IN-GROUND SENSOR SYSTEMS WITH MODULAR SENSORS AND WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY COMPONENTS

• Main Authors: GUPTA, Nalini, GALL, Michael, BORROWMAN, Eric L, STIMPSON, Calden Nathaniel Carroll, MALONE, Michael H, WENZEL, Andreas Markus, KUSIEK, Jordan, KOCH, Justin, KOHNE, Jeffrey Lawrence, BAURER, Phil David
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.09.2022
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPSOR SEAWEED; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; FISHING; FORESTRY; HORTICULTURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; METEOROLOGY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES ORIMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; TESTING; TRAPPING; WATERING; WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

In an embodiment, an integrated sensor system with modular sensors and wireless connectivity components for monitoring properties of field soil is described. In an embodiment, an integrated sensor system comprises one or more sensors that are configured to determine one or more measures of at least one property of soil. The integrated sensor system also includes one or more processing units that are configured to receive, from the sensors, the measures of at least one property of soil and calculate soil property data based on the measures. The system further includes a transmitter that is configured to receive the soil property data from the processing units, establish a communications connection with at least one computer device, and automatically transmit the soil property data to the at least one computer device via the communications connection. In an embodiment, the communications connection is a wireless connection established between the transmitter and a smart hub or a LoRA-enabled device. In an embodiment, the computer sensors, the processors, and the transmitter are installed inside a portable probe.