IN-GROUND SENSOR SYSTEMS WITH MODULAR SENSORS AND WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY COMPONENTS

• US 20200132658A1
• Filed: 10/22/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Climate Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Climate Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Koch, Justin, Malone, Michael H., Baurer, Phil David, Gupta, Nalini, Stimpson, Calden Nathaniel Carroll, Wenzel, Andreas Markus, Kusiek, Jordan, Gall, Michael, Kohne, Jeffrey Lawrence, Borrowman, Eric L.
• Granted Patent: US 11,346,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 76/00 Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 77/00 Machines for lifting and treating soil biocides, pest repellants or attractants, plant growth regulators A01N25/00 - A01N65/00; fertilisers C05; soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/007 Determining fertilization requirements
• 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 2033/245 for agricultural purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/246 for water content for control of watering A01G25/167
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

In an embodiment, an integrated sensor system with modular sensors and wireless connectivity components for monitoring properties of field soil is described. In an embodiment, an integrated sensor system comprises one or more sensors that are configured to determine one or more measures of at least one property of soil. The integrated sensor system also includes one or more processing units that are configured to receive, from the sensors, the measures of at least one property of soil and calculate soil property data based on the measures. The system further includes a transmitter that is configured to receive the soil property data from the processing units, establish a communications connection with at least one computer device, and automatically transmit the soil property data to the at least one computer device via the communications connection. In an embodiment, the communications connection is a wireless connection established between the transmitter and a smart hub or a LoRA-enabled device. In an embodiment, the computer sensors, the processors, and the transmitter are installed inside a portable probe.

Claims

1. An integrated sensor system comprising:

one or more sensors that are configured to determine one or more measures of at least one property of soil;

one or more processing units that are configured to receive, from the one or more sensors, the one or more measures of at least one property of soil, and calculate soil property data based on the one or more measures of at least one property of soil;

a transmitter that is configured to receive the soil property data from the one or more processing units, establish a communications connection with at least one computer device, and automatically transmit, via the communications connection, the soil property data to the at least one computer device configured on at least one agricultural machine.

2. The integrated sensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer device uses the soil property data to control the at least one agricultural machine as the at least one agricultural machine performs agricultural tasks in an agricultural field;

wherein the transmitter is configured to establish a wireless communications connection with the at least one computer device;

wherein the wireless communications connection is configured to communicate data in compliance with any type of wireless communications protocol including a Bluetooth communications protocol.

3. The integrated sensor system of claim 1, further comprising:

a probe configured to provide a housing for the one or more sensors, the one or more processing units, and the transmitter;

a power supply source configured to supply power to components of the integrated sensor system;

wherein the power supply source includes one or more of;

a battery, or a solar panel.

one or more imaging sensors;

one or more anemometers;

one or more rainfall sensors.

4. The integrated sensor system of claim 1, wherein the soil property data comprises information about one or more time-sensitive soil properties;

wherein the soil property data is transmitted to a storage device and used to generate a database repository of information about soil;

wherein the soil property data is transmitted to a computer system to generate one or more agricultural prescriptions for a field;

wherein the one or more agricultural prescriptions are provided to one or more user devices configured to control agricultural equipment.

5. The integrated sensor system of claim 1, wherein the soil property data is transmitted to a cloud-based storage system for storage;

wherein the soil property data transmitted to the cloud-based storage system is associated with one or more of;

date information indicating a date on which the one or more measures of at least one property of soil were determined, a location, one or more universal unique identifiers (“

UUIDs”

), or weather information.

6. The integrated sensor system of claim 1, wherein the soil property data includes one or more of:

a phosphorus concentration level, a nitrate concentration level, a potassium concentration level, a moisture level, a rainfall level, a pH level, or a chlorine level.

7. The integrated sensor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more:

a capacitive moisture sensor, a time-domain reflectometry moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, or a nitrate sensor.

8. The integrated sensor system of claim 3, wherein the probe is installed in a cavity created in soil;

wherein the probe is powered up once the power supply source is provided;

wherein the probe is initiated once a probing depth is set.

9. The integrated sensor system of claim 3, wherein the probe is a handheld device.

10. The integrated sensor system of claim 3, wherein the probe is an in-ground blade.

11. A computer-implemented method for monitoring properties of field soil using an integrated sensor system, the method comprising:

determining, using one or more sensors of an integrated sensor system, one or more measures of at least one property of soil;

receiving, by one or more processing units of the integrated sensor system, the one or more measures of at least one property of soil from the one or more sensors;

calculate, by the one or more processing units, soil property data based on the one or more measures of at least one property of soil;

receiving, by a transmitter of the integrated sensor system, the soil property data from the one or more processing units;

establishing, by the transmitter, a communications connection with at least one computer device;

automatically transmitting, by the transmitter, the soil property data via the communications connection to the at least one computer device configured on at least one agricultural machine.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11,

wherein the at least one computer device uses the soil property data to control the at least one agricultural machine as the at least one agricultural machine performs agricultural tasks in an agricultural field;

wherein the transmitter is configured to establish a wireless communications connection with the at least one computer device;

wherein the wireless communications connection is configured to communicate data in compliance with any type of wireless communications protocol including a Bluetooth communications protocol.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors, the one or more processing units, and the transmitter are housed in a probe of the integrated sensor system;

wherein the probe protects components installed inside the probe from moisture, dust, and other elements;

wherein power is supplied to components of the integrated sensor system by a power supply source which includes one or more of;

a battery, or a solar panel;

wherein the integrated sensor system further comprises one or more of;

an imaging sensor, an anemometer, or a rainfall sensor.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the soil property data comprises information about one or more time-sensitive soil properties;

wherein the soil property data is transmitted to a storage device and used to generate a database repository of information about soil;

wherein the soil property data is transmitted to a computer system to generate one or more agricultural prescriptions for a field;

wherein the one or more agricultural prescriptions are provided to one or more user devices configured to control agricultural equipment.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the soil property data is transmitted to a cloud-based storage system for storage;

wherein the soil property data transmitted to the cloud-based storage system is associated with one or more of;

date information indicating a date on which the one or more measures of at least one property of soil were determined, a location, one or more universal unique identifiers (“

UUIDs”

), or weather information.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the soil property data includes one or more of:

a phosphorus concentration level, a nitrate concentration level, a potassium concentration level, a moisture level, a pH level, a rainfall level, or a chlorine level.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more:

a capacitive moisture sensor, a time-domain reflectometry moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, or a nitrate sensor.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the probe is installed in a cavity created in soil;

wherein the probe is powered up once the power supply source is provided;

wherein the probe is initiated once a probing depth is set.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the probe is a handheld device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the probe is an in-ground blade.