Computer network for collecting and analyzing agronomic data

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.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.