US 12,449,399 B2
Method and system for determining surface level and soil infiltration under irrigation
David John Aughton, Hawthorn East (AU); and Joel Michael Delacorn, Hawthorn East (AU)
Assigned to RUBICON RESEARCH PTY LTD, Hawthom East (AU)
Appl. No. 17/638,054
Filed by RUBICON RESEARCH PTY LTD, Hawthorn East (AU)
PCT Filed Aug. 28, 2020, PCT No. PCT/AU2020/050909
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 24, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/035309, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019903172 (AU), filed on Aug. 29, 2019; and application No. 2019904003 (AU), filed on Oct. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0276203 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 29/032 (2006.01); A01G 25/16 (2006.01); G01F 23/296 (2022.01); G01F 23/80 (2022.01); G01N 29/02 (2006.01); G01N 29/14 (2006.01); G01N 29/44 (2006.01); G01N 33/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/032 (2013.01) [A01G 25/16 (2013.01); A01G 25/167 (2013.01); G01F 23/296 (2013.01); G01F 23/80 (2022.01); G01N 29/02 (2013.01); G01N 29/14 (2013.01); G01N 29/44 (2013.01); G01N 33/246 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An irrigation measurement device to determine water advance along an area to be irrigated, said device comprising:
a first open-ended tube;
a second open-ended tube adapted to be inserted into a hole in soil to be irrigated and having an open upper end, the first open-ended tube being partially insertable into the open upper end of the second open-ended tube so as to enable water to enter through a circumferential inlet gap at the open upper end and between said first and second open-ended tubes with air escaping from a top of said first open-ended tube allowing said first open-ended tube to fill through at least one perforation in the first open-ended tube and normalize to a water level inside said second open-ended tube; and
a housing secured to said first open-ended tube and containing a programmable ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving acoustic signals from the water level within said first open-ended tube, said housing having electronic circuitry and wireless communication elements to control said programmable ultrasonic transducer and provide measured characteristics to a remote networked computer system,
the first open-ended tube being removable from the second open-ended tube through the open upper end.