Wireless soil sensor utilizing a RF frequency for performing soil measurements

• US 8,035,403 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Badge, LLC
• Original Assignee: Green Badge, LLC
• Inventors: Sohrabi, Kathy, Campbell, Jeffrey, Karmel, Clayton R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NATALINI, JEFF WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/698,059
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 324/694
• US Class Current: 324/694
• 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 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

A wireless soil sensor for using a RF frequency for performing soil moisture measurements is disclosed herein. The sensor preferably includes a sensing component integrated directly with a radio and a microcontroller. The wireless soil sensor is designed to be buried underground and to transmit to above ground receivers.

Claims

1. A wireless soil sensor for transmitting data from below a surface of a land area to a receiver located above the surface of the land area, the wireless soil sensor comprising:

a main body having a sensing component, a plurality of integrated sensors for measuring at least soil moisture and soil salinity, a power supply, a microcontroller and a configuration switchable antenna that is tuned based on moisture and salinity readings from the plurality of integrated sensors to increase communication range and conserve the power supply; and

a removable sleeve positioned over the sensing component, wherein the removable sleeve has a hibernation state and an active state, the hibernation state operable when the removable sleeve is positioned over the sensing component, the active state operable when the removable sleeve is removed from the sensing component;

wherein the microcontroller determines whether transmissions from the configuration switchable antenna will be successful based on a network activity history and a soil moisture level and a conductivity level determined from measurements from the plurality of integrated sensors, and the microcontroller will adjust a transmission schedule.