System and method for the remote monitoring of potted plants

摘要

The invention relates to a system and method for determining the state, state changes, and/or condition changes of a potted plant and for indicating the determined state of said object to the owner or user thereof, wherein the system and method locally determine at least one physical and/or chemical parameter on top of on the side of or in the immediate vicinity of the plant (1) to be monitored by means of preferably several sensors or sensing elements (3). Said physical and/or chemical parameter is processed into a coded digital parameter signal and transmitted wirelessly, optionally by means of intermediate stages, to a central processor, which determines a statement about the state of the plant (1) from said coded digital parameter signal and other digital as an optical and/or acoustic indication of the current or prognosticated state of the plant/object (1). The sensation of the object is preferably simulated, which aims at triggering emotions in the user himself, for example, by means of language- and culture-independent icons. The data are determined, processed, and transmitted without significant time delay, in other words, in real time in principle. In the central processing, the data can be combined with further information, for example, the requirements profile of the object, historical data, data of similar objects, climate data, or weather forecasts. The user of the system can automatically be contacted if certain events are ascertained for the monitored object, if for example, an unfavorable forecast or a harmful parameter is ascertained. The sensors or sensing elements and further components are preferably placed in a plant container, an “intelligent flowerpot” so to speak, in such a way that the sensors or sensing elements are undetectable or barely detectable. Said “intelligent flowerpot” can comprise a “mobile sensor clip” as an essential component in addition to sensors arranged therein or thereon.

主权项

1. A system for determining a state or a state change of a potted plant and for indicating said state or state change to a user by wireless communication, comprising
a mobile, self-powered sensor clip or sensor unit mountable on or close to said plant, said sensor clip or sensor unit including a power supply, placed on or within a culture medium in a pot or other vessel at least two cross-linked sensors, each said sensor determining at least one physical and/or chemical parameter, each said parameter being represented as an electrical parameter signal, placed on or within said pot or in one of said sensors an electronic device which transforms each said electrical parameter signal into a digitally encoded parameter signal, a wireless transmitter for transmitting each said digitally encoded parameter signal in realtime to a receiver located outside said pot or other vessel, at least one of said at least two cross-linked sensors determining the contents of nutritive and/or harmful substances within said culture medium.