# US 10,871,480 B2 · Multi-sensor platform for crop health monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,480 B2 - Document ID: US10871480B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/268,744 - Filed: 2019-02-06 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-30 - Assignees: Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. - Applicants: Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Saber Miresmailli; Murray B. Isman; Maryam Antikchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871480B2 ## CPC - G01N 33/0098: {Plants or trees (wood G01N33/46)} - A01G 7/00: Botany in general - A01G 9/26: Electric devices {(A01G9/249 takes precedence)} - A01G 13/06: Devices for generating heat, smoke or fog in gardens, orchards or forests, e.g. to prevent damage by frost - A01G 25/16: Control of watering - A01M 21/043: {by chemicals} - G01D 11/30: Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments - G05B 15/02: electric - G06N 5/04: Inference or reasoning models - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) ## Abstract A multi-sensor device comprises a housing containing multiple sensor modules for capturing and transmitting sensor data for plants in a crop. A control unit within the housing is operable to control the sensor modules, and a communications interface is connected to the control unit for transmitting data from said plurality of sensor modules. The sensor modules can include a physiological sensor, a surface analysis sensor, and chemical sensor. The multi-sensor device can be used as a hand-held device or mounted to a mobile platform for use in an automated crop monitoring system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile sensory platform for capturing and transmitting sensor data for individual plants in a crop, the mobile sensory platform comprising: a propulsion system; a plurality of sensors adjustably mounted to a support structure so that, during operation of the mobile sensory platform, at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured to be positioned proximate to a plant and to capture data pertaining to at least one plant-related parameter of the plant; a communications interface configured to engage in two-way communication over a wireless network; an electrical power supply; and a control system configured to control movement of the mobile sensory platform and operation of the plurality of sensors; wherein the plurality of sensors comprises an optical probe configured to stimulate the plant with excitation light and a tunable detector configured to receive light reflected and/or emitted from the plant in response to the excitation light; and wherein the control system is configured to control operation of the optical probe based on one or more input signals from at least one of the plurality of sensors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile sensory platform of claim 1, wherein the optical probe is configured to transmit the excitation light selectively in one or more spectral bands. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The mobile sensory platform of claim 2, wherein: the optical probe comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs); a first subset of the plurality of LEDs is configured to transmit light in a first spectral band; and a second subset of the plurality of LEDs is configured to transmit light in a second spectral band. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The mobile sensory platform of claim 3, wherein the control system is configured to cause at least some of the plurality of LEDs to emit a sequence of pulses of excitation light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mobile sensory platform of claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to control a spacing of the pulses, a duration of the pulses, an intensity of the pulses, and a number of the pulses within the sequence of pulses of excitation light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The mobile sensory platform of claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to vary a spacing of the pulses, a duration of the pulses, and an intensity of the pulses within the sequence of pulses of excitation light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The mobile sensory platform of claim 4, wherein the tunable detector is configured to be tunable responsive to a spectral band that corresponds to the light reflected and/or emitted from the plant in response to the excitation light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The mobile sensory platform of claim 4, wherein the tunable detector comprises one or more multiple-wavelength optical detectors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The mobile sensory platform of claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to tune the tunable detector based on one or more input signals from at least one of the plurality of sensors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The mobile sensory platform of claim 4, wherein: the tunable detector is configured to generate an electrical current output signal in response to receiving the light reflected and/or emitted from the plant in response to the excitation light; and the mobile sensory platform further comprises an amplifier configured to amplify the output signal, a filter configured to filter the amplified output signal, and an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the amplified and filtered output signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The mobile sensory platform of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises: a physiological sensor comprising the optical probe and the tunable detector; a surface analysis sensor comprising a full-spectrum light source and one or more spectroscopic detectors; and a chemical analysis sensor comprising at least one of: a photo-ionization detector, a surface acoustic wave sensor, or a quartz crystal microbalance sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The mobile sensory platform of claim 1, wherein the mobile sensory platform is a ground-based platform. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The mobile sensory platform of claim 1, wherein the mobile sensory platform is an air-borne platform. ### Claim 14 A multi-sensor device for capturing and transmitting sensor data for individual plants in a crop, the multi-sensor device comprising: a housing comprising a plurality of interior cavities; a plurality of sensor modules, each sensor module occupying one of the plurality of cavities, each sensor module configured to sense at least one plant-related parameter when the multi-sensor device is positioned proximate to a plant; a control unit configured to control operation of the plurality of sensor modules; a communications interface connected to the control unit and configured to transmit and receive information, the communications interface configured to transmit data from the plurality of sensor modules; a user interface connected to the control unit; and an electrical power connector configured to connect the multi-sensor device to a power source; wherein the plurality of sensor modules comprises a physiological sensor module comprising an optical excitation probe and a tunable detector, the control unit configured to control operation of the optical excitation probe based on one or more input signals from at least one of the plurality of sensor modules. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The multi-sensor device of claim 14, wherein: the multi-sensor device further comprises a handle; and the multi-sensor device is a portable hand-held device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The multi-sensor device of claim 14, wherein: the optical excitation probe is configured to transmit excitation light selectively in one or more spectral bands; the optical excitation probe comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs); a first subset of the plurality of LEDs is configured to transmit light in a first spectral band; and a second subset of the plurality of LEDs is configured to transmit light in a second spectral band. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The multi-sensor device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to cause at least some of the plurality of LEDs to emit a sequence of pulses of excitation light. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The multi-sensor device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to control a spacing of the pulses, a duration of the pulses, an intensity of the pulses, and a number of the pulses within the sequence of pulses of excitation light. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The multi-sensor device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to vary a spacing of the pulses, a duration of the pulses, and an intensity of the pulses within the sequence of pulses of excitation light. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The multi-sensor device of claim 14, wherein the tunable detector is configured to be tunable responsive to a spectral band that corresponds to light reflected and/or emitted from the plant in response to excitation light. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The multi-sensor device of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to tune the tunable detector based on one or more input signals from at least one of the plurality of sensor modules.