AU2021379118A1 - A forestry management system - Google Patents
A forestry management system Download PDFInfo
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- AU2021379118A1 AU2021379118A1 AU2021379118A AU2021379118A AU2021379118A1 AU 2021379118 A1 AU2021379118 A1 AU 2021379118A1 AU 2021379118 A AU2021379118 A AU 2021379118A AU 2021379118 A AU2021379118 A AU 2021379118A AU 2021379118 A1 AU2021379118 A1 AU 2021379118A1
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- 238000013138 pruning Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 27
- 238000005507 spraying Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 26
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000013480 data collection Methods 0.000 description 6
- 241000894007 species Species 0.000 description 5
- 239000003337 fertilizer Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000002363 herbicidal effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000004009 herbicide Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000000575 pesticide Substances 0.000 description 3
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 2
- 230000036541 health Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012549 training Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000008577 Pinus radiata Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 241000218621 Pinus radiata Species 0.000 description 1
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003467 diminishing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003908 quality control method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002689 soil Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
- A01C21/00—Methods of fertilising, sowing or planting
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
- A01B79/00—Methods for working soil
- A01B79/005—Precision agriculture
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
- A01C21/00—Methods of fertilising, sowing or planting
- A01C21/005—Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
- A01G23/00—Forestry
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- 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
- G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
- G06Q50/02—Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/12—Protocols specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
- H04W4/021—Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
- H04W4/029—Location-based management or tracking services
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- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
- G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
- G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- 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
- G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
- G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
- G06Q10/063—Operations research, analysis or management
- G06Q10/0639—Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Soil Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Strategic Management (AREA)
- Agronomy & Crop Science (AREA)
- Animal Husbandry (AREA)
- Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
- Computing Systems (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Economics (AREA)
- Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
- Marketing (AREA)
- Primary Health Care (AREA)
- Medical Informatics (AREA)
- Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
- Ecology (AREA)
- Forests & Forestry (AREA)
- Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
- Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
Abstract
The invention provides a forestry management system comprising a location recording unit mountable on a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device. The location recording unit comprises a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data relating to a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by the planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device. The system transmits the location data and location accuracy data to a remote database, which data is accessible by a remote server that displays information relating to the forest that is at least in part based on the location data and location accuracy data.
Description
A FORESTRY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a forestry management system that records the location of trees in a forest and various operations carried out to maintain the trees in order to assist in the management of and valuation of the forest.
BACKGROUND
Within the forestry industry, it is useful to capture data relating to trees in the forest in order to understand the makeup and value of a forest. Such data may include the number of trees in the forest, the type or specifies of trees and the ages of the trees in particular locations. Current data collection systems typically involved manually collecting data, such as the number of trees per hectare, the type of species of trees, operations carried out on the trees (such as planting, pruning, fertilising, and spraying) and the locations of trees, which are typically manually recorded using global positioning system (GPS) waypoints (from a handheld GPS reader). Each waypoint is then manually referenced within management software in a procedure known within the industry as "plotting".
Due to the large labour and time component to collect tree data, the current manual plotting system is only used on small randomly selected areas of the forest and then that data is averaged across the size of the forest. For example, within a planting area of 100 hectares, tree data may be collected from just 20 plots of around 0.1 of a hectare each. The number of trees within each of the 20 plots is counted and then averaged and multiplied by the overall number of hectares of the forest. Unfortunately, this system and practice results in a large margin of error because the area of trees that are counted is only a very small percentage of the total area of the forest. It is not uncommon for data to be collected from just 5% to 20% of a forest and for that data to be extrapolated across the remainder of the forest, leaving a large margin of error.
One of the disadvantages of known methods of forestry data collection is that the labour component required for manual data collection is so costly that budgets only allow for collection of a small amount of information, requiring significant data assumptions to be made and allowing for large margins of error. Therefore, there is little to no opportunity to accurately manage the forests.
Current data collection systems also do no record who carried out each operation on a tree. Therefore, it is not possible to identify who planted, pruned, fertilised or sprayed specific trees. Consequently, where it is found that some trees have not been correctly planted or pruned for example, it is not generally possible to identify the person responsible and to provide additional training to that person or to hold individuals accountable for sub-standard work (or good quality work).
There is therefore a need to provide a forestry management system that goes at least some way towards overcoming the disadvantages of the current systems and practices or that at least provides the public with a useful alternative.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In a first aspect, the invention provides a forestry management system to record and manage data relating to individual trees in a forest. The system comprises a location recording unit mountable on a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device. The location recording unit comprises a power supply to power the unit, a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data. The location recording unit also comprises a transmitter to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data; a user interface; and a programmable control system to cause the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by the planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, and to pair the location data and location accuracy data, and to associate a time stamp with the paired data to form a data packet and to cause the transmitter to transmit the data packet relating to the tree to a programmable device. The forestry management system further comprises a programmable device to receive the transmitted data packet and to store the data held within the data packet in a non-transitory storage medium of the programmable device. The programmable device also comprises a user interface to receive additional data relating to the tree and to add the additional data to the data packet to form a data parcel. The programmable device also comprises a communication system to transmit the data parcel to a remote database automatically or upon input via the programmable device user interface. The system also comprises a remote database to receive the transmitted data parcel and to provide the data parcel to a remote server upon receiving a data request from the remote server.
In some forms, the programmable device transmits the data parcel to a cloud-based database.
In some forms, the system further comprises a remote server configured to send a data request to the remote database and, in response to the request, to receive the data parcel and to display information
that is based at least in part on the location data and the location accuracy data on a display screen.
Optionally, the remote server is configured to receive a secure download token from a third party operator and wherein the remote server is further configured to send the download token to the database with the data request, the third party comprising a controller that authenticates the download token and then allows the requested data associated with the data token to be downloaded by the remote server, the requested data comprising the location data and the location accuracy data from the cloud-based storage.
In some forms, the programmable device comprises the location recording unit.
In some forms, the programmable device comprises a user interface comprising one or more user inputs and is programmed to receive an Operator ID via the user inputs and to associate the Operator ID with the location data and the location accuracy data.
Optionally, the programmable device is programmed to receive, via the one or more user inputs, an Operation Code corresponding to either planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying and to associate the Operation Code with the location data and the location accuracy data.
In some forms, the programmable device is programmed to receive, via the one or more user inputs, a Tree Type Code that indicates the type or species of tree to which the location data and the location accuracy data relates. Optionally, the programmable device comprises an image scanner to scan a readable image comprising a Tree Type Code and wherein the programmable device is programmed to associate the Tree Type Code with the location data and the location accuracy data. Optionally, the programmable device stores the Operator ID, the Operation Code, and the Tree Type Code in the non- transitory storage medium for subsequent transmission with the associated location data, the location accuracy data, and the time stamp.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a location recording unit comprising a power supply to power the unit, a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data; a transmitter to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data; a user interface; and a programmable control system to cause the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, and to pair the location data and location accuracy data, and to associate a time stamp with the paired data to form a data packet and to cause the transmitter to transmit the data packet relating to the tree to a remote programmable device.
In some forms, the location recording unit comprises a spade, a planting machine, a pruning device, a fertilising device or a spraying device.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of using a forestry management system to record and manage data relating to individual trees in a forest, the method comprising the steps of: providing a location recording unit mountable on a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, the location recording unit comprising a power supply to power the unit, a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data; a transmitter to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data; a user interface, a programmable control system to cause the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by the planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, to pair the location data and location accuracy data, to associate a time stamp with the paired data to form a data packet and to cause the transmitter to transmit the data packet relating to the tree to a programmable device; providing a programmable device comprising a user interface and a non-transitory storage medium; entering one or more data characteristics through the user interface of the programmable device, the data characteristics comprising one or more of an Operator ID, Operation Code, and Tree Type; recording, with the global positioning system, the location data and location accuracy data of a tree site at a moment in time, and associating that data with a time stamp, the location data, location accuracy data and time stamp together forming a data packet; transmitting the data packet to a programmable device, where the data packet received is linked with the data characteristics to form a data parcel; and uploading the data parcel to a remote database.
Optionally, data within the data parcel is formatted before being provided to a remote server.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".
Reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour in any country in the world.
The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred forms of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure la is a schematic front view of one form of spade according to the present invention in which the location recording unit is located externally to the spade;
Figure lb is a schematic side view of the spade of Figure la;
Figure 2a is a schematic front view of one form of spade according to the present invention in which the location recording unit is located within the body of the spade;
Figure 2b is a schematic side view of the spade of Figure 2a;
Figure 3 is an example of a display on the programmable device user interface;
Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the general operation of one form of forestry management system according to the invention; and
Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the general movement of data from a remote database to display screens of end users; and
Figure 6 is an example of a display linked to the remote server and showing the location of individual trees planted within a forest.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The invention is further described with reference to the following examples. It will be appreciated that the invention as claimed is not intended to be limited in any way by these examples.
As exemplified by embodiments shown in Figures la and lb to 5, the present invention relates to a system for forestry management 100. The system 100 comprises a location recording unit 10 that is mountable to a tree management device 20, such as a spade or planting machine, or a device/unit for managing the maintenance of trees, such as a pruning unit or a herbicide or pesticide sprayer for example. The system 100 also comprises a programmable device 30 comprising a user interface 31. The system 100 further comprises a remote database 40, and a remote server 50 for displaying, on a display screen, information
relating to the forest and based on data received from the database and derived from the location recording unit.
As shown in Figures la to lb, the location recording unit 10 comprises a GPS 11 that records the geographical location (location data) of the tree management device (such as a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device) 20, which inherently equates to the location of the tree to be planted or maintained at that location, which is referred to in this specification as the tree site. The GPS 11 also records location accuracy data relating to the accuracy of the location data. The location data and the location accuracy data is used by the forestry management system 100 to identify the geographical location of the tree and tree site 60 in the forest and can be used with other data to map the forest and to monitor the health and value of the trees in the forest. In some forms, the GPS records a time stamp at which the location data and location accuracy data are recorded and associates that time stamp with the recorded location data and location accuracy data, such that GPS provides data that includes the latitude and longitude of a tree at a particular date and optionally also at a particular time on that date. The location data, location accuracy data and time stamp for each recording are bundled together in a data packet.
The location recording unit 10 may also comprise a non-transitory storage medium 12 to temporarily store the location data and location accuracy data and time stamp received from the GPS 11. In other forms, the GPS may immediately transmit the data packet to a programmable device/mobile phone 30 by any suitable form of transmission, but typically by Bluetooth.
The location recording unit 10 may also comprise a programmable control system 13 comprising a processor to control operation of the unit, a user interface 14 comprising at least one user input, a communication system comprising a transmitter 15 to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data to remote storage, and a power supply 16 to power the unit.
In some forms, the location recording unit 10 may be a discrete unit that is mountable to a tree management device 20, as shown in Figures la and lb. In other forms, the location recording unit 10 may be substantially located within the body of the tree management device as shown in Figures 2a and 2b. For example, the unit 10 may be located within a shaft of a tree planting spade.
The user interface 14 may comprise a first user input, which upon activation, causes the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by the respective planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device and to
send that data, together with the time stamp corresponding to the date and optionally also the time of data collection, to the control system.
The user interface may be located at any suitable location on the device. Where the device is a spade, the user interface may be located on the shaft or handle of the spade and is preferably located on at least one side of the handle. In some forms, upon receiving the location data and the location accuracy data from the GPS 11, the processor of the control system 13 pairs the location data and the location accuracy data together, before sending the paired data with an associated time stamp to the non-transitory storage medium 12 of the location recording unit. In other forms, the GPS time stamps the data before it is sent to the processor. For example, the GPS may pair the location data and the location accuracy data and associate the paired data with a time stamp. The time stamp includes at least the date on which the location and location accuracy data was recorded - this date representing the date on which a tree operation, such as planting or maintenance, was carried out at the tree site (i.e. the date on which planting, fertilising, pruning or spraying, was carried out at the tree site). The time stamp may optionally also include the time of day during which the location and location accuracy data was recorded. The paired location data and location accuracy data and the associated time stamp together form a data packet for a specific tree site.
As shown in Figure 4, in some forms, the programmable control system 13 is programmed to cause the communication system transmitter 15 to automatically transmit the data packet from the non-transitory storage medium 12 of the unit 10 to a first remote non-transitory storage medium of a programmable device 30, such as a mobile phone or computer. In some forms, the control system 13 comprises a clock and is programmed to cause the transmitter 15 to transmit the data packet from the non-transitory storage medium of the unit 10 to a first remote non-transitory storage medium of a programmable device 30, such as a computer or mobile phone, at predetermined time intervals. In this form, the transmitter 15 may transmit multiple data packets during a single transmission if the GPS 11 has recorded location and location accuracy data at multiple tree sites since the previous transmission.
In some forms, the location recording unit may comprise a second user input that, when activated, causes the transmitter to transmit at least one data packet comprising the paired location data and time stamp to a programmable device 30, such as a mobile phone.
In some forms, the user interface 14 may also comprise a third user input configured to activate the power supply 16 by powering the unit 10 on. In some forms, the second user input may also be used to deactivate the power supply 16 by powering off the unit 10. Alternatively, the user interface 14 may comprise a
fourth user input to deactivate the power supply 16 of the unit 10. In yet other forms, the power supply 16 defaults to being powered on whenever the power supply holds enough power to operate the unit 10.
Typically, the power supply 16 comprises a rechargeable battery. In some forms, the power supply 16 comprises a solar-powered battery. The battery may be permanently fixed to the location recording unit 10 or the battery may be removable and replaceable.
Each user input may be of any suitable form, such as a button or switch or the like and may be mechanically operated or electronically operated.
In some forms, the transmitter 15 transmits one or more data packets comprising paired location data and location accuracy data for each tree site to a programmable device 30, such as a mobile phone accessible to the operator, via any suitable form of wired or wireless transmission. Preferably, wireless transmission is used such as Bluetooth or radio frequency transmission. The programmable device/mobile phone 30 may comprise a forestry management programme or application that allows additional data to be input via the user interface of the programmable device/mobile phone 30 and that also allows that additional data to be associated with the location data and location accuracy data of each tree site.
For example, in some forms, the programmable device/mobile phone 30 comprises a user interface 31 to receive user inputs from an operator. The user inputs may be any suitable inputs for inputting data to the programmable device/mobile phone, including but not limited to a keypad, scanner, touch screen, or the like. In some forms, as shown in Figure 3, the user interface comprises a display screen on which at least some inputs are displayed.
In some forms, the programmable device/mobile phone 30 is programmed to receive an Operator ID 32 via one or more user inputs and to associate the Operator ID with the location data and the location accuracy data. The Operator ID is a unique identifier that identifies the operator of the tree management device.
In some forms, the programmable device/mobile phone is programmed to receive an Operation Code 33 via one or more user inputs and to associate the Operation Code with the location data and the location accuracy data. The Operation Code identifies the particular operation being carried out on the tree at the tree site 60. The Operation Code may correspond to either planting, fertilizing, pruning, spraying, plotting, data collection quality control or any other desired operation that is programmed into the system 100. The Operation Code is selected based on the tree management device on which the location recording
unit is placed. For example, where the location recording device is mounted on a tree management device comprising a spade or planting machine, the operator may input an Operation Code of 'planting'. In some forms, the Operation Code may distinguish between manual planting by spade and planting by machine. For example, as shown in Figure 3, where the tree management device is a spade, the Operation Code may be input as 'Planting - Manual' or the like. Similarly, where the location recording device is mounted on a fertilising unit, the Operation Code entered may be 'Fertilising' or the like. Where the location recording device is mounted on a pruning unit, the Operation Code entered may be 'Pruning' or the like. Where the location recording device is mounted on a spraying unit, the Operation Code entered may be 'Spraying' or the like.
In some forms, the programmable device/mobile phone 30 is programmed to receive a Tree Type Code 34, via one or more user inputs, that indicates the type or species of tree to which the location data and the location accuracy data relates, i.e. the type or species of tree located at the tree site, such as pinus radiata. In some forms, the programmable device/mobile phone comprises a user input comprising an image scanner to scan a readable image, such as a quick response (QR) code, comprising a Tree Type Code and the programmable device/mobile phone is programmed to associate the Tree Type Code with the location data and the location accuracy data.
Therefore, for a specific tree site 60, the programmable device/mobile phone 30 and the forestry management system 100 may record the location data and location accuracy data of the site and any one or more of: the Tree Type Code identifying the type or species of the tree at the site; the Operator ID for the operator carrying out work on the tree at the site; the Operator Code identifying the nature of the work being carried out at the site; and the date, and optionally also the time, at which the work was carried out at the site; and may also record any other information programmed to be received by the programmable device 30 via the user interface, either manually input via the user interface or otherwise received via the user interface. Any one or more of the Tree Type Code, Operator Code, the Operator ID, or other desired data characteristic may be input by the operator at the tree site, prior to approaching the tree site or after leaving the tree site; or by an administrator before the operator leaves the base station or after the operator leaves the base station. The administrator may input the Tree Type Code, Operator Code, the Operator ID, or any other desired data characteristic directly onto the programmable device/mobile phone 30 or remotely.
The programmable device/mobile phone 30 stores the site data comprising the Operator ID, the Operation Code, and the Tree Type Code, together with the paired location data and location accuracy data, and the time stamp in a non-transitory storage medium, which may be built into the programmable
device/mobile phone 30 or may be connected to the programmable device/mobile phone 30. The site data is therefore added to the data packet from the GPS and is stored as a data parcel. Each stored data parcel may be subsequently transmitted to a second remote non-transitory storage medium.
The programmable device/mobile phone 30 may be configured to transmit the data parcels, either discretely, in batch form or in a stream to a second non-transitory storage medium. Typically, such transmission is carried out once at the end of the day. The transmission may be carried out automatically, such as at a set time or once the programmable device is within a certain range of a certain location or the transmission may be carried out upon the programmable device receiving an input instruction to transmit the data parcels. In some forms, the second non-transitory storage medium comprises a database 40 held in the cloud and the data parcels are transmitted to the database. The database 40 forms part of the forestry management system 100. In some forms, the database is connected with a processor to format the data to meet the needs of an end user.
The database 40 may be owned by a third party who owns and controls the site data stored in the database. The third-party owner may provide the site data stored in the database 40 to an owner or manager of the forest upon payment of a download fee, which may be a subscription fee, a license fee, or a one-off purchase fee. The database 40 is connected to a third-party control system, via a wired or wireless connection. The third party control system determines when data from the database can be accessed by a remote server 50 that may form part of a network comprising one or more computers having one or more display screens for displaying information about each tree site 60 to one or more end users, as shown in Figure 5.
In some forms, the forestry management system 100 comprises a remote server 50, which may be owned or controlled by an owner or manager of the forest. The third-party control system may comprise a token generator that issues a secure token to the remote server 50 to allow the remote server to download site data relating to the forest from the database 40 upon payment of a download fee. The third-party control system also comprises a token authenticator. The remote server 50 comprises a remote server user interface through which a user may request data from the remote database 40. Upon receiving a data request input, the remote server associates the received data token with the data request to tag the request with a unique identifier and then sends the tagged data request to the third-party control system. The third-party control system authenticator analyses the data request and determines whether the data request is authentic based on the token generated and the tagged data request. If the third-party control system determines that the data request is authentic, the third-party control system allows the third- party server to download the requested data from the database. If the third-party control system
determines that the data request is not authentic, the third-party control system will block the third-party server from downloading the requested data from the database.
Therefore, the remote server 50 is configured to receive one or more data parcels that each include the location data, the location accuracy data and the time stamp held in the database 40 for each tree site 60 and to display, on a display screen, information that is based at least in part on the location data and the location accuracy data. In preferred forms, the display screen comprises a map that identifies the location of each tree and tree site 60 in the forest, as shown in Figure 6.
It should be appreciated that although the location recording unit has been described in relation to a spade, the unit would operate in the same manner when mounted on a planting machine, fertilizing unit, pruning unit, or herbicide or pesticide spraying unit.
One method of using the forestry management system of the invention will now be described in relation to a location recording unit mounted on a spade and with reference to Figures 4 and 5. However, the same method could be utilized if the location recording unit was mounted on a planting machine, a fertilising unit, a pruning unit or a spraying unit.
Where the location recording unit 10 is a discrete unit, the power supply is first charged and the unit 10 is mounted to the tree management device 20 via any suitable mounting system, such as a bracket or cradle for example. Where the location recording unit 10 is located within the body of the tree management device 20, the power supply is first charged by connecting the device 20 to a power supply, such as a 240V supply until the power supply is sufficiently charged, at which point the device can be disconnected.
The Operator ID, Operation Code and Tree Type Code may be entered into a programmable device 30, such as a mobile phone, to be carried by the operator or mounted on the tree management device. The ID and Codes may be entered by an administrator or by the operator. Alternatively, the operator may enter the ID and Codes into the programmable device 30.
Once the operator locates the site at which to plant the tree, the operator digs a hole for the tree and, once dug, the operator engages a button, switch or the like of the first user input of the location unit user interface 14 to cause the GPS 11 to send a location data signal and location accuracy signal to the unit control system 13, together with an associated time stamp recording the date and optionally also the time at which the location data and location accuracy data was recorded. The location data signal records the
location of the spade and therefore of the hole and ultimately of the tree that will subsequently be planted in the hole. The location accuracy signal provides a degree of accuracy relating to the location data. For example, the location accuracy signal may provide that the location data is accurate to within +/- one metre. However, accuracy can vary depending on the number of satellites that are available to communicate with the GPS for each location and time. The location data and location accuracy data may be paired together by the GPS or by the control system 13. The time stamp is associated with the paired data. The control system 13 then sends the paired data and the associated time stamp to the non- transitory storage medium 12 of the unit 10.
Therefore, the data stored in the unit includes the location, date and optionally also the time on which a tree was planted. The operator may then activate a second user input to transmit the paired location data and associated time stamp to the programmable device 30. Alternatively, the control system 13 may be programmed to automatically transmit the site data comprising paired location data and an associated time stamp to the programmable device 30 at predetermined time intervals.
Preferably, the programmable device 30 is a mobile phone carried by the operator. In other forms, the location recording unit and programmable device form a single unit that is mounted to the tree management device 20. If a time stamp has not already been associated with the paired location data, the programmable device may associate a time stamp with the paired data.
The programmable device 30 links the Operator ID, Operation Code, Tree Type Code, paired location data and time stamp together, the combined data being referred to herein as a data parcel, so that the data parcel includes the type of tree planted/fertilized/pruned/sprayed by a particular operator at a specific location on a particular date.
The programmable device 30 transmits the data parcel to a remote database, which may be in the cloud or on a remote server. The transmission from the programmable device 30 may occur upon activation by the operator or upon remote activation by an administrator or the programmable device 30 may be programmed to automatically transmit data at predetermined time intervals. Preferably, the transmission occurs wirelessly by any suitable form of data transmission, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy (Bluetooth LE) or radio frequency (RF) transmission for example.
Once the operator has completed his or her work for the day, the operator returns to the base station so that the battery can be recharged.
The recorded data relating to each tree site is now held in the database, which is owned by a third party who may supply the data to a manager or owner of the forest for a fee.
The data is then able to be downloaded to a remote server 50 that displays information about the forest on one or more display screens. The information may include a map of the forest in which the location of individual trees is identified, as shown in Figure 6. The information may also include the date on which each individual tree was planted and by whom. The information may also include the date or dates on which each individual tree was fertilized, pruned and/or sprayed. The forestry management system may also be configured to receive additional data relevant to managing the growth of the forest. For example, the system may be configured to receive environmental data, such as weather reports, data relating to the soil quality at each tree location, the type(s) of fertilizer applied, and the types of pesticide or herbicide applied. Notes regarding the health of trees may also be entered into the system. As data is entered into the system over time, the historical data builds a profile of the forest. The age of trees within the forest can be determined and it may be possible to identify causes of unhealthy trees or healthy trees. For example, where a significant proportion of trees planted by Operator 61 are growing at an angle, a manager may identify that the operator needs additional tree planting training. Alternatively, where trees that have received a particular fertilizer are outperforming trees that received a different type of fertilizer, a manager may identify that one type of fertilizer is more effective than the other. Furthermore, as each tree site is visited and mapped multiple times, the accuracy of the tree location is improved. In this way, the forestry management system 100 assists managers to make informed decisions regarding the management of the forest.
Another method of using the forestry system 100 comprises powering on the location recording unit 10 of the tree management device 20 and then entering one or more data characteristics through the user interface of the programmable device 30. The data characteristics may include the Operation Code, Operator ID, Tree Type, and the like. The location recording unit 10 may then be tethered to the programmable device/mobile phone 30.
The GPS of the location recording unit 10 automatically measures the location data (latitude and longitude), location accuracy data (latitudinal accuracy and longitudinal accuracy and the number of satellites available) every second. When the operator plants a tree or carries out the require operation, such as pruning, fertilising, spraying, plotting, the operator engages the first user input on the user interface 14, which instructs the GPS to record the location data and location accuracy data at that moment, to associate that data with a time stamp and to transmit (via Bluetooth) the location data, location accuracy data and associated time stamp to the programmable device 30, where the data is
stored as a data packet in the non-transitory storage medium of the programmable device 30. The programmable device 30 may link each data packet received with the relevant data characteristics. These steps are repeated for multiple trees in the forest throughout the day.
At the end of the day, or at any other selected time of the day, the data packets for that day are uploaded to a remote database, either automatically or by input via the user interface of the programmable device 30. The database receives the data packets and may be connected to a processor that formats the data to meet the requirements of an end user.
The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.
Where, in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers or components having known equivalents thereof, those integers are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.
It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be included within the scope of the invention.
For example, although the location recording unit has been described as being mountable to a tree management device, in some forms, the location recording unit may otherwise be mounted to or held by an operator. In yet other forms, a programmable device/mobile phone may comprise the location recording unit and the programmable device/mobile phone may be mountable to a tree management device or carried by an operator.
Claims (14)
1. A forestry management system to record and manage data relating to individual trees in a forest, the system comprising a location recording unit mountable on a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device; the location recording unit comprising a power supply to power the unit, a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data; a transmitter to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data; a user interface, a programmable control system to cause the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by the planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, to pair the location data and location accuracy data, to associate a time stamp with the paired data to form a data packet and to cause the transmitter to transmit the data packet relating to the tree to a programmable device; a programmable device to receive the transmitted data packet and to store the data held within the data packet in a non-transitory storage medium of the programmable device, the programmable device also comprising a user interface to receive additional data relating to the tree and to add the additional data to the data packet to form a data parcel, the programmable device also comprising a communication system to transmit the data parcel to a remote database automatically or upon input via the programmable device user interface; and a remote database to receive the transmitted data parcel and to provide the data parcel to a remote server upon receiving a data request from the remote server.
2. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the programmable device transmits the data parcel to a cloud-based database.
3. The forestry management system of claim 1 and further comprising a remote server configured to send a data request to the remote database and, in response to the request, to receive the data parcel and to display information that is based at least in part on the location data and the location accuracy data on a display screen.
4. The forestry management system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the remote server is configured to receive a secure download token from a third party operator and wherein the remote server is further configured to send the download token to the database with the data request, the third party comprising a controller that authenticates the download token and then allows the requested data associated with the data token to be downloaded by the remote server, the requested data comprising the location data and the location accuracy data from the cloud-based storage.
5. The forestry management system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the programmable device comprises the location recording unit.
6. The forestry management system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the programmable device comprises a user interface comprising one or more user inputs and is programmed to receive an Operator ID via the user inputs and to associate the Operator ID with the location data and the location accuracy data.
7. The forestry management system of claim 6, wherein the programmable device is programmed to receive, via the one or more user inputs, an Operation Code corresponding to either planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying and to associate the Operation Code with the location data and the location accuracy data.
8. The forestry management system of claim 6 or 7, wherein the programmable device is programmed to receive, via the one or more user inputs, a Tree Type Code that indicates the type or species of tree to which the location data and the location accuracy data relates.
9. The forestry management system of claim 8, wherein the programmable device comprises an image scanner to scan a readable image comprising a Tree Type Code and wherein the programmable device is programmed to associate the Tree Type Code with the location data and the location accuracy data.
10. The forestry management system of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the programmable device stores the Operator ID, the Operation Code, and the Tree Type Code in the non-transitory storage medium for subsequent transmission with the associated location data, the location accuracy data, and the time stamp.
11. A location recording unit comprising a power supply to power the unit, a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data; a transmitter to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data; a user interface; and a programmable control system to cause the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, and to pair the location data and location accuracy data, and to associate a time stamp with the paired data to form a data packet and to cause the transmitter to transmit the data packet relating to the tree to a remote programmable device.
17
12. The location recording unit of claim 11, wherein the location recording unit comprises a spade, a planting machine, a pruning device, a fertilising device or a spraying device.
13. A method of using a forestry management system to record and manage data relating to individual trees in a forest, the method comprising: providing a location recording unit mountable on a planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, the location recording unit comprising a power supply to power the unit, a global positioning system to record location data and location accuracy data; a transmitter to transmit the location data and the location accuracy data; a user interface, a programmable control system to cause the global positioning system to record the location data and the location accuracy data of a tree being planted, fertilized, pruned or sprayed in a forest by the planting, fertilizing, pruning, or spraying device, to pair the location data and location accuracy data, to associate a time stamp with the paired data to form a data packet and to cause the transmitter to transmit the data packet relating to the tree to a programmable device; providing a programmable device comprising a user interface and a non-transitory storage medium; entering one or more data characteristics through the user interface of the programmable device, the data characteristics comprising one or more of an Operator ID, Operation Code, and Tree Type; recording, with the global positioning system, the location data and location accuracy data of a tree site at a moment in time, and associating that data with a time stamp, the location data, location accuracy data and time stamp together forming a data packet; transmitting the data packet to a programmable device, where the data packet received is linked with the data characteristics to form a data parcel; and uploading the data parcel to a remote database.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein data within the data parcel is formatted before being provided to a remote server.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2020904202A AU2020904202A0 (en) | 2020-11-16 | A forestry management system | |
| AU2020904202 | 2020-11-16 | ||
| PCT/IB2021/057771 WO2022101700A1 (en) | 2020-11-16 | 2021-08-25 | A forestry management system |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2021379118A1 true AU2021379118A1 (en) | 2023-07-06 |
| AU2021379118A9 AU2021379118A9 (en) | 2024-09-12 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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| AU2021379118A Pending AU2021379118A1 (en) | 2020-11-16 | 2021-08-25 | A forestry management system |
Country Status (3)
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| AU (1) | AU2021379118A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2022101700A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA202305384B (en) |
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| US9974226B2 (en) * | 2014-04-21 | 2018-05-22 | The Climate Corporation | Generating an agriculture prescription |
| WO2017167793A1 (en) * | 2016-03-31 | 2017-10-05 | Husqvarna Ab | Forestry management device |
| EP3381250B1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2020-06-03 | Scheppach Fabrikation von Holzbearbeitungsmaschinen GmbH | Gardening device for cultivating soil, and sowing or planting method with the aid of such gardening device |
| EP3424305B1 (en) * | 2017-07-04 | 2021-05-26 | Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG | Method of assisting the felling of a tree and system for assisting the felling of a tree |
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- 2021-08-25 WO PCT/IB2021/057771 patent/WO2022101700A1/en active Application Filing
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| Publication number | Publication date |
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| AU2021379118A9 (en) | 2024-09-12 |
| WO2022101700A1 (en) | 2022-05-19 |
| ZA202305384B (en) | 2023-12-20 |
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