Computer network for collecting and analyzing agronomic data
First Claim
1. A computer network for gathering data related to the agriculture operation of a farm, said farm having an operations base and at least one field with each of said fields being subdivided into a number of different environmental conditions, said network being comprised of:
- a first, mobile computer including a first database, the first mobile computer being adapted for being carried into the fields and for recording data related to scouting information observed in and correlated with each of said subdivisions of said fields, said first mobile computer being programmed to provide a hierarchy of nested displays on a display screen for entry of scouting-related data into the first database; and
a second fixed platform computer adapted for location at said operations base, said second fixed platform computer including a second database and having a first data link for selective connection between said first and second computers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A client-client-server computer network includes a portable computer (client) connectable by a data link to a desktop computer (client) which transmits data through an offline batching data link to a host or system server (server) for the electronic collection, processing, and analyzing of agricultural data generated through the operation of a farm. A plurality of client-client computer sub-networks, one for each of a plurality of farms, is anticipated for connection through an offline, batching data link to a single system server such that a master data base may be assembled of data for many farms. Real time, same growing season, analyses and reports may be generated for use by any individual farmer from this master data base. The portable computer includes a nested display driven software for a graphic user interface computer, such as a Personal Digital Assistant, to simplify the data entry process. Various details of implementation are novel, including scrollable lists which have entries that are context sensitive to eliminate improbable or redundant or incorrect selections. The desktop computer includes a program for use on a Windows platform which closely emulates the graphic user interface provided by the portable computer such that a farmer need only become familiar with one computer program to fully operate the system. The offline batching data link, which may be a commercial messaging service, permits a single system server to efficiently communicate with many farmers without sacrificing significant amounts of system server processing time to input or output data.
169 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A computer network for gathering data related to the agriculture operation of a farm, said farm having an operations base and at least one field with each of said fields being subdivided into a number of different environmental conditions, said network being comprised of:
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a first, mobile computer including a first database, the first mobile computer being adapted for being carried into the fields and for recording data related to scouting information observed in and correlated with each of said subdivisions of said fields, said first mobile computer being programmed to provide a hierarchy of nested displays on a display screen for entry of scouting-related data into the first database; and a second fixed platform computer adapted for location at said operations base, said second fixed platform computer including a second database and having a first data link for selective connection between said first and second computers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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- 7. A portable computer for gathering data related to scouting observations taken from a subdivided field of a farm, said farm subdivisions being characterized by at least in part their differing environmental conditions, said portable computer having a graphic user interface to facilitate the entry of said data into said computer, a memory for storing said data, and a stored program to provide the organized visual display of said data in a variety of formats, said portable computer also having means for displaying pop-up lists of choices related to agricultural observations, said lists of choices varying in accordance with a growing stage of a crop.
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12. A method for collecting the scouting data from a plurality of subdivisions of a field of a farm comprising the steps of:
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recording on a portable computer the scouting data as observed by an observer, correlating said data with the subdivision of said field at which said observation was made, communicating said data from said portable computer to a fixed platform computer, and transmitting said data from the fixed platform computer over an offline, batched data link to a central computer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification