Environmental sensor network

• US 7,439,867 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blue Clover Design, LLC
• Original Assignee: Blue Clover Design, LLC
• Inventors: Staples, Peter Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/220,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20060001540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/602
• US Class Current: 340/602
• 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: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A environmental sensor network having at least two environmental sensor units and a central display unit. Each sensor unit includes a sensor adapted to measure a condition and a transmitter adapted to operate in an “activation” mode in which the transmitter transmits a predefined sequence and a sensor ID and a “data” mode in which the transmitter transmits data based on the measurement. The central display unit includes a receiver adapted to receive a transmission from the two environmental sensors, a memory device, and a processor adapted to selectively operate in an “add” mode in which the processor records the presence of an environment sensor unit in the memory device upon the receipt of the predefined sequence and the sensor ID, and a “display” mode in which the processor outputs information based on the measurement.

Claims

1. An environmental sensor network comprising:

a first environmental sensor unit including

a sensor adapted to measure a condition and

a transmitter adapted to operate in an “

activation”

mode in which the transmitter transmits a predefined sequence and a first sensor ID and a “

data”

mode in which the transmitter transmits data based on the measurement;

a second environmental sensor unit including

a sensor adapted to measure a condition and

a transmitter adapted to operate in an “

activation”

mode in which the transmitter transmits a predefined sequence and a second sensor ID and a “

data”

mode in which the transmitter transmits data based on the measurement; and

a central display unit including

a receiver adapted to receive a transmission from the first environmental sensor and to receive a transmission from the second environmental sensor,

a memory device, and

a processor adapted to selectively operate in an “

add”

mode in which the processor records the presence of the first environment sensor unit in the memory device upon the receipt of the predefined sequence and the first sensor ID and records the presence of the second environment sensor unit in the memory device upon the receipt of the predefined sequence and the second sensor ID, and a “

display”

mode in which the processor outputs information based on the measurement.

2. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure the relative amount of a particular element or compound in a substance.

3. The environmental sensor network of claim 2, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure the relative amount of water in the substance.

4. The environmental sensor network of claim 2, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure the relative amount of the particular element or compound in soil.

5. The environmental sensor network of claim 2, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure the relative amount of water in soil.

6. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure temperature.

7. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure an electrical characteristic.

8. The environmental sensor network of claim 7, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure voltage.

9. The environmental sensor network of claim 7, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure conductivity.

10. The environmental sensor network of claim 7, wherein the sensors of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environment sensor unit are adapted to measure resistance.

11. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the first environmental sensor unit and the second environmental sensor unit each include a controller adapted to cause the sensor to measure the condition and to cause the transmitter to transmit the measurement.

12. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the transmitters of the first environmental sensor unit and the second environmental sensor unit transmit over a wireless channel.

13. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the central display unit further includes a screen adapted to display information based on the measurement.

14. The environmental sensor network of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to enter a “

wait”

state while in the “

add”

mode.