Quality measurement system for fruit and vegetable, method for switching calibration curve, and computer program

Abstract

A system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a quality measurement system that includes a server and a measurement device for measuring qualities of fruits and vegetables. The server comprises: a storage device that stores a data set including a calibration curve for each of planting positions of the fruits and vegetables; a communication device that receives position information of the measurement device; and a control device that executes, on the basis of the received position information of the measurement device, a process for determining the calibration curve to be used for measuring the qualities.

Description

Fruit and vegetable quality measurement system, calibration curve switching method, and computer program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a quality measurement system for fruits and vegetables, a calibration curve switching method, and a computer program. This application claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2023-215773 filed on December 21, 2023, and incorporates all of the contents of the Japanese application by reference.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for switching a calibration model depending on the maturity of a sample specimen in an analytical method for quantifying components of a sample specimen such as grapes by irradiating the sample specimen with light of a predetermined wavelength and measuring the spectrum. Patent Document 2 describes a measurement method for irradiating fruit or vegetable with light from a light source and receiving the reflected light to measure the sugar content of the fruit or vegetable, in which an estimation model for estimating the sugar content corresponding to the fruit or vegetable is created and the sugar content is measured.

[0003] International Publication No. 2009 / 038206 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-95598

[0004] A system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a quality measurement system including a device for measuring the quality of fresh produce and a server, wherein the server includes a memory device that stores a dataset including a calibration curve for each planting location of the fresh produce, a communication device that receives location information of the measuring device, and a control device that executes a process to determine the calibration curve to be used for measuring the quality based on the received location information of the measuring device.

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be realized by an apparatus, a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or any combination thereof. The recording medium may be either volatile or non-volatile. The apparatus may be composed of multiple individual devices. When composed of multiple individual devices, they may be arranged in a single housing or may be arranged separately in two or more separate housings.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram of the entire system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a measurement device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a measurement head. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information providing server. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a calibration curve determination process in embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation in embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a calibration curve determination process in embodiment 2. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation in embodiment 2. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a calibration curve determination process and a quality determination process in embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation in embodiment 3. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a calibration curve determination process and a quality determination process in embodiment 4. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation in embodiment 4.

[0007] <Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure> It is known that the quality of fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, varies depending on the soil conditions at the planting location and the time of day the fruits and vegetables are harvested. However, the above-mentioned patent documents do not anticipate switching calibration curves depending on the planting location or the time of day the fruits and vegetables are harvested. Therefore, if the same calibration curve is uniformly applied to multiple fruits and vegetables that are planted at different locations or harvested at different times to measure their quality, the measurement accuracy may be reduced, and the quality of the fruits and vegetables may not be measured appropriately.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present disclosure aims to make it possible to appropriately measure the quality of fruits and vegetables.

[0009] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the present disclosure, the quality of fruits and vegetables can be appropriately measured.

[0010] <Outline of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> The following is a list and description of outlines of embodiments of the present disclosure. (1) A system according to one aspect of the present embodiment is a quality measurement system including a fruit and vegetable quality measurement device and a server, wherein the server includes a storage device that stores a data set including a calibration curve for each planting location of the fruit and vegetable, a communication device that receives location information of the measurement device, and a control device that executes processing to determine the calibration curve to be used in measuring the quality based on the received location information of the measurement device.

[0011] According to the fruit and vegetable quality evaluation system of this embodiment, the server's control device executes a process to determine the calibration curve to be used for measuring the quality of the fruit and vegetable based on the location information of the measurement device, so that the appropriate calibration curve can be switched for each planting location of the fruit and vegetable, thereby enabling the quality of the fruit and vegetable to be measured appropriately.

[0012] (2) In the quality measurement system for fruits and vegetables of this embodiment, the planting location may be information associated with information about a field area where the fruits and vegetables are grown.

[0013] The reason for this is that the quality of fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, is thought to vary depending on the field in which the fruits and vegetables are grown. The planting location may also be linked to the location of the tree. However, since managing calibration curves for each tree would require a huge amount of data, it is preferable to manage the planting location on a field-by-field basis in order to simplify data management.

[0014] (3) In the quality measurement system for fresh produce of this embodiment, the data set may further include the calibration curve of the planting location for each time period of a day, the communication device may further receive the time of measurement of the quality by the measurement device, and the control device may determine the calibration curve to be used for measuring the pre-quality based on the received location information of the measurement device and the time period including the received measurement time.

[0015] According to the fruit and vegetable quality measurement system of this embodiment, the server's control device executes a process to determine the calibration curve to be used for measuring the quality of the fruit and vegetable based on the location information of the measurement device and the time of day including the actual measurement time, so that the system can switch to an appropriate calibration curve for each time period in the fruit and vegetable planting location, thereby enabling the quality of the fruit and vegetable to be measured appropriately.

[0016] (4) In the quality measurement system for fresh produce of this embodiment, the data set may include the calibration curve for a first time period, which is a nighttime period at the planting location, and the calibration curve for a second time period, which is a time period other than the first time period at the planting location.

[0017] According to the fruit and vegetable quality measurement system of this embodiment, the data set includes a calibration curve for a first time period and a calibration curve for a second time period. Therefore, different calibration curves are used when measurements are performed during the first time period at night and when measurements are performed during the second time period at night. Therefore, an appropriate calibration curve can be used depending on whether the measurement time is night or not, allowing the quality of the fruit and vegetable to be measured appropriately. For example, when the fruit and vegetable is grapes, which are used to make wine, the quality of the grapes varies depending on the time of harvest. Therefore, accurate component detection is possible by using a calibration curve appropriate for the time period when the quality is most improved. In other words, by using a calibration curve appropriate for night harvest, the components at night harvest can be accurately determined.

[0018] (5) In the system for measuring the quality of fresh produce of this embodiment, the communication device may further receive the light level of the reflected light from the fresh produce acquired by the measuring device, and the control device may further execute a process for determining the quality of the fresh produce based on the received light level and the determined calibration curve.

[0019] According to the fruit and vegetable quality measurement system of this embodiment, the server's control device determines the quality of fruit and vegetables based on the light level received from the measurement device and the calibration curve it has determined. In this case, the measurement device does not need to determine the quality based on the calibration curve, and therefore there is no need to transmit the determined calibration curve to the measurement device. This reduces the processing load on the measurement device.

[0020] (6) In the system for measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables according to the present embodiment, the quality may be at least one of the sugar content, acidity, and pH of the fruits and vegetables. In this case, at least one of the sugar content, acidity, and pH of the fruits and vegetables can be appropriately measured.

[0021] (7) In the price estimation device of this embodiment, the fruit or vegetable may be grapes. In this case, the quality of the grapes can be appropriately measured.

[0022] (8) A method according to one aspect of this embodiment is a calibration curve switching method executed in any one of the fruit and vegetable quality measurement systems (1) to (7) described above. Therefore, the calibration curve switching method of this embodiment has the same effects as any one of the fruit and vegetable quality measurement systems (1) to (7) described above.

[0023] (9) A computer program according to one aspect of this embodiment is a computer program for causing a computer to function as a server of the fruit and vegetable quality measurement system described in any one of (1) to (7) above. Therefore, the computer program of this embodiment achieves the same effects as the fruit and vegetable quality measurement system described in any one of (1) to (7) above.

[0024] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> [Definition of terms] The definitions of terms mainly used in this specification are as follows: "Fruits and vegetables": refers to agricultural products such as vegetables or fruits. Fruits and vegetables include, for example, grapes, mandarin oranges, apples, strawberries, watermelons, and tomatoes. "Quality": refers to the quality of fruits and vegetables. Quality includes, for example, the sugar content, acidity, pH, and levels of components such as polyphenols of fruits and vegetables, as well as the degree of internal damage of fruits and vegetables.

[0025] "Calibration curve": A graph showing the relationship between measurement data obtained by non-destructive measurement of fruits and vegetables and the quality of the fruits and vegetables, or an approximation formula that approximates the graph. "Null": A type of expression that indicates a state in which the desired data is not included in a database, etc.

[0026] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0027] [Overall System Configuration] Figure 1 is a network configuration diagram of the entire system. In Figure 1, fruit and vegetable quality measurement system 1 has a function of measuring the quality of fruit and vegetables grown in field F. Field F includes, for example, divided fields f1 to f9. Various fruit and vegetables, such as grapes, mandarin oranges, apples, strawberries, watermelons, and tomatoes, are planted in each field.

[0028] Even though they are the same grapes, different varieties, such as Merlot and Chardonnay, are grown. For this reason, it can be difficult to tell at a glance what variety is planted. The quality measurement system 1 measures the quality of grapes that bear fruit on trees JM. More specifically, the quality measurement system 1 determines the quality of the fruits and vegetables being measured by analysis using near-infrared light. The quality of fruits and vegetables is a value based on various components of the fruits and vegetables. Quality includes sugar content, acidity, pH, polyphenols, etc.

[0029] The quality measurement system 1 includes a measurement device 2 and an information providing server 3 (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "server"). The measurement device 2 is a device for measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables, and may be configured in a size and shape that allows a worker 4 to easily carry it to a field F. The worker 4 carries the measurement device 2 to the field F and uses the measurement device 2 to measure the quality of fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, in field f1, for example.

[0030] The measuring device 2 has a function of acquiring spectral information in the near-infrared region contained in the reflected light and transmitted light of the fruits and vegetables. The spectral information in the near-infrared region includes information indicating the quality of the fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the measuring device 2 outputs the quality of the fruits and vegetables as a measurement result based on the spectral information in the near-infrared region. The measuring device 2 will be described in detail later. Note that the spectral information refers to information indicating the relationship between wavelength and light intensity in a wavelength region from a first wavelength to a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength.

[0031] The measurement device 2 and the information providing server 3 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network NW such as the Internet. The measurement device 2 has a communication function using, for example, a mobile communication system. The measurement device 2 is connected to the network NW via a wireless base station BS of the mobile communication system.

[0032] The information providing server 3 has a function of providing calibration curve data for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables based on the output of the measuring device 2. The calibration curve is a graph for deriving the quality (sugar content, acidity, etc.) of fruits and vegetables from the level of light of a predetermined wavelength contained in the spectral information in the near-infrared region, for example, but it may also be an equation that approximates the graph.

[0033] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a measuring device 2. The measuring device 2 is a device for measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables that communicates with an information providing server 3. The measuring device 2 includes a measuring head 21 that projects light of a predetermined wavelength onto the fruits and vegetables and receives the reflected light, a processing unit 24 that determines a quality measurement value based on the received light level and a calibration curve, and a communication unit 26 that transmits location information of the measuring device itself to the server 3 and receives, from the server 3, a calibration curve corresponding to the planting location of the fruits and vegetables.

[0034] As described above, the measuring device 2 is a device for measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables SK, and outputs the quality of the fruits and vegetables as a result based on spectral information in the near-infrared region. Specifically, the measuring device 2 irradiates the fruits and vegetables SK with light, receives the light that is transmitted through and reflected by the fruits and vegetables SK, and outputs the quality of the fruits and vegetables as a result based on the level of light of a predetermined wavelength (received light level) contained in the spectral information of the received light.

[0035] 2, the measuring device 2 includes a measuring head 21, a light source 22, a spectroscope 23, a processing unit 24, a memory unit 25, a communication unit 26, a position acquisition unit 27, and a display unit 28. The measuring head 21 has a light-projecting unit 21a and a light-receiving unit 21b. The light-projecting unit 21a and the light source 22 are connected by an optical fiber. The light source 22 is, for example, a halogen lamp. Light from the light source 22 is guided to the light-projecting unit 21a of the measuring head 21 through the optical fiber. The light-projecting unit 21a irradiates the light from the light source 22 toward the fruit or vegetable SK, which is the object to be measured.

[0036] The light receiving unit 21b receives reflected light that is transmitted through and reflected from the fruit or vegetable SK. The reflected light received by the light receiving unit 21b is generated when light from the light projecting unit 21a is irradiated onto the fruit or vegetable SK. The light receiving unit 21b and the spectroscope 23 are connected by an optical fiber. The reflected light received by the light receiving unit 21b is guided to the spectroscope 23 via the optical fiber.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the measuring head 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the measuring head 21 has a head body 21c. The head body 21c is an annular member formed of, for example, resin. The head body 21c is configured so that an operator can hold it in their hand and point it at the fruit or vegetable, and is provided at the tip of, for example, a rod-shaped handle 31.

[0038] The light-projecting unit 21a is provided on the annular tip surface 21d of the head main body 21c. The light-projecting unit 21a is annular. When light from the light source 22 is applied to the light-projecting unit 21a, it is scattered inside and is then uniformly irradiated from the light-projecting unit 21a. The light-receiving unit 21b is provided in the hole 21e of the head main body 21c. The light-receiving unit 21b receives reflected light that has passed through the hole 21e.

[0039] When measuring the fruit or vegetable SK using the measuring device 2, it is necessary to irradiate the fruit or vegetable SK with light using the light projecting unit 21a, and therefore it is necessary to bring the measuring head 21 close to the fruit or vegetable SK. When measuring the fruit or vegetable SK using the measuring device 2, the measuring head 21 is placed in the measurement position as shown in FIG.

[0040] When the measurement head 21 is placed in the measurement position close to the fruit or vegetable SK, light from the light projector 21a is irradiated onto the fruit or vegetable SK. The light irradiated onto the fruit or vegetable SK passes through the fruit or vegetable SK, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3, and reflected light is generated. The reflected light passes through the hole 21e and is received by the light receiver 21b.

[0041] 2, the spectroscope 23 has a function of spectrally separating reflected light and a function of receiving light of converting the reflected light into a signal corresponding to the received light level. When the spectroscope 23 receives the reflected light received by the light receiving unit 21b, it outputs the received light level of a predetermined wavelength obtained by separating the reflected light. The function of spectrally separating reflected light is provided by, for example, a diffraction grating, a Fabry-Perot interferometer, or the like. The received light level output by the spectroscope 23 is output to the processing unit 24.

[0042] The processing unit 24 is, for example, a processor suitable for computer control, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0043] The processing unit 24 realizes various processing functions by executing a computer program stored in a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as the storage unit 25 described below. The processing unit 24 has a function of controlling the light source 22 and the spectroscope 23 based on control commands and the like provided from the storage unit 25. The processing unit 24 is also connected to an input device (not shown) that accepts operational input, and the processing unit 24 also has a function of controlling the light source 22 and the spectroscope 23 based on operational input from an operator.

[0044] The processing unit 24 further has a function of executing a quality determination process 29. The quality determination process 29 is a process for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables based on the light reception level of the measuring head 21 and a calibration curve. Details will be described later.

[0045] The storage unit 25 is, for example, a flash memory, a solid state drive (SSD), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The storage unit 25 stores computer programs to be executed by the processing unit 24 and necessary information.

[0046] The communication unit 26 is a communication interface that allows communication with an external device via a network NW such as the Internet. The communication with the external device may be wireless or wired.

[0047] The position acquisition unit 27 acquires the longitude and latitude of the device on the ground by using, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) or Ultra-Wide Band (UWB).

[0048] The display unit 28 performs a predetermined display under the control of the processing unit 24. The display unit 28 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 28 may be configured as a liquid crystal display with a touch panel together with the input unit.

[0049] [Information Providing Server] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information providing server 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the information providing server 3 is a type of information processing device having a control device 41, a communication device 42, and a storage device 43.

[0050] The control device 41 is, for example, a CPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or any other processor suitable for computer control. The control device 41 has a function of executing a calibration curve determination process 44. The calibration curve determination process 44 is a process of determining a planting position based on position information and determining a calibration curve corresponding to the determined planting position. Details will be described later.

[0051] The communication device 42 is a communication interface that allows communication with an external device via a network NW such as the Internet. The communication with the external device may be wireless or wired.

[0052] The storage device 43 is, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk, an SSD, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The storage device 43 stores computer programs to be executed by the control device 41 and necessary information. The control device 41 realizes various processing functions of the control device 41 by executing computer programs stored in a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as the storage device 43. The storage device 43 also stores calibration curve datasets CDi. Table 1 is an example of a calibration curve dataset (DS).

[0053]

[0054] The calibration curve dataset CDi is a dataset that compiles calibration curves for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables. The calibration curve is, for example, graph data, and is data for deriving the quality (sugar content, acidity, etc.) of fruits and vegetables from the light reception level. As shown in Table 1, the calibration curve (graph) is expressed as multiple points, for example (i 10 ,q 10 ), (i 11 ,q 11 ), (i 12 ,q 12 ),... (i 10 ,q 10 ) is the light receiving level i 10 The quality (sugar content, etc.) is q 10 The calibration curve is not limited to a graph, but may be an approximate formula, for example. ０ +a １ x + a ２ x ２ +a ３ x ３ When expressed as +..., the calibration curve is expressed as data (i 10 ,q 10 ), (i 11 ,q 11 ), (i 12 ,q 12 ), (i 13 ,q 13 ),... instead of coefficient a ０ , a １ , a ２ , a ３. . , and the coefficients are stored in the storage device 43.

[0055] In the calibration curve data set CDi, the calibration curve is associated with the planting position and field area information. The planting position is identification information that identifies each field. For example, in Table 1, the planting positions are 1 to 3. The field with the planting position 1 corresponds to, for example, the field indicated by f1 in Figure 5. The field area information is information that indicates the land boundaries on the surface of each field. The field area information is information that includes, for example, multiple longitudes and latitudes of each corner where the field boundaries intersect. In other words, the extent of the field on the surface is expressed as a polygon. As shown in Table 1, the field area information for the planting position 1 is, for example, (x 10 ,y 10 ), (x 11 ,y 11 ), (x 12 ,y 12 ),... and contains the longitude and latitude data of the four corners. For example, x 10 indicates the longitude, and y 10 The size of the field may be, for example, 1 hectare, or 1 m x 20 m corresponding to one ridge, or 1 m x 1 m corresponding to one tree.

[0056] [Regarding the Calibration Curve Determination Process] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the calibration curve determination process. As shown in Figure 5, in the calibration curve determination process, first, the information providing server 3 receives a calibration curve request RC from the measurement device 2. The calibration curve request RC is a command from the measurement device 2 to the information providing server 3 requesting that a calibration curve be sent. The calibration curve request RC includes location information GI indicating the location where the measurement device 2 measured the fruit or vegetable, and the location information GI includes Gx indicating the longitude and Gy indicating the latitude.

[0057] Next, the control device 41 of the information providing server 3 searches the calibration curve data set CDi based on the location information GI to obtain the planting location.

[0058] The control device 41 searches the calibration curve data set CDi based on the position information GI included in the calibration curve request RC and determines which field area the position information GI is included in. Specifically, for example, the control device 41 first reads the first field area information from the calibration curve data set CDi. Then, the control device 41 determines whether the position information GI included in the received calibration curve request RC is within the field area defined by the longitude and latitude of each corner included in the field area information, and determines the planting position.

[0059] 5, for example, the position information GI (Gx, Gy) is assumed to be within field f1 and is determined to be included in field f1. If it is determined that the position information GI is not within the area of ​​the field, the control device 41 reads the next field area information and determines whether the position information GI is within the area of ​​the field. Then, after reading all the field area information, if it is determined that the position information GI is not within the area of ​​any field, it is determined that the calibration curve dataset does not contain data corresponding to the position information GI.

[0060] Next, the control device 41 reads out the calibration curve Ci from the storage device 43 in which the calibration curve data set is stored, based on the determined planting location. The read-out calibration curve Ci is associated with the field area information for which the position information GI is determined to be within the field area. The control device 41 then creates a calibration curve response AC including the read-out calibration curve Ci. Note that if the control device 41 determines that the calibration curve data set does not contain data corresponding to the position information GI, the control device 41 creates a calibration curve response AC including information indicating that the calibration curve data set does not contain data corresponding to the position information GI (hereinafter referred to as Null information).

[0061] [Quality Determination Process] The processing unit 24 of the measuring device 2 executes a quality determination process 29 that determines the quality of fruits and vegetables based on the light reception level of the measuring head 21 and the calibration curve. The light reception level of the measuring head 21 is, for example, the level of light of a predetermined wavelength contained in the spectral information of the received light, which is obtained by irradiating light onto the fruits and vegetables SK and receiving the reflected light that has passed through the fruits and vegetables SK with the spectroscope 23. The calibration curve is determined by the calibration curve determination process 44 as described above and transmitted from the information providing server 3.

[0062] If the calibration curve is a graph, the quality determination process 29 refers to the graph, finds the quality (sugar content, etc.) corresponding to the light reception level output by the spectroscope 23, and determines the quality (sugar content, etc.) of the measured fruit or vegetable. If the calibration curve is an approximation formula that approximates the graph, the light reception level is substituted into the approximation formula to determine the quality (sugar content, etc.).

[0063] 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the measurement device 2 and the information providing server 3. The measurement device 2 starts a measurement operation when, for example, a measurement start button (not shown) provided on the measurement device 2 is pressed.

[0064] [Step S11] As shown in Fig. 6, when measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables, the measuring device 2 first acquires its own location information GI (step S11 in Fig. 6). Specifically, the processing unit 24 transmits a command (hereinafter referred to as a location information request) to the location acquisition unit 27 connected via, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) requesting that the measuring device 2 transmit location information GI indicating the location of the measuring device on the Earth's surface.

[0065] The position acquisition unit 27 is, for example, a GPS receiver, and receives radio waves from GPS satellites orbiting the Earth, and identifies the longitude Gx and latitude Gy of the device. When the position acquisition unit 27 receives a position information request from the processing unit 24, it transmits position information GI indicating the longitude Gx and latitude Gy of the device to the processing unit 24. The processing unit 24 receives the position information GI from the position acquisition unit 27 and acquires the position information. While the acquisition of position information by GPS has been described, this is not limiting, and the position may also be identified by, for example, UWB. After acquiring the position information, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S12.

[0066] [Step S12] Next, the measuring device 2 transmits a calibration curve request RC to the information providing server 3 (step S12). Specifically, for example, the processing unit 24 of the measuring device 2 controls the communication unit 26 to transmit the calibration curve request RC. The calibration curve request RC is a command requesting transmission of a calibration curve. The calibration curve request RC includes location information GI and requests transmission of a calibration curve for the field corresponding to the longitude Gx and latitude Gy indicated by the location information GI. After the calibration curve request RC has been transmitted, proceed to step S13.

[0067] [Step S13] Next, upon receiving the calibration curve request RC, the information providing server 3 executes the calibration curve determination process 44 (step S13). As described above, the calibration curve determination process 44 determines a calibration curve for the field corresponding to the location information GI included in the received calibration curve request RC. The calibration curve determination process 44 then creates a calibration curve response AC including the determined calibration curve. After creating the calibration curve response AC, the information providing server 3 proceeds to step S14.

[0068] [Step S14] Next, the information providing server 3 controls the communication device 42 to transmit a calibration curve response AC. The calibration curve response AC includes the read-out calibration curve Ci. The communication device 42 transmits the calibration curve response AC to the measurement device 2 that transmitted the calibration curve request RC. The measurement device 2 then receives the transmitted calibration curve response AC. After receiving the calibration curve response AC, the measurement device 2 proceeds to step S15.

[0069] [Step S15] Next, the measuring device 2 determines whether the information contained in the received calibration curve response AC is null information (step S15). If it is determined to be null information (YES in step S15), the measuring device 2 terminates its operation. For example, if the measuring device 2 is mistakenly operated outside a field, there is no calibration curve corresponding to the position information, and so the measuring device 2 terminates its operation. If it is determined not to be null information (NO in step S15), the measuring device 2 proceeds to step S16.

[0070] [Step S16] Next, the measuring device 2 acquires the light reception level of the measuring head 21, which projects light of a predetermined wavelength onto the fruit or vegetable and receives the reflected light (step S16). Specifically, the processing unit 24 controls the light source 22 and the spectroscope 23 to receive a signal corresponding to the light reception level of the light received by the measuring head 21. The measuring head 21 outputs a signal corresponding to the light reception level of the received light.

[0071] The signal corresponding to the light reception level is an analog signal such as a voltage or current. The analog signal is converted into digital information by an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) provided outside or inside the processing unit 24. The processing unit 24 receives the converted digital signal to obtain the light reception level of the measurement head 21. After obtaining the light reception level of the measurement head 21, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S17.

[0072] [Step S17] Next, the measuring device 2 executes the quality determination process 29 described above to determine the measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the acquired light reception level of the measuring head 21 and the calibration curve Ci included in the received calibration curve response AC (step S17). The processing unit 24 controls the display unit 28 to display the measurement value on the liquid crystal display. The determined measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable is displayed on the display unit 28.

[0073] [Summary] As explained above, after the measurement start button of the measuring device 2 is pressed and the measurement operation is started, the measurement values ​​of the quality of the fruits and vegetables are displayed on the display unit 28 of the measuring device 2 without the operator having to perform any additional operations, making it easy to measure the quality of the fruits and vegetables.

[0074] Furthermore, even if the quality of the same variety varies depending on the field, ridge, or tree, a calibration curve is determined for each field, etc., so even in such cases, the quality can be determined using the calibration curve corresponding to the field, etc. Furthermore, even if the variety is different but the fruit or vegetable is similar in appearance, such as grapes, a calibration curve is determined for each field, so measuring the wrong variety is prevented.

[0075] When measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables continuously, the calibration curve received the first time may be used for measuring the quality of the fruits and vegetables from the second time onwards. Whether measurements are continuous or not is determined, for example, by whether the measurement start button is pressed within a predetermined period of time before the measurement start button is pressed. The predetermined period is, for example, one minute. If the measurement start button is pressed again within one minute, it is determined that measurements are continuous, and if it is one minute or more, it is determined that measurements are not continuous.

[0076] If the measuring device 2 determines that the measurement is continuous, after the measurement start button is pressed and the measurement operation is started, it immediately executes step S15 without executing steps S11, S12, and S14, obtains the light reception level from the measuring head 21, and executes the quality determination process 29 of step S16 using the calibration curve received the first time to determine the measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable.

[0077] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in that a calibration curve is determined based on the time of measurement of the quality of fruits and vegetables. The rest is the same as embodiment 1. In the following, the same components as embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the same components, functions, and operations will be omitted.

[0078] [Regarding the Measuring Device] In the second embodiment, the measuring device 2 further includes a timer unit (not shown). The timer unit counts the time, including the date. The timer unit is backed up by a battery and always counts the time, regardless of whether the power to the measuring device 2 is on or off.

[0079] [Information Providing Server] In the second embodiment, the hardware configuration of the information providing server 3 is the same as in the first embodiment, but the configuration of the calibration curve dataset is different from that in the first embodiment. Table 2 is an example of the calibration curve dataset in the second embodiment.

[0080]

[0081] Compared to the calibration curve dataset in Table 1 of Embodiment 1, the calibration curve dataset in Table 2 of Embodiment 2 further includes a measurement time period. The calibration curve dataset of Embodiment 2 includes calibration curves for each planting location of fruits and vegetables for each time period of a day. For example, in the example shown in Table 2, calibration curves are stored in four sections, each six hours apart: 0:00 to 6:00, 6:00 to 12:00, 12:00 to 18:00, and 18:00 to 0:00.

[0082] Plants that produce fruits and vegetables are affected by factors such as sunlight and temperature throughout the day, and the quality (sugar content, etc.) of the fruits and vegetables changes accordingly. Therefore, by switching the calibration curve depending on the time of day, the quality of the fruits and vegetables can be measured more accurately. In Table 2, the time period is divided into four equal parts every six hours, but this is not limited to this, and the time period may be divided into six or eight equal parts. Furthermore, the length of each measurement time period may be varied, or the number of divisions and length of the measurement time period may be varied for each planting location.

[0083] In the example of Table 2, it is assumed that 0:00 JST is 0:00 in the measurement time zone, but this is not limited to this, and the measurement time zone may start from sunrise. In other words, the measurement time zone is divided based on sunrise. The measurement time is then converted into the number of hours that have passed since sunrise, and it is determined which measurement time zone it belongs to.

[0084] It is known that grapes harvested before dawn produce higher quality wine. It is also known that fruits and vegetables harvested in the morning, such as strawberries picked in the morning, are of higher quality. For this reason, measuring quality more accurately can be achieved by setting the measurement time based on sunrise.

[0085] The sunrise time can be calculated based on the date of measurement and the longitude and latitude of the measurement location. As described in the first embodiment, the measurement device 2 acquires location information from the location acquisition unit 27. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as will be described later, the measurement device 2 can transmit the time, including the date of measurement, to the information providing server 3.

[0086] Therefore, the measuring device 2 and the information providing server 3 can identify the sunrise time based on the location information and the measurement time. Therefore, even if the measurement time periods in the calibration curve database are divided based on sunrise time, the information providing server 3 can determine the calibration curve corresponding to the measurement time period based on sunrise time.

[0087] [Regarding the Calibration Curve Determination Process] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the calibration curve determination process in embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 7, in the calibration curve determination process, first, the information providing server 3 receives a calibration curve request RC from the measurement device 2. The calibration curve request RC is a command from the measurement device 2 requesting the information providing server 3 to send a calibration curve. The calibration curve request RC includes location information GI indicating the location where the measurement device 2 measured the fruit or vegetable, and the location information GI includes Gx indicating the longitude and Gy indicating the latitude. In embodiment 2, the calibration curve request RC also includes a measurement time T. The measurement time T is, for example, the time when the measurement start button on the measurement device 2 is pressed.

[0088] Next, the control device 41 searches the calibration curve data set CDij based on the location information GI contained in the calibration curve request RC in the same manner as described in embodiment 1, determines which field area the location information GI is included in, and determines the planting location.

[0089] Next, the control device 41 determines which of the measurement time periods associated with the determined crop location the measurement time T included in the received calibration curve request RC falls within. Specifically, the control device 41 reads out the first measurement time period from the calibration curve data set CDij. Then, it determines whether the measurement time T falls between the start and end times of the read measurement time period. If it determines that the measurement time T does not fall within the measurement time period, the control device 41 reads out the next measurement time period and determines whether the measurement time T falls within the read measurement time period. This process is repeated to determine which measurement time period the measurement time T belongs to.

[0090] Next, the control device 41 reads out the calibration curve Cij corresponding to the determined crop location and measurement time period from the storage device 43 in which the calibration curve data set CDij is stored. The communication device 42 transmits a calibration curve response AC to the measurement device 2. The calibration curve response AC includes the read-out calibration curve. The control device 41 controls the communication device 42 to transmit the calibration curve response AC to the measurement device 2 that transmitted the calibration curve request RC.

[0091] If the measurement time periods in the calibration curve database are divided based on sunrise time, the control device 41 first calculates the sunrise time based on the position information GI and measurement time T included in the calibration curve request RC received from the measurement device 2. In this case, the measurement time T must include the date. From the calculated sunrise time and measurement time T, the control device 41 calculates the hour and minutes after sunrise at which the measurement was performed (hereinafter, this time will be referred to as the corrected measurement time).

[0092] The control device 41 determines the measurement time period to which the corrected measurement time belongs. Then, the control device 41 reads out the calibration curve Cij corresponding to the determined planting position and the determined measurement time period from the storage device 43 in which the calibration curve data set CDij is stored. Then, the control device 41 generates a calibration curve response AC including the read-out calibration curve Cij.

[0093] [Operation of the Measuring Device and Information Providing Server] Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the measuring device 2 and the information providing server in embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 8, the measurement operation in embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in three respects. The first point is that a step for acquiring the measurement time has been added. The second point is that the calibration curve request RC further includes the measurement time. The third point is that the calibration curve determination process is performed including the measurement time, as described above. The differences will be mainly described below.

[0094] [Step S21] The measurement device 2 starts a measurement operation, for example, when a measurement start button (not shown) provided on the measurement device 2 is pressed. The measurement device 2 first acquires its own location information GI (step S21 in FIG. 8). The processing unit 24 receives the location information GI from the location acquisition unit 27 and acquires location information. Specifically, this is the same as step S11 in embodiment 1. After acquiring the location information, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S22.

[0095] [Step S22] Next, the measuring device 2 obtains the time when the measurement started (measurement time) from the timer unit. Specifically, the processing unit 24 accesses the timer unit when, for example, the measurement start button is pressed, and reads out the time counted by the timer unit. When using a calibration curve data set divided by measurement time periods based on sunrise time, the processing unit 24 reads out the time including the date. After reading out the time and obtaining the measurement time T, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S23.

[0096] [Step S23] Next, the measuring device 2 transmits a calibration curve request RC to the information providing server 3 (step S23). Specifically, this is the same as step S12 in embodiment 1. The calibration curve request RC includes location information GI and measurement time T, and requests transmission of a calibration curve corresponding to the longitude Gx, latitude Gy, and measurement time T indicated by the location information GI. After the calibration curve request RC has been transmitted, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0097] [Step S24] Next, upon receiving the calibration curve request RC, the information providing server 3 executes the calibration curve determination process 44 (step S24). As described above, the calibration curve determination process 44 determines the crop location corresponding to the location information GI included in the received calibration curve request RC and determines the measurement time period corresponding to the measurement time T. The calibration curve determination process 44 then reads the calibration curve Cij from the calibration curve data set CDij based on the determined crop location and measurement time period. The information providing server 3 then creates a calibration curve response AC including the calibration curve Cij, and transmits the calibration curve response AC to the measuring device 2. After creating the calibration curve response AC, the information providing server 3 proceeds to step S25.

[0098] [Step S25] Next, the information providing server 3 controls the communication device 42 to cause the communication device 42 to transmit a calibration curve response AC. The calibration curve response AC includes the calibration curve Cij read from the calibration curve dataset CDij. The communication device 42 transmits the calibration curve response AC to the measurement device 2 that transmitted the calibration curve request RC. The measurement device 2 receives the transmitted calibration curve response AC. After receiving the calibration curve response AC, the measurement device 2 proceeds to step S26.

[0099] [Step S26] Next, the measuring device 2 determines whether the information contained in the received calibration curve response AC is null information (step S26). If it is determined to be null information (YES in step S26), the measuring device 2 ends its operation. If it is determined not to be null information (NO in step S26), the measuring device 2 proceeds to step S27.

[0100] [Step S27] Next, the measuring device 2 acquires the light reception level of the measuring head 21, which projects light of a predetermined wavelength onto the fruit or vegetable and receives the reflected light (step S27). Specifically, this is the same as step S16 in embodiment 1. After acquiring the light reception level of the measuring head 21, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S28.

[0101] [Step S28] Next, the measuring device 2 executes the quality determination process 29 described in the first embodiment to determine the measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the acquired light reception level of the measuring head 21 and the calibration curve Cij included in the received calibration curve response AC (step S28). The processing unit 24 controls the display unit 28 to display the measurement value on the liquid crystal display. The determined measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable is displayed on the display unit 28.

[0102] [Summary] As described above, after the measurement start button of the measuring device 2 is pressed and the measurement operation is initiated, the measured values ​​of the quality of fruits and vegetables are displayed on the display unit 28 of the measuring device 2 without any additional operation by the operator, allowing the quality of fruits and vegetables to be easily measured. Furthermore, a calibration curve is determined corresponding to the measurement time, allowing for more accurate measurement of the quality of fruits and vegetables. In particular, the quality of fruits and vegetables whose quality (sugar content, etc.) increases in the morning or before sunrise can be measured more accurately.

[0103] [Embodiment 3] Embodiment 3 differs from embodiment 1 in three ways. First, the quality determination process is performed in the server 3. Second, as the quality determination process is performed in the server 3, the light reception level of the measuring head 21 is transmitted from the measuring device 2 to the server 3. Third, the response transmitted from the server 3 to the measuring device 2 is not a calibration curve but the quality of the fruit or vegetable determined by the server 3. The following description will focus on the differences, and the same components as in embodiment 1 will be assigned the same reference numerals, and a description of the same components, functions, and operations will be omitted.

[0104] [Regarding the Measuring Device] The hardware configuration of the measuring device 2 in the third embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, except that the processing unit 24 does not have the function of quality determination processing.

[0105] 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a calibration curve determination process and a quality determination process in embodiment 3. In embodiment 3, the hardware configuration of the information providing server 3 is the same as in embodiment 1, but the control device 41 has a function of a quality determination process in addition to a calibration curve determination process.

[0106] 9 , in the calibration curve determination process, the information providing server 3 first receives a measurement value request RM from the measurement device 2. The measurement value request RM is a command from the measurement device 2 requesting the information providing server 3 to send measurement values. The measurement value request RM includes location information GI indicating the location where the measurement device 2 measured the fruit or vegetable, and the location information GI includes Gx indicating the longitude and Gy indicating the latitude. The measurement value request RM also includes the light reception level I of the measurement head 21.

[0107] Next, the control device 41 searches the calibration curve data set CDi based on the position information GI to obtain the planting position.

[0108] The control device 41 searches the calibration curve dataset CDi based on the position information GI included in the measurement value request RM, and determines which field area the position information GI is included in, as shown in embodiment 1, and determines the planting position. If it determines that the position information GI is not included in any field area, it determines that the calibration curve dataset does not contain data corresponding to the position information GI. In Figure 9, for example, it is assumed that the position information GI (Gx, Gy) is included in field f1.

[0109] Next, the control device 41 reads out the calibration curve Ci from the storage device 43 in which the calibration curve data set CDi is stored, based on the determined planting location. The calibration curve Ci to be read out is the calibration curve Ci associated with the planting location determined to be within the field area based on the position information GI. In the case of Figure 9, the position information GI (Gx, Gy) is determined to be within the field f1, so the calibration curve C1 corresponding to the planting location "1" is read out.

[0110] [Quality Determination Process] Next, the control device 41 executes a quality determination process to determine the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the light reception level of the measuring head 21 received from the measuring device 2 and the read-out calibration curve Ci. The light reception level of the measuring head 21 is the level of light of a predetermined wavelength contained in the spectral information of the received light, which is obtained when the measuring device 2 irradiates the fruit or vegetable SK with light and the spectroscope 23 receives the reflected light that has passed through the fruit or vegetable SK. The calibration curve Ci is a calibration curve determined by the calibration curve determination process 44 described above.

[0111] In the quality determination process, if the calibration curve is a graph, the graph is referenced to find the quality (sugar content, etc.) corresponding to the light reception level output by the spectroscope 23, and the measured value of the quality (sugar content, etc.) of the measured fruit or vegetable is determined. If the calibration curve is an approximation formula that approximates the graph, the light reception level is substituted into the approximation formula to determine the measured value of the quality (sugar content, etc.). The control device 41 then creates a measurement value response AM that includes the determined measured value of the quality.

[0112] 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the measurement device 2 and the information providing server 3 in embodiment 3. The measurement device 2 starts a measurement operation when, for example, a measurement start button (not shown) provided on the measurement device 2 is pressed.

[0113] [Step S31] As shown in Figure 10, when measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables, the measuring device 2 first acquires its own location information GI (step S31 in Figure 10). Specifically, step S31 is the same as step S11 in embodiment 1. The processing unit 24 receives the location information GI from the location acquisition unit 27 and acquires the location information. After acquiring the location information, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S32.

[0114] [Step S32] Next, the measuring device 2 acquires the light reception level of the measuring head 21, which projects light of a predetermined wavelength onto the fruit or vegetable and receives the reflected light (step S32). Specifically, this is the same as step S16 in embodiment 1. After acquiring the light reception level of the measuring head 21, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S33.

[0115] [Step S33] Next, the measuring device 2 sends a measurement value request RM to the information providing server 3 (step S33). Specifically, the processing unit 24 of the measuring device 2 controls the communication unit 26 to send the measurement value request RM. The measurement value request RM is a command from the measuring device 2 to the information providing server 3 requesting that the measuring device 2 send a measurement value. The measurement value request RM includes location information GI indicating the location where the measuring device 2 measured the fruit or vegetable, and the location information GI includes Gx indicating the longitude and Gy indicating the latitude. The measurement value request RM also includes the light reception level I of the measuring head 21. After the measurement value request RM has been sent, proceed to step S34.

[0116] [Step S34] Next, upon receiving the measurement value request RM, the information providing server 3 executes the calibration curve determination process 44 (step S34). As described above, the calibration curve determination process 44 determines the planting location corresponding to the location information GI included in the received measurement value request RM and reads out the calibration curve Ci corresponding to the planting location. After reading out the calibration curve Ci, the information providing server 3 proceeds to step S35.

[0117] [Step S35] Next, the control device 41 of the information providing server 3 executes the quality determination process 29 described above, and determines the measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the light reception level I of the measuring head 21 received from the measurement device 2 and the read-out calibration curve Ci (step S35). The control device 41 then creates a measurement value response AM including the determined measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable. After creating the measurement value response AM, the information providing server 3 proceeds to step S37. Note that if the control device 41 determines that there is "no" data corresponding to the position information GI in the calibration curve dataset, it creates a measurement value response AM including Null information.

[0118] [Step S36] Next, the control device 41 controls the communication device 42 to cause the communication device 42 to transmit a measurement value response AM. The measurement value response AM includes the determined quality measurement value. The communication device 42 transmits the measurement value response AM to the measurement device 2 that transmitted the measurement value request RM. The measurement device 2 then receives the transmitted measurement value response AM (step S36). The received measurement value response AM includes the quality measurement value. After receiving the measurement value response AM, the measurement device 2 proceeds to step S37.

[0119] [Step S37] Next, the measuring device 2 determines whether the information contained in the received measurement value response AM is null information (step S37). If it is determined to be null information (YES in step S37), the measuring device 2 terminates its operation. For example, if the measuring device 2 is mistakenly operated outside a field, there is no calibration curve corresponding to the position information, and so the measuring device 2 terminates its operation. If it is determined not to be null information (NO in step S37), the measuring device 2 proceeds to step S38.

[0120] [Step S38] Next, the measuring device 2 displays the measurement value Q of the quality of the fruit or vegetable contained in the received measurement value response AM (Step S38). The processing unit 24 controls the display unit 28 to display the measurement value on the liquid crystal display. The received measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable is displayed on the display unit 28.

[0121] [Summary] As explained above, after the measurement start button of the measuring device 2 is pressed and the measurement operation is started, the measured values ​​of the quality of the fruit or vegetable are displayed on the display unit 28 of the measuring device 2 without any additional operation by the operator, allowing the quality of the fruit or vegetable to be easily measured. Furthermore, since the measuring device does not involve heavy processing, even a measuring device 2 with low processing power can easily measure the quality of the fruit or vegetable.

[0122] Typically, the processing capacity of the processing unit 24 of the measuring device 2 is low, while the processing capacity of the control device 41 of the information providing server 3 is often high. For this reason, when processing becomes heavy, it is effective to have the quality determination process performed by the information providing server 3. In the quality determination process described above, the measured value of quality is determined by referring to a graph or by substituting the light reception level I of the measuring head 21 into an approximate formula, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0123] For example, the light reception level of the measuring head 21 may not be the intensity of light at a specific wavelength, but may be spectral information indicating the intensity of light in a wavelength range from a first wavelength to a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength. When the light reception level is spectral information, the quality determination process may involve inputting multiple variables representing the spectral information, performing multiple steps of processing on the input of these multiple variables, and determining the quality measurement value. Therefore, when the light reception level is spectral information, the quality determination process may become heavy. It is effective for such heavy quality determination process to be executed by the information providing server 3, which has high processing power.

[0124] [Embodiment 4] Embodiment 4 differs from embodiment 3 in that a calibration curve is determined based on the time of measurement of the quality of fruits and vegetables, but is otherwise the same as embodiment 3. The same components as those in embodiment 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the same components, functions, and operations will be omitted.

[0125] [Regarding the Measuring Device] In the fourth embodiment, the measuring device 2 includes a timer unit (not shown) similar to that in the second embodiment. The timer unit counts the time, including the date. The timer unit is backed up by a battery and always counts the time, regardless of whether the power to the measuring device 2 is on or off.

[0126] [Regarding the Information Providing Server] In the fourth embodiment, the hardware configuration of the information providing server 3 is the same, but the configuration of the calibration curve dataset is different from that in the third embodiment, and the calibration curve dataset CDij is used as shown in Table 2 described in the second embodiment, which further includes a measurement time period.

[0127] [Regarding the Calibration Curve Determination Process] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the calibration curve determination process in embodiment 4. As shown in Figure 11, in the calibration curve determination process, first, the information providing server 3 receives a measurement value request RM from the measurement device 2. The measurement value request RM is a command from the measurement device 2 to the information providing server 3 requesting that the information providing server 3 send a measurement value. The measurement value request RM includes position information GI, a received light level I, and a measurement time T.

[0128] The position information GI indicates the position where the measuring device 2 measured the fruit or vegetable, and includes Gx indicating the longitude and Gy indicating the latitude. The received light level is, for example, the level of light of a predetermined wavelength contained in the spectral information of the received light, which is obtained when light is irradiated onto the fruit or vegetable SK and the spectrometer 23 receives the reflected light that has passed through the fruit or vegetable SK. The measurement time T is, for example, the time when the measurement start button of the measuring device 2 is pressed.

[0129] Next, the control device 41 searches the calibration curve data set CDij as described in embodiment 1 based on the location information GI contained in the measurement value request RM, determines which field area the location information GI is included in, and determines the planting location.

[0130] Next, the control device 41 determines whether the measurement time T included in the received measurement value request RM is included in any one of the measurement time periods associated with the determined planting location. Specifically, this is the same as the calibration curve determination process in the second embodiment.

[0131] Next, the control device 41 reads out the calibration curve Cij corresponding to the determined planting position and measurement time period from the storage device 43 in which the calibration curve data set CDij is stored.

[0132] [Quality Determination Process] Next, the control device 41 executes a quality determination process 29 to determine the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the light-receiving level I of the measuring head 21 received from the measuring device 2 and the read-out calibration curve Cij, and determines a quality measurement value based on the received light-receiving level I and the read-out Cij. Specifically, this is the same as in embodiment 3. Then, the control device 41 creates a measurement response AM including the determined measurement value.

[0133] 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the measurement device 2 and the information providing server 3 in embodiment 4. The measurement device 2 starts a measurement operation when, for example, a measurement start button provided on the measurement device 2 is pressed.

[0134] [Step S41] As shown in Figure 12, when measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables, the measuring device 2 first acquires its own location information GI (step S41 in Figure 12). Specifically, step S41 is the same as step S11 in embodiment 1. The processing unit 24 receives the location information GI from the location acquisition unit 27. After receiving the location information, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S42.

[0135] [Step S42] Next, the measuring device 2 acquires the light reception level of the measuring head 21, which projects light of a predetermined wavelength onto the fruit or vegetable and receives the reflected light (step S42). Specifically, this is the same as step S16 in embodiment 1. After acquiring the light reception level of the measuring head 21, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S43.

[0136] [Step S43] Next, the measuring device 2 obtains the time when the measurement started (measurement time) from the timer unit. Specifically, the processing unit 24 accesses the timer unit when, for example, the measurement start button is pressed, and reads out the time counted by the timer unit. When using a calibration curve data set divided by measurement time periods based on sunrise time, the processing unit 24 reads out the time including the date. After reading out the time and obtaining the measurement time, the processing unit 24 proceeds to step S44.

[0137] [Step S44] Next, the measurement device 2 transmits a measurement value request RM to the information providing server 3 (step S44). Specifically, this is the same as step S33 in the third embodiment, but the measurement value request RM includes the measurement time T in addition to the position information GI and the received light level I. After the measurement value request RM has been transmitted, the process proceeds to step S45.

[0138] [Step S45] Next, upon receiving the measurement value request RM, the information providing server 3 executes the calibration curve determination process 44 (step S45). As described above, the calibration curve determination process 44 determines the crop location corresponding to the location information GI included in the received measurement value request RM, and determines which measurement time period associated with the determined crop location the measurement time T included in the received measurement value request RM falls within. The calibration curve Cij corresponding to the determined crop location and measurement time period is then read. After reading, the information providing server 3 proceeds to step S46.

[0139] [Step S46] Next, the information providing server 3 executes the quality determination process 29 described above, and determines the measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the light reception level I of the measuring head 21 received from the measuring device 2 and the read-out calibration curve Cij (step S46). The measuring device 2 then creates a measurement value response AM including the determined quality measurement value. After creating the measurement value response AM, the information providing server 3 proceeds to step S47. Note that if the control device 41 determines that there is "no" data corresponding to the position information GI in the calibration curve dataset, it creates a measurement value response AM including Null information.

[0140] [Step S47] Next, the control device 41 of the information providing server 3 controls the communication device 42 to send a measurement value response AM. The measurement value response AM includes the measurement value of the determined quality. The communication device 42 sends the measurement value response AM to the measurement device 2 that sent the measurement value request RM. The measurement device 2 then receives the sent measurement value response AM (step S47). The received measurement value response AM includes the measurement value of the determined quality. After receiving the measurement value response AM, the measurement device 2 proceeds to step S48.

[0141] [Step S48] Next, the measuring device 2 determines whether the information contained in the received measurement value response AM is null information (step S48). If it is determined to be null information (YES in step S48), the measuring device 2 terminates its operation. For example, if the measuring device 2 is mistakenly operated outside a field, there is no calibration curve corresponding to the position information, and so the measuring device 2 terminates its operation. If it is determined not to be null information (NO in step S48), the measuring device 2 proceeds to step S49.

[0142] [Step S49] Next, the measuring device 2 displays the measurement value Q of the quality of the fruit or vegetable contained in the received measurement value response AM (step S49). The processing unit 24 controls the display unit 28 to display the measurement value on the liquid crystal display. The received measurement value of the quality of the fruit or vegetable is displayed on the display unit 28.

[0143] [Summary] As explained above, after the measurement start button on the measuring device 2 is pressed and the measurement operation begins, the measured values ​​of the quality of fruits and vegetables are displayed on the display unit 28 of the measuring device 2 without any additional operations by the operator, allowing the quality of fruits and vegetables to be easily measured. A calibration curve is then determined corresponding to the measurement time, allowing the quality of fruits and vegetables to be measured more accurately. This allows for more accurate quality measurement of fruits and vegetables, particularly those whose quality (sugar content, etc.) increases in the morning or before sunrise. Furthermore, since the measuring device does not require heavy processing, the quality of fruits and vegetables can be easily measured even with a measuring device 2 that has low processing capacity.

[0144] [3-1 Supplementary Note 1] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above-described embodiments, and includes meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within their scope.

[0145] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Quality measurement system 2 Measurement device 3 Information providing server (server) 4 Operator 21 Measuring head 21a Light projecting unit 21b Light receiving unit 21c Head body 21d Annular tip surface 21e Hole 22 Light source 23 Spectrometer 24 Processing unit 25 Memory unit 26 Communication unit 27 Position acquisition unit 28 Display unit 29 Quality determination process 31 Handle 32 Processing unit 41 Control device 42 Communication device 43 Storage device 44 Calibration curve determination process AC Calibration curve response AM Measurement value response BS Wireless base station C1 Calibration curve CDi Calibration curve dataset CDij Calibration curve dataset Ci Calibration curve Cij Calibration curve F Fields f1 to f9 Fields GI Position information Gx Longitude Gy Latitude I Received light level NW Network Q Measured value RC Calibration curve request RM Measured value request SK Fruits and vegetables JM Trees T Measurement time

Claims

1. A quality measurement system for fresh produce including a quality measuring device for measuring the quality of fresh produce and a server, wherein the server comprises: a storage device that stores a data set including a calibration curve for each growing location of the fresh produce; a communication device that receives location information of the measuring device; and a control device that executes a process to determine the calibration curve to be used for measuring the quality based on the received location information of the measuring device.

2. The system for measuring quality of fresh produce as described in claim 1, wherein the planting location is information associated with information about a field area in which the fresh produce is grown.

3. The quality measurement system for fresh produce as described in claim 2, wherein the data set further includes the calibration curve for the planting location for each time period of a day, the communication device further receives the time at which the quality was measured by the measuring device, and the control device determines the calibration curve to be used for measuring the pre-quality based on the received location information of the measuring device and the time period including the received measurement time.

4. The quality measurement system for fresh produce as described in claim 3, wherein the data set includes: a calibration curve for a first time period, which is a nighttime period at the planting location; and a calibration curve for a second time period, which is a time period other than the first time period at the planting location.

5. A system for measuring the quality of fresh produce described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the communications device further receives the light level of reflected light from the fresh produce acquired by the measuring device, and the control device further executes a process for determining the quality of the fresh produce based on the received light level and the determined calibration curve.

6. A quality measurement system for fruits and vegetables described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the quality is at least one of the sugar content, acidity, and pH of the fruits and vegetables.

7. A quality measurement system for fruits and vegetables as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fruits and vegetables are grapes.

8. A calibration curve switching method performed by a server communicating with a measuring device for measuring the quality of fresh produce, comprising the steps of: storing a data set including a calibration curve for each growing location of the fresh produce; receiving location information of the measuring device; and executing a process to determine the calibration curve to be used for measuring the quality based on the received location information of the measuring device.

9. A computer program for causing a computer to function as a server that communicates with a measuring device for the quality of fresh produce, the computer functioning as: a storage device that stores a data set including a calibration curve for each growing location of the fresh produce; a communication device that receives location information of the measuring device; and a control device that executes a process of determining the calibration curve to be used for measuring the quality based on the received location information of the measuring device.

Images