Heat stress, plant stress and plant health monitor system

• US 8,325,030 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Townsend, Christopher P., Arms, Steven W., Churchill, David L., Galbreath, Jacob H.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/899,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/601, 340/521, 340/539.26, 340/693.5, 340/572.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.1, 340/539.3, 600/301, 119/496
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/17 Catathermometers for measuring "cooling value" related either to weather conditions or to comfort of other human environment

Abstract

One embodiment of an electronic system includes a network having a first sensing device with a first address and a second sensing device with a second address. The first sensing device includes first sensors, a first processor, a first memory, and a first communications device. The first sensors include a first dry bulb temperature sensor, a first relative humidity sensor, and a first radiant energy sensor. The second sensing device includes a second sensor, a second processor, a second memory, and a second communications device. The second processor includes a program to use the second communications device to communicate the second address and data derived from the second sensor to the first communications device.

Claims

1. An electronic system, comprising a network including a first sensing device having a first address and a second sensing device having a second address, wherein said first sensing device includes first sensors, a first processor, a first memory, and a first communications device, wherein said first sensors include a first dry bulb temperature sensor, a first relative humidity sensor, and a first radiant energy sensor, wherein said second sensing device includes a second sensor, a second processor, a second memory, and a second communications device, wherein said second memory and said second communications device are connected to said second processor, wherein said second memory includes a program to use said second communications device to communicate said second address and data derived from said second sensor to said first communications device.

2. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first processor is connected to receive data from said first dry bulb temperature sensor, said first relative humidity sensor, and said first radiant energy sensor and wherein said first processor is connected to receive an algorithm stored in said first memory.

3. An electronic system as recited in claim 2, wherein said algorithm is for determining a parameter related to heat stress level.

4. An electronic system as recited in claim 2, wherein said algorithm is for determining wet bulb temperature.

5. An electronic system as recited in claim 2, wherein said algorithm is for determining wet bulb globe temperature.

6. An electronic system as recited in claim 2, wherein said algorithm is for determining stay time.

7. An electronic system as recited in claim 6, wherein said first memory includes a stay time table.

8. An electronic system as recited in claim 7, wherein said algorithm is for determining wet bulb globe temperature, and wherein said first memory further includes an algorithm for calculating a stay time from said wet bulb globe temperature and from said stay time table.

9. An electronic system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a real time clock.

10. An electronic system as recited in claim 9, wherein said first processor is connected to said real time clock to determine an exposure time, wherein said first memory further includes an algorithm for determining a difference between said exposure time and said stay time to provide a remaining time.

11. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second sensing device includes an RFID tag, wherein said RFID tag includes said second processor, said second memory, and said second communications device, wherein said RFID tag is mountable to a subject, wherein said first processor includes a first transceiver for receiving data from said RFID tag.

12. An electronic system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a real time clock, wherein said first processor uses data received from said RFID tag and time stamped by said real time clock to determine exposure time and to calculate stay time.

13. An electronic system as recited in claim 12, wherein said first memory further comprises an algorithm for determining a difference between said exposure time and said stay time to provide a remaining time.

14. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first sensing device further comprises a first housing, wherein said processor and said memory are included in said first housing and wherein said dry bulb temperature sensor, said relative humidity sensor, and said first radiant energy sensor are mounted on said first housing.

15. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first communications device includes a wireless communications device.

16. An electronic system as recited in claim 15, wherein said wireless communications device includes at least one from the group consisting of an RF transceiver and an RFID reader.

17. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first communications device includes a display.

18. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a source of electrical power for operating said first processor, said first memory, and said first communications device.

19. An electronic system as recited in claim 18, wherein said source of electrical power includes at least one from the group consisting of a wall outlet connection, a battery, and a capacitor.

20. An electronic system as recited in claim 18, wherein said source of electrical power includes an energy harvesting device.

21. An electronic system as recited in claim 20, wherein said energy harvesting device includes at least one from the group consisting of a photovoltaic cell, a strain energy harvester, and a vibration energy harvester.

22. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first sensing device comprises a heat stress node, wherein said network includes a plurality of said heat stress nodes.

23. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first sensors include a pressure sensor.

24. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first sensors include a wind speed sensor.

25. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first memory includes a non-volatile memory.

26. An electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein said first memory is connected for logging data derived from said first sensors.

27. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a coordinator connected to said network, wherein said network includes a wireless network and a wired network, wherein said coordinator aggregates data from a plurality of first sensing devices and wherein said coordinator connects said wireless network and said wired network.

28. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said network includes at least one from the group consisting of a cell phone, a ethernet network connection, a USB connection, and a wireless network.

29. An electronic system as recited in claim 28, wherein said wireless network includes encryption.

30. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second sensor comprises a soil moisture sensor.

31. An electronic system as recited in claim 30, wherein said network includes a plurality of said soil moisture sensors.

32. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second sensor comprises a leaf wetness sensor.

33. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a neural network to classify plant stress.

34. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said network includes a plurality of said first sensing devices and a plurality of said second sensing devices, further comprising a location tracking device, wherein said location tracking device is connected for determining which second sensing device is near which first sensing device.

35. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first processor includes a program for calculating cumulative heat stress from data provided by said second sensing device at multiple locations of said second sensing device.

36. An electronic system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an electronic picture and an overlay on said electronic picture, wherein said overlay includes said first sensing device and said second sensing device.

37. An electronic system as recited in claim 36, wherein said electronic picture includes a picture of a geographic area, wherein said overlay provides said first sensing device and said second sensing device in their locations on said geographic area.

38. An electronic system as recited in claim 36, wherein said overlay provides a first icon for said first sensing device and a second icon for second sensing device, wherein said first icon is different from said second icon if said first sensing device is of a type different from said second sensing device.

39. An electronic system as recited in claim 37, wherein said electronic picture of a geographic area includes a picture available on the internet.

40. An electronic system as recited in claim 37, wherein said electronic picture of a geographic area includes a satellite generated picture.

41. An electronic system as recited in claim 37, wherein said electronic picture of a geographic area includes a Google map.

42. An electronic system, comprising a first sensing device and an RFID tag, wherein said RFID tag is separate from said first sensing device, wherein said first sensing device includes first sensors, a first processor, a first memory, and a first communications device, wherein said first sensors include a first dry bulb temperature sensor, a first relative humidity sensor, and a first radiant energy sensor, wherein said RFID tag includes a processor programmed to communicate its address to said first communications device.

43. An electronic system, as recited in claim 42, wherein said RFID tag comprises a passive communication device.

44. An electronic system, as recited in claim 42, wherein said first communications device comprises a passive RFID reader.

45. An electronic system, as recited in claim 42, wherein said first communications device comprises a first transceiver and wherein said RFID tag comprises a second transceiver.

46. An electronic system, comprising a first sensing device, wherein said first sensing device includes a first energy harvesting device, first sensors, a first processor, a first memory, and a first communications device, wherein said first sensors include a first dry bulb temperature sensor, a first relative humidity sensor, and a first radiant energy sensor, wherein said first energy harvesting device includes a circuit for converting an ambient source of energy into electricity, wherein said first energy harvesting device includes at least one from the group consisting of a strain energy harvester and a vibration energy harvester, wherein all power for operating said first communications device is derived from said first energy harvesting device.

47. An electronic system, comprising a network including a plurality of sensing devices, wherein said plurality of sensing devices includes a first sensing device including first sensors, a first processor, a first memory, and a first wireless communications device, wherein said first sensors include a first dry bulb temperature sensor, a first relative humidity sensor, a first radiant energy sensor, and a source of electrical power, wherein said plurality of sensing devices are connected in a hybrid star-mesh network, wherein mesh networked ones of said sensing devices are enabled to forward data from another sensing device and wherein star networked ones of said sensing devices are not enabled to forward data from another sensing device.

48. An electronic system as recited in claim 47, wherein said source of electrical power includes at least one from the group consisting of an energy harvesting device, a battery, a capacitor, and a wall outlet connection.

49. An electronic system as recited in claim 47, wherein said first processor is capable of sleep mode, and wherein said first processor includes a program to enter said sleep mode after processing a sample of data from said first sensors.

50. An electronic system as recited in claim 47, wherein each of said plurality of sensing devices includes a processor and a sensor, wherein said processor is capable of sleep mode, wherein said processor includes a program to enter said sleep mode after processing a sample of data from said sensor.