Apparatus and method for assessing volumetric moisture content and controlling an irrigator
First Claim
1. An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil, the apparatus comprising:
- a microwave signal generator arranged to generate a first microwave signal, wherein the generated first microwave signal is a fixed frequency microwave signal;
a detector;
a probe comprising an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and
a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of said detector, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal, the second end of said probe carrying the third microwave signal connected to an input of said detector;
said detector arranged to square each of said third microwave signal and said microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and
a control circuitry coupled to the output of said detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil at present, said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is dry, and the phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is saturated,said control circuitry is further arranged to;
calculate a volumetric moisture content of the target soil responsive to the phase difference signal for the target soil at present with the probe embedded in the target soil, the phase difference signal when the target soil is dry with the probe embedded in the target soil,and the phase difference signal when the target soil is saturated with the probe embedded in the target soil,wherein the irrigation control signal is responsive to the calculated volumetric moisture content,wherein the volumetric moisture content (VMC) is calculated in accordance with;
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil responsive to a first a first microwave signal, constituted of: a detector; a probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the first microwave signal to the first end of the probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of the detector; the detector arranged to square each of the microwave signal exiting the probe and the microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared probe output microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and a control circuitry coupled to the output of the detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to the phase difference signal.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil, the apparatus comprising:
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a microwave signal generator arranged to generate a first microwave signal, wherein the generated first microwave signal is a fixed frequency microwave signal; a detector; a probe comprising an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of said detector, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal, the second end of said probe carrying the third microwave signal connected to an input of said detector; said detector arranged to square each of said third microwave signal and said microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and a control circuitry coupled to the output of said detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil at present, said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is dry, and the phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is saturated, said control circuitry is further arranged to; calculate a volumetric moisture content of the target soil responsive to the phase difference signal for the target soil at present with the probe embedded in the target soil, the phase difference signal when the target soil is dry with the probe embedded in the target soil, and the phase difference signal when the target soil is saturated with the probe embedded in the target soil, wherein the irrigation control signal is responsive to the calculated volumetric moisture content, wherein the volumetric moisture content (VMC) is calculated in accordance with; - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of assessing at least one property of a target soil, the method comprising:
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providing a probe constituted of an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; generating a first microwave signal, said generated first microwave signal having a fixed frequency; coupling a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said provided probe, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal; coupling a second portion of the generated microwave first signal as a reference microwave signal; squaring each of the third microwave signal and the reference microwave signal; determining a dry phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared reference microwave signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is dry; determining a saturated phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared reference microwave signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is saturated; determining a present phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared reference microwave signal for the target soil at present with the probe embedded in the target soil; and outputting an irrigation control signal responsive to said determined present phase difference, said determined dry phase difference and said determined saturated phase difference; and calculating a volumetric moisture content of the target soil responsive to the said determined present phase difference, said determined dry phase difference and said determined saturated phase difference, wherein the output irrigation control signal is output responsive to the calculated volumetric moisture content, determining an ambient phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared reference microwave signal when the provided probe is in ambient air, wherein the volumetric moisture content (VMC) is calculated in accordance with - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil, the apparatus comprising:
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a microwave signal generator arranged to generate a first microwave signal, wherein the generated first microwave signal is a fixed frequency microwave signal; detector; a probe comprising an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of said detector, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal, the second end of said probe carrying the third microwave signal connected to an input of said detector; said detector arranged to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the third microwave signal and the microwave reference signal; and a control circuitry coupled to the output of said detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil at present, said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is dry, and the phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is saturated, wherein said control circuitry is further arranged to calculate a volumetric moisture content of the target soil responsive to the phase difference signal detected for the target soil at present, the phase difference signal detected when the target soil is dry and the phase difference signal detected when the target soil is saturated, wherein the volumetric moisture content (VMC) is calculated in accordance with;
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Specification