# US 12,216,440 B2 · Systems and methods for harmonic analysis of soil > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,440 B2 - Document ID: US12216440B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/138,589 - Filed: 2023-04-24 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-07 - Assignees: FarmX Inc. - Applicants: FarmX Inc. - Inventors: William Eugene Jennings; Zachary Gentry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216440B2 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - A01G 25/16: Control of watering - B05B 12/12: responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature {position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus (B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence)} - G06V 20/188: {Vegetation} - G05B 2219/2625: Sprinkler, irrigation, watering - G06Q 50/02: Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining - Y02A 40/10: in agriculture - 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) - 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) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract Systems and methods for harmonic analysis of soil are provided herein. Some methods include converting a first frequency of an operating signal into a second, higher frequency relative to the first frequency to create a stimulating signal, transmitting the stimulating signal into soil, and determining attenuation based on a comparison of a responsive signal and the operating signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: selecting a first frequency for an operating signal; converting the first frequency of the operating signal into a second frequency to create a stimulating signal at the second frequency, the second frequency being a harmonic of the first frequency; transmitting the stimulating signal into a zone of interest in soil; receiving a responsive signal based on the stimulating signal; converting the responsive signal at the second frequency back into the first frequency to create a frequency-converted responsive signal in the first frequency; comparing a second count of the frequency-converted responsive signal in the first frequency to a first count of the operating signal in the first frequency, the first count and the second count being a number of waves; determining attenuation of the stimulating signal, the attenuation corresponding to a difference between the first count of the operating signal at the first frequency and the second count of the frequency-converted response signal at the first frequency; approximating constituent components of the soil in the zone of interest based on the determined attenuation; and increasing or decreasing a flow of water applied to the zone of interest in the soil based on the approximated constituent components. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency is at least approximately 50 MHz. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the second frequency is a second harmonic of the first frequency. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a volume of clay within the soil correlates to a magnitude of the attenuation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising repeating the method for a range of values for the first frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising continuously monitoring soil moisture content of crops in the zone of interest resulting from the increased or decreased flow of water applied to the zone of interest to ensure that the soil moisture content is sufficient to ensure health of the crops in the zone of interest. ### Claim 7 A device, comprising: a harmonic sensor circuit that produces an operating signal at a first frequency and emits a stimulating signal at a second frequency that is a harmonic of the first frequency; a processor; and a memory for storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to: control the harmonic sensor circuit to emit the stimulating signal into a zone of interest in soil; and determine attenuation of the stimulating signal in the soil based on an analysis of a responsive signal that has been converted in frequency back from the second frequency into the first frequency relative to the operating signal; wherein the processor determines attenuation of the responsive signal by: converting the responsive signal from the second frequency to the first frequency; comparing a second count of the frequency-converted responsive signal in the first frequency to a first count of the operating signal in the first frequency, the first count and the second count being a number of waves, the attenuation corresponding to a difference between the first count and the second count; and approximating constituent components of the soil in the zone of interest based on the determined attenuation; and increasing or decreasing a flow of water applied to the zone of interest in the soil based on the approximated constituent components. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, further comprising a communications interface, the processor being configured to transmit a message to a cloud service that is indicative of the attenuation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, wherein the first frequency is at least approximately 50 MHz. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, wherein the second frequency is a second harmonic of the first frequency. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, wherein a volume of clay within the soil correlates to a magnitude of the attenuation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to vary the first frequency over a range of values. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, further comprising the device continuously monitoring soil moisture content of crops in the zone of interest resulting from the increased or decreased flow of water applied to the zone of interest to ensure that the soil moisture content is sufficient to ensure health of the crops in the zone of interest. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: converting a first frequency of an operating signal into a second, higher frequency relative to the first frequency to create a stimulating signal; transmitting the stimulating signal at the second higher frequency into a zone of interest in soil; and determining attenuation in a responsive signal based on a comparison of the responsive signal and the operating signal; wherein determining the attenuation in the responsive signal comprises: converting the responsive signal from the second, higher frequency to the first frequency; comparing a second count of the responsive signal in the first frequency to a first count of the operating signal in the first frequency, the first count and the second count being a number of waves, the attenuation corresponding to a difference between the first count and the second count; and approximating constituent components of the soil in the zone of interest based on the determined attenuation; and increasing or decreasing a flow of water applied to the zone of interest in the soil based on the approximated constituent components. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein determining the attenuation comprises comparing waveforms of the responsive signal and the operating signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising selecting the first frequency from a range of frequencies of approximately 50 MHz to 70 MHZ, inclusive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein a volume of clay within the soil correlates to a magnitude of the attenuation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising continuously monitoring soil moisture content of crops in the zone of interest resulting from the increased or decreased flow of water applied to the zone of interest to ensure that the soil moisture content is sufficient to ensure health of the crops in the zone of interest.