal, the second end of said probe carrying the third microwave signal connected to an input of said detector; said detector arranged to square each of said third microwave signal and said microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and a control circuitry coupled to the output of said detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to said phase difference signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of assessing at least one property of a target soil, the method comprising:
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providing a probe constituted of an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; generating a first microwave signal; coupling a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said provided probe, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal; coupling a second portion of the generated microwave first signal as a reference microwave signal; squaring each of the third microwave signal and the reference microwave signal; determining a phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared reference microwave signal; and outputting an irrigation control signal responsive to said determined phase difference. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification