Environment Monitoring Signals for Event-Driven Field Operations
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for operating on environments, such as agricultural fields, suffer from bias errors and inefficiencies due to fixed-time monitoring, leading to resource waste and potential long-term damage, and lack optimization of operating steps.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize imaging devices and sensors to capture and process environment data, including image streams and environmental datasets, to generate environment signals, which are compared with reference signals to optimize operations and reduce errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed-time periodic monitoring is performed, then monitoring coverage is ensured, but monitoring may occur before or after the optimal operation time leading to resource waste and potential environmental damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed periodic monitoring to dynamic event-driven monitoring. Sensors continuously detect environmental parameters and trigger monitoring operations only when specific conditions or changes are detected, allowing the system to adapt to real-time environmental states rather than following a rigid schedule
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where sensor data from the environment continuously informs monitoring decisions. The analysis unit processes sensor inputs and provides feedback to determine when operations should be triggered, creating a closed-loop system that responds to actual environmental conditions
2Ease of operation
If operations are performed based on operator expertise and image analysis, then operational decisions can be made, but bias errors occur and optimization of operating steps is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-optimization by automatically analyzing sensor data and adjusting operating parameters based on detected environmental characteristics. The analysis unit processes information and generates optimized operation recommendations without relying on external operator expertise, allowing the system to improve its own performance over time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces human operator decision-making with an automated analysis unit that processes sensor data. This substitution eliminates human bias and expertise limitations by using systematic data analysis to generate operational decisions, transitioning from mechanical human judgment to automated computational analysis
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive sensor data collection is implemented, then environmental characteristics are accurately captured, but computational resources and expenditure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential and relevant features from comprehensive sensor data using the analysis unit. Instead of processing all raw data equally, the system identifies and extracts key environmental characteristics that are most important for determining optimal operations, reducing computational burden while maintaining accuracy
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method of operating on an environment (100) comprising the steps of capturing one or more image streams of the environment (10); generating one or more environment-representative signals (Setl) as a function of the captured image streams; acquiring one or more environment datasets (Set2); sending the environment-representative signals (Setl) and the environment datasets (Set2) to the intermediate processing unit (1300); generating an environment signal (Se) as a function of the representative signals (Setl) and the environment dataset (Set2); sending the environment signal (Se) to the central processing unit (1400); comparing the environment signal (Se) with reference signals (Sr) associated with the selected environment (10); generating, using data processing algorithms, residing in the central processing unit (1400) as a function of the comparison between the environment signal (Se) and the reference signals (Sr): an action signal (Sa) representative of an operation to be performed on the selected environment (10); or a periodic monitoring signal (Sm); generating a plurality of operation signals (L) representative of operations to be performed on the environment (10) as a function of the environment signal (Se) generated if an action signal (Sa) is generated; generating a first activity completion signal (Scl) or a second activity completion signal (SC2) as a function of a confirmation signal (Scon); repeating the steps from acquiring one or more environment-related image streams (10) to generating action signals (Sa) or periodic environment monitoring signals (Sm) as a function of the completion signals (SC1, SC2) and the periodic environment monitoring signal (Sm).