Abstract:
An apparatus and method for continuously monitoring the weight of an object are disclosed. The apparatus does not obstruct a central portion of the bottom of the object being monitored, and is especially well-suited for monitoring the weight of a beehive. In the illustrative embodiment, a ring-shaped fluid-filled bladder is sandwiched between a ring-shaped top surface and a ring-shaped base, and a pressure hose connects the bladder to a pressure gauge. Beehive weight data can be obtained in a continuous fashion, without requiring any moving of the beehive or of the apparatus, and without any other type of disruption. Moreover, the apparatus provides a stable platform that keeps the beehive immobile during monitoring, which is beneficial for the health of the colony. Advantageously, the apparatus can be constructed from inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and materials, and is capable of obtaining accurate measurements over a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/293,366, filed 2 Jun. 2014, entitled “Continuous Weight Monitoring Of Beehives” (Attorney Docket: 446-001us3), which is incorporated by reference and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/827,290, filed 14 Mar. 2013, entitled “Apparatus For Continuous Weight Monitoring Of Beehives” (Attorney Docket: 446-001us2), which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,771,035 and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/893,138, filed 29 Sep. 2010, entitled “Apparatus For Continuous Weight Monitoring Of Beehives” (Attorney Docket: 446-001us) and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,419,501. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to weight monitoring, and, more particularly, to an apparatus that is particularly well-suited to continuously monitoring the weight of a beehive over time. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus  Apis  live and raise their young. Natural beehives (typically referred to simply as “nests”) are naturally occurring structures occupied by honey bee colonies, while domesticated honey bees live in man-made beehives, often in an apiary. These man-made structures are typically referred to as “beehives.” Several species of  Apis  live in hives, but typically the western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) and the eastern honey bee ( Apis cerana ) are domesticated by humans. 
         [0004]    The beehive&#39;s internal structure is a densely packed matrix of hexagonal cells made of beeswax, called a honeycomb. The bees use the cells to store food (honey and pollen), and to house the “brood” (eggs, larvae, and pupae). 
         [0005]    Artificial beehives serve two purposes: production of honey and pollination of nearby crops. Artificial hives are commonly transported so that bees can pollinate crops in other areas. 
         [0006]    For numerous reasons, it is advantageous for beekeepers to monitor the weight of a beehive over time. For example, a rapid increase in the weight of a hive can indicate nectar intake into the hive, while a steady decrease in the weight of a hive can indicate resource consumption and depletion. This information is useful for commercial beekeepers that move their hives to follow nectar flows, as well as for quantifying and forecasting the migration potential of Africanized Honey Bees. 
         [0007]    As another example, a sudden decrease in the weight of a hive during springtime can indicate swarming. When a beekeeper becomes aware of swarming, he or she typically introduces his or her preferential mated queen bee to the hive immediately, thereby limiting the time in which a bee colony is without a new, mature egg-laying queen. 
         [0008]    Weight data can also be used to predict good versus bad years for honey production, as well as for agricultural crops in general, and to provide insight on colony behavior. In addition, weight data can alert beekeepers to health problems, vandalism, and the need to feed colonies to avert starvation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention comprises a weight-monitoring apparatus that does not obstruct the bottom of the object being monitored, and is especially well-suited for continuously monitoring the weight of a beehive. By providing unobstructed access to the area below the bottom board of a beehive, a beekeeper can clear spider webs from this area without moving the beehive or disrupting the weight monitoring. The clearing of spider webs from the vicinity of a beehive is an important periodic activity, as black widows and other types of spiders are predators that often congregate around hives and threaten the bee colony. 
         [0010]    The present invention is especially advantageous for monitoring the weight of beehives with a screened bottom board, rather than a solid bottom board. In particular, waste produced in the beehive is free to fall through the bottom board and exit the beehive, rather than collecting in the beehive and potentially becoming home to wax moths and other threats. This results in more accurate measurements, since the weight associated with waste is excluded, as well as a healthier colony. In addition, the present invention provides improved ventilation into and out of the beehive through the screened bottom board, and enables sensors such as video cameras and microphones to be deployed below the screened bottom board and unobtrusively monitor the inside of the beehive. 
         [0011]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a ring-shaped fluid-filled bladder is sandwiched between a ring-shaped top surface and a ring-shaped base, and a pressure hose connects the bladder to a pressure gauge and an electromagnetic pressure transducer. When a beehive or other object is placed on the top surface, the pressure of the fluid in the bladder increases by an amount that is correlatable to the weight of the beehive and is measured by the pressure gauge and electromagnetic pressure transducer. The pressure gauge enables a person at the beehive to view the current pressure, from which weight can be derived, while readings from the electromagnetic pressure transducer are transmitted to a remote computer and stored as a data time-series for real-time and/or archival analysis. Advantageously, the illustrative embodiment can be constructed from inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and materials, and is capable of obtaining accurate measurements over a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions. 
         [0012]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, beehive weight data is obtained in a continuous fashion, without requiring any moving of the beehive or of the monitoring apparatus, and without any other type of disruption. Moreover, the illustrative embodiment provides a stable platform that keeps the beehive level and steady during the monitoring, which is beneficial for the health of the colony. 
         [0013]    The illustrative embodiment comprises an apparatus for continuously monitoring the weight of a beehive, the apparatus comprising: a surface for stably supporting the beehive, wherein a marginal portion of a bottom of the beehive is disposed on the surface and a central portion of the bottom of the beehive is not disposed on the surface; a fluid-filled bladder on which the surface is disposed; a base that comprises a channel in which the bladder is disposed; and pressure-measuring means connected to the bladder, wherein a change in pressure measured by the pressure-measuring means is correlatable to a change in the weight of the beehive; wherein the apparatus is physically configured to enable waste produced in the beehive to exit the beehive during the continuous monitoring. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  depicts an exploded diagram of the salient elements of weight-monitoring system  100 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  depicts a close-up view of base  101 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  depicts a sectional view of base  101 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  depicts sectional views of two arrangements of base  101  with bladder  102  inside channel  201 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  depicts sectional views of two embodiments of top  103  that correspond to the two arrangements of  FIG. 4 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  depicts a close-up view of bladder  102 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  depicts the salient elements of pressure-monitoring system  107 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  depicts an illustrative use of weight-monitoring system  100  in an apiary, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  depicts an exploded diagram of the salient elements of weight-monitoring system  100 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , weight-monitoring system  100  comprises base  101 , fluid-filled bladder  102 , top  103 , pressure hose  104 , manifold  105 , pressure gauge  106 , and pressure-monitoring system  107 . 
         [0023]    Bladder  102  is a sealed vessel that is capable of holding liquid and/or gaseous fluids, in well-known fashion, and is sufficiently flexible such that pressure exerted on the exterior of the bladder  102  results in an increase in pressure in the fluid inside the bladder, such that the pressure increase of the fluid is correlatable to the exterior-exerted pressure. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, bladder  102  is a rubber bicycle inner tube with a thin layer of fiberglass fabric wrapped around the inner tube. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, bladder  102  might be made of some other materials, or might be a specially-constructed vessel expressly for use in the present invention, rather than an “off-the-shelf” vessel that is adapted for use in the present invention. 
         [0024]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, bladder  102  is filled with a mixture of propylene glycol and distilled water. This fluid is non-toxic to bees, and has been determined empirically to provide accurate pressure readings in the temperature range 0 to 60 degrees Celsius. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some other embodiments of the present invention might employ a different fluid (e.g., a different mixture of liquids, a single liquid compound, a gaseous fluid, etc.), and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments. Further details concerning bladder  102  are described below and with respect to  FIG. 5 . 
         [0025]    As shown in detail in  FIG. 2 , base  101  has a channel  201  in which bladder  102  rests, and an opening  202  through which pressure hose  104  is connected to bladder  102 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, base  101  is constructed from wood; however, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments, base  101  might be made from some other type of material, such as metal, plastic, a metal alloy, and so forth, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of base  101 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  depicts a sectional view of base  101 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , channel  201  does not descend entirely to the bottom of base  201 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the roughly 50% ratio of the depth of channel  201  to the height of base  101  depicted in  FIG. 3  is merely illustrative; in some other embodiments of the present invention this ratio might differ, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use embodiments of base  101  with a different ratio. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  depict sectional views of two possible arrangements of base  101  with bladder  102  inside channel  201 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In the first arrangement of  FIG. 4   a , bladder  102  protrudes above the top of base  201 , while in the second arrangement of  FIG. 4   b , bladder  102  sits entirely within channel  201 . 
         [0028]    As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the shapes shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  for bladder  102  are merely illustrative, and in some other embodiments of the present invention, bladder  102  might have some shape other than circular or elliptical (e.g., rectilinear, etc.). As will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the fact that there are gaps between bladder  102  and the walls of channel  102  in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  is also merely illustrative, and in some other embodiments of the present invention, bladder  102  might physically contact one or both walls of channel  201 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  depict sectional views of two embodiments of top  103  that correspond to the two arrangements of  FIG. 4 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 5   a , top  103  is a solid, flat, ring-shaped piece of wood, such that when top  103  is placed on top of bladder  102  and a beehive (or other object) is placed on top  103 :
       (1) the beehive will exert a pressure on bladder  102  correlatable to the beehive&#39;s weight, and   (2) top  103  will lie stably on top of bladder  102  and base  101 .       
 
         [0032]    As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, top  103  depicted in  FIG. 5   a  might be made from some other type of material, such as metal, plastic, a metal alloy, and so forth, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of top  103 . 
         [0033]    As will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some embodiments of the present invention in which top  103  of  FIG. 5   a  lies stably on top of bladder  102  and base  101 , top  103  might lie flush with base  101 , while in some other embodiments, there might be a small gap between top  103  and base  101 . As will yet further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in still other embodiments of the present invention, there might be a large gap between top  103  and base  101 ; such a gap might not provide the stability of the illustrative embodiment, but could work “well enough” for particular applications. 
         [0034]    As will still further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention in which the arrangement of  FIG. 4   a  is employed, top  103  might not be used in weight-monitoring system  100  at all, in which case the beehive (or other object) is placed directly on bladder  102 . Such an arrangement might provide adequate stability for particular applications, particularly when bladder  102  has a flat, rather than a curved, top. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5   b  depicts a second embodiment of top  103 , corresponding to the second arrangement of base  101  and bladder  102  depicted in  FIG. 4   b . As shown in  FIG. 5   b , top  103  is flat on its top, but on its bottom has a protruding ring of smaller diameter that fits into channel  201  and physically contacts bladder  102  when top  103  is placed on top of base  101 . As in the first embodiment of top  103  of  FIG. 5   a , when top  103  of  FIG. 5   b  is placed on top of base  101  and a beehive (or other object) is placed on top  103 :
       (1) the beehive will exert a pressure on bladder  102  correlatable to the beehive&#39;s weight, and   (2) top  103  will lie stably on base  101 .       
 
         [0038]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, top  103  depicted in  FIG. 5   b , like top  103  of  FIG. 5   a , is made of wood. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments top  103  of  FIG. 5   b  might be made from some other type of material, such as metal, plastic, a metal alloy, and so forth, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of top  103 . 
         [0039]    As will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some embodiments of the present invention in which top  103  of  FIG. 5   b  lies stably on top of base  101 , top  103  might lie flush with base  101 , while in some other embodiments, there might be a small gap between top  103  and base  101 . As will yet further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in still other embodiments of the present invention, there might be a large gap between top  103  and base  101 ; such a gap might not provide the stability of the illustrative embodiment, but could work “well enough” for particular applications. 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  depicts a close-up view of bladder  102 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 6 , bladder  102  has tube  601  that can be fitted through opening  202  of base  101 , and by which pressure hose  104  can be connected to bladder  102 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, tube  601  is the valve of bicycle-tire bladder  101 , with the valve stem removed. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, bladder  102  might have a different type of connection conduit to pressure hose  104  in lieu of tube  601 , and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of bladder  102 . 
         [0041]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, pressure hose  104  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ) is a ¼-inch hydraulic hose made of rubber that fluidically couples tube  601  of bladder  102  to manifold  105 . The pressure hose places the bladder  102  and manifold  105  in fluidic communication such that pressure changes or fluidic changes in the state of bladder  102  affect manifold  105 . For example, in the illustrative embodiment, pressure hose  104  is capable of transferring fluid between bladder  102  and manifold  105  in response to pressure changes in the bladder. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, pressure hose  104  might be made of some other material, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of pressure hose  104 . As will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art, in yet other embodiments of the present invention, a conduit other than a pressure hose, might be used to connect bladder  102  to manifold  105  and transport fluid between them, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such a conduit in lieu of pressure hose  104 . 
         [0042]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, manifold  105  has an inflow pipe that connects to pressure hose  104 , and three outflow pipes. As shown in  FIG. 1 , one of the outflow pipes is connected to pressure gauge  106 , and another one of the outflow pipes is connected to pressure-monitoring system  107 , in well-known fashion. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the third outflow pipe of manifold  105  is used for adding fluid to and evacuating fluid from pressure hose  104  and bladder  102 . 
         [0043]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, pressure gauge  106  is an analog pressure gauge that is capable of measuring pressure of gases and liquids. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, a different type of pressure gauge might be employed, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use embodiments of weight-monitoring system  100  that use such an alternative gauge. 
         [0044]      FIG. 7  depicts the salient elements of pressure-monitoring system  107 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 7 , pressure-monitoring system  107  comprises electromagnetic pressure transducer  701  and wireless transmitter  702 , interconnected as shown. 
         [0045]    Electromagnetic pressure transducer  701  converts fluid pressure from manifold  105  into a voltage that is correlatable to the fluid pressure, and outputs a digital representation of the magnitude of the voltage, in well-known fashion. 
         [0046]    Wireless transmitter  702  receives the output of electromagnetic pressure transducer  701  and transmits this information to a computer (not depicted in the figures) in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 (“Wi-Fi”) protocol (e.g., 802.11g, 802.11n, etc.), in well-known fashion. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the computer is programmed to record the data received from wireless transmitter  702 , and to issue notifications or alerts based on a set of rules (e.g., issue an alert when the weight changes by more than a certain percentage over a given time interval, etc.). 
         [0047]    As will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, pressure-monitoring system  107  might comprise only electromagnetic pressure transducer  701 , or might have other elements in addition to, or instead of, those of the illustrative embodiment, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of pressure-monitoring system  107 . For example, in some other embodiments of the present invention, pressure-monitoring system  107  might comprise additional elements related to the transmission and/or processing of the pressure measurements, such as a TCP/IP network interface card, a microprocessor, etc. 
         [0048]    As will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, wireless transmitter  702  might be a simple frequency modulation (FM) transmitter, rather than an IEEE 802.11-compliant transceiver. In yet other embodiments of the present invention, transmitter  702  might be a wireline transmitter, rather than a wireless transmitter (e.g., a wired Ethernet transceiver, etc.). In either case, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0049]    As will yet further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some other embodiments of the present invention might employ only one of pressure gauge  106  and pressure-monitoring system  107 , rather than both, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments. 
         [0050]    As will yet further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some other embodiments of the present invention might employ a different shape for the top/bladder/base (e.g., an elliptical shape, the perimeter of a triangle, the perimeter of a square, the perimeter of a rectangle, etc.) that, like a ring, enables access to a central portion of the bottom of the beehive (or other object) being monitored, and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments. 
         [0051]    As will yet further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments of the present invention, fluid might reside directly in channel  201 , without using bladder  102 ; in such embodiments, top  103  might comprise one or more elements (e.g., a squeegee, etc.) to contain the fluid. Alternatively, some other embodiments of the present invention might use a semi-solid material instead of fluid in channel  201 . 
         [0052]    As will still further be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some other embodiments of the present invention might employ a different weight-detection mechanism instead of, or in addition to, bladder  102 , pressure gauge  106 , and pressure-monitoring system  107 . For example, in some other embodiments of the present invention, one or more load cells, or a pressure-sensitive “smart fabric” whose electrical resistance varies with pressure, or both, might be employed instead of, or in addition to, bladder  102  (for example, the load cells or smart fabric could be sandwiched between top  103  and base  101 , in convenient fashion). As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such alternative weight-detection mechanisms preserve the myriad advantages of the present invention for continuous monitoring of beehives (e.g., unobstructed access to the area below the bottom board of the beehive, waste produced in the beehive is free to fall through a screened bottom board and exit the beehive, improved ventilation into and out of the beehive through a screened bottom board, ability to deploy sensors such as video cameras and microphones below the screened bottom board and unobtrusively monitor the inside of the beehive, providing a level and stable platform, etc.), and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use such alternative embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0053]      FIG. 8  depicts an illustrative use of weight-monitoring system  100  in an apiary, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 8  depicts beehive  801  sitting on top  103 , and base  101  sitting on stand  802 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , stand  802  is arranged so that the benefits of weight-monitoring system  100  (e.g., access to the bottom of beehive  801 , improved ventilation, stability, the freedom of waste in beehive  801  to fall through a screened bottom board, etc.) are maintained. 
         [0054]    Also shown in  FIG. 8  is pole  803 , to which manifold  105  is attached. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, manifold  105  is attached to pole  803  via a clip that enables sliding of manifold  105  up and down pole  803 . This arrangement enables convenient “tareing” of weight-monitoring system  100 , as the height of manifold  105  on pole  803  can be adjusted to yield a desired pressure reading for pressure gauge  106  and pressure-monitoring system  107 . In addition, the attachment of manifold  105  to pole  803  facilitates the adding of fluid to weight-monitoring system  100  via the manifold&#39;s free outflow pipe. 
         [0055]    As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there are a variety of ways, other than that of the illustrative embodiment as depicted in  FIG. 8 , to deploy and use weight-monitoring system  100 , and it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to realize such alternative uses and deployments. 
         [0056]    It is to be understood that the disclosure teaches just one example of the illustrative embodiment and that many variations of the invention can easily be devised by those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure and that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the following claims.