Modular sensor systems and methods for energy harvesting and environmental measurements

Abstract

This application is directed to modular sensor systems and methods for energy harvesting and environmental measurements. An exemplary modular sensor system may include a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the modules comprise one or more high-power sensors or electronics, one or more energy harvesters comprising a photovoltaic cell, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices; one or more temperature and / or humidity modules comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (PCB) stalk or wire comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air; and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, the one or more blind-mate connectors comprising an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

Description

Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304MODULAR SENSOR SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENERGY HARVESTING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to United States Provisional Patent Application Nos. 63 / 563,400, 63 / 563,401, and 63 / 563,402, all of which were filed on March 10, 2024. The entire contents of all aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to a modular sensor system and, more particularly, to modular sensor systems and methods for energy harvesting and environmental measurements.BACKGROUND

[0003] To provide information for various applications, environments of those applications may need to be measured by different devices and / or methods.Because the applications may differ, the measuring devices and techniques need to be adjusted for the various applications. For some applications, measuring devices and processes in the same environment may also need to be adjusted for other purposes. Multiple measuring devices may be required for some applications to measure necessary information. Moreover, accuracy of measurement could be critical in some applications. Thus, there is a need for measuring devices that can be arranged differently to provide accurate environmental measurements.

[0004] The measuring devices may also need to provide information in a timely manner for users to monitor and / or control an environment in some applications. Thus, it is necessary to have a measurement device management system to update measurement information to users and / or receive user instructionsAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304to adjust the measuring devices and / or control environment control equipment.SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure generally relates to modular sensor systems comprising at least one energy harvesting component having superior energy harvesting in indoor light environments. In some embodiments, the present disclosure generally relates to modular sensor systems comprising at least one energy harvesting component and at least one temperature and / or humidity module comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (RGB) stalk or wire comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air. In other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to an environmental system comprising at least one modular sensor system comprising at least one energy harvesting component and at least one sensor gateway and / or at least one sensor hub.

[0006] The present disclosure is directed to modular sensor systems, which allow the user to provide customized sensor solutions. The disclosed system allows for easier custom sensor deployment through the use of a wireless system that contains wireless energy harvesting and wireless communication of sensor data. The system comprises modules to expand the sensor capability, allowing a potentially unlimited number of sensors to be added modularly. In addition, each module can contain any of a plurality of sensors, energy harvesters, energy storage devices, and / or wireless radios. The energy harvesters, according to the present disclosure, can increase the available energy for the device and / or extend the lifetime of the device over other prior art solutions focused on outdoor sensors, such as using batteries, capacitors, and / or supercapacitors.

[0007] These advantages, for example, promote more frequent or constant communication and / or enable powering more electronics that use higher amounts ofAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304energy. In particular, the energy harvesters, according to the present disclosure, can be used to power high-power sensors and electronics. As used herein, high-power sensors and electronics refer to self-powered devices having a time-averaged power ranging from 1 mW to 1 W. The average power is determined by the power required to perform a task (e.g., make a measurement, perform a local computation, or transmit data) and the frequency of those tasks. Time-averaged power of greater than 1 mW can be reached from one or more of the following: (1) high-power sensors (e.g., visual, CO2, methane, or ammonia sensors), (2) high-power electronics (e.g., CPU and / or GPU), (3) multiple low-power sensors (e.g., attachment of multiple sensor modules), (4) taking data at increased frequency, and (5) high power wireless radios (e.g., LTE, LoRa, Wi-Fi).

[0008] The energy harvesters, according to the present disclosure, have superior energy harvesting in indoor light environments, thereby enabling powering more electronics that use more energy. The energy harvesters, according to the present disclosure, are smaller in size than traditional silicon-powered devices used in outdoor applications. The present disclosure facilitates the adoption of silicon-powered devices having superior energy harvesting in indoor light environments and / or organic photovoltaic (OPV) powered devices into applications that require higher power. In addition, the higher power provided by the energy harvesters according to the present disclosure can also power several sensor module attachments attached to the sensor hub at one time, enabling more data.

[0009] The devices disclosed herein could be used in downstream markets including, but not limited to, agriculture, indoor farming, ecology, livestock tracking, home automation, Internet of Things (loT), artificial intelligence, recreation, wearable devices, smartphones, tablets, computers, watches, jewelry, energy infrastructure, medical monitoring devices and biomedical patches, retail, cold chain, foodAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304transport / packaging / storage / preparation / serving, logistics, air / land / water transportation, aerospace, shipping, asset tracking, location / movement / vibration monitoring, architecture, military, defense and surveillance, lidar, radar and remote sensing, modular power harvesting and / or radio device, building / home monitoring, tamper resistant monitoring, alert systems, automation, automotive, and building integrated photovoltaics.

[0010] In some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a modular sensor system comprising a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, one or more energy harvesters comprising a photovoltaic cell, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices, one or more temperature and / or humidity modules comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (PCB) stalk or wire comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air, and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blindmate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

[0011] In other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a modular sensor system comprising a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, one or more energy harvesters comprising a photovoltaic cell, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices, one or more temperature and / or humidity modules comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (PCB) stalk or wire comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air, and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0012] Further embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an environmental system comprising at least one modular sensor system comprising at least one energy harvesting component comprising a photovoltaic cell, and at least one sensor gateway and / or at least one sensor hub, wherein the modular sensor system further comprises at least one module comprising one or more sensors, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, one or more electronics devices, and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

[0013] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an environmental system comprising at least one modular sensor system comprising at least one energy harvesting component comprising a photovoltaic cell, and at least one sensor gateway and / or at least one sensor hub, wherein the modular sensor system further comprises at least one module comprising one or more sensors, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices, and one or more blindmate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

[0014] Other embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth below.

[0015] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying figures, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0017] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate assembled views and exploded views of two embodiments of exemplary modular sensor systems.

[0018] FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of an exemplary attaching mechanism between modules of an exemplary modular sensor system.

[0019] FIGS. 2C and 2D are illustrations of another exemplary attaching mechanism between modules of an exemplary modular sensor system.

[0020] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate an exemplary rear mounting system for a modular sensor system having magnets with opposite polarities.

[0021] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a rear mounting system for a modular sensor system having magnets with matching polarities.

[0022] FIG. 5A and 5B illustrate the results of applying a sideways shear force to various butt joints.

[0023] FIG. 6 is an illustration depicting an assembled view and an exploded view of an exemplary modular sensor system with two end cap modules.

[0024] FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate exemplary techniques for mitigating the effect of sunlight and other bright lights to promote accurate temperature readings by a temperature sensor.

[0025] FIGS. 7D, 7E, 7F, 7G, and 7H illustrate alternative exemplary techniques for mitigating the effect of sunlight and other bright lights to promote accurate temperature readings by a temperature sensor.

[0026] FIG. 71 illustrates exemplary techniques for accurate reading of a photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensor module.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0027] FIG. 8 illustrates an assembled view of an OPV-powered energy harvesting sensor hub attached to a camera module.

[0028] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate additional views of a connector for the modular sensor system disclosed herein.

[0029] FIG. 10 illustrates photovoltaic module efficiency for an OPV powered energy harvesting device according to the present disclosure compared to a crystalline Si (c-Si) and amorphous Si (a-Si) powered device, as shown in indoor lighting.

[0030] FIGS. 11 A, 11B, 11C, and 11 D illustrate an end cap module with electronics to serve as a stand-alone charger for the modular system.

[0031] FIG. 12 illustrates an environmental automation system, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 13 depicts a sensor hub.

[0033] FIG. 14 depicts a front view of the sensor hub in FIG. 13.

[0034] FIG. 15 depicts a sensor gateway.

[0035] FIG. 16 depicts another view of the sensor gateway in FIG. 15.

[0036] FIG. 17 depicts a sensor stack including an energy harvester module, a CO2 module, a temperature and / or humidity module, and an end cap module.

[0037] FIG. 18 depicts a sensor stack including an energy harvester module, a temperature and / or humidity module, a CO2 module, and an end cap module.

[0038] FIG. 19 depicts a sensor stack including an energy harvester module and an end cap module.

[0039] FIG. 20 depicts a bottom view of the energy harvester module in FIGS. 17, 18, or 19.

[0040] FIG. 21 depicts another view of the energy harvester module in FIG. 20.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0041] FIG. 22 depicts a top view of the energy harvester module in FIG. 20.

[0042] FIG. 23 depicts a side view of the energy harvester module in FIG. 20.

[0043] FIG. 24 depicts a view of the end cap module in FIGS. 17, 18, or 19.

[0044] FIG. 25 depicts a side view of the end cap module in FIG. 24.

[0045] FIG. 26 depicts a bottom view of the end cap module in FIG. 24.

[0046] FIG. 27 depicts another view of the end cap module in FIG. 24.

[0047] FIG. 28 depicts a front view of the temperature and / or humidity module in FIGS. 17 or 18.

[0048] FIG. 29 depicts another view of the temperature and / or humidity module in FIG. 28.

[0049] FIG. 30 depicts a front view of the CO2 module in FIGS. 17 or 18.

[0050] FIG. 31 depicts another view of the CO2 module in FIG. 30.

[0051] FIG. 32 depicts an exploded view of the sensor stack including the energy harvester module, the temperature and / or humidity module, the CO2 module, and the end cap module in FIG. 18.

[0052] FIG. 33 depicts another exploded view of the sensor stack including the energy harvester module, the temperature and / or humidity module, the CO2 module, and the end cap module in FIG. 18.

[0053] FIG. 34 depicts another exploded view of the sensor stack including the energy harvester module, the temperature and / or humidity module, the CO2 module, and the end cap module in FIG. 18.

[0054] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a modular sensor system comprising a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, one or more energy harvesters comprising a photovoltaic cell, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices; one or more temperature and / or humidity modules comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (PCB) stalk or wire comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air; and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blindmate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

[0056] In some embodiments, the one or more energy harvesters contained in the module are chosen from photovoltaic harvesters, piezoelectric harvesters, vibrational harvesters, thermoelectric harvesters, radio frequency (RF) harvesters, and inductive energy harvesters. In further embodiments, the photovoltaic harvesters contained in the module comprise one or more of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, perovskites, gallium arsenide (GaAs), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), cadmium telluride (CdTe), amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, and polycrystalline silicon.

[0057] In some embodiments, the photovoltaic harvester contained in the module is optimizable for levels of light, the levels of light ranging from 1 lux to 150,000 lux, by one or more of modifying the color of the cell, modifying the transparency of the cell, adding anti-reflective coatings, adding distributed Bragg reflectors, adding micro-patterning, adding a light-trapping structure, modifying the bandgap, adding junctions, and adding elements. In some embodiments, the optimizable levels of light can range from 1 lux to 100 lux, from 100 lux to 1,000 lux,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304from 1,000 lux to 10,000 lux, from 500 lux to 2,000 lux, from 1,000 lux to 50,000 lux, from 10,000 lux to 50,000 lux, from 50,000 lux to 140,000 lux, and from 100,000 lux to 130,000 lux.

[0058] While the finished module is rigid, the photovoltaic energy harvester in the plurality of modules can be flexible or rigid. In some embodiments, when the photovoltaic energy harvester in the plurality of modules is flexible, it can be made rigid by adherence to a rigid substrate, such as glass or plastic.

[0059] In other embodiments, the energy storage devices can comprise one or more of batteries, capacitors, and super-capacitors.

[0060] In some embodiments, the temperature sensor is a thermocouple, thermistor, or resistive thermal device (RTD).

[0061] In some embodiments, the one or more blind-mate connectors can attach the plurality of modules together utilizing at least one attaching mechanism chosen from magnets, mechanical clips, screwing, snapping, binding posts, adhesives, press fits, friction fits, screw locking, toggle connectors, bayonet connectors, banana connectors, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the attaching mechanism can serve as the electrical connector.

[0062] In further embodiments, the attaching mechanism can comprise at least one pair of magnets, and a polarity of the at least one pair of magnets is reversed such that each module of the plurality of modules is connected in a correct orientation. In other embodiments, the attaching mechanism can comprise at least one magnet serving as a rear magnetic mount such that all magnetic orientations work for ferromagnetic surfaces. In additional embodiments, the attaching mechanism can comprise at least one pair of magnets, and a polarity of the at least one pair of magnets is matching, allowing the at least one pair of magnets to serve as a rear magnetic mount to magnetically polarized objects and ferromagneticAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304surfaces.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more blindmate connectors comprise a shroud to prevent a sideways shear force from severing a connection between two modules from the plurality of modules. The shroud can comprise the electrical connector.

[0064] In the modular sensor system disclosed herein, one of the modules can be an end cap module, wherein the end cap module can be disposed on one end of the modular sensor system and preventing water ingress. The end cap module functions to protect a mating blind-mate connector and the electrical connector from water moisture and physical damage. In some embodiments, the end cap serves as a stand-alone charger for the modular sensor system.

[0065] In some embodiments of the modular sensor system disclosed herein, each of the plurality of modules comprises a pass-through for data, power, or both data and power to travel between modules.

[0066] In some embodiments of the modular sensor system disclosed herein, at least one module of the plurality of modules adds power to the system through the use of a wall power adapter or one or more replaceable batteries.

[0067] In further embodiments of the disclosed modular sensor system, one or more modules of the plurality of modules are water resistant or waterproof.

[0068] Additional embodiments of the modular sensor system comprise one or more modules having at least one chamber open to the environment, which can facilitate sensor response. In further embodiments, the at least one chamber open to the environment comprises one or more porous, hydrophobic films, which films can allow air penetration for sensing while keeping water and moisture out.

[0069] Examples of such films include one or more of polyethylene terephthalate, polytetrafluoroethylene expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyolefin,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304polyvinylidene fluoride, polyester track-etch, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and surface-modified hydrophilic materials.

[0070] In additional embodiments, one or more modules of the plurality of modules are designed to promote at least one of (1) accurate temperature readings when placed in sunlight or other bright lights and (2) accurate air temperature readings when adhering the module to a wall or other surface by one or more of:(a) placing a temperature sensor on a printed circuit board stalk or wire to minimize thermal transfer of heat between thetemperature sensor and the casing of the module and between the temperature sensor and the bulk of the printed circuit board;(b) turning on a fan to promote air flow over the temperature sensor that can cool the temperature sensor and / or promote a more accurate reading of the air temperature being blown or sucked over it;(c) placing a shield or shade over the one or more modules or the temperature sensor such that the one or more modules or the temperature sensor are not in direct sunlight or other bright lights; (d) mounting the modules to a wall or other surface using a stand-off to minimize thermal contact of the modules to the wall or other surface;(e) using a thin printed circuit board to minimize thermal transfer through the printed circuit board;(f) painting the shade or shield with a highly reflective paint (e.g., a paint with a high solar reflective index) or adding a reflective element on the surface (such as a reflective film) or adding a reflective additive in the material of the shade or shield;(g) maximizing airflow across the temperature sensor using aAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304convective airflow, which is dependent on the shape and relative proportions of the plastics and printed circuit board stalk;(h) maximizing airflow from a fan by using an inner duct to direct and / or focus air onto or across the temperature sensor;(i) using a heat sink to dissipate heat from the temperature sensor and / or surrounding area; and(j) minimizing conductive heat flow by minimizing the thickness of metallic traces on the printed circuit board and / or maximizing the length of these traces, such as by using a zig-zag or serpentine path.

[0071] In some embodiments, the fan is integrated into the modular sensor system.

[0072] In some embodiments the shield or shade contains the fan and connects to the modular sensor system via an electrical connector to the modular sensor system such as spring-loaded (pogo pin) connectors (e.g., 8 or 10 spring connectors, or any number of spring connectors between 4 and 30), audio connectors, video connectors, banana connectors, barrel connectors, blade connectors, direct current (DC) connectors, Deutsches Institut fur Normung (DIN) connectors, Dock connectors, D-sub connectors, edge connectors, Japan Solderless Terminal (JST) connectors, mini-din connectors, optical fiber connectors, phone connectors, pin headers, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) connectors, registered jack (RJ-XX) connectors, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, USB-C connectors, micro USB connectors, circular connectors, rectangular connectors, hybrid connectors, crown spring connectors, modular jack connectors, connectors using a Secure Digital (SD) card port , connectors using a microSD card port, and an attaching mechanism of the blind-mate connector. The modular sensor system canAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304then control when the fan turns on or off, and / or the speed of the fan.

[0073] In some embodiments, the shield or shade contains the fan along with its own energy harvester and supporting electronics. For example, a shade can contain a dedicated photovoltaic or thermoelectric device which powers the fan based on the available light or heat load, thereby increasing the fan speed at times of higher light.

[0074] In some embodiments of the disclosed modular sensor system the electrical connector can comprise one or more of spring-loaded (pogo pin) connectors (e.g., 8 or 10 spring connectors, or any number of spring connectors between 4 and 30), audio connectors, video connectors, banana connectors, barrel connectors, blade connectors, direct current (DC) connectors, Deutsches Institut fur Normung (DIN) connectors, Dock connectors, D-sub connectors, edge connectors, Japan Solderless Terminal (JST) connectors, mini-din connectors, optical fiber connectors, phone connectors, pin headers, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) connectors, registered jack (RJ-XX) connectors, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, USB-C connectors, micro USB connectors, circular connectors, rectangular connectors, hybrid connectors, crown spring connectors, modular jack connectors, connectors using a Secure Digital (SD) card port , connectors using a microSD card port, and an attaching mechanism of the blind-mate connector.

[0075] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more sensors for humidity, CO2, lux, PAR, vapor pressure deficit, heat index, water, pH, soil moisture, volumetric soil moisture content, soil pH, accelerometer, temperature, pressure, gas sensing, global positioning system (GPS), ultra-wide band (UWB), trilateration, parametric sensing, CO, oxygen, dissolved oxygen, total volatile organic compounds, chemical, contaminants, conductivity, resistivity, current sensing, current measuring, electrical activity, metalAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304detecting, evapotranspiration, water usage, salinity, pest control, climate monitoring, stem diameters, radiation, rain, snow, wind, lightning, soil nutrients, dew point, leaf wetness, occupancy, position, status, smoke, fluid leaks, power failure, total dissolved solids, flood, motion, door motion, window motion, photogate, touch, Haptic, displacement, level, acoustic, sound, vibration, frequency, airflow, Hall effect, fuel level, fluid level, lidar, radar, torque, speed, tire pressure, chemicals, infrared, ozone, magnetic, radio direction finder, air pollution, moisture detection, seismometer, airspeed, depth, altimeter, freefall, position, angular rate, shock, tilt, velocity, inertial, force, stress, strain, weight, flame, proximity, presence, stretch, heartbeat, heart rate, blood glucose, blood oxygen, insulin, body temperature, medical chemical detection, blood pressure, sleep monitoring, respiration rate, lactic acid, hydration, cholesterol, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, hemoglobin, and anemia.

[0076] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more visual sensors. In further embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more electronic devices chosen from cameras (visual, infrared, hyperspectral), LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging). In some embodiments, the camera may take still images and / or video in low and / or high resolution.

[0077] Further embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a modular sensor system comprising a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the modules contains one or more high-power sensors or electronics, one or more energy harvesters, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices, wherein the one or more energy harvesters comprise a photovoltaic cell; one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of theAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304plurality of modules, the one or more blind-mate connectors comprising an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

[0078] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more gas sensors. In further embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more energy-intensive gas sensors, such as ammonia sensors and methane sensors.

[0079] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more electronic devices. In further embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more onboard processors such as Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which can be used for edge-computing.

[0080] In additional embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more electronics devices chosen from batteries, supercapacitors, thermoelectric devices, light-emitting devices, LEDs, power management chips, logic circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, fans, resistors, capacitors, transistors, inductors, diodes, semiconductors, optoelectronic devices, memristors, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, varistors, antennas, transducers, crystals, resonators, terminals, optical detectors , optical emitters, heaters, circuit breakers, fuses, relays, spark gaps, heat sinks, motors, displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD), light-emitting diode displays (LED), microLED, electroluminescent displays (ELD), electrophoretic displays (EPD), active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLED), organic light-emitting diode displays (OLED), quantum dot displays (QD), quantum light-emitting diode displays (QLED), vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD), digital light processing displays (DLP), interferometric modulator displays (IMOD), digital microshutterAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304displays (DMS), plasma displays, neon displays, filament displays, surfaceconduction electron-emitter displays (SED), field emission displays (FED), Laser TV, carbon nanotube displays, touch screens, external connectors, data storage, piezo devices, speakers, microphones, security chips, and user input controls including buttons, knobs, sliders, switches, joysticks, directional-pads, keypads, and pressure / touch sensors.

[0081] In some embodiments, the sensor system electronics according to the present disclosure are designed and optimized for minimal power consumption, including power management algorithms to control the frequency of data collection based on the available light. For example, temperature readings or camera images can be taken more frequently at higher light / lux levels.

[0082] In some embodiments, the sensors and electronics are high power sensors and electronics with an averaged power ranging from 1 mW to 1 W.Non- limiting exemplary ranges of average power values include, for example, 1 mW to 5 mW. 1 mW to 10 mW, 1 mW to 25 mW, 1 mW to 50 mW, 1 mW to 100 mW, 1 mW to 250 mW, 1 mW to 500 mW, 1 mW to 750 mW, 3 mW to 5 mW, 3 mW to 10 mW, 3 mW to 25 mW, 3 mW to 50 mW, 3 mW to 100 mW, 3 mW to 250 mW, 3 mW to 500 mW, 3 mW to 750 mW, 3 mW to 1 W, 5 mW to 10 mW, 5 mW to 25 mW, 5 mW to 50 mW, 5 mW to 100 mW, 5 mW to 250 mW, 5 mW to 500 mW, 5 mW to 750 mW, 5 mW to 1 W, 10 mW to 50 mW, 10 mW to 100 mW, 10 mW to 250 mW, 10 mW to 500 mW, 10 mW to 750 mW, 10 mW to 1 W, 25 mW to 50 mW, 25 mW to 100 mW, 25 mW to 250 mW, 25 mW to 500 mW, 25 mW to 750 mW, 25 mW to 1 W, 50 mW to 100 mW, 50 mW to 250 mW, 50 mW to 500 mW, 50 mW to 750 mW, 50 mW to 1W, 100 mW to 250 mW, 100 mW to 500 mW, 100 mW to 750 mW, 100 mW to 1 W, 250 mW to 500 mW, 250 mW to 750 mW, 250 mW to 1 W, 500 mW to 750 mW, 500 mW to 1 W, and 750Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304mW to 1 W. In particular embodiments, the high-power sensor can be a camera with an averaged power ranging from 1 mW to 10 mW, such as from 3 mW to 5 mW, 3 mW to 10 mW, and 5 mW to 10 mW. Non-limiting examples of cameras include visual cameras, infrared cameras, and hyperspectral cameras. In other particular embodiments, the sensor can be a sensor, such as a chemical sensor or a gas sensor, for example a methane sensor, with an averaged power ranging from 100 mW to 500 mW, such as from 100 mW to 250 mW, and 250 mW to 500 mW. In further embodiments, a combination of a camera and a sensor can be employed.

[0083] In some embodiments, the camera may include light filters to control the spectral response of the camera. For example, a filter allowing blue and IR light to pass can be placed over an RGB camera to measure Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using blue and IR signals as detected by the blue and red pixels, respectively.

[0084] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more wireless radios configured for one or more of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), BLE mesh, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), WiFi-ah, WiFi HaLow, 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, Long Range (LoRa), Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), Zonal Intercommunication Global-standard (ZigBee), Z-Wave, 6LowPAN, Thread, Ultra-wideband (UWB), Infrared (IR), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-loT), Near Field Communication (NFC), radio frequency (RF), radio frequency identification (RFID), SigFox, Ingenu, Weightless-N, Weightless-P, Weightless-W, Advanced Network Technology (ANT), ANT+, DigiMesh, MiWi, EnOcean, Dash7, NearLink, wireless wide area network (WWAN), DECT NR+,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304WirelessHART, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM), Extended Coverage Global Systems for Mobile Communications (EC-GSM), MYTHINGS, Metering Bus (M-bus), Konnex (KNX), and Industrial, Scientific, and Medical band (ISM-band) radios.

[0085] In some embodiments, the sensors disclosed herein will wirelessly transmit data to a gateway, which will then connect to the internet, including cloudbased applications, thereby creating an Internet of Things system. Any of the wireless protocols disclosed herein can be used can be used to create such an loT system.

[0086] In some embodiments, the gateway can connect to browsers and apps directly through a local network both when with internet is connected or when the internet is down, achieving uninterrupted service with continued user control.

[0087] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more energy harvesters. Nonlimiting examples of such energy harvesters include organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules, wherein the OPV modules can be optimizable for any light spectrum. For example, the OPV modules can be optimized for a light spectrum by increasing or decreasing device layer thickness, choosing photoactive materials based on their spectral absorption properties, varying the ratio of photoactive materials, adding or removing layers and junctions, varying the bandgap of an individual junction, and applying one or more of anti-reflective coatings, distributed Bragg reflectors, micro-patterning, and / or lighttrapping structures. In some embodiments, the OPV modules are optimized for indoor light.

[0088] Depending on application specifications, the OPV modules can be manufactured to be semi-transparent, highly reflective, or opaque. Semi-transparent OPV modules can be achieved through using semi-transparent conductive materialsAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304(such as indium tin oxide or thin metal) for both top and bottom electrodes.Reflectivity and hue can be controlled via organic material selection and thickness of the organic layers in the OPV module.

[0089] In some embodiments, the OPV modules comprise polymers and / or organic molecules (including pure carbon compounds) as the photo-active materials. Polymer-based and / or organic molecules based OPV modules are solution-processed, requiring carrier solvents and methods such as but not limited to bladecoating, spin-coating, and printing. Some small molecule OPV modules can also be manufactured through vacuum deposition. Further embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to OPV modules manufactured using small molecule materials deposited via vacuum thermal evaporation, organic vapor jet printing, or organic vapor phase deposition.

[0090] The OPV modules may be optimized for any light spectrum, such as sunlight or indoor light, for example, LED (light-emitting diode), fluorescent, incandescent, grow lights, neon lights, mercury vapor, metal halide, high-intensity discharge, bioluminescent, and chemiluminescent, to increase the energy harvesting from solar for a target spectrum. Fora given light spectrum, the optimization could target a specific level of light, ranging from 1 lux to 150,000 lux. Non-limiting exemplary ranges of optimized levels of light include, for example: 100 lux to 1 ,000 lux for indoor applications using artificial light sources; 100 lux to 75,000 lux for indoor agriculture applications, such as 5,000 lux to 7,000 lux for seedlings and 15,000 lux to 75,000 lux for vegetative growth; 1 ,000 lux to 30,000 lux for cloudy outside applications, and 100,000 lux to 140,000 lux for bright sunlight applications.

[0091] In some embodiments, the OPV modules can be optimized for artificial light sources in order to harvest most light in the low-light environments. In such embodiments, there will be enough light to power the device when brought outsideAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304even though the OPV module is not optimized for outdoor light.

[0092] For example, the OPV modules can be highly tunable to the light spectrum in varying applications. Internally, color and transparency of OPVs can be tuned by increasing or decreasing device layers thicknesses, choosing photoactive materials based on their spectral absorption properties, varying the ratio of photoactive materials, and adding / removing layers and / or junctions. Externally, the OPV modules can be tuned to a specific light spectrum using anti-reflective coatings, distributed Bragg reflectors, micro-patterning, and other light-trapping structures.

[0093] In general, photovoltaic cells are engineered such that their absorption spectrum will accept the emission spectrum of the light source. Tuning can occur by varying the bandgap of an individual junction (or sub-cell), or by adding multiple junctions (or sub-cells) to the devices such that the combined absorption spectrum of the solar cell is matched to the light source — thereby increasing the photovoltaic efficiency. For example, elements can be added to the base solar cell (e.g., adding N to GaAs) to adjust the bandgap.

[0094] In other embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more energy harvesters chosen from silicon photovoltaic modules.

[0095] In some embodiments, the silicon photovoltaic modules are chosen from crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules, polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules, and amorphous silicon photovoltaic modules such as thin film photovoltaic modules.

[0096] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein, which enable large amounts of data to be generated and captured, can be used in Artificial Intelligence applications. In these embodiments, camera and sensory data can provide feedback to create, validate, and update machine learning algorithms, and use the Artificial Intelligence algorithms for monitoring and optimizedAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304automation routines for any of the listed downstream applications provided herein. According to these embodiments, the data is sent to a wireless gateway. In some embodiments, once the data is sent to a wireless gateway, the data is then processed on the gateway and / or on or a cloud-based processor.

[0097] In addition, the higher power provided by the energy harvesters according to the present disclosure can also power several sensor module attachments attached to the hub at one time. In addition, the wireless sensors according to the present disclosure also facilitate the installation process of sensors since no permanent wires need to be run for power or data to the sensors. The wireless sensors are more reliable than battery-powered wireless sensors which require recurring maintenance to monitor and change batteries and can be unreliable since sensors with low and / or dead batteries do not function. In indoor agriculture, for example, this can lead to crops growing outside their optimal ranges decreasing crop yield and quality. The easy installation and extra reliability of the wireless sensors disclosed herein greatly facilitates the installation of many sensors throughout a facility since the sensors can simply be placed without any need for battery monitoring and change. Installation of many sensors can be used for precise monitoring and control of micro-climates within a farm, and also can provide more data to drive Artificial Intelligence.

[0098] In other embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein can be used in home automation and Internet of Things applications, in which sensors can be used to monitor and / or maintain temperature, light (intensity and / or color), motion, humidity, position (e.g. window open / closed), CO, fire, leak, moisture, and other sensors to trigger an automated task such as, for example, turning on or off lights, air conditioning, fans, heating, alarms, cameras and / or mobile alerts.

[0099] In further embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed hereinAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304are used in agricultural applications, including both indoor and outdoor applications. In such applications, the sensors are used, for example, to monitor and / or maintain temperature, humidity, CO2, light levels (e.g., Lux or PAR), soil moisture, volumetric soil moisture content, soil nutrients, soil pH, water pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen, air quality (e.g., total volatile organic compounds), airflow, rainfall, wind speed, dew point, atmospheric pressure, leaf temperature, and leaf wetness.

[0100] In additional embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein are used in cold chain management, in which sensors and / or beacons can be used to monitor and / or maintain the cold transport of food, medical supplies / vaccines, etc., by measuring temperature, humidity, light, location (e.g., GPS) and / proximity (e.g., BLE trilateration, LoRa trilateration, ISM band trilateration).

[0101] Further embodiments use the modular sensor systems disclosed herein in food transport / packaging / storage / preparation / serving, in which sensors and / or beacons can be used to monitor and / or maintain temperature, humidity, light, location (e.g., GPS) and / proximity (e.g., BLE trilateration, LoRa trilateration, ISM band trilateration).

[0102] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure use sensors and / or beacons disclosed herein to monitor and / or maintain temperature, humidity, light levels, proximity, etc., integrated with smart home automation or Industrial Internet of Things. In addition, the present disclosure contemplates the disclosed sensors triggering automation and alerts, from any of the sensors listed here including, for example, climate control for agriculture or buildings, or turning fans on if a methane leak is detected.

[0103] Moreover, the disclosed modular sensor systems can be used in asset tracking, in which sensors and / or beacons can be used to monitor location (e.g.,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304GPS) and / proximity (e.g., BLE trilateration, LoRa trilateration, ISM band trilateration).

[0104] In some embodiments, the modular sensor systems disclosed herein comprise one or more visual sensors such as, for example, cameras. In some embodiments, the cameras can be visual, infrared, or hyperspectral and, in further, the camera can take still images and / or video in low and / or high resolution. In some embodiments, the visual sensors can be used to monitor, for example, plant color, plant size, plant shape, plant density, plant growth, plaint health, plant stress, and plant yield.

[0105] In some embodiments, the electronics device will be a sensor to monitor conditions such as but not limited to humidity, CO2, lux, PAR, vapor pressure deficit, heat index, water pH, soil moisture, volumetric soil moisture content, soil pH, accelerometer, temperature, pressure, gas sensing such as ammonia and methane, GPS, UWB (ultra-wide band) trilateration, parametric sensing, CO, oxygen, dissolved oxygen, total volatile organic compounds, chemical, contaminants, conductivity, resistivity, current sensing / measuring, electrical activity, metal detecting, evapotranspiration, water usage, salinity, pest control, climate monitoring, stem diameters, radiation, rain, snow, wind, lightning, soil nutrients, dew point, leaf wetness, occupancy, position / status, smoke, fluid leaks, power failure, total dissolved solids, flood, motion, door / window motion, photogate, touch, Haptic, displacement, level, acoustic / sound / vibration / frequency, airflow, Hall effect, fuel level, fluid level, lidar, radar, torque, speed, tire pressure, chemicals, infrared, ozone, magnetic, radio direction finder, air pollution, moisture detection, seismometer, airspeed, depth, altimeter, freefall, position, angular rate, shock, tilt, velocity, inertial, force, stress, strain, weight, flame, proximity / presence, stretch, heartbeat, heart rate, blood glucose, blood oxygen, insulin, body temperature, medical chemical detection, blood pressure, sleep monitoring, respiration rate, lactic acid, hydration,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304cholesterol, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, hemoglobin, and anemia.

[0106] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a modular sensor system comprising a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, one or more energy harvesters, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices, wherein the one or more energy harvesters comprise a photovoltaic cell; and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

[0107] Further embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a modular sensor system comprising a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising:one or more sensors chosen from sensors for humidity, CO2, lux, PAR, vapor pressure deficit, heat index, water, pH, soil moisture, volumetric soil moisture content, soil pH, accelerometer, temperature, pressure, gas sensing such as ammonia and methane, global positioning system (GPS), ultra-wide band (UWB), trilateration, parametric sensing, CO, oxygen, dissolved oxygen, total volatile organic compounds, chemical, contaminants, conductivity, electrical conductivity, resistivity, current sensing, current measuring, electrical activity, metal detecting, evapotranspiration, water usage, salinity, pest control, climate monitoring, stem diameters, radiation, rain, snow, wind, lightning, soil nutrients, dew point, leaf wetness, occupancy, position, status, smoke, fluid leaks, power failure, total dissolved solids, flood, motion, door motion, window motion, photogate, touch, Haptic, displacement, level, acoustic, sound,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304vibration, frequency, airflow, Hall effect, fuel level, fluid level, lidar, radar, torque, speed, tire pressure, chemicals, infrared, ozone, magnetic, radio direction finder, air pollution, moisture detection, seismometer, airspeed, depth, altimeter, freefall, position, angular rate, shock, tilt, velocity, inertial, force, stress, strain, weight, flame, proximity, presence, stretch, heartbeat, heart rate, blood glucose, blood oxygen, insulin, body temperature, medical chemical detection, blood pressure, sleep monitoring, respiration rate, lactic acid, hydration, cholesterol, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, hemoglobin, and anemia;one or more photovoltaic harvesters;one or more wireless radios configured for one or more of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), BLE mesh, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), WiFi-ah, WiFi HaLow, 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, Long Range (LoRa), Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), Zonal Intercommunication Global-standard (ZigBee), Z-Wave, 6LowPAN, Thread, Ultra- wideband (UWB), Infrared (IR), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-loT), Near Field Communication (NFC), radio frequency (RF), radio frequency identification (RFID), SigFox, Ingenu, Weightless-N, Weightless-P, Weightless-W, Advanced Network Technology (ANT), ANT+, DigiMesh, MiWi, EnOcean, Dash7, NearLink, wireless wide area network (WWAN), DECT NR+, WirelessHART, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM), Extended Coverage Global Systems for Mobile Communications (EC-GSM), MYTHINGS, Metering Bus (M-bus), Konnex (KNX), and Industrial, Scientific, and Medical band (ISM-band) radios.;Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304one or more electronics devices chosen from batteries, supercapacitors, onboard processors such as Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), cameras such as visual, infrared, and hyperspectral, thermoelectric devices, light-emitting devices, LEDs, power management chips, logic circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, power management integrated circuits, fans, resistors, capacitors, transistors, inductors, diodes, semiconductors, optoelectronic devices, memristors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, varistors, antennas, transducers, crystals, resonators, terminals, optical detectors, optical emitters, heaters, circuit breakers, fuses, relays, spark gaps, heat sinks, motors, displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD), light-emitting diode displays (LED), microLED, electroluminescent displays (ELD), electrophoretic displays (EPD), active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLED), organic light-emitting diode displays (OLED), quantum dot displays (QD), quantum light-emitting diode displays (QLED), vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD), digital light processing displays (DLP), interferometric modulator displays (I MOD), digital microshutter displays (DMS), plasma displays, neon displays, filament displays, surfaceconduction electron- emitter displays (SED), field emission displays (FED), Laser TV, carbon nanotube displays, touch screens, external connectors, data storage, piezo devices, speakers, microphones, security chips, and user input controls including buttons, knobs, sliders, switches, joysticks, directional-pads, keypads, and pressure / touch sensors; andand one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0108] FIG. 1A illustrates an assembled view and an exploded view of an exemplary modular sensor system. As depicted, modular sensor system 100 may include an end cap module 102, a temperature and humidity module 104, and a CO2module 106. Similarly, exploded modular sensor system 110 may include an end cap module 112, a temperature and humidity module 114, and a CO2module 116. Modules 102, 104, and 106 and modules 112, 114, and 116 may be connected such that power and data may be transmitted and are held together by one or more blind-mate connectors, as described in greater detail below.

[0109] Modular sensor systems 100 and 110 may consist of a plurality of modules which may be modularly combined in a plurality of combinations. The modules may be selected from a plurality of available modules, such that not all modules need be used and a custom sensor solution may be realized. Each module may include any of a plurality of sensors, energy harvesters, energy storage devices, wireless radios, and / or electronics devices.

[0110] For example, in FIG. 1A, modular sensor system 100 includes temperature and humidity module 104 which includes a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, CO2module 106 which includes a CO2sensor, and end cap module 102 which includes a temperature sensor and a light sensor. In other embodiments, end cap module 102 includes only a temperature sensor, only a light sensor, neither, or other sensors. Further, end cap module 102 may also include energy harvesters, such as a photovoltaic cell, energy storage devices, such as rechargeable batteries, wireless radios, and / or electronics devices, such as power management circuitry, a microprocessor, LEDs, and / or push buttons.

[0111] FIG. 1B illustrates an assembled view and an exploded view of an exemplary modular sensor system 200 with two end cap modules. Modular sensorAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304system 200 is another example of a modular sensor system and its modules may transmit power and data as described for modular sensor system 100. Specifically, as shown in the assembled view on the left of FIG. 1B, module sensor system 200 includes a first end cap module 202, a temperature and / or humidity module 204, a CO2 module 206, and a second end cap module 208. For example, end cap module 202 may be a module for energy harvesting. Temperature module 204 is configured to measure an environmental temperature. CO2 module 206 is configured to detect CO2 concentration in an environment. End cap module 208 may be, for example, configured to store energy, provide a charging interface, or other sensor functions as described in this disclosure. These modules are connected together as modular sensor system 200. In some embodiments, these modules may include various sensors and / or detectors. In some embodiments, a modular sensor system may include more modules with various sensors and detectors.

[0112] As shown in the exploded view on the right of FIG. 1 B, temperature module 204, CO2 module 206, and end cap module 208 have mechanical clips to assist their connections to another module.

[0113] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of modules may include a pass-through for data and / or power to travel between modules. In other embodiments, a module of the plurality of modules may add power to modular sensor system 200 by means of a wall power adapter or one or more replaceable batteries. This may supplement power generation from an energy harvester. For example, if a modular sensor system relies on photovoltaic cells for energy harvesting, but a user wishes to place this system in a dark space, the user may use a module which may be plugged in to an external power source to power the system.

[0114] In yet other embodiments, one or more modules may include at leastAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304one chamber open to the environment to facilitate sensor response. For example, in FIG. 1A, temperature and humidity module 104 and CO2 module 106 include an open chamber to allow airflow to take fast and accurate readings. In some embodiments, open chambers may include porous, hydrophobic films to allow air penetration for sensing while keeping water and moisture out. The films may be any of a plurality of films, such as but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate, polytetrafluoroethylene expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyolefin (e.g. polypropylene and polyethylene), polyvinylidene fluoride, polyester track-etch, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and surface-modified hydrophilic materials (e.g. nylon, polyamide, and polyethersulfone).

[0115] In some embodiments a sensor may be a visual sensor to monitor, for example, plant color, plant size, plant shape, plant density, plant health, plant growth, plant health, plant stress, and plant yield. The visual sensor, which can be a visual, infrared, or hyperspectral camera, can take still images and / or video in low and / or high resolution.

[0116] In other embodiments a sensor may measure, for example but not limited to: humidity, CO2, lux, PAR, vapor pressure deficit, heat index, water pH, soil moisture, volumetric soil moisture content, soil pH, accelerometer, temperature, pressure, gas sensing, such as ammonia and methane, GPS, UWB trilateration, parametric sensing, CO, oxygen, dissolved oxygen, total volatile organic compounds, chemical, contaminants, conductivity, electrical conductivity, resistivity, current sensing / measuring, electrical activity, metal detecting, evapotranspiration, water usage, salinity, pest control, climate monitoring, stem diameters, radiation, rain, snow, wind, lightning, soil nutrients, dew point, leaf wetness, occupancy, position / status, smoke, fluid leaks, power failure, total dissolved solids, flood, motion, door / window motion, photogate, touch, Haptic, displacement, level,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304acoustic / sound / vibration / frequency, air flow, Hall effect, fuel level, fluid level, lidar, radar, torque, speed, tire pressure, chemicals, infrared, ozone, magnetic, radio direction finder, air pollution, moisture detection, seismometer, airspeed, depth, altimeter, freefall, position, angular rate, shock, tilt, velocity, inertial, force, stress, strain, weight, flame, proxi mity / presence, stretch, heartbeat, heart rate, blood glucose, blood oxygen, insulin, body temperature, medical chemical detection, blood pressure, sleep monitoring, respiration rate, lactic acid, hydration, cholesterol, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, hemoglobin, and anemia.

[0117] An energy harvester may be a photovoltaic, piezoelectric, vibrational, thermoelectric, radio frequency (RF), and / or inductive energy harvester. Photovoltaic energy harvesters may include organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, perovskites, gallium arsenide (GaAs), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), cadmium telluride (CdTe), amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, and polycrystalline silicon. In some embodiments, the photovoltaic energy harvesters may be flexible. In other embodiments, the photovoltaic energy harvesters may be rigid.

[0118] In some embodiments, OPV cells or silicon may be used for energy harvesting given their inherent superior indoor light energy harvesting, which may enable the modular sensor system to work in all light environments. In embodiments where photovoltaic energy harvesters are used, these may be optimized for any light spectrum, such as sunlight or artificial light (e.g., LED, fluorescent, incandescent, grow lights, neon lights, mercury vapor, metal halide, high pressure sodium, high-intensity discharge, bioluminescent, chemiluminescent), to increase the energy harvesting from solar for a target spectrum. For example, for a given light spectrum measured by one or more lux sensors, the optimization could target a specific level of light, ranging from 1 lux to 150,000 lux. In other embodiments, the optimizationAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304could target 100 lux to 1 ,000 lux for indoor applications, 100 lux to 75,000 lux for indoor agriculture applications (e g., 5,000 lux to 7,000 lux for seedlings and 15,000 lux to 75,000 lux for vegetative growth), 1 ,000 lux to 30,000 lux for cloudy outside applications, and 100,000 lux to 140,000 lux for bright sunlight applications.

[0119] In some embodiments, the photovoltaic energy harvester may be optimized for indoor light, ensuring that whether modular sensor system 100 is indoors or outdoors, there will be enough light to power modular sensor system 100 even if the photovoltaic energy harvester is not optimized for outdoor light.

[0120] In some embodiments, optimizing the photovoltaic energy harvester may involve changing layers structure, changing layers thickness, and / or adding layers. For example, the photovoltaic energy harvester may be highly tunable to the light spectrum in varying applications. Internally, coIorand transparency of the photovoltaic energy harvester may be tuned by increasing or decreasing device layer thicknesses, choosing photoactive materials based on their spectral absorption properties, varying the ratio of photoactive materials, and adding or removing layers. Externally, the photovoltaic energy harvester may be tuned to a specific light spectrum using anti-reflective coatings, distributed Bragg reflectors, micro-patterning, and other light-trapping structures. In some embodiments, the photovoltaic energy harvester may be engineered such that its absorption spectrum may accept the emission spectrum of the light source. This may be tuned by varying the bandgap of an individual sub-cell (e.g., one of the junctions of the photovoltaic energy harvester), or by adding multiple junctions such that the combined absorption spectrum of the photovoltaic energy harvester is matched to the light source — thereby increasing the efficiency of the photovoltaic energy harvester. For example, in inorganic photovoltaic cells, elements may be added to the base photovoltaic cell (e.g., adding N to GaAs) to adjust the bandgap.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0121] An energy storage device may be a battery, rechargeable battery, capacitor, and / or super-capacitor.

[0122] In some embodiments, the wireless radios are configured for one or more of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), BLE mesh, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), WiFi-ah, WiFi HaLow, 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, Long Range (LoRa), Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), Zonal Intercommunication Global-standard (ZigBee), Z-Wave, 6LowPAN, Thread, Ultra-wideband (UWB), Infrared (IR), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-loT), Near Field Communication (NFC), radio frequency (RF), radio frequency identification (RFID), SigFox, Ingenu, Weightless-N, Weightless-P, Weightless-W, Advanced Network Technology (ANT), ANT+, DigiMesh, MiWi, EnOcean, Dash7, NearLink, wireless wide area network (WWAN), DECT NR+, WirelessHART, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM), Extended Coverage Global Systems for Mobile Communications (EC-GSM), MYTHINGS, Metering Bus (M-bus), Konnex (KNX), and Industrial, Scientific, and Medical band (ISM-band) radios..Different radios may be used for different applications. For example, some radios which have a shorter range and require lower power may be used indoors (e.g., BLE) where the signal range does not have to be long, while others which have a longer range and require more power may be used outdoors (e.g., LoRa radio for farms, or LTE for moving vehicles).

[0123] An electronics device may include one or more of batteries, supercapacitors, onboard processors such as Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), thermoelectric devices, light-emitting devices, LEDs, power management chips, logic circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers,Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304integrated circuits, fans, resistors, capacitors, transistors, inductors, diodes, semiconductors, optoelectronic devices, memristors, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, varistors, antennas, transducers, crystals, resonators, terminals, optical detectors , optical emitters, heaters, circuit breakers, fuses, relays, spark gaps, heat sinks, motors, displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD), light-emitting diode displays (LED), microLED, electroluminescent displays (ELD), electrophoretic displays (EPD), active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLED), organic light-emitting diode displays (OLED), quantum dot displays (QD), quantum light-emitting diode displays (QLED), vacuum florescent displays (VFD), digital light processing displays (DLP), interferometric modulator displays (IMOD), digital microshutter displays (DMS), plasma displays, neon displays, filament displays, surface-conduction electron-emitter displays (SED), field emission displays (FED), Laser TV, carbon nanotube displays, touch screens, external connectors, data storage, piezo devices, speakers, microphones, security chips, and user input controls including buttons, knobs, sliders, switches, joysticks, directional-pads, keypads, and pressure / touch sensors.

[0124] FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of an exemplary attaching mechanism between modules of modular sensor system 100. FIG. 2A depicts two detached modules, a first module 210 and a second module 220, ready to be attached. As shown in this example, first module 210 may include a male blind-mate connector 211 , which includes two magnets 212 and 213 and male electrical connectors 214, and a first female blind-mate connector 215, which includes two magnets 216 and 217 and first female electrical connectors 218. Further, second module 220 may include a second female blind-mate connector 221, which includes two magnets 222 and 223 and second female electrical connectors 224.

[0125] The polarization of magnet pairs 212 and 213, 216 and 217, and 222Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304and 223 may be opposite polarities such that they repel another magnet pair when two modules are being attached with an incorrect alignment. For example, magnet 212 has its north pole facing outwards and magnet 213 has its south pole facing outwards. If an attempt were made to attach second module 220 to first module 210 as depicted (i.e. , magnet 222 attaches to magnet 212 and magnet 223 attaches to magnet 213), the connection attempt would be successful, as the north and south poles of each attaching magnet attract. However, if second module 220 were flipped (i.e., magnet 222 attaches to magnet 213 and magnet 223 attaches to magnet 212), the magnets would provide a resistive force preventing a user from connecting first module 210 and second module 220 in the wrong orientation, and the connection attempt would fail. This may be useful if a specific orientation is beneficial to the functionality of modular sensor system 100.

[0126] FIG. 2B depicts first module 210 and second module 220 after being attached. Here, electrical connectors 214 and 224 form a connection such that power and / or data may be transmitted between first module 210 and second module 220. An electrical connector may be any of a plurality of connectors, such as but not limited to spring-loaded (pogo pin) connectors, audio connectors, video connectors, banana connectors, direct current (DC) connectors, Deutsches Institut fur Normung (DIN) connectors, Dock connectors, D-sub connectors, edge connectors, Japan Solderless Terminal (JST) connectors, mini-din connectors, optical fiber connectors, phone connectors, pin headers, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) connectors, registered jack (RJ-XX) connectors, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, USB-C connectors, micro USB connectors, circular connectors, hybrid connectors, crown spring connectors, modular jack connectors, connectors using a Secure Digital (SD) card port, connectors using a microSD card port, and an attaching mechanism of the blind-mate connector.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0127] In some embodiments, a module may include only one blind-mate connector and serve as an end cap module. Meanwhile, modules which include two or more blind-mate connectors allow additional modular expansion for a potentially unlimited number of modules to be connected.

[0128] In other embodiments, the attaching mechanism may include mechanical clips, screwing, snapping, binding posts, adhesives, press fits, friction fits, screw locking, toggle connectors, bayonet connectors, and banana connectors. In yet other embodiments, the attaching mechanism may serve as the electrical connector.

[0129] FIGS. 2C and 2D are illustrations of another exemplary attaching mechanism between modules of an exemplary modular sensor system. FIG. 2C illustrates detached modules 230 and 240. Modules 230 and 240 include magnets similar to modules 210 and 220 and can connect to each other as described above for modules 210 and 220 using the magnets with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2C, module 230 includes a pair of female blind-mate connectors 235. module 240 includes a pair of male blind-mate connectors 245.

[0130] FIG. 2D illustrates attached modules 230 and 240. As shown in FIG.2D, mechanical clips of male blind-mate connectors 245 of module 240 are engaged in slots of female blind-mate connectors 235 of module 230. In addition to the magnets, the mechanical clips provide connection force to keep modules 230 and 240 attached to each other. This may help modules 230 and 240 attach to each other when one of them experiences an external force.

[0131] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate an exemplary rear mounting system for a modular sensor system having magnets with opposite polarities. FIG. 3A depicts the system of FIG. 2B, i.e. , a modular sensor system with a first module 210 attached to a second module 220 via magnets 212, 213, 222, and 223, and with anAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304established electrical connection via electrical connectors 214 and 224.

[0132] FIG. 3B illustrates how this system may be mounted on to a ferromagnetic surface. In this case, since the surface is ferromagnetic, all magnetic orientations may be used to mount the modular sensor system onto ferromagnetic surface 302. Further, second module 220 is shown to be an end cap module with only one blind-mate connector 221 and an optional rear magnet 225. Rear magnet 225 and other additional magnets may be disposed in and / or on the modules (but outside of any blind-mate connectors) to increase the strength of rear magnetic mounting.

[0133] FIG. 3C illustrates how modular sensor system 200 may be mounted on to a ferromagnetic surface. Since the surface is ferromagnetic, all magnetic orientations may be used to mount the modular sensor system onto ferromagnetic surface 302. As shown in FIG. 3C, end cap module 202 includes one blind-mate connector and a rear magnet. The rear magnet is similar to the rear magnet 225 in FIG. 3B, and other additional magnets may be disposed in and / or on the modules to increase the strength of rear magnetic mounting.

[0134] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a rear mounting system for a modular sensor system having magnets with matching polarities. FIG. 4A depicts a system similar to that of FIG. 3A, with the notable difference being that the magnet pairs (i.e., 412 and 413, 416 and 417, and 422 and 423) have matching polarities. This would allow the system to attach modules in any orientation.

[0135] Further, referring now to FIG.4B, the matching polarities would also allow the magnets to act as a rear magnetic mount to both ferromagnetic surfaces and magnetically polarized objects, as long as the magnets are aligned correctly. For example, if magnetically polarized surface 440 has a polarization as shown in FIG.4B (i.e. going south to north from top to bottom) magnets 430 may be disposed asAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304shown (i.e., going north to south from top to bottom) in order to be mounted successfully.

[0136] FIG. 5A and 5B illustrate the results of applying a sideways shear force to a simple butt joint and a shrouded butt joint, respectively, when employed with the attaching mechanism described above. FIG. 5A illustrates how a simple butt joint 506 may not be able to handle a sideways shear force 508 being applied to module 504, which may become detached from end cap module 502 as a result. This may occur because the magnets mainly prevent the modules from being pulled apart, but there is no force acting against the direction of applied sideways shear force 508, therefore, module 504 may not be able to stay in place.

[0137] However, with the addition of a shrouded butt joint 516, as shown in FIG. 5B, the system becomes more resilient and module 514 may not become detached when a sideways shear force 518 is applied. This may occur because the contact points of shrouded butt joint 516 apply an equal and opposite force to applied sideways shear force 518 to prevent rotational deflection and keep the connection with end cap module 512 in place. This allows the physical connection to be much stronger and it may be harder to disconnect the modules, which must be pulled apart with enough force to overcome the magnetic attraction.

[0138] In some embodiments, the shroud may include either the male electrical connector or the female electrical connector. FIG. 6 is an illustration depicting an assembled view and an exploded view of an exemplary modular sensor system with an end cap module devoid of electronics. In some embodiments, an end cap is devoid of electronics, and in other embodiments an end cap serves as a stand-alone charger for the modular sensor system. For example, as shown in FIG.6, modular sensor system 100 with no electronics (or exploded electronics-free end cap module 618) functions to protect the mating blind-mate connector (i.e., theAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304exposed blind-mate connector of CO2 module 106 or 116) and its electrical connector from water moisture and physical damage.

[0139] In some embodiments, end cap modules (i.e., end cap module 102 and electronics-free end cap module 608) may serve to prevent water ingress and avoid potential mechanical damage to an exposed electrical connector as a result. End cap modules (e g., end cap module 102 and electronics-free end cap module 608) and other modules (e.g., temperature and humidity module 104 and CO2module 106) may be designed to be water resistant and / or waterproof. For example, end cap module 102 may contain a photovoltaic energy harvester, a rechargeable battery, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), and sensors that do not need to be opened to the air (e.g., temperature, lux, or PAR sensors) such that end cap module 102 may be made waterproof.

[0140] In some embodiments, end cap 608 or 618 contains electronics and serves as a stand-alone charger for the modular sensor system containing either a power cord or an electrical connector for power. The electrical connector can comprise one or more of banana connectors, barrel connectors, blade connectors, direct current (DC) connectors, Deutsches Institut fur Normung (DIN) connectors, Dock connectors, D-sub connectors, edge connectors, Japan Solderless Terminal (JST) connectors, mini-din connectors, optical fiber connectors, phone connectors, pin headers, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) connectors, registered jack (RJ-XX) connectors, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, USB-C connectors, micro USB connectors, circular connectors, rectangular connectors, hybrid connectors, crown spring connectors, and modular jack connectors.

[0141] FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate exemplary techniques to promote (1) accurate temperature readings by a temperature sensor by mitigating the effect of heating from sunlight and other bright lights and / or (2) accurate air temperatureAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304readings when adhering the modules to a wall or other surface. For example, in FIG.7A modular sensor system 702 may be placed on a stand-off 704 to minimize the thermal transfer of heat between the mounting surface (i.e., wall 706) and the temperature sensor (not shown) in modular sensor system 702. Convective airflow 708 may also help mitigate the thermal transfer of heat between wall 706 and modular sensor system 702.

[0142] FIG. 7B depicts a fan 710 housed within temperature module 712 which may be used to promote airflow over temperature sensor 714 under high light levels by suctioning air through air inlet 716 and expelling air through air outlet 718. It should be noted that while fan 710 may use a lot of power, it may only be required to function while under a high light level when a photovoltaic energy harvester may generate sufficient power to operate fan 710 and all other electronics successfully. Furthermore, temperature sensor 714 is placed on a printed circuit board stalk 715 to minimize thermal transfer of heat between the temperature sensor and the bulk of printed circuit board 719.

[0143] FIG. 7C depicts a solar shade 720 being placed over temperature module 722 (or only over the entire modular sensor system) and attached to temperature module 722 by means of a clip 724 so that temperature module 722 is not in direct sunlight or other bright lights.

[0144] FIGS. 7D, 7E, 7F, 7G, and 7H illustrate different techniques for mitigating the effect of sunlight and other bright lights to promote accurate temperature readings by a temperature sensor. As shown in FIG. 7D, modular sensor system 200 is mounted to a wall by a standoff wall mount. Convective airflows may pass through the front and rear sides of modular sensor system 200. Modular sensor system 200 includes a solar shade 204-D installed to over temperature module 204 (not shown in FIG. 7D). In some embodiments, solar shadeAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304204-D includes a high solar reflective index (SRI) paint to help to block the sunlight and / or reflect as much sunlight as possible.

[0145] FIG. 7E illustrates that temperature module 204 includes a convective aperture 204-A, a temperature sensor 204-S, a printed circuit board (PCB) 204-P, and a U-shaped PCB stalk 204-K. As shown in FIG. 7E, convective aperture 204-A is in the middle of the module's front and rear plastics or one of the front and rear plastics. Convective aperture 204-A is configured to expose the U-shaped PCB stalk 204-K with temperature sensor 204-S to air from outside of temperature module 204. That is, temperature sensor 204-S is directly exposed to air from outside, which may measure an environmental air temperature accurately. In other embodiments, a PCB stalk could be configured to stick out of the plastic module without the use of an aperture, thereby allowing direct exposure of air from outside.

[0146] Temperature module 204 may be connected to end cap module 202, which may be a solar cell module (an energy harvesting sensor module). End cap module 202 (the solar cell module) is above temperature module 204 and at the top of modular sensor system 200. In other embodiments, an additional sensor could be connected between temperature module 204 and end cap module 202. Temperature sensor 204-S, the plastics of temperature module 204, and end cap module 202 (the solar cell module) could be heated by sunlight. In some scenarios, end cap module 202 (the solar cell module) at the top of modular sensor system 200 may be heated significantly. The bottom of temperature module 204 (not connected to end cap module 202) may be cool. Also, the bottom of temperature module 204 is shaded by solar shade 204-D and is in equilibrium with the environmental temperature. This may create a convection current that pulls cool air from the outside of the bottom of temperature module 204, and the air escapes from the top of temperature module 204. It may be helpful for temperature sensor 204-S to measure the environmentalAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304temperature.

[0147] Temperature module 204 may also have module plastics that are long enough to keep temperature sensor 204-S away from end cap module 202 (the solar cell module). In this manner, the air going over temperature sensor 204-S could be representative of the environmental air, not the air heated by end cap module 202 (the solar cell module). After the air enters temperature module 204 from convective aperture 204-A and / or the bottom, the air goes over temperature sensor 204-S and subsequently rises and is heated up as it approaches end cap module 202 (the solar cell module) at the top. Notwithstanding, the heated air may not affect the temperature reading because the air is heated after temperature sensor 204-S measures the temperature. The heated air may enable a convective current which is beneficial to continue bringing in environmental air to the temperature module from the bottom.

[0148] Because PCB 204-P inside the plastics of temperature module 204 may heat up and be hotter at the top because of end cap module 202 (the solar cell module). As shown in FIG. 7E, PCB stalk 204-K is put at the bottom of convective aperture 204-A of the plastic so that PCB stalk 204-K could be away from the heat of end cap module 202 (the solar cell module). It may reduce conductive heat transfer to temperature sensor 204-S through PCB stalk 204-K.

[0149] Alternatively or additionally, lengths of temperature module 204 and solar shade 204-D may be long to lower temperature sensor 204-S away from the heat of end cap module 202 (the solar cell module), thereby reducing conductive heat transfer therefrom to temperature sensor 204-S.

[0150] In some embodiments, PCB 204-P of temperature module 204 may include elongated metallic traces, e.g., in a zig-zag pattern or other pattern that extends the lengths of the traces. This may reduce the conductive transfer of heatingAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304to temperature sensor 204-S from end cap module 202 (the solar cell module), other modules, and / or temperature module 204.

[0151] In some embodiments, temperature sensor 204-S and PCB 204-P (or PCB stalk 204-K) that are exposed to the environment via convective aperture 204-A may include a membrane and / or be conformally coded to maintain an ingress protection (IP) rating.

[0152] FIG. 7F illustrates that solar shade 204-D is installed outside of temperature module 204 to block sunlight.

[0153] FIG. 7G illustrates that solar shade 204-D is configured to protect temperature sensor 204-S of temperature module 204 from the heat of solar radiation. Solar heating of the modular sensor system 200 and solar shade 204-D drives a convective air current through the solar shade 204-D and the temperature module 204, which draws ambient-temperature air across the temperature sensor chip 204-S.

[0154] In some embodiments, a temperature module, including one or more of the features described above and having no fan, may have a maximum heating of 1.3 degrees Celsius in direct sunlight, assuming no wind or airflow from a fan, higher than an environmental temperature. When a wind or an airflow occurs, the temperature module may read the environmental temperature accurately because the wind or airflow dissipates some of the heat on the gill shade and / or the plastics of the temperature module.

[0155] In some embodiments, temperature module 204 may include a circuit for correcting the heating caused by the sunlight and / or an adjacent module. The circuit may include a processor configured to execute instructions to calculate a heating temperature value based on at least one of an incident solar radiation, an integrated sum of previous readings of the incident solar radiation, a differential ofAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304incident solar radiation readings, or a convolution of incident solar radiation readings. The processor of the circuit may be further configured to subtract the heating temperature value from a temperature measured by temperature sensor 204-S to obtain a measured temperature.

[0156] In some embodiments, temperature module 204 may include a circuit for correcting the heating caused by the sunlight and / or an adjacent module. The circuit may include a processor configured to execute instructions to calculate a heating temperature value based on at least one of a wind speed, an integrated sum of previous readings of wind speeds, a differential of wind speed readings, or a convolution of wind speed readings. Temperature module 204 may obtain readings of wind speeds from a wind speed module.

[0157] In some embodiments, temperature module 204 may include a circuit for correcting the heating caused by the sunlight and / or an adjacent module. The circuit may include a processor configured to execute instructions to correct the heating using both the solar radiation and wind speeds as described above. In other embodiments, the correction of the heating could be performed on the gateway, hub, or cloud.

[0158] FIG. 7H illustrates a modular sensor system 300. As shown in FIG. 7H, modular sensor system 300 includes a top end cap module, a temperature module 304, and a bottom end cap module. Modular sensor system 300 is mounted to wall 704 by standoff wall mount 704. Modular sensor system 300 also includes a solar shade 304-D installed to over and around temperature module 304. In some embodiments, solar shade 304-D includes a high solar reflective index (SRI) paint to help to block the sunlight and / or reflect as much sunlight as possible, solar shade 304-D. In some embodiments, solar shade 304-D may have similar features as described above for solar shade 204-D with reference to FIGs. 7A-7G. ModularAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304sensor system 300, including the top and bottom end cap modules, may have similar features as described above for modular sensor system 200 and its top and bottom end cap modules with reference to FIGs. 7A-7G.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 7H, temperature module 304 also includes an inner duct 304-T, a temperature sensor 304-S, and a fan 304-F. Inner duct 304-T has a duct inlet 304-I and a duct outlet 304-0. As shown in FIG. 7H, inner duct 304-T is arranged to provide an airflow path 304-Afrom duct inlet 304-I, through temperature sensor 304-S, to duct outlet 304-0. Because inner duct 304-T is protected from solar heating by solar shade 304-D, temperature module 304 may read environmental temperature accurately. For example, when module sensor system 300 is configured to turn on fan 304-F, fan 304-F is configured to draw ambient-temperature air to enter airflow path 304-A from duct inlet 304-I to reach temperature sensor 304-S, thereby allowing temperature sensor 304-S to measure environmental temperature with accuracy. The air inside inner duct 304-T continues to flow out via duct outlet 304-0.

[0160] Duct inlet 304-I of inner duct 304-T is arranged near a bottom of temperature module 304 to minimize aspiration of air that has been heated by convective airflow around or within solar shade 304-D. In some embodiments, duct inlet 304-I of inner duct 304-T may be arranged to face ground or toward a target area of an environment in order to obtain ambient-temperature air and / or avoid heated convective airflow.

[0161] When modular sensor system 300 turns on fan 304-F, airflow inside inner duct 304T flows over temperature sensor 304-S, which may cool temperature sensor 304-S and / or help a more accurate reading of the environmental air temperature.

[0162] FIG. 7I illustrates exemplary techniques for a photosynthetically activeAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304radiation (PAR) sensor module 730. Modular sensor systems 100 and / or 200 may include PAR sensor module 730. PAR sensor module 730 is configured to measure light over a specific wavelength window: 400-700 nanometers (nm). As shown in FIG. 7I, PAR sensor module 730 includes a PAR sensor 731 , an IR-LIV cut filter 732, a plastic housing 733, a diffuser disk 734, and a light-blocking cylinder 735. PAR sensor 731 includes, for example, one or more photodiodes to measure light. IR-UV cut filter 732 is configured to block out light outside the 400-700 nm window. Diffuser disk 734 is placed above PAR sensor 731. Diffusor disk 734 may be made of plastics or other materials. Diffuser disk 734 may be flat. In some embodiments, a diffuser disk may be curved. Diffuser disk 734 is translucent so light from different angles exits diffuser disk 734 as diffuse light. The thickness of diffuser disk 734 may be optimized to impact the diffusivity of the light and improve a cosine response of PAR sensor module 730. The cosine response is based on an angle of light reaching PAR sensor module 730 relative to a normal line drawn on PAR sensor module 730.

[0163] In some embodiments, diffuser disk 734 includes a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material, which has low friction preventing objects from sticking to it. This may help keep diffuser disk 734 clean so that diffuser disk 734 is not covered by dirt or other objects, which may block light and lead to a false low PAR reading. Alternatively, diffuser disk includes materials different from the PTFE material.

[0164] PAR sensor 731 may include a multi-channel light sensor, which has multiple sensor chips. Each channel has a response over only a portion of the wavelengths from 400-700 nm (e.g., a camera chip can have an “R,” “B,” and “G” channel), or a response that is different from other channels but may extend over or beyond the 400-700 nm range.

[0165] PAR sensor module 730 is configured to perform an additive sum ofAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304these channels to achieve a flat response between 400-700 nm by adding each channel in a specific proportion. To achieve the flat response, PAR sensor module 730 is configured to adjust the proportions of the channels of the sensor chips for the additive sum based on transmission spectrum of diffuser disk 734 and transmission spectrum of I R-UV cut filter 732. The proportions of the channels of the sensor chip(s) may be a multiplicative lighting-spectra-dependent correction factor for achieving the flat response or toward the flat response.

[0166] In some embodiments, PAR sensor module 730 may include one or more additional filters, in addition to I R-UV cut filter 732. The one or more additional filters are configured for the multi-channel light sensor of PAR sensor module 730 to improve the flatness of the response.

[0167] PAR sensor module 730 may further include light-blocking cylinder 735 around PAR sensor 731 , to contain the light and block out other light from reaching PAR sensor 731. Light-blocking cylinder 735 is housed inside plastic housing 733, as shown in FIG. 7I.

[0168] In some embodiments, modular sensor system 100 or 200 may include an extended photosynthetically active radiation (ePAR) sensor module. The ePAR module includes one or more features as described above for the PAR module for a certain wavelength and / or a flat response. For example, the ePAR sensor module may have a flat response from 400-750 nm. In some embodiments, modular sensor system 100 may include a sensor module. The light sensor module includes one or more features as described above for the PAR module for a certain wavelength and / or a flat response. For example, the light sensor module may have a flat response from a spectrum range.

[0169] FIG. 8 illustrates an assembled view of modular sensor system 800 including an OPV-powered energy harvesting sensor hub 801, a camera 802, and anAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304end cap module 803. The sensor hub 801 can serve as an energy source for any attached electronic device. This will create an energy source for any application that desires increased power, particularly under indoor or low light levels. In some embodiments, the camera 802 captures still images in low resolution, still images in high resolution, video images in low resolutions and / or video images in high resolution. In some embodiments, the camera may include light filters to control the spectral response of the camera. In other embodiments, the end cap module 803 may also include energy harvesters, such as a photovoltaic cell, energy storage devices, such as rechargeable batteries, wireless radios, electronics devices, such as power management circuitry, a microprocessor, LEDs, and / or push buttons, and / or electronics to serve as a stand- alone charger for the modular sensor system.

[0170] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate additional views of an end cap module 900 for the modular sensor system disclosed herein comprising a plurality of electrical connectors 901. The electrical connector 901 provides data and / or power signals to attached modules. In some embodiments, the electrical connector comprises positive and negative terminals in order to supply power to the sensor system. In some embodiments, the end cap serves as a stand-alone charger for the modular sensor system.

[0171] FIG. 10 illustrates photovoltaic module efficiency for an OPV powered energy harvesting device according to the present disclosure compared to a crystalline Si (c-Si) and amorphous Si (a-Si) powered devices, as shown in indoor lighting, specifically 500 lux LED light. In this comparison, all three devices were exposed to 500 lux LED light. The OPV device, which was comprised of a CPB:C70 cell, had a Power Conversion Efficiency of 30.8% based on an input power of 0.140 mW / cm2, an output power of 0.043 mW / cm2, a voltage at maximum power of 8.92V and a current density at maximum power of 0.0048 mA / cm2. By comparison, an a-SiAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304powered device had a Power Conversion Efficiency of 10.3% based on an input power of 0.168 mW / cm2, an output power of 0.0173 mW / cm2, a voltage at maximum power of 2.9V and a current density at maximum power of 0.0060 mA / cm2. Under the same conditions, a c-Si powered device had a Power Conversion Efficiency of 5.3% based on an input power of 0.168 mW / cm2, an output power of 0.00869 mW / cm2, a voltage at maximum power of 1 ,94V, and a current density at maximum power of 0.00448 mA / cm2.

[0172] FIGS. 11 A, 11B, 11C, 11D illustrate end cap modules with electronics to serve as a stand-alone charger for the modular system. FIG. 11A depicts a connector 1101 attaching to the modular sensor system, including pins for data and / or power signals. FIGS. 11B, 11C, and 11 D depict three different views of an end cap module comprising a USB-C port 1102 to which power can be provided for charging the modular sensor system.

[0173] In some embodiments, the end cap contains electronics including rechargeable battery, UCB-C port, PCBA with electronics (e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, integrated circuits, power management integrated circuits, connectors), to support charging of the battery over USB-C or solar, and powering of the sensors from the battery.

[0174] FIG. 12 illustrates an environmental automation system 1200, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. Environmental automation system 1200 includes sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214, a sensor gateway 1220, and a sensor hub 1230. As indicated above, the present disclosure contemplates environmental automation systems comprising 1) at least one sensor gateway, 2) at least on sensor hub, and 3) the combination of at least one sensor gateway and at least one sensor hub. FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the environmental automation system 1200 comprising both at least one sensor gatewayAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304and at least one sensor hub. As shown in FIG. 12, sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 are connected to sensor gateway 1220. Sensor stacks 1213 and 1214 are connected to sensor hub 1230. Sensor gateway 1220 and sensor hub 1230 are connected to a wireless router 1240. Wireless router 1240 is connected to an Internet 1250. A sensor cloud server 1260 is connected to Internet 1250. A user device 1270 is connected to the environmental automation system 1200 via Internet 1250 or wireless router 1240.

[0175] Each of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 includes one or more modules disclosed and described in this disclosure. For example, sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 may include modular sensor system 100 as described above with reference to FIG. 1A. Sensor stacks 1213 and 1214 may include modular sensor system 100 as described above with reference to FIG. 6. Sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 are configured to wireless communicate with sensor gateway 1220 a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection, a LoRa connection, a WiFi connection, or a wireless connection based on any of wireless communication technologies disclosed in this disclosure.

[0176] In some embodiments, sensor stacks connected to the same sensor gateway 1220 or sensor hub 1230 may include the same sensor modules or different sensor modules. In some embodiments, one or more sensor stacks may be connected to sensor gateway 1220 or sensor hub 1230.

[0177] Sensor gateway 1220 is configured to wirelessly communicate with sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 by the BLE connection, the LoRa connection, the WiFi connection, or a wireless connection based on any of wireless communication technologies disclosed in this disclosure. As an example, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to communicate with sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 by a BLE connection. Sensor gateway 1220 is configured to receive data from sensor stacks 1211 and / orAgents Ref. 10762.0157-003041212 as a BLE beacon. Sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 and sensor gateway 1220 may be configured to perform encryption and authentication for the communication of the BLE beacon.

[0178] In some embodiments, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to connect to sensor stacks 1211 and / or 1212 over a paired BLE connection to perform over-the-air firmware updates of sensors, share BLE security and encryption keys, and send other information between sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 and sensor gateway 1220. Sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 and sensor gateway 1220 may be configured to perform encryption and authentication for the paired BLE beacon connection.

[0179] Sensor gateway 1220 is configured to communicate to Internet 1250 over a Wi-Fi or Ethernet (via a RJ-45 connector and a wireline) connection to communicate to and synchronize data and / or settings with a sensor application (app) on user device 1270. Sensor gateway 1220 may be configured to encrypt data over the BLE connection to sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 and / or over the Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection to the sensor app on user device 1270 or sensor cloud server 1260 connected to Internet 1250.

[0180] In some embodiments, sensor gateway 1220 contains a barrel jack or USB connector to connect to an AC adapter for power. In some embodiments, when power outage occurs, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to store data on itself by using remaining power stored on one or more capacitors or batteries, or storing data to non-volatile memory. When power is restored, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to synchronize the stored data to sensor cloud server 1260.

[0181] In some embodiments, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to send sensor data to one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) on sensor cloud server 1260. A user may get the sensor data using user device 1270 to connect to the one or more APIs. The APIs on sensor cloud server 1260 may enableAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304access to an If This Then That (IFTTT) or Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) service, or provide a connection from Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Siri, Matter, or a custom API can be defined.

[0182] In some embodiments, two or more sensor gateways are connected to extend a range of environmental automation system 1200. All sensor gateways are configured to report sensor data and / or setting to sensor cloud server 1260. If outage of Internet 1250 occurs, the sensor gateways are configured to communicate with each other to form a local network to support a sensor app on a local user device.

[0183] In some embodiments, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to support data output via one or more of Modbus, BACnet, LonWorks, Profinet, Profibus, EtherCAT, EtherNet / IP, CANopen, DeviceNET, AMQP, OPC-UA, lO-Link, FOXS, oBIX, LON, SNMP, or KNX protocols.

[0184] In some embodiments, sensor gateway 1220 includes at least one of RS-485 or RJ-45 ports to output sensor data, which may be encoded in any of the above protocols. For example, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to encode sensor data based on a Modbus RTU protocol and output the encoded data to one or more RS-485 cables. As another example, sensor gateway 1220 is configured to encode sensor data based on a TCP / IP protocol and output the encoded data to one or more Ethernet cables. A device may be configured to obtain sensor data sensor stacks 1211 and 1212 via sensor gateway 1220.

[0185] Sensor hub 1230 may include a part or all of the features described above for sensor gateway 1220. In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 is connected to one or more sensor gateways to extend a range of environmental automation system 1200. In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 contains two screw terminals to connect to a line voltage and neutral wire for hardwired power or three screw terminals to add a ground wire.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304

[0186] Sensor hub 1230 may further include relay and control functions. For example, sensor hub 1230 is configured to control of environmental equipment, such a fan, heater, airconditioner, humidifier, dehumidifier, shades, vents, CO2 enrichment, and lighting, using one or more sensor-triggered automation settings at any time in one or more days, weeks, months, or years. Sensor hub 1230 can also control power to pumps that add nutrients and / or pH solutions to a water reservoir, for example based on a timing schedule or readings from an electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and / or dissolved oxygen sensor.

[0187] In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 includes 12 channels each with an open / close relay for controlling power or signals to equipment. The power or signals may be up to 250 volts (V) at 30 Amps (A). Each channel may control 3-phase power using a 3-phase electrical magnetic contactor. In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 includes a different number of channels and / or support control of more or less power than 250 V and 30 A.

[0188] In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 includes two analog outputs providing 0-10 V control signals, or a defined range between 0-10 V, to control dimmable and other variable equipment, such as one or more light bulbs. In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 includes a different number of analog outputs and / or supports more or less voltage than the range of 0-10 V.

[0189] If an outage of Internet 1250 occurs, sensor hub 1230 is configured to continue to run automation and record sensor data locally on itself. When Internet 1250 becomes accessible again, sensor hub 1230 is configured to upload and synchronize the sensor data and / or updated settings to the sensor cloud sever or the sensor app on user device 1270.

[0190] In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 is configured to operate a local mode. When sensor hub 1230 operates in the local mode, user device 1270Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304may be configured to connect to sensor hub 1230 using the sensor app installed on user device 1270.

[0191] In some embodiments, each relay or analog output of sensor hub 1230 may be set to a mode: manual on, manual off, or auto (i.e., controlled by routine automation). The mode of each relay or analog output may be changed between these states from the sensor app on user device 1270. In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 contains buttons on the front to change the mode or a state of each relay or analog output. In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 includes buttons on the front to change a level of voltage of each analog output.

[0192] In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 contains screw terminals for connections to the relay channels, analog outputs, and hardwired power. The relays may be enclosed in a protected compartment to protect users from high voltage or high power. There may be punch-outs for attaching electrical conduits to house the wiring going to the relay channels, analog outputs, hardwired power, and RS-485 port(s). Inside this compartment is a second compartment housing fuses for each relay channel.

[0193] In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 may contain one or more safety measures, including fuses, zero-cross circuitry, voltage surge protection, and circuitry to minimize electromagnetic emissions and radiations and to protect against electromagnetic conduction, voltage fluctuations, and interruptions.

[0194] In some embodiments, sensor hub 1230 contains a fan to cool the interior of sensor hub 1230. Sensor hub 1230 may also have a door on its side that houses a filter. A user may replace the filter via the door. Additionally or alternatively, sensor hub 1230 may also have a door on its side that houses a fan. A user may replace the fan via the door.

[0195] Wireless router 1240 is configured to connect to sensor gatewayAgents Ref. 10762.0157-003041220 and sensor hub 1230, as shown in FIG. 12. In addition, wireless router 1240 is configured to connect to Internet 1250. In some embodiments, wireless router 1240 is configured to connect user device 1270. As shown in FIG. 12, wireless router 1240 is configured to connect environmental automation system 1200 to Internet 1250.

[0196] Sensor cloud server 1260 includes one or more processors and one or more memories. Sensor cloud server 1260 is configured to store sensor data sent from sensor gateway 1220 and / or sensor hub 1230 via wireless router 1240 and Internet 1250. In some embodiments, sensor cloud server 1260 has one or more APIs for user device 1270 to access the sensor data stored on sensor cloud server 1260.

[0197] User device 1270 may include one or more processors and one or more memories to store instructions, including instructions of the sensor app. User device 1270 may be a phone, a tablet, a laptop, a computer, or any device that can execute one or more operations disclosed for user device 1270 in the disclosure. User device 1270 is configured to run the sensor app to display at least one of a Home page, a Senor Data page, a Group Data page, an Alarms page, an Equipment page, a Scenes page, a Routines page, a Devices page, a Settings page, a Help page, or an Add Device page, Each of these pages includes a plurality of information, options, controls, operations, and settings.

[0198] In some embodiments, when Internet 1250 is not accessible, the sensor app on user device 1270 is configured to operate in a local mode. User device 1270 is configured to run the sensor app to control environmental automation system 1200 through a local area network (LAN), to which sensor gateway 1220 and sensor hub 1230 are also connected. User device 1270 may be capable of performing a subset of all of the sensor app's functions in the localAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304mode.

[0199] In some embodiments, an environmental automation system may include one or more sensor stacks and one or more sensor gateways. The one or more sensor stacks are configured to communicate with the one or more sensor gateways as described above for sensor stacks 1211-1214 and sensor gateway 1220 with reference to FIG. 12. The one or more sensor gateways may be connected to an Internet (e.g., Internet 1250) via a wireless router (e.g., wireless router 1240) or via a wireline (e.g., Ethernet cable). In some embodiments, the one or more gateways may be configured to upload sensor data to a sensor cloud server (e.g., sensor cloud server 1260) via the Internet. A user device (e.g., user device 1270) is configured to access the sensor data on the sensor cloud server as described above for user device 1270 with reference to FIG. 12. In some embodiments, the user device is configured to receive an automation setting from a user and upload the automation setting to the sensor cloud server. Based on the automation setting, the sensor cloud server is configured to execute a sensor automation task.

[0200] In some embodiments, the environmental automation system may operate in a local mode. The user device is configured to communicate with the one or more sensor gateways directly or via the wireless router. In some embodiments, the user device is configured to receive an automation setting from a user and execute a sensor automation task based on the automation setting.

[0201] In some embodiments, an environmental automation system may include one or more sensor stacks and one or more sensor hubs. The environmental automation system may be configured to operate as described above for the environmental automation system including one or more sensor stacks and one or more sensor gateways. Additionally or alternatively, theAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304environmental automation system is configured to execute a sensor automation task based on an automation setting stored on a sensor cloud server and / or from a user device.

[0202] Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the operations, as discussed above. For example, instructions may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium included in sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214, sensor gateway 1220, sensor hub 1230, sensor cloud server 1260, and / or user device 1270. The computer-readable medium may include volatile or non-volatile, magnetic, semiconductor, tape, optical, removable, non-removable, or other types of computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage devices. For example, the computer-readable medium may be the storage device or the memory module having the computer instructions stored thereon, as disclosed. In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may be a disc or a flash drive having the computer instructions stored thereon.

[0203] In some embodiments, user device 1270 (FIG. 12) may be configured to operate a modular sensor system application (APR) for wireless energy harvester and / or environmental measurements. The modular sensor system APP may include a Home page for one or more control operations described below:• Home page:o See sensor data. Each sensor stack is shown separately, including the sensor data for the Snap-on sensors attached to each EnGen in a sensor stack.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304o Record low and high values reached by each sensor data. This can be reset automatically daily to display daily low / high values, or not be automatically reset to display historic low / high values.o Set min and max values for each sensor, which are the values that sensors are intended to stay between.■ Users can trigger routines when sensors go outside of the min / max range to maintain sensors inside their min / max range ■ Users can receive text, email, and / or push notifications when sensors go outside of their specified min / max ranges■ An alarm is created when a sensor goes outside of its min / max range. This alarm is displayed on the home page by each sensor, a summary of how many active alarms there are is displayed at the top of the home page, and a summary of alarms is shown in the alarms tab.• If there is no active alarm, the message “All sensors are good” is displayed at the top of the home page.o sensor stacks can be renamed.o For a sensor stack, users can select “Find sensor.” This will cause a sensor to flash an LED or make an audible beep.o Users can create groups, and sensor stacks can be placed into groups.

[0204] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APR may include a Sensor Data page for one or more control operations described below:• Sensor Data page:o Shows sensor data for one sensor stacko Shows current sensor data at the top of the page, along with the min / max and high / low values for the sensors.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304Contains graphs of sensor data. For example, one graph for each of temperature, humidity, PAR, CO2.Sensor graphs can be hidden or displayedSensor graphs can be reorderedSensor graphs can be displayed full width or half width of the screen. For the half width display, there are two columns of graphs.Users can change the timescale of the graph between: last hour, last 24 hours, last week, last month, select data range.Users can hover their mouse (or on a mobile / tablet device, users can touch or tap) over graphs, and then a pop-up window displays the sensor values at the selected time. Additional pop-up windows also display data on all sensor graphs at the selected time.Each data graph has a download button, allowing the user to download raw data as a .csv file, or download an image of the data graph.Users can take a picture of the sensor stack, which will be displayed at the top of the Sensor data page, allowing the user to recall where the sensor stack is located.There is an alarms tab, which shows the alarms associated with the selected sensor stack.There is a settings page for the sensor stack:■ Rename the sensor stack■ Shows the sensors attached to the sensor stack, and the signal strength■ Users can update the min / max valuesAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ Users can select the light source being seen by the sensor stack, which can be used to automatically apply a correction factor to the PAR sensor reading for the selected spectrum. ■ Users can update the Sensor Calibration for each of the sensors attached to the sensor stack:• The calibration may be a linear offset.• The calibration may be a proportional constant.• A two-point calibration can be applied to perform a linear fit of two Ensora sensor readings compared to reference readings.• For CO2, the user can run an Automatic Baseline Calibration, reset the calibration, perform a manual calibration (i.e., type in a known CO2 value), or follow the Automatic Baseline calibration from another sensor. • For all sensors, users will have an option to type in the value from a known reference sensor, and the app will automatically calculation the calibration.

[0205] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include a Group Data page for one or more control operations described below:• Group Data page:o Shows sensor data for each sensor stack added to the selected group o Shows an average of the current sensor data at the top of the page o Contains graphs of sensor data. For example, one graph for each of temperature, humidity, PAR, CO2. Each graph has a separate data line for each of the sensor stacks added to the group.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304o There is an on / off toggle button to hide / display data from a sensor stack being displayed on the data graphso Sensor graphs can be hidden or displayedo Sensor graphs can be reorderedo Sensor graphs can be displayed full width or half width of the screen.For the half width display, there are two columns of graphs. o Users can change the timescale of the graph between: last hour, last 24 hours, last week, last month, select data range.o Users can hover their mouse (or on mobile / tablet, users can touch or tap) over graphs, and then a pop-up window displays the sensor values at the selected time. Additional pop-up windows also display data on all sensor graphs at the selected time.■ The pop-up window shows data for each of the sensor stacks in the groupo Each data graph has a download button, allowing the user to download raw data as a .csv file, or download an image of the data graph.o Each group has tabs to show the alarms, equipment, scenes, and routines added to the group. Users can then view and control the alarms, equipment, scenes, and routines in the group, with controls / displays similar to what is in the alarms, equipment, scenes, and routines pages, as described below.

[0206] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include an Alarms page for one or more control operations described below:• Alarms page:o Contains a list of all the alarms that were created due to a sensor having its value going outside of its min / max range.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304o Each alarm contains:■ Description: summary of which sensor triggered the alarm and what sensor value is outside its min / max range■ Sensor: the sensor that created the alarm■ Start time: when the alarm was created■ Clear time: when the alarm was cleared, if applicableo The user can filter the alarms to show alarms that were active during:■ Last 5 minutes (we will be deleting this from the app, but it is there now)■ Last hour■ Last 24 hours■ Last week■ Last month■ Select date rangeo The user can filter the type of the alarm:■ All alarms■ Temperature alarms■ Humidity Alarms■ CO2 Alarms■ PAR Alarmso The user can filter to show active alarms onlyo The user can download a .csv file containing a summary of the alarms

[0207] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include an Equipment page for one or more control operations described below:• Equipment page:Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304Contains a box each relay channel and analog output connected to an Automation Hub. In the app, this is referred to as controlling the Equipment connected to each relay or analog output.Each equipment is named by the user and assigned a category (fans, lights, cooling, heating, humidifier, dehumidifier, shade, vents, pump, irrigation, CO2, auxiliary, etc.). The equipment is shown grouped by category.Users can add a picture of the equipment, allowing the user to remember where each equipment is located.For each equipment, displayed is the power (on, off, or level percent). Also displayed is the mode of each equipment:■ Auto: controlled via routine automation■ Override: the user has selected an “on” or “off” manual override.The relay / equipment will remain either on / off and will not be controlled by routine automation until the user puts the equipment back into the “Auto” mode.Each equipment has buttons where the users can change between: override on, override off, auto.Each equipment has a settings where the user can:■ Update group: add or remove the equipment to or from a group ■ Update Daily cycle limits: set a max number of on / off cycles per 24-hour period, or specify a time to wait before turning on again ■ Go to the equipment data graphs pageEquipment data graphs page:Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ A data graph is displayed for the selected equipment, showing when the equipment was powered on or off, and when the equipment was in an Auto mode or an override mode.■ The user can filter the alarms to show alarms that were active:• Last 5 minutes (we will be deleting this from the app, but it is there now)• Last hour• Last 24 hours• Last week• Last month• Select date range• Each data graph has a download button, allowing the user to download raw data as a .csv file, or download an image of the data graph.o Equipment can be assigned to groups, which will then also be shown in the groups page

[0208] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include a Scenes page for one or more control operations described below:• Scenes page:o A user can create a scene to control multiple equipment with a single clicko In the scene, the user:■ Specifies a scene type (fans, lights, cooling, heating, humidifier, dehumidifier, shade, vents, pump, irrigation, CO2, auxiliary, etc.) ■ names the sceneAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ specifies if each equipment is to be turned on, turned off, have its level set to a specified value, or have it state be unchanged when the scene is activated.o Users can click on a scene to activate / run that sceneo Scenes are shown grouped by scene typeo Scenes can be assigned to groups, which will then also be shown in the groups page

[0209] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include a Routines page for one or more control operations described below:• Routines page:o Shows a summary of routines.o Users can search and filter the displayed routines by keyword o Users can update the groups to which the routines are added o Users can archive routineso Users can view archived routines and restore themo Users can delete routineso Users can create a New Routine or modify an existing Routine:■ Type in a name for the routine■ Select a group for the routine■ Input “When this happens...”• Users will input a number of triggers• The triggers can be connected by “Or,” “And when,” or “Excluding when” statements• For each trigger the user specifies a trigger type:o SensorAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ Then select a sensor, a sensing type (e.g., temperature, humidity, CO2, PAR)■ Select “is above,” “is below,” “is above max by,” “is below min by”■ Input valuee■ User selects an option:• “is in between,” users inputs two times• “between sunrise and sunset,”• “between sunset and sunrise” ipment■ User selects an equipment■ User selects an option:• Is turned on• Is turned off• has been turned on for more than (user types in number of minutes) • has been turned off for more than (user types in number of minutes)■ User inputs day of week■ Other options we may add later:• Is after (user selects date)• Is before (user selects date)Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304• is (user selects date)■ Input “Sensor Stack Will...”• User selects an action:o Turn on, then user selects an equipment state (on / off / set level)o Turn off, then user selects an equipment state (on / off / set level)o Start scene, then user selects a scene o Notify me by, then user selects notification method (e.g., text, email, push notification)■ We may eliminate this from the app, and / or re-add this later■ Phone call could also be an option here o Wait, then users specify a time to wait■ We may eliminate this from the app, and / or re-add this later■ Input “Until...”• Users can enable or disable an “Until...” section.o Disabling this will treat the routine as a one-time event, whereby the “Sensor Stack Will...” section happens every time the “Sensor Stack Will...” action is triggered.o Enabling this will treat the routine as a two-time event:Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ The “Sensor Stack Will...” section happens every time the “Sensor Stack Will...” action is triggered.■ The negation of the “Sensor Stack Will ... ” sections happens every time the negation of the “Sensor Stack Will...” action is triggered.• When enabled, the user specifies sensor offset values to apply to the “Until...” section. Namely, the triggered sensor value needs to be restored and go beyond the triggered value by a certain amount for the “Until...” section to be actived.o For example, a routine could start an AC whenever the temperature is above 70 °F, until the triggered temperature is restored and 2 °F beyond triggered point. In this case, once the routine is triggered the temperature will need to be cooled to 68 °F before the AC will turn off. Then, the AC will turn back on when the temperature is higher than 70 °F.■ Routine features may also include:• Wait a certain number of minutes to restart a routine after the routine stops if triggered again• Ignore untriggered sensors, equipment, times, and dates

[0210] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include a Devices page for one or more control operations described below:Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304• Devices page:o Displays sensor stack devices added to the user account.o The devices are grouped by sensor stacks, Automation Hubs, and Gatewayso Sensor stacks show the picture of the sensor stack, what the sensor is sensing (e.g., temperature, humidity, PAR, CO2), and the group to which the sensor stack is added.o Automation Hub settings page:■ Users can enable / disable relay channels and analog outputs ■ Users can rename relay channels and analog outputs■ Users can add / view pictures of each equipment ■ Users can update the channel type: fans, lights, cooling, heating, humidifier, dehumidifier, shade, vents, pump, irrigation, CO2, auxiliary, etc■ For analog outputs, users can specify a min voltage and max voltage, between 0 -10V.• This allows the users to use different voltage ranges, such as 0-5V, 0-10V, or anything between 0-10V.

[0211] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include a Settings page for one or more control operations described below:• Settings page:o Tab for sensor stack system:■ Homepage settings options:• Front page: user selects the page that loads first when opening the appAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304• Default group view: user selects to view min / max or low / high when the app loads• Clear lows and highs: users selects between “automatically at midnight” or “manually only” ■ Location details:• Select country• Select postal code• Select time zonefor Preferences:■ Temperature: select Fahrenheit or Celsius■ Language: select English, Spanish, French, German, etc.• Initially we will only have English and Spanish. Other languages will be added later.■ Date format select. Options may include: MM / DD / YYYY, MM- DD-YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, DD / MM / YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, Month D Yr, D Month Yr, Yr Month D, etc.■ Use a 24-hour clock: click to enablefor Notifications:■ Send email notifications to: user adds email addresses■ Send text notifications to: user adds phone numbers■ Notifications:• Sensor alarm notifications: Select notifications to receive when a sensor reading goes outside its min and max rangeAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304o Toggle buttons to enable / disable receiving notifications by: Email, SMS Text, Push o An on / off toggle to: “Also notify me when alarms are cleared”o The user types a number of minutes to wait before being notified that an alarm is active or cleared • Routine alarm notifications: Select notifications to receive from notifications set in routines.o Toggle buttons to enable / disable receiving notifications by: Email, SMS Text, Push• Sensor status button notifications: Select notifications to receive when pressing the sensor status button on your sensor stack sensors.o Toggle buttons to enable / disable receiving notifications by: Email, SMS Text, Push• System alert notifications: Select notifications to receive if the internet or power is out, if signal is lost to a sensor, or if a sensor is in the dark for too long.o Toggle buttons to enable / disable receiving notifications by: Email, SMS Text, Push■ Reports: user selects when to receive summary reports, choosing between none, daily, weekly, and monthly.for Billing:■ User inputs credit card and billing information.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ Invoice history, showing the invoice date and the billed amount per invoice, with an option to download invoices.o Tab for Subscription:■ The user can change their sensor stack plan between different app tiers, such as the “Sensor Stack Core” and “Sensor Stack Professional” plans.o Tab for Integrations:■ Users can connect their sensor stack app account to various loT and Smart Home integrations, such as: IFTTT, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri, Matter, etc.

[0212] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include a Help page for one or more control operations described below:• Help page:o Contains a list of Help Topics.o Contains a link to tutorial videos and help videos.o Contains “Contact us” informationo Contains a link and / or form to provide feedback on sensor stack.

[0213] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may include an Add Device page for one or more control operations described below:• Add Device page:o To add a new sensor stack device, the user scans a QR code on an sensor stack device or inputs the device IDo Users can rename, add to groups, and configure newly added sensor stack devices■ For newly added sensor stacks, the user can also input min / max valuesAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304■ For newly added Automation Hub, the user is taken to the Automation Hub settings page where they can add and configure equipment to the connected channels and analog outputs.

[0214] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may operate in a local mode. For example, in an event of an Internet outage, a user may use the installed modular sensor system APP on user device 1270 to control the sensor stack system through a local area network connection to which sensor hub 1230 and / or sensor gateway 1220 are connected. In some embodiments, the modular sensor system APP may be installed on a personal computer or other user devices and configured to operate in a local mode for the operation controls described above. In some embodiment, the installed modular sensor system APP may be configured to support its full functionality in the local mode, or only a subset of the functionality.

[0215] In some embodiments, the modular sensor system may be accessed via a web browser or an application (APP) installed on a mobile phone, tablet, PC, Mac, or other computers.

[0216] FIG. 13 depicts a sensor hub. For example, the sensor hub of FIG. 13 may be an exemplary implementation of sensor hub 1230 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIG. 12.

[0217] FIG. 14 depicts a front view of the sensor hub in FIG. 13. For example, the sensor hub of FIG. 14 may be an exemplary implementation of sensor hub 1230 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIG. 12.

[0218] FIG. 15 depicts a sensor gateway. For example, the sensor gateway of FIG. 15 may be an exemplary implementation of sensor gateway 1220 (FIG. 12) andAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIG. 12.

[0219] FIG. 16 depicts another view of the sensor gateway in FIG. 15. For example, the sensor gateway of FIG. 16 may be an exemplary implementation of sensor gateway 1220 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIG. 12.

[0220] FIG. 17 depicts a sensor stack including an energy harvester module, a CO2 module, a temperature and / or humidity module, and an end cap module. For example, the sensor stack of FIG. 17 may be an exemplary implementation of modular sensor system 100 (FIGs. 1Aand 6), modular sensor system 200 (FIG. 1B), modular sensor system 800 (FIG. 8), and / or sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0221] FIG. 18 depicts a sensor stack including an energy harvester module, a temperature and / or humidity module, a CO2 module, and an end cap module. For example, the sensor stack of FIG. 18 may be an exemplary implementation of modular sensor system 100 (FIGs. 1Aand 6), modular sensor system 200 (FIG. 1B), modular sensor system 800 (FIG. 8), and / or sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12. The sensor stack of FIG. 18 has the temperature and / or humidity module and the CO2 module connected in a different order than the sensor stack in FIG. 17.

[0222] FIG. 19 depicts a sensor stack including an energy harvester module and an end cap module. For example, the sensor stack of FIG. 19 may be an exemplary implementation of modular sensor system 100 with only end cap module 102 (e.g., an energy harvester module) and end cap module 608 (FIGs. 1A and 6), a modular sensor system 200 with only end cap module 202 (e.g., an energy harvesterAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304module) and end cap module 208 (FIG. 1 B), modular sensor system 800 with only end cap module 801 (e.g., an energy harvester module) and end cap module 803 (FIG. 8), and / or sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 with only two end cap modules therein (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0223] FIG. 20 depicts a bottom view of the energy harvester module in FIG.17, 18, or 19. For example, the energy harvester module of FIG. 20 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 102 (FIGs. 1A and 6), end cap module 202 (FIG. 2), end cap module 801 (FIG. 8), and / or the upper end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0224] FIG. 21 depicts another view of the energy harvester module in FIG.20. For example, the energy harvester module of FIG. 21 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 102 (FIGs. 1A and 6), end cap module 202 (FIG.2), end cap module 801 (FIG. 8), and / or the upper end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0225] FIG. 22 depicts a top view of the energy harvester module in FIG. 20.For example, the energy harvester module of FIG. 22 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 102 (FIGs. 1A and 6), end cap module 202 (FIG.2), end cap module 801 (FIG. 8), and / or the upper end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0226] FIG. 23 depicts a side view of the energy harvester module in FIG. 20.For example, the energy harvester module of FIG. 23 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 102 (FIGs. 1A and 6), end cap module 202 (FIG.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-003042), end cap module 801 (FIG. 8), and / or the upper end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1 A-12.

[0227] FIG. 24 depicts a view of the end cap module in FIG. 17, 18, or 19. For example, the end cap module of FIG. 24 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 608 (FIG. 6), end cap module 208 (FIG. 2), end cap module 803 (FIG. 8), end cap module 900 (FIGs. 9A and 9B), the end cap modules (FIGs. 11A-11 D), and / or the bottom end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0228] FIG. 25 depicts a side view of the end cap module in FIG. 24. For example, the end cap module of FIG. 25 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 608 (FIG. 6), end cap module 208 (FIG. 2), end cap module 803 (FIG. 8), end cap module 900 (FIGs. 9A and 9B), the end cap modules (FIGs. 11A-11 D), and / or the bottom end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0229] FIG. 26 depicts a bottom view of the end cap module in FIG. 24. For example, the end cap module of FIG. 26 may be an exemplary implementation of end cap module 608 (FIG. 6), end cap module 208 (FIG. 2), end cap module 803 (FIG. 8), end cap module 900 (FIGs. 9A and 9B), the end cap modules (FIGs. 11A-11D), and / or the bottom end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0230] FIG. 27 depicts another view of the end cap module in FIG. 24. For example, the end cap module of FIG. 27 may be an exemplary implementation ofAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304end cap module 608 (FIG. 6), end cap module 208 (FIG. 2), end cap module 803 (FIG. 8), end cap module 900 (FIGs. 9A and 9B), the end cap modules (FIGs. 11A-11 D), and / or the bottom end cap modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0231] FIG. 28 depicts a front view of the temperature and / or humidity module in FIG. 17 or 18. For example, the temperature and / or humidity module of FIG. 28 may be an exemplary implementation of temperature and humidity module 104 (FIG.6), temperature module 204 (FIG. 2), Temperature module 712 (FIG. 7B), and / or the temperature and / or humidity modules of sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12

[0232] FIG. 29 depicts another view of the temperature and / or humidity module in FIG. 28. For example, the temperature and / or humidity module of FIG. 29 may be an exemplary implementation of temperature and humidity module 104 (FIG.6), temperature module 204 (FIG. 2), Temperature module 712 (FIG. 7B), and / or the temperature and / or humidity modules of sensor stacks 1211 , 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12

[0233] FIG. 30 depicts a front view of the CO2 module in FIG. 17 or 18. For example, the CO2 module of FIG. 30 may be an exemplary implementation of CO2 module 106 (FIGs. 1A and 6), CO2 module 206 (FIG. 2), and / or the CO2 modules of sensor stacks 1211 , 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0234] FIG. 31 depicts another view of the CO2 module in FIG. 30. For example, the CO2 module of FIG. 31 may be an exemplary implementation of CO2Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304module 106 (FIGs. 1A and 6), CO2 module 206 (FIG. 2), and / or the CO2 modules of sensor stacks 1211 , 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0235] FIG. 32 depicts an exploded view of the sensor stack including the energy harvester module, the temperature and / or humidity module, the CO2 module, and the end cap module in FIG. 18. For example, the sensor stack of FIG. 32 may be an exemplary implementation of modular sensor system 100 (FIGs. 1A and 6), modular sensor system 200 (FIG. 1 B), modular sensor system 800 (FIG. 8), and / or sensor stacks 1211, 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0236] FIG. 33 depicts another exploded view of the sensor stack including the energy harvester module, the temperature and / or humidity module, the CO2 module, and the end cap module in FIG. 18. For example, the sensor stack of FIG.33 may be an exemplary implementation of modular sensor system 100 (FIGs. 1A and 6), modular sensor system 200 (FIG. 1B), modular sensor system 800 (FIG. 8), and / or sensor stacks 1211 , 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0237] FIG. 34 depicts another exploded view of the sensor stack including the energy harvester module, the temperature and / or humidity module, the CO2 module, and the end cap module in FIG. 18. For example, the sensor stack of FIG.34 may be an exemplary implementation of modular sensor system 100 (FIGs. 1A and 6), modular sensor system 200 (FIG. 1B), modular sensor system 800 (FIG. 8), and / or sensor stacks 1211 , 1212, 1213, and 1214 (FIG. 12) and include the functions and features as described above with reference to FIGs. 1A-12.

[0238] It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact construction that has been described above and illustrated in theAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304accompanying drawings and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is intended that the scope of the application should only be limited by the appended claims.

Claims

Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A modular sensor system comprising:a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the modules comprise one or more high-power sensors or electronics, one or more energy harvesters comprising a photovoltaic cell, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices;one or more temperature and / or humidity modules comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (PCB) stalk comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air; and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, the one or more blind-mate connectors comprising an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

2. The module sensor systems of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is a thermocouple, thermistor, or resistive thermal device (RTD).

3. The module sensor system of claim 1 comprising one or more high-powered sensors chosen from visual sensors, chemical sensors, and gas sensors.

4. The modular sensor system of claim 3 comprising one or more visual sensors chosen from visual cameras, infrared cameras, and hyperspectral sensors.

5. The modular sensor system of claim 3 comprising one or more gas sensors chosen from ammonia sensors and methane sensors.

6. The modular sensor system of claim 3 comprising one or more visual sensors chosen from visual cameras, infrared cameras, and hyperspectral sensors, and one or more gas sensors chosen from ammonia sensors and methane sensors.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-003047. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein one or more high-powered electronics are chosen from microcontrollers and onboard processors, such as Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).

8. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy harvesters are chosen from photovoltaic harvesters, piezoelectric harvesters, vibrational harvesters, thermoelectric harvesters, radio frequency (RF) harvesters, and inductive energy harvesters.

9. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy storage devices comprise one or more of batteries, capacitors, and super-capacitors.

10. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors attach the plurality of modules together utilizing at least one attaching mechanism chosen from magnets, mechanical clips, screwing, snapping, binding posts, adhesives, press fits, friction fits, screw locking, toggle connectors, bayonet connectors, banana connectors, and combinations thereof.

11. The modular sensor system of claim 10, wherein the attaching mechanism is the electrical connector.

12. The modular sensor system of claim 10, wherein the attaching mechanism comprises at least one pair of magnets, and a polarity of the at least one pair of magnets is reversed such that each module of the plurality of modules is connected in a correct orientation.

13. The modular sensor system of claim 10, wherein the attaching mechanism comprises at least one magnet as a rear magnetic mount such that all magnetic orientations work for ferromagnetic surfaces.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-0030414. The modular sensor system of claim 10, wherein the attaching mechanism comprises at least one pair of magnets, and a polarity of the at least one pair of magnets is matching, allowing the at least one pair of magnets to serve as a rear magnetic mount to magnetically polarized objects and ferromagnetic surfaces.

15. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise a shroud to prevent a sideways shear force from severing a connection between two modules from the plurality of modules.

16. The modular sensor system of claim 1, wherein a module of the plurality of modules is an end cap module, the end cap module being disposed on one end of the modular sensor system and preventing water ingress.

17. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of modules comprises a pass-through for data, power, or both data and power to travel between modules.

18. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronics devices comprise one or more of batteries, supercapacitors, thermoelectric devices, light- emitting devices, LEDs, power management chips, logic circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, fans, resistors, capacitors, transistors, inductors, diodes, semiconductors, optoelectronic devices, memristors, micro- electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, varistors, antennas, transducers, crystals, resonators, terminals, optical detectors , optical emitters, heaters, circuit breakers, fuses, relays, spark gaps, heat sinks, motors, displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD), light-emitting diode displays (LED), microLED, electroluminescent displays (ELD), electrophoretic displays (EPD), active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLED), organic lightemitting diode displays (OLED), quantum dot displays (QD), quantum lightemitting diode displays (QLED), vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD), digital lightAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304processing displays (DLP), interferometric modulator displays (IMOD), digital microshutter displays (DMS), plasma displays, neon displays, filament displays, surface-conduction electron-emitter displays (SED), field emission displays (FED), Laser TV, carbon nanotube displays, touch screens, external connectors, data storage, piezo devices, speakers, microphones, security chips, and user input controls including buttons, knobs, sliders, switches, joysticks, directional- pads, keypads, and pressure / touch sensors.

19. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more wireless radios are configured for one or more of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), BLE mesh, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), WiFi-ah, WiFi HaLow, 802.11 , 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, Long Range (LoRa), Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), Zonal Intercommunication Global-standard (ZigBee), Z-Wave, 6LowPAN, Thread, Ultra- wideband (UWB), Infrared (IR), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-loT), Near Field Communication (NFC), radio frequency (RF), radio frequency identification (RFID), SigFox, Ingenu, Weightless-N, Weightless-P, Weightless-W, Advanced Network Technology (ANT), ANT+, DigiMesh, MiWi, EnOcean, Dash7, NearLink, wireless wide area network (WWAN), DECT NR+, WirelessHART, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM), Extended Coverage Global Systems for Mobile Communications (EC-GSM), MYTHINGS, Metering Bus (M- bus), Konnex (KNX), and Industrial, Scientific, and Medical band (ISM-band) radios.

20. The modular sensor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more energy harvesters are organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules, the OPV modules being optimizable for any light spectrum.

21. The modular sensor system of claim 20, wherein the OPV modules are optimized fora light spectrum by increasing or decreasing device layer thickness, choosingAgents Ref. 10762.0157-00304photoactive materials based on their spectral absorption properties, varying a ratio of photoactive materials, adding or removing layers and junctions, varying a bandgap of an individual junction, and applying one or more of anti-reflective coatings, distributed Bragg reflectors, micro-patterning, and / or light-trapping structures.

22. The modular sensory system of claim 20, wherein the OPV modules are optimized for indoor light.

23. The modular sensor system of claim 1 , wherein a camera is chosen from at least one of a low-resolution camera producing still images, a low-resolution camera producing video, a high-resolution camera producing still images and a high- resolution camera producing video.

24. The modular sensor system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the wireless radios is configured to send produced images and / or video to a wireless gateway.

25. A modular sensor system comprising:a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the modules comprise one or more high-power sensors or electronics, one or more energy harvesters comprising a photovoltaic cell, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices; one or more temperature and / or humidity modules comprising a convective aperture configured to expose a printed circuit board (PCB) stalk or wire comprising a temperature and / or humidity sensor to air; and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, the one or more blind-mate connectors comprising an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.Agents Ref. 10762.0157-0030426. An environmental system comprising at least one modular sensor system comprising:at least one energy harvesting component comprising a photovoltaic cell, and at least one sensor gateway and / or at least one sensor hub,wherein the modular sensor system further comprises:a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices; andand one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

27. An environmental system comprising at least one modular sensor system comprising:at least one energy harvesting component comprising a photovoltaic cell, and at least one sensor gateway and at least one sensor hub,wherein the modular sensor system further comprises:a plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices; and and one or more blind-mate connectors contained within each of the plurality of modules, wherein the one or more blind-mate connectors comprise an electrical connector to transmit power and / or data and configured to connect two modules of the plurality of modules together.

28. A computer implemented method for controlling a modular sensor system, the method comprising:Agents Ref. 10762.0157-00304controlling a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the modules contain one or more high-power sensors or electronics, one or more energy harvesters, one or more energy storage devices, one or more wireless radios, and one or more electronics devices, wherein the one or more energy harvesters comprise a photovoltaic cell.

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