US3831450A — Agricultural alarm system to warn of impending ag…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 150 words

Agricultural alarm system to indicate conditions favorable to attack by agricultural pests, especially fungus infections, comprising humidity sensing means (10) sensing humidity of the atmosphere in the region of the agricultural planting and providing a humidity sensing signal; temperature sensing means (11, 19) sensing temperature of the atmosphere in the region of the agricultural plantings and providing a temperature sensing signal; an analog-digital (A/D) converter (23) having one of said sensing signals applied thereto and providing a digital pulse sensing signal; threshold means (21, 22) having one of said sensing signals applied thereto; a counter (13, 25); and means (18, 24) connecting the other of said sensing signals and said threshold means to the counter, said counter counting the pulses of the digital sensing signal if the sensing signal exceeds the threshold level of the threshold means and the sensing signal of the other sensing means exceeds a predetermined level.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 150 words

Agricultural alarm system to indicate conditions favorable to attack by agricultural pests, especially fungus infections, comprising humidity sensing means (10) sensing humidity of the atmosphere in the region of the agricultural planting and providing a humidity sensing signal; temperature sensing means (11, 19) sensing temperature of the atmosphere in the region of the agricultural plantings and providing a temperature sensing signal; an analog-digital (A/D) converter (23) having one of said sensing signals applied thereto and providing a digital pulse sensing signal; threshold means (21, 22) having one of said sensing signals applied thereto; a counter (13, 25); and means (18, 24) connecting the other of said sensing signals and said threshold means to the counter, said counter counting the pulses of the digital sensing signal if the sensing signal exceeds the threshold level of the threshold means and the sensing signal of the other sensing means exceeds a predetermined level.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 59 words

System according to claim 1, further comprising a timing chain including a pulse generator (14) and a timing counter (16), the timing counter having an electrical reset winding to determine the end of a counting cycle by said counter (13, 25) and the start of a new counting cycle, the timing counter being connected to said counter (13, 25).

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

System according to claim 2, wherein the pulse generator is a square wave pulse generator.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 71 words

System according to claim 1, wherein said first signal converted into the pulsed digital sensing signal is the temperature signal, and the threshold means has the temperature signal applied thereto, so that the counter (13, 25) will count pulses representative of the composite function of temperature and time if, at the same time, a threshold level of temperature is exceeded and the humidity sensing means has provided a humidity sensing signal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 44 words

System according to claim 4, wherein the humidity sensing means is responsive to a predetermined value of humidity or dampness arising on leaves of the agricultural planting, and provides a signal enabling said temperature sensing means and hence said A/D converter and threshold means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 86 words

System according to claim 5, further comprising a timing chain including a pulse generator (14) and a timing counter (16) having the pulses from the pulse generator applied thereto, the timing counter providing output signals connected to said counter (13, 25) to reset the counter in dependence on pulses from the pulse generator; wherein the pulse generator (14) is enabled upon sensing by the humidity sensing means that the dampness of leaves being monitored has dropped below a predetermined response level of the humidity sensing means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

System according to claim 6, further comprising a hygrometer (26) and providing an output signal representative of ambient humidity; and the pulse generator provides output pulses having a repetition rate controlled by the ambient humidity signal derived from the hygrometer.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 68 words

System according to claim 7, wherein the hygrometer includes a transfer contact and is responsive to two states of different degrees of humidity; and the pulse generator provides two predetermined pulse repetition rates, one repetition rate being provided by the pulse generator when the hygrometer provides an output indicative of low ambient humidity, pulses of the other repetition rate being provided when the hygrometer indicates high average humidity.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 46 words

System according to claim 6, further comprising a main switch for the system (27), the timing counter (16) being connected to control said main switch (27) to disconnect operating power to the system after a predetermined number of timing pulses are sensed by the timing counter.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

System according to claim 9, wherein the humidity sensing means (10) is coupled to the main switch (27) to connect the system when leaf dampness in excess of a danger level of the agricultural planting is sensed.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

System according to claim 10, further comprising a main power supply controlled by said main switch (27), said main power supply (17) comprising a transformer and a semiconductor rectifier network.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 37 words

System according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a resistance bridge including a negaTive temperature coefficient (NTC) resistor (19); and a voltage amplifier (20) having the diagonal of the bridge network connected to its input.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 49 words

System according to claim 1, further comprising a logic network including an analog/digital A/D converter (23) connected as a voltage-frequency converting circuit; a threshold switch (21) and a NAND-circuit (24) passing pulses from the A/D converter if, and only if the threshold level of the threshold switch is exceeded.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 23 words

System according to claim 1, wherein the counter comprises a summing counter having an electrical reset winding and a mechanical zero set control.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 81 words

Agricultural alarm system to indicate conditions favorable to attack by agricultural pests, particularly fungus infections, comprising first transducer means providing a first signal representative of a first atmospheric condition above a predetermined level; second transducer means providing a second signal representative of a second varying atmospheric condition; and a time-signal integrator providing an output representative of the time integral of the second signal, connected to said second transducer means, and rendered active by said first signal from the first transducer means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 81 words

Agricultural alarm system to indicate conditions favorable to attack by agricultural pests, particularly fungus infections, comprising first transducer means providing a first signal representative of a first atmospheric condition above a predetermined level; second transducer means providing a second signal representative of a second varying atmospheric condition; and a time-signal integrator providing an output representative of the time integral of the second signal, connected to said second transducer means, and rendered active by said first signal from the first transducer means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 44 words

System according to claim 15, wherein said first transducer means comprises sensing means responsive to variations in atmospheric conditions and threshold means connected to and controlled by said sensing means and responding when said sensing means senses a condition above a predetermined threshold level.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 52 words

System according to claim 15, wherein said first transducer means is responsive to leaf dampness and provides a dampness signal when the dampness exceeds a predetermined level; said second transducer means is responsive to temperature, said output being representative of both temperature level and elapsed time when said predetermined dampness is exceeded.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 37 words

System according to claim 15, further comprising a timing chain (14, 15, 16) providing a timing signal connected to the output of the integrator and holding the output stored for a timing duration of said timing means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 50 words

System according to claim 18, wherein said timing means has variable timing periods; said first transducer means providing a signal representative of said first atmospheric condition to said timing means, to control said timing means to provide an identification of a timing cycle depending on said sensed first atmospheric condition.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 69 words

System according to claim 18, comprising further transducer means responsive to a third ambient condition in the environment of the agricultural planting, said third transducer controlling said timing means to provide a timing signal in accordance with said sensed third condition, to provide for storing of the output of the integrator, and further totalizing of the integrator, over variable periods of time in dependence on said sensed third condition.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 24 words

System according to claim 20, wherein said first condition is leaf dampness; said second condition is temperature; and said third condition is ambient humidity.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 35 words

System according to claim 21, wherein said third transducer means comprises a hygrometer, and said timing means provides timing output at two different rates, one rate for low humidity and another rate for high humidity.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 36 words

System according to claim 22, wherein the timing means has a shorter time cycle, activated when the humidity is below a predetermined level, and a longer time cycle when the humidity is above a predetermined level.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 77 words

System according to claim 15, wherein said time-signal integrator comprises an analog/digital converter (12) connected to said second transducer means and providing an output pulse representative of the integral of the level of condition and time; and a counter (13) is provided counting the output pulses from said A/D converter providing an output pulse when a predetermined count is reached indicative of the level of the secOnd condition and elapsed time during occurrence of said first condition.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 150 words

System according to claim 15, further comprising a logic network (18, 24), and a counter (13), the counter being connected to the logic network and counting the time-signal integral if a. the first transducer means provides a signal representative of a first condition above a predetermined level, and b. the second transducer means (11, 19) provides a signal indicative of a second condition above a predetermined level, the counter totalizing the time-integral of the second condition and time; and means including a timing counter (14, 16) are provided disabling said counter means if c. the count in the counter (13) has not reached a predetermined level during the time period set by said timing counter, but d. permitting the counter (13) to totalize the time-condition integral during repeated cycles of activation by said first transducer means, and during the time period that said timing counter enables said counter means (13).

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 56 words

System according to claim 25, further comprising a third sensing means responsive to a third atmospheric condition dependent on said first atmospheric condition, said third transducer means controlling and starting the timing period of said timing counter whereby said timing counter is reset for a new timing period for each response of said first transducer means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-08-26	1978-02-25	1978-08-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-08-26	1982-02-25	1982-08-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-08-26	1986-02-25	1986-08-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Agricultural alarm system to warn of impending agricultural pest attacks

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