Sensor for monitoring ambient characteristics

• US 10,491,971 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solentum B.V.
• Original Assignee: Solentum B.V.
• Inventors: Pisila, Eero, Hintikka, Antti
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/516,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 25/00 Storing agricultural or horticultural produce; Hanging-up harvested fruit maturing fruit A23N15/06; arrangements in barns for preparatory treatment of tobacco A24B1/02; packing or storing hops C12C3/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/245 for agricultural purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/025 Fruits or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/246 for water content for control of watering A01G25/167
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A sensor device for monitoring at least one lifecycle of potatoes, at least from planting seed potatoes to stocking the potatoes includes a body dimensioned and shaped to conform to a potato. The body houses electronics of the sensor device and includes a waterproof layer for protecting the electronics when the sensor device is placed underground with the seed potatoes. The electronics includes a wireless communication circuitry providing the sensor device with radio communication capability, at least one processor, and at least one of the following sensors: a humidity sensor; a temperature sensor; and a carbon dioxide sensor. The at least one processor is configured to store measurement data provided by the at least one sensor, and to cause the wireless communication circuitry to transmit the measurement data to another device.

Claims

1. A sensor device, comprising:

a body dimensioned and shaped to conform to a potato, the body housing electronics of the sensor device and comprising a waterproof layer for protecting the electronics when the sensor device is placed underground with seed potatoes;

said electronics being configured for monitoring potatoes from planting the seed potatoes to stocking the potatoes, and for determining, based in part on the body of the sensor device, an effect of a growing environment and a storing environment of the seed potatoes on a subsequent crop; and

said electronics comprising a wireless communication circuitry providing the sensor device with radio communication capability, at least one processor, and at least one of the following sensors;

a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a carbon dioxide sensor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to store measurement data provided by the at least one sensor and to cause the wireless communication circuitry to transmit the measurement data to another device.

2. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising the humidity sensor and further comprising a humidity exchanging member made of a water-irresistible material and arranged to penetrate the water-proof layer and at a location of the humidity sensor and arranged to convey humidity from an exterior of the sensor device to the humidity sensor.

3. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein the water-irresistible material of the humidity exchanging member is porous material.

4. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein the humidity exchanging member is attached to the body in a replaceable manner and serves as a maintenance hatch providing access to the electronics.

5. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising the humidity sensor, the temperature sensor, and the carbon dioxide sensor.

6. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the waterproof layer comprises a waterproof, breathable fabric membrane.

7. The sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor and a trigger circuitry coupled with an output of the motion sensor, wherein the trigger circuitry is arranged, in response to an input signal received from the motion sensor, to wake up the at least one processor to perform measurements by acquiring additional event-based measurement data from at least one sensor other than the motion sensor at a time instant or a time interval when the motion sensor indicates that the sensor device is being moved.

8. The sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor configured to measure acceleration induced to the sensor device, wherein the at least one processor is configured, upon determining on the basis of measurement data acquired from the motion sensor that the sensor device is moving, to configure the communication circuitry to generate and transmit a message to a router device having a radio communication link with the sensor device, the message comprising an instruction to measure a current location of the router device.

9. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a time label for each piece of received measurement data and to store the time label in association with said each piece of measurement data.

10. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the body comprises breathable material such that the body is capable of transferring changes in ambient carbon dioxide and/or humidity from an exterior of the body to an interior of the body.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one sensor device comprising electronics of at least one of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a carbon dioxide sensor, and further comprising a body dimensioned and shaped to conform to a potato, the body housing the electronics of the sensor device and comprising a waterproof layer for protecting the electronics when the sensor device is placed underground with seed potatoes, said electronics being configured for monitoring potatoes from planting the seed potatoes to stocking the potatoes, and for determining, based in part on the body of the sensor device, an effect of a growing environment and a storing environment of the seed potatoes on a subsequent crop;

a server computer; and

a wireless router device arranged to establish a radio communication link with the sensor device, to receive measurement data from the at least one sensor device, and to forward the measurement data to the server computer,

the server computer comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing a database for the measurement data, wherein the processor is configured to receive the measurement data through the wireless router device and to store the received measurement data in the database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server computer is configured to determine a location label for each piece of received measurement data and to store the location label in association with said each piece of measurement data in said database.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the server computer is arranged to establish a control connection to an air conditioning system installed to a stockpile storing said potatoes, and wherein the processor is configured to detect a determined event in the received measurement data and, as a response to the detection of the determined event, output a control signal so as to reconfigure the air conditioning system.