Moisture measuring apparatus and computer-readable medium

• US 9,513,271 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Okumura, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, An
• Application Number:
  US13/928,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 702/2, 324/71.1, 324/694
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/246 for water content for control of watering A01G25/167

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a moisture measuring apparatus which, when the body of the apparatus for measuring a state of moisture in a measurement target object is mounted into the measurement target object, provides a user with a mounting state as to whether the moisture measuring apparatus has been appropriately mounted. In the present invention, the CPU of a moisture measuring apparatus determines the mounting state of the moisture measuring apparatus in soil that is a measurement target object (judges whether or not there is a gap between a sensor electrode and soil) based on the state of moisture (moisture amount) measured by a soil moisture amount sensor, and informs a result of the judgment.

Claims

1. A moisture measuring apparatus comprising:

a case;

a sensor connected to the case and insertable into a measurement target object; and

a processor which receives a signal from the sensor and is configured to perform functions including;

measuring a state of moisture in the measurement target object based on the signal received from the sensor;

determining whether a mounting state of the sensor in the measurement target object is appropriate, based on the measured state of moisture; and

outputting a result of the determination.

2. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the mounting state is appropriate based on a change in the measured state of moisture in a predetermined time period.

3. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines whether the mounting state is appropriate based on whether or not a ratio of a maximum value to a minimum value in the change in the measured state of moisture is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value.

4. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the functions performed by the processor further include:

judging whether a present moment is immediately after a start of watering to soil, as the measurement target object, based on the measured state of moisture,

wherein the processor determines whether the mounting state is appropriate based on whether or not the ratio of the maximum value to the minimum value in the predetermined time period immediately after the start of the watering is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value.

5. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

memory which stores a temperature determination standard,

wherein the processor obtains a temperature measurement and determines whether the mounting state is appropriate with reference to the temperature determination standard based on the temperature measurement.

6. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

memory which stores a humidity determination standard,

wherein the processor obtains a humidity measurement and determines whether the mounting state is appropriate with reference to the humidity determination standard based on the humidity measurement.

7. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory which stores a soil determination standard,

wherein the processor determines whether the mounting state is appropriate with reference to the soil determination standard based on a soil classification of a soil which is the measurement target object.

8. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor outputs the result of the determination by transmitting the result to a terminal to be notified.

9. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output device

wherein the processor outputs the result of the determination via the output device.

10. The moisture measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the mounting state is appropriate by determining whether a gap exists between the sensor and the measurement target object;

wherein if the processor determines that a gap exists, the processor determines that the mounting state is not appropriate, and

wherein if the processor determines that a gap does not exist, the processor determines that the mounting state is appropriate.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer of a moisture measuring apparatus that includes a case, a sensor connected to the case and insertable into a measurement target object, and the computer, which receives a signal from the sensor, the program being executable by the computer to perform functions comprising:

measuring a state of moisture in the measurement target object based on the signal received from the sensor;

determining whether a mounting state of the sensor in the measurement target object is appropriate, based on the measured moisture state; and

outputting a result of the determination result.