Audible soil moisture monitoring apparatus, system and method

• US 6,202,479 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Base Hit Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Scott Frybarger
• Inventors: Frybarger, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US09/310,565
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 73/73, 733/04.C, 200/61.04, 200/62.05, 340/602, 340/620, 340/604, 137/78.3, D10/56, 324/694, 324/696
• US Class Current: 73/73
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/008 Component parts, e.g. dispensing fittings, level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/246 for water content for control of watering A01G25/167

Abstract

A soil moisture monitoring apparatus, system and method for monitoring the soil moisture content of a given volume of soil in which a plant is growing are provided. The apparatus, system and method allow a plant caretaker to be alerted when the soil moisture content in the soil drops below a pre-determined level. When the soil moisture content drops below a predetermined level, an audible signal may be generated alerting the plant caretaker of the need to add water. The audible signal generated generally corresponds to a recognizable sound that a creature embodied by a creature-shaped housing makes in nature. The creature-shaped housing containing the audible signal generator mechanism may be placed around or attached to the plant such that the audible signal may be readily heard and the creature-shaped housing is visible.

Claims

1. A soil moisture monitoring apparatus comprising:

a soil moisture sensor that detects levels of soil hydration and generates a signal indicative thereof;

a processor connected to the soil moisture sensor, wherein the processor receives the signal from the sensor;

an audible signal generator connected to the processor wherein the audible signal generator produces an audible signal; and

a plurality of housings, each shaped like a known living creature and each connected to the processor, wherein said plurality of housings each include said audible signal generator, wherein the audible signal generated by the audible signal generator independently activates replication of a recognizable sound produced by the known living creature in response to a predetermined level of the soil hydration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the creature-shaped housing is a frog shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the recognizable sound generated by the audible signal generator replicates a frog-like sound.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the creature-shaped housing is a cricket shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the recognizable sound generated by the audible signal generator replicates a cricket-like sound.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the creature-shaped housing is a bird shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the recognizable sound generated by the audible signal generator replicates a bird-like sound.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a power supply connected to the processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a switch associated with the power supply means.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a look-up table associated with the processor wherein the look-up table provides a reference to the processor indicative of a predetermined soil moisture level.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for inputting connected to the processor for inputting information.

12. A system for monitoring soil moisture, the system comprising:

a volume of soil having a soil moisture content;

a plant growing within the volume of soil;

a soil moisture sensor within the volume of soil, wherein the sensor measures the soil moisture content and generates a signal indicative thereof;

a processor attached to the soil moisture sensor that receives the signal from the sensor;

audible signal generators connected to the processor; and

a plurality of housings, each shaped like a known living creature and each connected to the processor, wherein each of the audible signal generators are located within each of the plurality of housings, and further wherein an audible signal generated by the audible signal generators activate replication of a recognizable sound replicating that of a sound produced by the known creature, and further wherein the audible signal is independently activated in response to a predetermined level of the soil moisture content.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a look-up table associated with the processor wherein the look-up table provides a reference to the processor indicative of a predetermined soil moisture level.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a creature-shaped housing having the audible signal generator therein.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

means for inputting connected to the processor for inputting information.

16. A method for monitoring soil moisture, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a volume of soil having a soil moisture content;

providing a plant within the volume of soil;

providing a soil moisture sensor connected to a processor, the soil moisture sensor producing a signal indicative of the soil moisture content and sending the signal to the processor, wherein the processor is connected to an audible signal generator;

providing housings replicating living creatures that independently produce recognizable sounds associated with sounds produced by the living creatures in response to a predetermined level of soil hydration wherein the creatures are connected to the audible generator;

placing the soil moisture sensor in the volume of soil; and

placing the housings on the plant.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

providing an input means connected to the processor; and

inputting a reference via the input means into the processor wherein the reference corresponds to a predetermined soil moisture level desired for the plant.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

providing a power supply means connected to the processor.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

providing a look-up table associated with the processor.

20. A system for monitoring soil moisture content for a plant embedded in soil, the system comprising:

a soil moisture sensor in the soil, wherein the soil moisture sensor is independently programmable to sense varying levels of the soil moisture content and produce signals indicative of the soil moisture content; and

a plurality of housings shaped like known living creatures, wherein each of the plurality of housings have an audible signal generator that receives the signals from the sensor, wherein each of the audible signal generators produces a sound replicating a sound produced by each one of the known living creatures, wherein the sound is independently activated in response to a predetermined level of the soil moisture content sensed by the sensor.