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US 11,927,538 B2Granted
Zero-power wireless system for crop water content monitoring
AssigneeNortheastern University
InventorsMatteo Rinaldi, Zhenyun Qian, Vageeswar Rajaram
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Abstract
Zero power wireless sensors, devices, and systems are used for crop water content monitoring. The sensors consume no power while monitoring for the presence of dry crop conditions. Infrared reflectance from plants is measured and when selected spectral conditions are met, a circuit is closed, activating an alarm, an RFID tag, or a radio transmitter. The deployed sensors consume no power while monitoring, reducing or eliminating the need to change batteries.
Claims22
A device for monitoring moisture content of a plant, the device comprising:
- (i) one or more zero power infrared (IR) sensors, each sensor comprising a first plasmonic absorber tuned to a selected wavelength range of IR radiation and comprising a switch actuatable using only energy of IR radiation absorbed by the plasmonic absorber;
- wherein the one or more zero power IR sensors are disposed within a circuit in series or in parallel, and wherein the circuit is interruptable by the switch of each sensor;
- (ii) a transmitter disposed within the circuit and activatable by a selected configuration of said switches;
- and
- (iii) optionally a battery disposed within the circuit, the battery capable of powering the transmitter;
- wherein absorption by the one or more sensors of selected wavelengths of IR radiation originating from a plant, characteristic of a selected moisture content of the plant, causes the transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic radiation signal.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.