JP2015099457A - Farm environment observation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a farm environment observation system capable of accurately collecting environment data affecting the growth of farm products.SOLUTION: A farm environment observation system is configured of: a plurality of observation parts 3; and a data accumulation part 4 carried by a user for successively accumulating data from the plurality of observation parts 3. The observation part 3 includes: environment measurement means 5 for measuring the environment of a farm; data temporary storage means 6 for storing data measured by the environment measurement means 5; and observation part communication means 7 for transmitting the data stored by the data temporary storage means 6 by wireless communication. The data accumulation part 4 includes: accumulation part communication means 8 for receiving the data transmitted from the observation part communication means 7 of the observation part 3; data storage means 9 for storing the data received by the accumulation part communication means 8; and communication control means 10 for selecting the observation part 3 which performs wireless communication with the accumulation part communication means 8 from among the plurality of observation parts 3. The communication control means 10 changes the order of the observation part 3 which performs wireless communication on the basis of the previous result of data collection in the case of collecting data from the plurality of observation parts 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to a farm environment observation system that utilizes information such as the temperature and moisture of a field where crops are grown.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a conventional farm environment observation system. In FIG. 3, the farm environment observation system includes a plurality of observation units 1 that observe the farm environment and a data accumulation unit 2 that collects environmental data of the observation unit 1. The environmental data observed by the observation unit 1 is transmitted to the data accumulation unit 2 using a data communication means such as a packet communication network, a general public line, a mobile phone line, or radio (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-183242 A

  A plurality of data communication means for transmitting the environmental data of the observation unit 1 to the data accumulation unit 2 has been proposed. However, when using a packet communication network, a general public line, or a cellular phone line, each observation unit 1 is required to have a high communication function, so that power consumption increases and data collection continues during the cultivation period of agricultural products. Each observation unit 1 requires a dedicated power source and a large capacity battery. In addition, there is a problem that the cost for using the line is high.

  In addition, when using wireless, the cost of using the line is not required, but if the radio wave reaches a long distance, power consumption increases, and a dedicated power source and a battery with a large capacity are required. As well.

  When communication is performed with the radio wave of the observation unit 1 weakened, there is a possibility that communication is hindered by an obstacle or the like, the communication speed is lowered, and communication is interrupted. Therefore, in order to perform communication reliably, it is necessary to arrange the observation unit 1 and the data accumulation unit 2 in a positional relationship that facilitates communication and to ensure sufficient communication time.

  However, there is a risk that crops cultivated on the farm may become an obstacle and hinder communication. Since the crop grows and grows, and the communication failure status changes depending on other operations such as crop harvesting and thinning, communication is possible if the positional relationship between the observation unit 1 and the data accumulation unit 2 is fixed. There is a risk of disappearing.

  In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable that the data accumulation unit 2 is portable and the positional relationship between the observation unit 1 and the data accumulation unit 2 can be changed.

  However, with this configuration, there is a problem in that it is necessary to search for a positional relationship where wireless communication is possible, and the entire data collection operation takes time.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and makes it a subject to provide the farm environment observation system which can collect the environmental data which influence the growth of agricultural products reliably.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the farm environment observation system of the present invention includes a plurality of observation units and a data collection that sequentially collects data from the plurality of observation units along with a cyclic work carried by a user and periodically performed. The observation unit is stored in the environment measurement unit that measures the environment of the farmland, the data temporary storage unit that stores the data measured by the environment measurement unit, and the data temporary storage unit Observation unit communication means for transmitting data by wireless communication, wherein the data accumulation unit receives the data transmitted from the observation unit communication unit of the observation unit, and the integration unit communication Data storage means for storing the data received by the means, and communication control means for selecting the observation unit wirelessly communicating with the integration unit communication means from among the plurality of observation units, and the communication control unit , When the data collection from the plurality of observation unit, in which a configuration to change based on the order of the observation unit that performs wireless communication on the results of previous data collection.

  According to the present invention, the communication control unit reliably collects environmental data that affects the growth of agricultural products by changing the order of the observation units that perform wireless communication based on the results of previous data collection. be able to. Agricultural crops are affected by changes in the environment, and when large changes occur in the environment, they gradually weaken and eventually die. However, by continuously collecting environmental data and monitoring changes, Agricultural crops can be cultivated reliably.

Configuration diagram of observation section and data collection section of farm environment observation system according to the present invention Schematic configuration diagram of a farm environment observation system according to the present invention Schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional farm environment observation system

  The first invention is composed of a plurality of observation units, and a data accumulation unit that sequentially collects data from the plurality of observation units in accordance with a cyclic work carried by a user and periodically performed. Environmental measurement means for measuring the environment of the farmland, data temporary storage means for storing data measured by the environment measurement means, and observation unit communication means for transmitting data stored in the data temporary storage means by wireless communication; The data accumulating unit includes: an accumulating unit communication unit that receives data transmitted from the observing unit communication unit of the observing unit; and a data storing unit that stores the data received by the accumulating unit communication unit And a communication control unit that selects the observation unit that wirelessly communicates with the integration unit communication unit among the plurality of observation units, and the communication control unit is configured to collect data from the plurality of observation units. ,Nothing It is obtained by a configuration to be changed on the basis of the order of the observation section which communicates with the results of previous data collection.

  By adopting a configuration in which the order of the observation units is changed based on the results of previous data collection, environmental data that affects the growth of the crop can be reliably collected. Agricultural crops are affected by changes in the environment, and when large changes occur in the environment, they gradually weaken and eventually die. However, by continuously collecting environmental data and monitoring changes, Agricultural crops can be cultivated reliably.

  In a second aspect of the invention, particularly in the first aspect of the invention, the communication control means preferentially performs wireless communication with an observation unit that has not completed data transmission at the time of previous data collection.

  By giving priority to the observation unit that did not complete data transmission at the time of the previous data collection, repeating the data collection work eliminates the observation unit that does not collect environmental data for a long time, and the growth environment of all crops Can be monitored.

In a third aspect of the invention, particularly in the second aspect of the invention, the communication control means preferentially performs radio communication with an observation unit that has not performed data transmission for a longer period.

  In farmlands where observation units that have not been used for data communication for longer periods are placed, the environment may change due to the longer non-communication time, which may cause adverse effects on crops. Priority is given to observation units that have not transmitted data for a long period of time, so even if the environment has changed, the situation can be known in a shorter period of time, and the impact on crops Can be reduced. Agricultural crops are not affected by environmental changes in a short period of time, and the impact on the crops can be almost eliminated.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, particularly in the second aspect of the invention, the communication control means prioritizes only a part of the observation units among the plurality of observation units that have not completed data transmission at the time of the previous data collection. Wireless communication is performed.

  As a cause of the data transmission not being completed, it is assumed that the communication speed is lowered due to an crop or the like, or the communication is interrupted due to the obstacle. In this case, if wireless communication is performed with priority given to the observation unit that has not completed data transmission, communication will be interrupted again or it will take a long time due to a decrease in communication speed, and data transmission will be completed again. Therefore, it may not be possible to collect data from other observation units. Therefore, at the time of data collection, only some of the observation units for which data transmission has not been completed is prioritized for wireless communication, so that the data of the observation unit that can easily collect data can be ensured. While collecting, data of the observation section, which is difficult to collect data, can be collected for each collection operation, so that it is possible to monitor the environment necessary for the growth of crops.

  According to a fifth aspect of the invention, particularly in the fourth aspect of the invention, the communication control unit selects a part of the observation units from among the plurality of observation units whose data transmission was not completed during the previous data collection. The determination is made based on the communication speed at the previous data transmission.

  By collecting data from an observation unit that can complete communication earlier based on the communication speed, it is possible to collect data from more observation units and to know more farmland environments.

  According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, in the fourth aspect of the invention, the communication control means prioritizes only a part of the plurality of observation units for which data transmission was not completed at the time of the previous data collection, and the data An observation unit that has not been prioritized and has not been prioritized has a lower priority than an observation unit that has completed data transmission.

  If there are multiple observation units for which data transmission has not been completed, even if some observation units are given priority, if the remaining observation units are handled in the same way as observation units for which data communication has been completed, it will take a lot of time to collect data. This can cause a situation where data of an observation unit that can be easily communicated cannot be collected. Among the observation units for which data transmission has not been completed, the observation units that are not prioritized communicate with an observation unit that can communicate more reliably and easily by lowering the rank.

  In the seventh invention, particularly in the first invention, the communication control means compares the environmental data collected last time with the environmental data collected and accumulated before that, and the observation that the change is larger than a predetermined value. Wireless communication is performed with priority on the part.

  Agricultural crops are affected by changes in the environment, and when large changes occur in the environment, they gradually weaken and eventually die. By preferentially acquiring data from the observation section where the environmental change was significant, it is possible to reliably monitor farmland with a higher degree of risk and to take measures before it affects growth. It can be cultivated more reliably.

  According to an eighth aspect of the invention, particularly in the first aspect of the invention, the communication control means preferentially communicates with an observation unit whose environmental data collected last time is close to a predetermined numerical value among a plurality of observation units. Is to do.

  Agricultural crops are affected by changes in the environment, and even if they change gradually, they may gradually weaken and eventually die if they deviate from the optimal environment. By preferentially acquiring data from the observation section that is likely to deviate from the optimal environment for the crop, it is possible to reliably monitor the farmland with a higher degree of risk and to take measures before it affects the growth of the crop Therefore, it is possible to cultivate agricultural products more reliably.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an observation unit and a data accumulation unit of a farm environment observation system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a farm environment observation system according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, the farm environment observation system includes a plurality of observation units 3 and a data accumulation unit 4.

  The observation unit 3 includes an environment measurement unit 5 that measures the environment of the farmland, a data temporary storage unit 6 that stores data measured by the environment measurement unit 5, and data that is stored in the data temporary storage unit 6 by wireless communication. Observation unit communication means 7 for transmitting is provided.

  The data accumulation unit 4 is portable. The data accumulating unit 4 includes an accumulating unit communication unit 8 that receives data transmitted by the observing unit communication unit 7 of the observing unit 3, a data storage unit 9 that stores data received by the accumulating unit communication unit 8, and a plurality of units. Communication control means 10 is provided for selecting the observation section 3 that performs wireless communication by the integration section communication means 8 from among the observation sections 3.

  In FIG. 2, the data accumulation unit 4 is carried and carried by the user 11 during farm work.

  The plurality of observation units 3A, 3B, and 3C are respectively installed on farmland, and the environment measurement unit 5 measures environmental data, for example, temperature, earth temperature, underground moisture, and amount of sunlight. The environmental data can be selected as appropriate, for example, by measuring at regular intervals of every 15 minutes or every hour, or by measuring at a predetermined time, or by measuring the current value immediately before starting communication.

  The observation unit 3A has a small crop, is installed on an unobstructed farmland, has no obstruction to radio waves, and is easily communicable with the data accumulation unit 4. The observation unit 3B is installed in a farmland where vegetables cultivated using props are planted, and the cultivated vegetables become an obstacle, and it is difficult for radio waves to reach the data accumulation unit 4. The observation unit 3C is installed in a vinyl house, and depending on the structure of the house, it is difficult for radio waves to reach the data accumulation unit 4. In addition, since the structure of a greenhouse does not change, it can respond by selecting and installing the position which is easy to communicate.

  About the farm environment observation system comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

When the observation unit 3 is installed on the farmland and activated, the environment measurement unit 5 measures the environment and stores the environmental data in the data temporary storage unit 6. The environment measurement by the environment measurement unit 5 is performed at regular intervals, and a plurality of environment data is stored in the data temporary storage unit 6.

  The data accumulation unit 4 is carried by an operator. When cultivating crops, workers regularly visit the farmland, and in some farmlands, they stay in the farmland for a while to perform various operations such as harvesting, pinching, and control.

  When the worker holding the data accumulation unit 4 approaches the farmland where the observation unit 3 is installed, wireless communication is started between the observation unit 3 and the data accumulation unit 4. Data accumulated in the temporary data storage unit 6 is transmitted by the observation unit communication unit 7, and the transmitted data is received by the integration unit communication unit 8 and stored in the data storage unit 9. When the data storage is completed, a completion notification is transmitted from the accumulation unit communication unit 8 to the observation unit communication unit 7, and the observation unit 3 that has received the completion notification erases the data in the data temporary storage unit 6.

  The data accumulating unit 4 becomes capable of communicating with a plurality of observation units 3 at the same time due to the movement of the operator. When no problem occurs in the first data collection operation or the previous data collection, communication is performed in order according to a predetermined observation unit number among the observation units 3 capable of communication. Further, for example, communication is performed in the order in which communication is possible.

  Since the worker is performing the patrol work accompanying the farm work, the worker may move in a state where the communication is not completed when the radio wave is difficult to reach. For example, it is assumed that communication is not completed in the observation unit 3B or the like installed in a field in which vegetables cultivated using a support are planted. Further, for example, communication is not completed even on farmland where patrol is not performed or farmland where stay time is extremely short.

  The observation unit 3 that has not communicated retains the measurement data as it is, and the data temporary storage unit 6 continues to accumulate the measurement data together with the newly observed environmental data.

  Thereafter, when the operator carries the data accumulation unit 4 again and patrols the farmland, depending on the position of the data accumulation unit 4, communication with a plurality of observation units 3 is possible at the same time. At that time, the communication control unit 10 changes the order of the observation units 3 that perform communication based on the previous data collection result stored in the data storage unit 9.

  First, communication is started with priority given to communication with the observation unit 3 that has not completed data communication in the previous data collection of the observation unit 3, for example, the observation unit 3B that is blocked by agricultural products. When the communication of the observation unit 3B that has not completed the data communication is hindered by the crops or the like, there is an area that is not affected by the crops, and the communication is easily completed at the timing of moving to the area. In addition, the data communication between the data accumulation unit 4 and the observation unit 3B is performed at an early stage when the worker has come to the farmland in preference to the observation unit 3 capable of simultaneous communication. Since there is time to spare, data collection can be completed reliably.

  Further, depending on the position of the worker, there are a plurality of observation units 3 that can communicate with the data accumulation unit 4, and among the observation units 3 that can communicate, the observation unit 3 in which data communication was not completed in the previous data collection. May be included. In this case, the communication control means 10 performs communication by giving priority to the observation unit 3 that has not performed data communication for a longer period of time. For example, if the observation unit 3B does not perform communication for two days and the observation unit 3C does not perform communication for three days, the observation unit 3C performs communication with priority.

As described above, environmental data is accumulated with the operator's patrol work. For example, when the interval of the patrol work is large, or when the patrol work is performed in a short time, many observation units 3 cannot transmit the measurement data stored in the data temporary storage unit 6. Data temporary storage means 6
However, it is difficult to complete the communication in a short time. When the proportion of the observation unit 3 that cannot transmit data and the data is accumulated in the entire observation unit 3 increases, the worker moves during communication with the observation unit 3 that has accumulated the data, There is a case in which data communication is not performed for the observation unit 3 in which the communication state is good and data communication is completed quickly. In order to eliminate such a situation, the communication control unit 10 changes the communication order so that only some of the observation units 3 among the observation units 3 that have not completed data communication perform communication with priority.

  As a condition of some observation units 3 to be prioritized, for example, referring to the communication speed at the time of the previous data communication, based on the idea of giving priority only to a certain proportion of the observation units 3 from the fastest to the upper half Are ranked. On the other hand, for those that have not been prioritized by the observation unit 3 for which data communication has not been completed, for example, the communication is attempted in the same manner as the observation unit 3 for which communication has been completed last time, or communication is attempted after completion of communication by the observation unit 3 having priority. Alternatively, control that lowers the priority order compared to the observation unit that has completed the previous data transmission can be considered.

  As described above, the data of the observation unit 3 for which the previous data communication has been completed is collected, and the data of the observation unit 3 for which the previous data communication has not been completed is also sequentially collected, so that the data of the entire observation unit 3 can be reliably obtained. Can be collected. In farm work, a condition that is inconvenient for communication such as a large interval between patrols may occur, but a condition that is advantageous for communication that the farm stays in farm land for a long time also occurs. The situation where collection is not completed is resolved naturally.

  By controlling the environment that influences the growth of the crop based on the environmental data collected in this way, it becomes possible to produce a large amount of the crop more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, the communication control means 10 is configured to change the order of the observation units 3 that have not completed data communication, and the observation units 3 that have completed data communication communicate in accordance with a predetermined order. However, the communication order with the observation unit 3 that has completed the data communication is also changed, and the environmental data collected last time is compared with the environmental data collected and accumulated before that. The observation unit 3 that is large may be prioritized.

  Agricultural crops are affected by changes in the environment, and if there are major changes in the environment, they may gradually weaken and eventually die out. However, giving priority to the observation unit 3 that has made great changes makes it more dangerous. Highly cultivated farmland can be reliably monitored, and measures can be taken before it affects growth, so that crops can be cultivated more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, the communication control means 10 is configured to change the order of the observation units 3 that have not completed data communication, and the observation units 3 that have completed data communication communicate according to a predetermined order. Although it is configured, the communication order with the observation unit 3 that has completed data communication is also changed, and the configuration is given priority to the observation unit 3 whose environmental data collected last time shows a value close to a predetermined value. It doesn't matter.

  Agricultural crops are affected by changes in the environment. Even if the changes are slow, the crops will gradually weaken if they deviate from the optimal environment and may eventually die. Therefore, it is possible to reliably monitor the farmland with a higher degree of risk and to take measures before the growth is affected, so it is possible to cultivate the crop more reliably.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  As described above, since the present invention can reliably collect data from a plurality of devices in accordance with work, it is useful for a system that does not require immediate data collection and needs to collect data continuously for a long period of time.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Observation part 4 Data accumulation part 5 Environment measurement means 6 Data temporary storage means 7 Observation part communication means 8 Accumulation part communication means 9 Data preservation means 10 Communication control means 11 User

Claims (8)

It is composed of a plurality of observation units, and a data accumulation unit that sequentially collects data from the plurality of observation units in accordance with the cyclic work carried by the user and periodically performed,
The observation unit is
An environmental measuring means for measuring the environment of the farmland;
Data temporary storage means for storing data measured by the environmental measurement means;
Observation unit communication means for transmitting the data stored in the data temporary storage means by wireless communication,
The data accumulation unit includes:
An integration unit communication means for receiving data sent from the observation unit communication means of the observation unit;
Data storage means for storing data received by the integration unit communication means;
Communication control means for selecting the observation unit wirelessly communicating with the integrated unit communication means among the plurality of observation units,
The farm environment observation system in which the communication control unit is configured to change the order of observation units that perform wireless communication based on the result of previous data collection when collecting data from the plurality of observation units.   The farm environment observation system according to claim 1, wherein the communication control means preferentially performs wireless communication with respect to an observation unit that has not completed data transmission at the time of data collection performed last time.   The farm environment observation system according to claim 2, wherein the communication control means preferentially performs wireless communication with an observation unit that has not performed data transmission for a longer period of time.   The farm environment observation according to claim 2, wherein the communication control means preferentially performs wireless communication for only a part of the observation units among the plurality of observation units for which data transmission was not completed at the time of the previous data collection. system.   The communication control means makes a determination based on the communication speed at the time of the previous data transmission when selecting some of the plurality of observation units that have not completed data transmission at the time of the previous data collection. The farm environment observation system according to claim 4, which is configured.   Communication control means give priority to only some of the observation units that did not complete data transmission at the time of the previous data collection, and observations that were not prioritized because data transmission was not completed The farm environment observation system according to claim 4, wherein the unit is configured to have a lower priority than an observation unit that has completed data transmission.   The communication control means compares the environmental data collected last time with the environmental data collected and accumulated before, and performs wireless communication with priority given to an observation unit whose change is larger than a predetermined value. The farm environment observation system described.   The farm environment observation system according to claim 1, wherein the communication control means preferentially communicates with an observation unit in which environmental data collected last time indicates a value close to a predetermined value among a plurality of observation units.

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