Crop-optimized irrigation system for digital agriculture

Abstract

An irrigation system comprises: an environmental measuring device installed at an agricultural site to collect environmental information of the agricultural site; an irrigation system database that stores the environmental information collected by the environmental measuring device; an analysis module that generates operational information necessary to control the irrigation device based on the environmental information stored in the irrigation system database; an operational information transmission module that transmits the operational information generated by the analysis module to the irrigation device; and an irrigation device that supplies water to the agricultural site based on the generated operational information.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The technology described below relates to an irrigation system that can be used for cultivating crops.

[0002] This application is the result of research conducted with funding from the government (Ministry of Science and ICT) and support from the Korea Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation as follows.

[0003] 1. Project No.: 1711193344, Research Project Name: Fostering Regional Intelligent Innovation Talent (Grand ICT Research Center), Research Project Name: Grand ICT Research Center (Suncheon National University).

[0004] 2. Project ID: 1711198848, Research Project Name: Fostering Innovative Talents in Information and Communication Broadcasting, Research Project Title: Implementation of Smart Distribution for Low-Carbon Agriculture Technology and Value Enhancement of Wellness Agri-foods (Suncheon University). Background Technology

[0005] Irrigation refers to the supply and management of water used in the agricultural industry. It is one of the crucial processes for cultivating crops effectively. Effective irrigation ensures that water is used efficiently to meet the moisture requirements of crops while preventing water waste. This allows for the maximization of agricultural productivity. If irrigation is not performed properly, the health of the crops may be compromised. Prior art literature

[0006] Korean Published Patent Application 10-2009-0042575 The problem to be solved

[0007] Conventional agricultural irrigation methods have tended to be primarily passive and follow fixed patterns, failing to consider diverse environmental conditions and crop characteristics. Furthermore, these methods resulted in significant water waste and had a severe impact on crop productivity, particularly under extreme climatic conditions such as drought or excessive rainfall. Additionally, conventional methods have limitations in optimizing crop growth conditions because they fail to adequately account for various factors, including soil type, crop type, growth stage, and climatic conditions.

[0008] With the recent development of IoT technologies such as artificial intelligence, smart farm technologies that apply these to agriculture are being developed. Smart farm technology can be a technology that efficiently manages farms based on various data measured in the agricultural field.

[0009] The technology described below aims to disclose an irrigation system capable of optimal irrigation by analyzing soil conditions and weather information. means of solving the problem

[0010] An irrigation system comprises: an environmental measuring device installed at an agricultural site to collect environmental information of the agricultural site; an irrigation system database that stores the environmental information collected by the environmental measuring device; an analysis module that generates operational information necessary to control the irrigation device based on the environmental information stored in the irrigation system database; an operational information transmission module that transmits the operational information generated by the analysis module to the irrigation device; and an irrigation device that supplies water to the agricultural site based on the generated operational information. Effects of the invention

[0012] By utilizing the technology described below, water can be automatically supplied to and managed in farmlands without manual intervention. This saves manpower and resources required for watering crops.

[0013] The technology described below can enhance agricultural sustainability and promote the efficient use of water resources. This allows for a departure from conventional, passive, and uniform irrigation methods, enabling the precise supply of water tailored to the specific requirements of crops. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0014] Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an irrigation system. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of one embodiment of an irrigation system irrigating an agricultural site. Figure 3 shows the configuration of one of the embodiments of an irrigation system. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0015] The technology described below may be subject to various modifications and may have various embodiments. Specific embodiments of the technology described below may be described in the drawings of the specification. However, this is for the purpose of explaining the technology described below and is not intended to limit the technology described below to specific embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the technology described below are included in the technology described below.

[0016] In the terms used below, singular expressions should be understood to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and terms such as "includes" should be understood to mean that the described features, number, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof exist, and not to exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0017] Before providing a detailed description of the drawings, it is to clarify that the classification of components in this specification is merely based on the primary function each component is responsible for. That is, two or more components described below may be combined into a single component, or a single component may be divided into two or more components based on more subdivided functions. Furthermore, each component described below may additionally perform some or all of the functions of other components in addition to its own primary function, and it is obvious that some of the primary functions of each component may be exclusively performed by other components.

[0018] Furthermore, in performing the method or operation method, each process constituting the method may occur differently from the specified order unless a specific order is clearly indicated in the context. That is, each process may occur in the same order as specified, may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in the reverse order.

[0019] Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an irrigation system.

[0020] Irrigation systems can be implemented in various physical forms. For example, an irrigation system can take the form of a PC, laptop, smart device, server, or chipset dedicated to data processing.

[0021] The irrigation system may include an agricultural site (100), an environmental measuring device (200), an analysis device (300), and an irrigation device (400).

[0022] The agricultural site (100) may include a site where agricultural industry is taking place. In one embodiment, the agricultural site (100) may include a smart greenhouse (101), a smart open field (102), and indoor agriculture (103).

[0023] The agricultural site (100) may be a site where the irrigation system attempts to control irrigation. That is, the irrigation system may be a system that automatically waters the soil, etc., when there is a lack of moisture in the agricultural site without human intervention.

[0024] The environmental measuring device (200) may be a device installed at an agricultural site (100) to collect various environmental information of the agricultural site (100).

[0025] The environmental measuring device (200) may include a soil information measuring sensor (201). The soil information measuring sensor (200) may measure soil information of an agricultural site (100). The soil information may include information about the soil in which plants are growing. In one embodiment, the soil information may include information such as the type of soil (sand, soil, etc.), the pH of the soil, the organic matter content of the soil, the moisture content of the soil, the physical properties of the soil, the microbial information of the soil, and the thickness of the soil.

[0026] The environmental measuring device (200) may include a weather information measuring sensor (202). The soil information measuring sensor (201) may measure weather information of an agricultural site. The weather information may include information about the weather at an agricultural site where plants are growing. In one embodiment, the weather information may include information such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, sunlight, and snowfall.

[0027] The analysis device (300) may be a device that generates operation information necessary to control the watering device (400) from environmental information.

[0028] The analysis device (300) may include an irrigation system database (301), an analysis module (302), an operation information transmission module (303), an abnormal situation notification module (304), and an operation result and crop status output module (305).

[0029] The irrigation system database (301) can store environmental information measured by the environmental measuring device (200). Additionally, the irrigation system database (301) can store the results analyzed by the analysis module (302). That is, the irrigation system database (301) can store operational information generated by the analysis module. The results analyzed by the analysis module (302) can be used when updating or updating the analysis module (302) in the future.

[0030] The analysis module (302) may be a module that generates operation information necessary to control the irrigation device (400) from environmental information. Specifically, the analysis module (302) may be a module that analyzes environmental information stored in the irrigation system database (301) and then generates operation information capable of controlling the operation of the irrigation device (400) to achieve optimal irrigation conditions.

[0031] The analysis module may utilize artificial intelligence (AI)-based models. Artificial intelligence can refer to the field of researching artificial intelligence or methodologies capable of creating it. Machine learning is a field of AI technology that can be an algorithm enabling computers to analyze data; it is a technical method that allows computing devices to learn from data to understand specific objects or conditions, or to identify and classify data patterns. Machine learning models can be of various types. For example, machine learning models may include decision trees, RF (random forest), KNN (K-nearest neighbor), Naive Bayes, SVM (support vector machine), and ANN (artificial neural network). The aforementioned ANN can be a DNN (Deep Neural Network), which may include CNN (Convolutional Neural Network), RNN (Recurrent Neural Network), RBM (Restricted Boltzmann Machine), DBN (Deep Belief Network), GAN (Generative Adversarial Network), and RL (Relation Networks).

[0032] Operation information may be a signal necessary to control the irrigation device (400). In one embodiment, the operation information may include information regarding the operating time of the irrigation device (400), the amount of water supplied by the irrigation device (400), the frequency of operation of the irrigation device (400), the type of water supplied by the irrigation device (400), and the area where the irrigation device (400) supplies water.

[0033] The operation information transmission module (303) may be a module that transmits operation information generated by the analysis module (302). The operation information transmission module (303) may transmit operation information to the irrigation system database (301), the abnormal situation notification module (304), and the operation result and crop status output module (305). The operation information transmission module (303) may transmit operation information to the irrigation device (400).

[0034] The abnormal situation notification module (304) may be a module that notifies when a problem occurs during the operation of the irrigation system. In one embodiment, the abnormal situation notification module (304) may notify the manager that an abnormal situation has occurred through sound, etc. Alternatively, the abnormal situation notification module (304) may notify the manager that an abnormal situation has occurred through text, etc., to the manager's personal device (mobile phone, etc.). Alternatively, the abnormal situation notification module (304) may notify the manager that an abnormal situation has occurred through a device capable of outputting visual information, such as a display.

[0035] The operation result and crop status output module (305) may be a module that outputs the operation results generated by the analysis module (302). Alternatively, the operation result and crop status output module (305) may be a module that outputs the current status of the crops. Based on the results output by the operation result and crop status output module (305), the manager can determine what operations are currently being performed or what the current status of the crops is. Through this, the manager can check whether the irrigation system is operating properly or if there are areas that need improvement.

[0036] The irrigation device (400) may be a device that supplies water to an agricultural site. The irrigation device (400) may be installed at an agricultural site. The irrigation device (400) may be a device that irrigates an agricultural site based on operation information generated by the analysis device (300). In one embodiment, the irrigation device (400) may be a device that supplies water to an agricultural site through a device such as a sprinkler. Alternatively, the irrigation device (400) may be a device that supplies water to an agricultural site using an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a flowchart (500) of one embodiment of an irrigation system irrigating an agricultural site.

[0038] The environmental measuring device (200) can collect various environmental information of the agricultural site (100) (510). As described above, the environmental measuring device (200) may include a soil information measuring sensor (201) and a weather information measuring sensor (2020). Thus, the environmental information may include soil information and weather information.

[0039] Environmental information collected by the environmental measuring device (200) can be stored in the irrigation system database (301) (520).

[0040] The analysis module (302) can generate operation information necessary to control the irrigation device by analyzing environmental information stored in the irrigation system database (301) (530). As described above, the analysis module (302) can generate operation information using an artificial intelligence-based model.

[0041] The irrigation device (400) can supply water to the agricultural site (100) based on the generated operation information (540).

[0042] The irrigation system database (301) can store generated operation information (550). By storing the generated operation information in the irrigation system database, it can be compared with previously generated operation information. Through this, the analysis module can be adjusted so that better operation information can be generated.

[0043] Fig. 3 shows the configuration of one of another embodiments of an irrigation system.

[0044] The watering system (600) may include an input device (610), a storage device (620), a computing device (630), an output device (640), an interface device (650), and a communication device (660).

[0045] The input device (610) may include an interface device (keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, etc.) for receiving certain commands or data. The input device (610) may include a configuration for receiving information through a separate storage device (USB, CD, hard disk, etc.). The input device (610) may receive input data through a separate measuring device or through a separate DB. The input device (610) may receive data via wired or wireless communication through a communication device (660). The input device (610) may receive environmental information. The environmental information may include soil information and weather information.

[0046] The storage device (620) can be a device for storing certain information. The storage device (620) can store information received through the input device (610). The storage device (620) can store information generated during the process of computation by the computation device (630). That is, the storage device (620) can include memory. The storage device (620) can store environmental information. The storage device (620) can store an artificial intelligence-based model. The storage device (620) can store an irrigation system database.

[0047] The computing device (630) may be a device such as a processor, AP, or a chip with an embedded program that processes data and performs certain calculations. The computing device (630) may be a device that performs calculations necessary during the operation of the irrigation system. The computing device (630) may generate operation information based on environmental information. The computing device (630) may determine whether a problem has occurred during the operation of the irrigation system. The computing device (630) may determine whether to report the problem that has occurred.

[0048] The output device (640) may be a device that outputs certain information. The output device (640) may output interfaces required for data processing, input data, analysis results, etc. The output device (640) may be implemented in various physical forms, such as a display, a document output device, a speaker, etc. The output device (640) may output information stored in the storage device (630). The output device (640) may output information generated during the process of calculation by the calculation device (630). The output device (640) may output the result calculated by the calculation device (630). The output device (640) may output operation results. The output device (640) may be a module that outputs what the current crop condition is. The output device (640) may know what operation the current irrigation device is performing or what the current crop condition is.

[0049] The interface device (650) may be a device that receives certain commands and data from the outside. The interface device (650) may receive control signals for controlling the irrigation system (600). The interface device (650) may output the results analyzed by the irrigation system (600).

[0050] The communication device (660) may refer to a configuration that receives and transmits certain information via a wired or wireless network. The communication device (660) can perform network communication such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), NFC (Near Field Communication), USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), LAN (Local Area Network), etc. The communication device (660) can receive control signals necessary to control the irrigation system (600). The communication device (660) can transmit the results analyzed by the irrigation system (600). The communication device (660) can communicate with the manager's personal terminal. The communication device (660) can transmit alarm information to notify the manager of an abnormal situation.

Claims

Claim 1 An environmental measuring device installed at an agricultural site to collect environmental information of the agricultural site; an irrigation system database that stores environmental information collected by the environmental measuring device; an analysis module that generates operational information necessary to control an irrigation device based on environmental information stored in the irrigation system database; an abnormal situation notification module that notifies of a problem if a problem occurs during the operation of the irrigation system; and an operational information transmission module that transmits the operational information generated by the analysis module to the irrigation device. An irrigation system comprising: an irrigation device that supplies water to the agricultural site based on the operation information generated above; wherein the agricultural site includes a smart greenhouse, a smart open field, and indoor agriculture; wherein the environmental measuring device includes a soil information measuring sensor and a weather information measuring sensor, and the soil information measured by the soil information measuring sensor includes soil type, soil pH, soil organic matter content, soil moisture content, soil physical properties, soil microbial information, and soil thickness information; wherein the weather information measured by the weather information measuring sensor includes temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall amount, atmospheric pressure, sunlight amount, and snowfall amount; and wherein the operation information includes information regarding the operating time of the irrigation device, the amount of water supplied, the frequency of operation, the type of water supplied, and the area where water is supplied. Claim 2 In claim 1, the analysis module generates operation information from the environment information using an artificial intelligence-based model, an irrigation system. Claim 3 An irrigation system according to claim 1, further comprising an operation result and crop status output module that outputs operation information generated by the analysis module. Claim 4 A step in which an environmental measuring device collects environmental information of an agricultural site; a step in which the environmental information collected by the environmental measuring device is stored in an irrigation system database; a step in which an analysis module analyzes the environmental information stored in the irrigation system database and generates operational information necessary to control the irrigation device; a step in which an operational information transmission module transmits the operational information generated by the analysis module to the irrigation device; a step in which an abnormal situation notification module notifies of a problem if a problem occurs during the operation of the irrigation system; and a step in which the irrigation device supplies water to the agricultural site based on the generated operational information. A method for irrigating an agricultural site using an irrigation system, comprising the step of storing the operation information generated by the irrigation system database; wherein the agricultural site includes a smart greenhouse, a smart open field, and indoor agriculture, and the environmental measuring device includes a soil information measuring sensor and a weather information measuring sensor, wherein the soil information measured by the soil information measuring sensor includes soil type, soil pH, soil organic matter content, soil moisture content, soil physical properties, soil microbial information, and soil thickness information, and the weather information measured by the weather information measuring sensor includes temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall amount, atmospheric pressure, sunlight amount, and snowfall amount, and the operation information includes information on the operating time of the irrigation device, the amount of water supplied, the frequency of operation, the type of water supplied, and the region supplying water.

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