Patent Publication Number: US-2023153926-A1

Title: Automated Plant Probe System and Method

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Conventional garden and houseplant probes are generally analog devices that measure certain characteristics of the soil (e.g., moisture, pH, light, and fertilizer) when the probe is inserted into the soil or growing media. Conventional automated watering systems often include a controller that opens and closes valves coupled to watering hoses based on a time of day and a watering duration. 
     Home gardens are becoming more prevalent as a result of flexible work arrangements and a desire for local, sustainable agriculture. It is estimated that the meals in the United States travel about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate. Gardeners want to grow their own produce in order to control the quality and type of produce and eliminate long-distance produce transportation. 
     Many gardeners desire locally-grown, organic produce. Organic gardening helps to prevent a loss of topsoil, toxic runoff, water pollution, soil contamination, soil poisoning, death of insects, birds, animals and other beneficial soil organisms, as well as eliminating pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide residues on food from synthetic fertilizers. However, a novice gardener may find it difficult to determine which particular organic materials should be used on particular plants and at particular times during a growing season. 
     Succession planting is the practice of seeding crops at intervals of seven to 21 days in order to maintain a consistent supply of harvestable produce throughout the season. Succession planting also involves planting a new crop after harvesting the first crop. Gardeners often desire fresh produce all season long, but may not have the time or space for processing and storing a large single harvest. Gardeners want to maximize space in their gardens, extend the growing season for as long as possible, and reduce the risk of crops being ruined by poor weather, pests, or disease. In a particular zone of plant hardiness, it may be possible to plant several crops throughout a growing season, but it is difficult to determine the timing for subsequent seed plantings so that the particular crop germinates at the proper temperature and the produce ripens before the first frost. 
     Seeds and plants are designated with plant hardiness zones, for example as shown in the map of  FIG.  8   . Plant hardiness zones dictate whether a plant will survive through a winter and return the following spring as a perennial. A plant located in a warmer hardiness zone may be a perennial, while the same plant located in a colder hardiness zone may be an annual. However, the plant hardiness zones may shift over time due to weather changes and climate change, causing changes in the types of plants that can be maintained as perennials or annuals in particular locations. 
     As a result of climate change, higher average temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are causing plants to bloom earlier, creating unpredictable growing seasons. Climate change can disrupt food availability, reduce access to food, and affect food quality. For example, projected increases in temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, changes in extreme weather events, and reductions in water availability may all result in reduced agricultural productivity. Rising carbon dioxide levels and a warmer earth means plants may grow bigger and require more water. Plants react sensitively to fluctuations in temperature. When temperatures rise, plants grow taller in order to cool themselves off. Their stalks become taller and their leaves become narrower and grow farther apart. 
     Home gardeners can be an important part of the solution to climate change by using climate-friendly practices in gardens and landscapes. Sustainable gardening and landscaping techniques can slow future warming by reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon storage in the soil. Home gardens can help reduce negative environmental impacts by promoting sustainable agriculture, reducing food transportation costs, and reducing water runoff. 
     Houseplants are becoming an important aspect of interior design. Many homeowners unfamiliar with houseplant types and the necessary growing conditions may find it difficult to water and fertilize each plant in the required manner. 
     SUMMARY 
     In light of the above, a need exists for an automated plant probe system that determines local planting conditions and communicates with a mobile device to assist a user with planting or gardening maintenance recommendations. 
     Some embodiments of the invention provide a plant probe system including one or more plant probes that can communicate with a mobile device. The plant probe can include a body and a housing. In some embodiments, the body includes a display. The housing can include a hardware module. The hardware module can include a communication module, an electronic controller, and memory. The plant probe can also include a probe with a sensor module. The sensor module can include a moisture sensor and/or a growing media sensor. The plant probe system can further include a control system in communication with the communication module. The control system can receive plant data from the sensor module and use the plant data to provide plant recommendations. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, the control system can include a number of modules to process plant data and provide recommendations. The control system can include a weather module to provide recommendations for planting dates. The control system can include a growing media module to analyze data from the growing media sensor to determine at least one of pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium and provide recommendations for fertilizer application. The control system can include a planting module to provide recommendations regarding at least one of planting locations, plant species, or companion planting. The control system can include a succession planting module to provide recommendations regarding succession planting for crops being periodically harvested during a growing season. The control system can include a maintenance module to provide recommendations regarding watering, fertilizer, pest control, sunlight, and/or artificial light. The control system can include a harvest module to provide recommendations regarding dates for harvesting plants during a growing season. The control system can include a home automation module that provides control signals for sprinklers, drip hoses, drip lines, valves, pumps, and/or artificial lights. The control system can include a preservation module to provide recommendations regarding drying, freezing, storing, and/or canning harvested plants. The control system can include a recipe module to provide recommendations for recipes using a harvested plant. The control system can include a calendar module to populate a calendar with recommended dates for planting, maintaining, and/or harvesting plants within a growing season. The control system can include a nutrient deficiency module to provide an alert when data from the growing media sensor indicates a nutrient deficiency. The control system can include a compost module to provide recommendations for growing media amendments based on data received from the growing media sensor. The control system can include a plant hardiness zone and location module to determine a location of the plant probe. The control system can include an image recognition system that receives image data from a camera, and the image recognition system can determine plant type, pest presence, and/or weed presence. The control system can also include a crop rotation module, a seed and plant ordering module, and a social media module. 
     Some embodiments of the invention include a method of providing a maintenance action for a plant based on a location of a plant probe. The method can include positioning a plant probe and determining a location of the plant probe. The method can further include determining, by an electronic controller, a maintenance action to be performed at the location of the plant probe, and transmitting, by the electronic controller, the maintenance action to at least one of a display and an automated maintenance system. 
     One embodiment of the invention provides a method of providing a planting action. The method can include positioning a plant probe, determining a location of the plant probe, determining a plant type, and determining a plant hardiness zone at the location. The method can further include determining a succession planting date for the plant type at the location in the plant hardiness zone, generating an automatic calendar entry for the succession planting date, and transmitting the automatic calendar entry to a mobile device. 
     Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of providing a planting action including determining a first plant type, determining a nutrient requirement for the first plant type in a growing media, and recommending a second plant type to replenish the nutrient requirement in the growing media. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain principles of the embodiments: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic illustration of a plant probe system according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram of a wireless communication device for use with the plant probe system of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a block diagram of plant probe electronics according to one embodiment of the invention for use with the plant probe system of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a flowchart of a method of automatically adjusting one or more settings of a plant maintenance system based on a location of a plant probe. 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart of a method of wireless communication from a plant probe to operate a plant maintenance system. 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic diagram of a plant probe according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  7    is a block diagram of a control system for use with the plant probe system of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  8    is a map of plant hardiness zones in the United States. 
         FIG.  9    is a table of initial planting dates, plant species, actions, and locations generated by an initial planting module. 
         FIG.  10    is a diagram of a raised bed garden plan generated by the initial planting module. 
         FIG.  11    is a diagram of crop rotation for use by a crop rotation module. 
         FIG.  12    is a diagram of the raised bed garden plan of  FIG.  10    with the crops rotated as recommended by the crop rotation module. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a plant probe system  100 , which may implement plant recognition, plant care recommendations, and maintenance actions. The plant probe system  100  can include a wireless communication device  102 , one or more plant probes  104 , a network  106 , a server  108 , and one or more wireless nodes  110 . One or more plant probes  104  can be installed in a garden area (e.g., at each end of a garden and/or a mid-point of the garden), one plant probe  104  in each raised bed, one plant probe  104  in each pot or room, or a single plant probe  104  can represent the growing conditions in an entire garden area or enclosed space, such as a residential home or room, a business location, or a greenhouse. If more than one plant probe  104  is included in the system  100 , the data from each plant probe  104  can be used individually, the data can be aggregated, the data can be averaged, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the plant probe system  100  is capable of determining the position of one or more plants  112  and the plant probe  104  within a frame of reference, which may be a frame of reference defined, for example, by the wireless communication device  102  and/or wireless nodes  110 , and a fixed reference location for a garden, home, residential address, or a global position system (GPS) location. The plant probe system  100  is capable of determining plant data indicative of the plant  112 . For example, the plant data may include the type of plant, the size or other dimensions of the plant, the plant location, the plant condition, the presence of weeds or pests, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the plant position and plant data can be determined based on images of the plant  112 , which may be recorded by one or more cameras  114  of the plant probe  104 . In some instances, the locations of the one or more cameras  114  may be fixed and may define, in whole or in part, the frame of reference within which the plant  112  and its position are defined. 
     The wireless communication device  102  can be configured to directly (and indirectly) communicate with the plant probe  104 . For example, the plant probe  104  can directly communicate with the wireless communication device  102  (e.g., the wireless communication device  102  and the plant probe  104  can directly transmit and receive wireless signals). In other instances, the plant probe  104  can indirectly communicate with the wireless communication device  102  via one or more wireless nodes  110 . 
     In some embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  can be implemented in different ways. For example, the wireless communication device  102  can include components such as a processor, memory, a display, inputs (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a graphical user interface, a touch-screen display, one or more actuatable buttons, etc.), or communication devices (e.g., an antenna and appropriate corresponding circuitry), etc. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  can simply be implemented as a processor. In some specific embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  can be implemented as a mobile phone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), a laptop, a notebook, a netbook computer, a tablet computing device, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  can include a power source (e.g., an AC power source, a DC power source, etc.), which can be in electrical communication with one or more power outlets (e.g., AC or DC outlets) and/or one or more charging ports (e.g., for charging a battery of a plant probe). In some embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  can be implemented in other ways. For example, the wireless communication device  102  can be a cellular tower, a Wi-Fi router, etc. In some embodiments, the wireless commination device  102  also serves as a wireless node (e.g., it performs the functions of both the wireless communication device  102  and a wireless node  110 ). The wireless communication device  102  can receive or determine position data for the plant probe  104  and can transmit plant probe data. 
     The plant probe  104  can be configured to communicate directly, or indirectly, with the wireless communication device  102  and/or wireless nodes  110 . In some configurations, the plant probe  104  can directly communicate with the wireless communication device  102  according to a wireless communication protocol, which can be a Bluetooth® wireless protocol, a Wi-Fi® wireless protocol, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the plant probe  104  can include one or more antennas (e.g., as part of one or more Bluetooth® wireless modules) that are capable of communicating with other devices (e.g., other plant probes and/or wireless communication devices) according to a Bluetooth® wireless protocol, which can have advantages as compared to other wireless protocols (e.g., using less power to communicate, providing fast communication speeds, ensuring one-to-one pairing between devices at some times, etc.). For example, a mesh network of plant probes  104 , wireless communication devices  102 , and/or wireless nodes  110  can be a Bluetooth mesh network. 
     In some embodiments, the plant probe  104  can include an identifier that uniquely identifies the respective plant probe  104 . For example, the plant probe identifier can be a media access control (“MAC”) address, other unique identification information, etc. 
     In some cases, the plant probe system  100  can include a network  106  and a server  108 . The wireless communication device  102  can communicate with the server  108  via the network  106 . More particularly, the wireless communication device  102  can communicate with an access point of the network  106  to communicate with the server  108  over the network  106 . An access point can include, for example, a cellular tower or a Wi-Fi router. Additionally, the wireless communication device  102  can serve as a gateway device to enable a plant probe  104  to communicate with the server  108  (via the network  106 ). 
     In some instances, the one or more wireless nodes  110  may be similar in construction to the wireless communication device  102 . Alternatively, each wireless node  110  may be a different device that enables wireless communication between two or more devices. In some cases, each of these wireless nodes  110  can include a power source, an antenna, a receiver, an electronic controller, etc., and each of these can be configured to communicate according to a Bluetooth® wireless protocol, a Wi-Fi protocol, or the like. In some configurations, the mesh network can be a Bluetooth® mesh network. 
     The particular number, types, and locations of components with the plant probe system  100  of  FIG.  1    are merely used as an example for discussion purposes, and thus additional or different types of plant probes  104 , networks  106 , servers  108 , wireless nodes  110 , plants  112 , and/or cameras  114 , can be present in other embodiments of the plant probe system  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  and/or server  108  can store various types of data to be retrieved by the plant probe system  100 . These data can be stored in a database, a memory, or other data storage medium or device of the wireless communication device  102  and/or server  108 . 
     The wireless communication device  102  and/or server  108  can store data for various plant probes including usage data for the plant probes (e.g., number of hours of available operation for a plant probe), operator information for the plant probes, location data for the plant, among other data. In some cases, the plant probe  104  of the plant probe system  100  can periodically or occasionally attempt to communicate one or more types of plant data back to the wireless communication device  102  and/or server  108 , or to otherwise communicate with the wireless communication device  102 , server  108 , or wireless nodes  110  of the plant probe system  100 . 
       FIG.  2    illustrates a wireless communication device  102  that includes an electronic controller  210 , an antenna  240 , a power source  242 , and electronic components  250 . The electronic controller  210  can include an electronic processor  220  and a memory  230 . The electronic processor  220 , the memory  230 , and the antenna  240  can communicate over one or more control buses, data buses, etc., which can include a device communication bus  260 . The electronic processor  220  can be configured to communicate with the memory  230  to store data and retrieve stored data. The electronic processor  220  can be configured to receive instructions and data from the memory  230  and execute the instructions. The electronic processor  220  executes instructions stored in the memory  230 . Thus, the electronic controller  210  coupled with the electronic processor  220  and the memory  230  can be configured to perform the methods described herein (e.g., the processes  400  and  500  of  FIGS.  4  and  5   ). 
     The memory  230  can include read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), other non-transitory computer-readable media, or a combination thereof. The memory  230  can include instructions  232  for the electronic processor  220  to execute. The instructions  232  can include software executable by the electronic processor  220  to enable the electronic controller  210  to, among other things, determine or receive data of the plant  112 ; determine or receive position data of the plant  112 ; determine, select, and/or receive location data for the plant  112 ; determine or receive position data of the plant probe  104 ; and determine, select, and/or transmit settings data to the plant probe  104 . 
     The antenna  240  can be communicatively coupled to the electronic controller  210 . The antenna  240  enables the electronic controller  210  (and, thus, the wireless communication device  102 ) to communicate with other devices, such as a cellular tower, a Wi-Fi router, a mobile device, plant probes, wireless nodes, access points, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the wireless communication device  102  can include electronic components  250 , which can include amplifiers, a display (e.g., an LCD display, a touch screen display), inputs (e.g., a keypad, a touch screen, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.), outputs, etc. In some embodiments, the power source  242  can be a battery, an electrical cable, etc. 
       FIG.  3    is an electronics block diagram for a plant probe  104  according to one embodiment of the invention. In the example illustrated, the plant probe  104  can include an electronic controller  310 , an antenna  340 , electronic components  350 , etc. In some embodiments, the electronic controller  310  can be similar to the electronic controller  210 , and the antenna  340  can be similar to the antenna  240 . For example, the electronic controller  310  can include an electronic processor  320  and memory  330 . The electronic processor  320 , the memory  330 , and the antenna  340  can communicate over one or more control buses, data buses, etc., which can include a device communication bus  360 . The electronic processor  320  can be configured to communicate with the memory  330  to store data and retrieve stored data. The electronic processor  320  can be configured to receive instructions and data from the memory  330  and execute the instructions. In particular, the electronic processor  320  executes instructions stored in the memory  330 . Thus, the electronic controller  310  coupled with the electronic processor  320  and the memory  330  can be configured to perform the methods described herein (e.g., the processes  400  and  500  of  FIGS.  4  and  5   ). 
     The memory  330  can include ROM, RAM, and/or other non-transitory computer-readable media. The memory  330  can include instructions  332  for the electronic processor  320  to execute. The instructions  332  can include software executable by the electronic processor  320  to enable the electronic controller  310  to determine and/or transmit data of the plant probe  104 . 
     The antenna  340  can be communicatively coupled to the electronic controller  310 . The antenna  340  enables the electronic controller  310  (and, thus, the plant probe  104 ) to communicate with other devices, such as the wireless communication device  102 , wireless nodes  110 , a cellular tower, a Wi-Fi router, a mobile device, other plant probes, access points, etc. 
     The plant probe  104  includes a battery  342 . The battery  342  can be coupled to and configured to power the various components of the plant probe  104 , such as the electronic controller  310 , the antenna  340 , and the electronic components  350 . In some embodiments, the plant probe  104  also optionally includes additional electronic components  350 . The electronic components  350  can include, for example, one or more of a lighting element (e.g., an LED), an audio element (e.g., a speaker), a power source, etc. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates a flowchart of a process  400  for automatically adjusting one or more settings of an automated plant maintenance system, which can be implemented using the plant probe system  100 . The process  400  is generally described as being implemented by the wireless communication device  102  in the context of the plant probe system  100  in  FIG.  1   . However, in other embodiments, other plant probes or devices of the plant probe system  100 , or other plant probes  104  or devices of other systems, may implement the process  400 . 
     In block  402 , the process  400  can include determining data of a plant (e.g., the plant  112 ). For example, the wireless communication device  102  can identify the type of plant and retrieve the plant data corresponding to that plant type from a memory (e.g., memory  230  of the wireless communication device, a memory of the server  108 ) or other database and/or data storage device or medium in communication with the wireless communication device  102 . 
     The wireless communication device  102  can identify the type of plant in various different ways. For instance, camera  114  can record one or more images of the plant  112  and the wireless communication device  102  can receive and process the image (e.g., using the electronic processor  220  of the wireless communication device  102 ) to identify the type of plant. As an example, the electronic processor  220  of the wireless communication device  102  can implement a computer vision algorithm or other classifier algorithm to identify the type of plant from the image. The one or more images can be applied to the computer vision algorithm or other classifier algorithm, generating output as data that indicate the type of plant recorded by the camera. 
     For instance, a computer vision algorithm or other classifier algorithm can be implemented to determine features in the image that are associated with the plant  112 , and which can be used to classify the type of plants. As an example, the features extracted from the image may include a size of the plant  112 , a shape of the plant  112 , or other features from the image such as edges, corners, interest points, blobs, region-of-interest points, and/or ridges. Other classifier algorithms can include machine learning algorithms, including support vector machine (“SVM”) and neural network (e.g., convolutional neural network) based machine learning algorithms. 
     In some embodiments, a type of plant or a type of seed can be determined by scanning or otherwise detecting a plant identifier on the plant  112  or seed packet. For instance, a barcode, quick response (“QR”) code, or other identifier on the plant  112  or seed packet can be scanned by a scanner (e.g., via the camera  114  or another scanning device of the wireless communication device  102  or a mobile phone camera). Alternatively, a user can use a mobile device to select a plant type identifier from a list of plant types stored in a database. The wireless communication device  102  can generate plant type data in response to detecting the plant identifier, such as by recording the plant identifier, querying a database of plant types stored in the memory  230 , and retrieving and outputting the plant type data corresponding to the plant associated with the plant identifier. Additionally or alternatively, the server  108  can identify the type of plant using the methods described above (e.g., using an electronic processor and/or memory of the server  108 ). 
     In block  404 , the process can include determining a type of plant  112 . For example, the process can determine the type of plant  112  from the image data, from a barcode on the plant&#39;s pot/tag or seed packet, or from a QR code on the plant&#39;s pot/tag or seed packet. 
     In block  406 , the process can include determining the location of the plant probe  104  and where a maintenance action should be performed. In some embodiments, the location data can be stored as relative positions (e.g., positions relative to a common reference point near the plant  112 , such as an address or GPS location). The locations can be updated, as necessary, by updating the reference point of the plant  112 , for example, if the plant probe  104  is moved from an outdoor garden to an indoor houseplant. The position of the plant  112  can, therefore, be known or otherwise determined relative to the wireless communication device  102  and/or wireless nodes  110  such that the locations contained in the location data can be determined within the frame of reference of the plant probe system  100 . For example, the position of the plant  112  can be recorded using the camera  114  of the plant probe system  100 . Alternatively, the plant probe  104  can be used to record the position of the plant  112 . For example, the plant probe  104  can be moved to a position near the plant  112  and then the position of the plant probe  104  can be recorded as the reference location for the plant  112 . In some embodiments, the position of the plant probe  104  can be determined by the plant probe system  100  (e.g., using the electronic processor  220  of the wireless communication device  102 , the electronic processor  320  of the plant probe  104 , or an electronic processor of the server  108  or one of the wireless nodes  110 ), generating output as plant probe position data. The plant probe position data can be communicated or otherwise transmitted to the wireless communication device  102 , whether directly or indirectly via one or more wireless nodes  110 . The position of the plant probe  104  can be determined within a frame of reference defined by or otherwise based on the locations of the wireless communication device  102  and/or wireless nodes  110 . 
     The plant probe system  100  can use various tracking techniques to determine the position of the plant probe  104 . For example, the location of the wireless communication device  102  and each wireless node  110  can be fixed and stored in the plant probe system  100  (e.g., in the memory  230  of the wireless communication device  102 , the memory  330  of the plant probe  104 , a memory of the server  108 , a memory of each wireless node  110 ); or can be periodically determined and stored in the plant probe system  100 . Further, the wireless communication device  102  and each wireless node  110  may communicate with the plant probe  104  and, based on a measurement of the communications, triangulate a location of the plant probe  104 . 
     In block  408 , the process can include determining one or more maintenance recommendations for the plant  112  based on the location of the plant probe  104 . For example the plant probe system  100  can access information for the plant hardiness zones at the physical location of the plant probe  104  and the current weather for the location of the plant probe  104  to determine whether seeds should be planted, a plant should be watered, a plant should be covered before a frost, a plant should be fertilized, etc. 
     In block  410 , the process can include transmitting the maintenance recommendation to a display of the plant probe or to a mobile device so that a user can implement the maintenance recommendation manually at the plant probe location. In addition or alternatively, the process can include transmitting the maintenance recommendation to an automated maintenance system, such as a watering system, a fertilizer application system, or artificial lights. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates a flowchart of a process  500  for automatically adjusting one or more settings of an automated maintenance system based on a location of the plant, which can be implemented using the plant probe system  100 . In block  502 , the plant probe  104  (e.g., the processor  320 ) transmits, via the antenna  340 , one or more signals indicative of a position of the plant probe  104  to the wireless communication device  102 . For example, the plant probe  104  may determine the location of the plant probe  104  (as described above with respect to block  406 ) and transmit the position (as part of the one or more signals) to the wireless communication device  102 . As another example, the plant probe  104  may transmit one or more signals that are received by the wireless nodes  110  or other system  100  devices, from which the location of the plant probe  104  may be derived (e.g., as described above with respect to block  406 ). 
     In block  504 , the manual or automatic maintenance system (e.g., the processor  320  for an automatic system) receives, via the antenna  340 , a maintenance recommendation from the wireless communication device  102 . The maintenance recommendation corresponds to a maintenance action to be performed at a location nearest to the plant probe position. For example, the wireless communication device  102  may transmit the maintenance recommendation to the plant probe  104  as described above with respect to block  410  of  FIG.  4   , where the maintenance recommendation is based on the position of the plant probe  104  and the location data for the plant  112 . 
     In block  506 , the maintenance system adjusts an operating parameter based on the maintenance recommendation from the wireless communication device  102 . For example, if automated, the processor  340  may update a variable stored in a memory (e.g., register) of the processor  340  or the memory  330  that indicates the operating parameter. In this manner, an operating parameter can be provided to a watering system, a fertilizer application system, or artificial lights. 
     In block  508 , an actuator of the maintenance system operates in accordance with the operating parameter. For example, the processor  340  may detect actuation of an input device and then drive a switch, valve, or motor or other actuator of the maintenance system according to the operating parameter. In this manner, the watering system can be turned on at a particular flow rate and temperature, a particular fertilizer can be dispensed in a particular amount, and artificial lights can be turned on or off or their light frequencies or intensities can be set or changed. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates a plant probe  604  according to one embodiment of the invention. The plant probe  604  can include a body  606  and, in some embodiments, a display  608 . The body  604  can be substantially water and weather proof. The display  608  can be a LCD display, a light indicator, and/or an audio indicator. The plant probe  604  includes a housing  610  including a hardware module  612  connected to the display  608 . The hardware module  612  includes a communication module  614 , an electronic controller  616 , and memory  618 . The plant probe  604  includes a probe  620  including a sensor module  622 . The sensor module  622  can include a moisture sensor  624  and/or a growing media sensor  626 . In some embodiments, the growing media sensor  626  can differentiate between fluids, hydroponic growing media, clay, sand, potting soil, top soil, compost, organic matter, and other types of growing media, soil, and soil amendments. For example, the growing media sensor  626  can provide data regarding percentages of each type of growing media sensed by the plant probe  604 . The moisture sensor  624  can also include a humidity sensor  625 . In some embodiments, at least one of the body  606  or the probe  620  includes a temperature sensor  627 . 
     In some embodiments, the plant probe  604  can include a rain recess  629  to accumulate rain water on a daily or weekly basis. The rain recess  629  can accumulate water that is sensed by a conductivity or ultrasonic sensor and then automatically drains after a reading is stored in the memory  618 . The conductivity can be measured by applying an alternating electrical current to sensor electrodes at least partially immersed in the rain water and measuring the resulting voltage. The rain water acts as the electrical conductor between the sensor electrodes. Alternatively or in addition, an ultrasonic sensors can be mounted over the rain water. To determine the distance to the rain water, the ultrasonic sensor transmits a sound pulse that reflects from the surface of the rain water and measures the time it takes for the echo to return. In one or both of these manners, the rain recess  629  can measure the number of inches of rain water accumulated over a daily or weekly basis. Once the number of inches of rain water is known, the controller  616  can send a signal recommending a watering action. 
     The moisture sensor  624  can place a small charge on electrodes and electrical resistance through the sensor can be measured. As water is used by plants or as the soil moisture decreases, water is drawn from the sensor and resistance increases. Conversely, as soil moisture increases, resistance decreases. The humidity sensor  625  can be a capacitive humidity sensor that measures relative humidity by placing a thin strip of metal oxide between two electrodes, so that the metal oxide&#39;s electrical capacity changes with the atmosphere&#39;s relative humidity. The growing media sensor  626  can sense at least one of pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium. The growing media sensor  626  can measure hydrogen-ion activity (acidity or alkalinity). The growing media sensor  626  can include a voltmeter attached to a pH-responsive electrode and a reference electrode. The growing media sensor  626  can measure fertilizer using a fertometer, which is an electrical conductivity meter that measures the total salt concentration in the soil. The temperature sensor  627  can include diode terminals across which the voltage is measured. If the voltage increases, the temperature also rises, followed by a voltage drop between the transistor terminals of base and emitter in a diode. The light sensor  630  can include a light meter that measures incidental, ambient light, and/or reflective light through a photo cell that reacts to the intensity of the light (e.g., a photometer). Each of the sensors in the sensor module  622  can be integrated structurally and electrically in order to provide the smallest sensor module possible to fit within the probe  620 . 
     In some embodiments, one of the body  606  and the housing  610  includes a camera  628 . Alternatively, the camera of a mobile device or personal computer can be used with the control system  700  to capture images of the plant  112 . In some embodiments, the body  606  includes the light sensor  630  that senses at least one of light intensity or light duration. In some embodiments, the body  606  includes a solar module  632  and the housing includes a battery  634  charged by the solar module  632 . When exposed to sunlight, the photovoltaic cells in the solar module  632  receive energy which they absorb. The photovoltaic cells transfer the absorbed energy to a semiconductor which creates an electric field, which in turn delivers voltage and current to be stored in the battery  634 . The battery  634  can be connected to the electronic controller  616 . The battery  634  can also be a convention electrochemical cell battery or rechargeable battery pack. In some embodiments, the plant probe  604  can include an indicator light  635  in order to provide notifications and in order to serve as a locator to help a user find the plant probe  104  within the vegetation of the garden. 
     In some embodiments, the communication module operates according to the Bluetooth protocol to communicate with a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, or personal computer. In some embodiments, the housing  610  includes an accelerometer and/or a gyroscope in order to sense movement or orientation of the plant probe  104 . 
     In some embodiments, the body  606  and housing  610  can be integrated into a single unit and the probe  620  can be coupled to the body  606  and/or housing  610  with a cable. In other embodiments, the body  606 , the housing  610 , and the probe  620  can each be physically coupled to one another to form a single integral or monolithic unit, and in some embodiments, including the rain recess  629  and its valve formed within a portion of the body  606 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates a control system  700  according to some embodiments of the invention. The plant probe system  100  of  FIG.  1    can include the control system  700 , which can be implemented by the wireless communication system  102  of  FIG.  1    and/or a software application on a mobile device. The control system  700  communicates with the communication module  614  of the plant probe  604 . The control system  700  receives data from the sensor module  622  and uses the data to provide recommendations, for example, by displaying maintenance recommendations on the display  608  of the plant probe  604  or by sending a notification to a mobile device. The control system  700  can include a search function in order to find information regarding particular plants or any of the particular modules shown in  FIG.  7   . 
     The control system  700  can implement machine learning methods of data analysis that automate analytical model building. The control system  700  learns from data received from the plant probe and the various control system modules described below to identify patterns and make decisions with minimal user intervention. In some embodiments, the control system  700  can use blockchain by structuring data into chunks that are chained together. For example, the control system  700  can create a timeline of chronological plant data, weather data, maintenance action data, etc. with each block being given an exact timestamp when it is added to the chain. 
     The control system  700  can include any one or more of the following modules: a weather module  704 , a growing media/soil preparation module  706 , an initial planting module  708 , a succession planting module  710 , a maintenance module  712 , a harvest module  714 , a home automation module  716 , a preservation module  728 , a recipe module  730 , a calendar module  732 , a nutrient deficiency module  736 , a compost module  738 , a plant hardiness zone and location module  740 , an image recognition system  742 , a crop rotation module  744 , a seed and plant ordering module  746 , and/or a social media module  748 . 
     The control system  700  can include the weather module  704  to provide recommendations for planting dates and maintenance actions. The weather module  704  can serve a number of functions, including predicting the following: when the soil will be warm enough for spring planting; when the soil will be warm enough for tender plants and herbs; when the summer heat index will cause certain plants to bolt, wilt, or die; when the first fall frost will arrive; when heavy rains, floods, winds, and hail may damage plants, etc. The weather module  704  can communicate with the sensor module  622 , the camera  628 , and the light sensor  630  in order to determine the current conditions near the plant  112 . In addition, the weather module  704  can access historical weather pattern data for a particular location and use algorithms, machine learning, or artificial intelligence to predict when various conditions will occur affecting the health of the plant  112 . As weather patterns change, the weather module  704  can use adaptive algorithms to change baseline parameters for local temperature, moisture, humidity, etc. In addition, the weather module  704  can use algorithms that consider the light intensity at a particular location, along with the light duration for a given day in a given season. For example, even though the temperature may remain high in the fall, the light duration starts to decrease affecting the ability of vegetables to ripen. 
     The control system  700  can include the growing media or soil preparation module  706  to analyze data from the growing media sensor  626  to determine pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, and/or potassium and provide recommendations for fertilizer application. Also, the growing media or soil preparation module  706  can provide instructions for spring or fall soil preparation, such as tilling the soil after adding top soil, compost, manure, and/or organic matter. The growing media or soil preparation module  706  can also provide recommendations for mulching around plants, using organic materials, such as straw, woodchips, shredded leaves, etc. 
     The control system  700  can include the initial planting module  708  to provide recommendations regarding at least one of planting locations, plant species, or companion planting. In some embodiments, the initial planting module  708  can communicate with the calendar module  732  to generate calendar appointments according to a schedule, such as the planting schedule shown in  FIG.  9   . In some embodiments, the initial planting module  708  can generate calendar appointments for planting spring bulbs in the fall and for planting bulbs to bloom before certain holidays. The initial planting module  708  can recommend companion plants, such as certain ornamental flowers that attract bees to a vegetable patch (e.g., borage, dahlia, sunflowers, marigold, salvia, verbena, bee balm, snapdragons, zinnia, ageratum, etc.). The initial planting module  708  can also recommend interplanting certain species to add nitrogen to the soil for heavy nitrogen feeders, such as broccoli and cauliflower. The initial planting module  708  can recommend interplanting certain plant species that detract pests, such as dill and chamomile planted near broccoli and cauliflower. The initial planting module  708  can provide instructions for seed depth, seed spacing, transplant spacing, and soil amendments for each particular plant species. The initial planting module  708  can provide recommendations for stakes, supports, trellises, frost blankets, and cold frames for particular plants species, such as species that should be supported, including peas, beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, etc. In addition, the initial planting module  708  can recommend that particular vegetable species be planted together (e.g., corn with potatoes) or apart (e.g., not planting corn with tomatoes). 
     The control system  700  can include the succession planting module  710  to provide recommendations regarding succession planting for multiple crops being periodically harvested during a growing season. For example, the succession planting module  710  can determine when to plant additional vegetables according to a harvest schedule. The succession planting module  710  can communicate with the weather module  704  and the growing media/soil preparation module  706  to help determine the timing and conditions for subsequent crops and crop rotation. For example, the succession planting module  710  can provide a notification to the user to plant additional seeds for leafy greens one week apart after the initial planting date and according to the conditions communicated by the various sensors  622 , the weather module  704 , and the growing media/soil preparation module  706 . The succession planting module  710  can also provide species suggestions for transitioning from early planting species for cool spring weather before or after the spring thaw, to species that withstand or thrive in summer heat, to species that can handle some frost and winter cold. The succession planning module  710  can recommend species that will not bolt as quickly under certain weather conditions, such as summer heat. The succession planting module  710  can recommend a final date for fall planting for a particular species to be harvested before the first fall frost or to be harvested in early winter. The succession planting module  710  can recommend species that are particularly well suited for storage through the winter, such as particular carrot, potato, and beet species. The succession planting module  710  can recommend crops for cool season planting and crops for warm season planting. 
     The control system  700  can include the maintenance module  712  to provide recommendations regarding watering, fertilizer, pest control, sunlight, and/or artificial light. The maintenance module  712  can access plant information to determine the watering, fertilizing, and light needs for each particular species. Using data from the growing media sensor  626 , the rain recess  629 , and the light sensor  630 , the maintenance module  712  can determine whether the particular species needs additional fertilizer, water, and/or light. The maintenance module  712  can also include algorithms to maintain house plants or greenhouse plants. For example, the maintenance module  712  can communicate with a thermostat, a humidifier, and/or a dehumidifier in order to determine ideal growing conditions and communicate with the home automation module  716  to send commands to control the thermostat, humidifier, or dehumidifier to achieve the ideal growing conditions in an enclosed space, such as a residential home, business, or greenhouse. 
     The control system  700  can include the harvest module  714  to provide recommendations regarding dates for harvesting plants during a growing season. Based on the particular species, the harvest module  714  can provide date ranges for harvesting. The harvest module  714  can communicate with the calendar module  732  to generate calendar appointments when each particular species should be harvested. 
     The control system  700  can include the home automation module  716  that provides control signals for sprinklers, drip hoses, drip lines, valves, pumps, artificial lights, and/or heaters. Based on the rain recess  629  data and the temperature data from the plant probe  604 , the home automation module  716  can control valves and pumps to deliver additional water to the garden or a particular species. Based on the light sensor  630 , the home automation module  716  can turn on or off additional artificial light sources or change their light wavelengths or intensities (e.g., for artificial lights including an array of light emitting diodes). Based on the data from the camera  628 , the home automation module  716  can determine that the garden is flooding or that the watering system is leaking and send a notification to the home owner. The control system  700  can include the preservation module  728  to provide recommendations regarding drying, freezing, storing, and/or canning harvested plants. For example, planting too many plants can results in a very large harvest within a few days or weeks, such as too many tomatoes or tomatillos. The preservation module  728  can provide recommendations for preserving the harvest of a particular species according to the number of plants that have been planted and their condition (e.g., based on data from the camera  628 ). 
     The control system  700  can include the recipe module  730  to provide recommendations for recipes using a harvested plant. Similar to the preservation module  728 , the recipe module  730  can provide recommendations for using the harvest of a particular species according to the number of plants that have been planted and their condition. The recipe module  730  can also communicate with the calendar module  732  to provide calendar appointments for labor intensive recipes requiring additional time over a weekend, for example. 
     The control system  700  can include the calendar module  732  to populate an electronic calendar with recommended dates for planting, maintaining, and/or harvesting plants within a growing season. The calendar module  732  can communicate with the weather module  704  in order to automatically generate and populate calendar appointments on dates when the conditions will be suitable for a particular plant species. For example, the calendar module  732  can generate calendar appointments for the various dates shown in  FIG.  9    to sow seeds in the greenhouse, sow seeds directly in the garden, transplant seedlings from the greenhouse to the garden, or transplant plants purchased at a gardening center or online resource. The calendar module  732  can also group tasks according to when the gardener has availability to complete the tasks, such as a particular weekend day when the local weather, according to the weather module  704 , will be suitable for gardening tasks. 
     The control system  700  can include the nutrient deficiency module  736  to provide an alert or recommend a maintenance action when data from the growing media sensor  626  indicates a nutrient deficiency. For example, the nutrient deficiency module  736  can provide recommendations regarding whether to amend the growing media or soil with nitrogen for green growth, phosphorus for flower, fruit, and root growth, or potassium for stem strength. In addition, the nutrient deficiency module  736  can communicate with the compost module  738  to recommend compost or soil amendments, including particular fertilizers with particular ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. 
     The control system  700  can include the compost module  738  to provide recommendations for growing media amendments based on data received from the growing media sensor  626 . The compost module  738  can provide instructions for generating a compost pile or bin, including the ingredients (e.g., fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, grass clippings, leaves, newspaper, etc.) and the brown matter and green matter ratios for producing compost. The compost module  738  can determine the quantity of compost necessary for the garden and communicate with the seed and plant ordering module  746  to order a sufficient quantity of compost (e.g., three bags of compost with one cubic foot per bag for a bed measuring four feet by eight feet). 
     The control system  700  can include the plant hardiness zone and location module  740  to determine the historic and future planting conditions at the location of the plant probe  604 . The plant hardiness zone and location module  740  can communicate with the moisture sensor  624 , the humidity sensor  625 , the growing media sensor  626 , the temperature sensor  627 , the rain recess  629 , and the light sensor  630 . The control system  700  can recommend particular species to plant based on historical plant hardiness zones for a particular garden location, but also based on the various sensors  622  that provide actual data that is contrary to a particular plant hardiness zone for a particular location. For example, the average first frost date may be October 15th, but the sensors  622  may be providing data indicating that the first frost has not yet occurred. In addition, the weather module  704  may provide forecasts that are used to indicate that the first frost will not occur for a number of additional days or weeks. The plant hardiness zone and location module  740  can also communicate (a) with the initial planting module  708  to determine when the spring thaw date or last frost will occur, (b) with the succession planting module  710  to determine when a subsequent crop can be planted so that an additional harvest can be gathered before the first frost in the fall, and (c) with the maintenance module  712  or the home automation module  716  to provide crop covers or artificial light to extend the growing season beyond the normal weather patterns for a particular hardiness zone. 
     The control system  700  can include the image recognition system  742  that receives image data from the camera  628  or a mobile phone to determine plant type, plant condition, pest presence, or weed presence. The image recognition system  742  uses visual search technology to identify objects through the plant probe camera  628  or the mobile device&#39;s camera. The visual search uses artificial intelligence technology to search through the use of plant imagery, rather than through text search. 
     The control system  700  can include the crop rotation module  744  that can determine the nutrient removed from the soil from one crop and recommend a new crop for the following planting or growing season. Some crops are heavy feeders; heavy feeders include tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, corn, eggplant, beets, lettuce, and other leafy crops. Some crops are light feeders; light feeders include garlic, onions, peppers, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, and turnips. Some crops are soil builders; soil builders include peas, beans, and cover crops such as clover. Rotating these three groups of crops makes the best use of nutrients in the soil. Simple crop rotation would plant heavy feeders in a dedicated planting bed the first year, followed by light feeders in the same bed the second year, followed by soil builders the third year. This rotation presumes there are separate planting areas big enough for all of the crops in each of the three rotation groups. 
     The crop rotation module  744  uses the following major vegetable plant families and suggestions for crop rotation recommendations. Onion Family, Amaryllidaceae: Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots. These are light feeders. Plant onion family crops after heavy feeders. Follow onion family crops with legumes. Cabbage Family, Brassicaceae (Cruciferae): Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, cress, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, turnips. These are heavy feeders. Plant cabbage family crops after legumes. After cabbage family crops build the soil for a season with a cover crop or soil building compost or let the area sit fallow for a season after applying well-aged manure. Lettuce Family, Asteraceae (Compositae): Artichokes, chicory, endive, lettuce. These are heavy feeders. Follow lettuce family crops with soil building legumes. Grains, Grass Family, Poaceae (Gramineae): Grains—oats, corn, rye, wheat. Follow these crops with tomato family plants. Legume Family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae): Beans, peas, clover, vetch. These are soil enrichers. Follow legume family plants with any other crop. Tomato Family, Nightshade Family, Solanaceae: Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes. Nightshade family crops are heavy feeders. Plant these crops after grass family plants. Follow heavy feeders with legume family crops to re-build the soil. Squash Family, Cucurbitaceae: Cucumbers, melons, summer and winter squash, pumpkins, watermelon. Squash family plants are heavy feeders. Plant these crops after grass family plants. Follow heavy feeders with legume family crops to re-build the soil. Carrot Family, Apiaceae (Umbelliferae): Carrots, celery, anise, coriander, dill, fennel, parsley. Beets and chard, Amaranthaceae, can be grouped with the carrot family crops. These are light to medium feeders. Carrot family crops can follow any other crop. Follow carrot family crops with legumes or onion family crops. 
     In one embodiment, to follow a simple four-year crop rotation, the crop rotation module  744  recommends dividing the garden into four areas or plots: Plot One, Plot Two, Plot Three, and Plot Four. In each of the next four years, the control system  700  recommends growing a different crop or different members of the four crop families in a different plot following the following rotation: Plot One: Tomato family (year 1); Others (year 2); Bean family (year 3—but avoid planting beans where onion family crops have just grown); Cabbage family (year 4). Plot Two: Cabbage family (year 1); Tomato family (year 2); Others (year 3); Bean family (year 4—but avoid planting beans where onion family crops have just grown). Plot Three: Bean family (year 1—but avoid planting beans where onion family crops have just grown); Cabbage family (year 2); Tomato family (year 3); Others (year 4). Plot Four: Others (year 1); Bean family (year 2—but avoid planting beans where onion family crops have just grown); Cabbage family (year 3); Tomato family (year 4). The “Others” can include sweet corn squashes, zucchini, and pumpkins (marrow and courgettes), and lettuces. The crop rotation module  744  can following additional rules including: avoid planting beans in the same location after garlic; avoid planting beans in the same location after leeks; avoid planting beans in the same location after onions; and avoid planting beans in the same location after shallots. The crop rotation module  744  can account for perennial vegetables that are not included in crop rotation, because perennial vegetable crops can grow in the same spot for several years in a row. Perennial crops include asparagus, globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, perennial herbs, rhubarb, and seakale. 
     The crop rotation module  744  can expand beyond four plots. As shown in  FIG.  10   , the control system  700  and the initial planting module  708  can generate a garden plant for twelve plots or raised beds. In some embodiments, the initial planting module  708  can also generate companion plant recommendations, as shown in  FIG.  10   . Crops in the plots or raised beds can be rotated according to  FIG.  11    to achieve the crop rotation shown in  FIG.  12   . The nutrient deficiency module  736  can determine the nutrient requirements for each crop (e.g., low nitrogen, neutral, or high nitrogen). The nutrient deficiency module  736  can recommend particular growing media amendments, such as the various organic soil amendments shown in  FIG.  10    (e.g., alfalfa meal, compost, liquid seaweed, kelp meal, rock phosphate, wood ash, cotton seed hulls, iron sulfate, aluminum sulfate, Sulphur, etc.). The crop rotation module  744  can also recommend particular cover crops for the end of the growing season, such as white clover, crimson, winter rye, oats, field peas, and alfalfa. 
     The control system  700  can include a seed and plant ordering module  746  to recommend when and where to buy particular seed varieties or plants for transplanting. In some embodiments, the seed and plant ordering module  746  can automatically order additional seeds or plant transplants from an online shopping system. 
     The control system  700  can include a social media module  748  to connect with social media platforms to share pictures, information, and engage in online group discussions. In some embodiments, the control system  700  can include a search function to search for data related to any of the various modules, to search the Internet, or to search social media posts. 
     It is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. 
     In some embodiments, computerized implementations of methods according to the disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming or engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a processor device (e.g., a serial or parallel processor chip, a single- or multi-core chip, a microprocessor, a field programmable gate array, any variety of combinations of a control unit, arithmetic logic unit, and processor register, and so on), a computer (e.g., a processor device operatively coupled to a memory), or another electronically operated controller to implement aspects detailed herein. Accordingly, for example, embodiments of the disclosure can be implemented as a set of instructions, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable media, such that a processor device can implement the instructions based upon reading the instructions from the computer-readable media. Some embodiments of the disclosure can include (or utilize) a control device such as an automation device, a computer including various computer hardware, software, firmware, and so on, consistent with the discussion below. As specific examples, a control device can include a processor, a microcontroller, a field-programmable gate array, a programmable logic controller, logic gates etc., and other typical components that are known in the art for implementation of appropriate functionality (e.g., memory, communication systems, power sources, user interfaces and other inputs, etc.). Also, functions performed by multiple components can be consolidated and performed by a single component. Similarly, the functions described herein as being performed by one component can be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Additionally, a component described as performing particular functionality can also perform additional functionality not described herein. For example, a device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but can also be configured in ways that are not listed. 
     The term “article of manufacture” as used herein is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier (e.g., non-transitory signals), or media (e.g., non-transitory media). For example, computer-readable media can include but are not limited to magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips, and so on), optical disks (e.g., compact disk (“CD”), digital versatile disk (“DVD”), and so on), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick, and so on). Additionally, it should be appreciated that a carrier wave can be employed to carry computer-readable electronic data such as those used in transmitting and receiving electronic mail or in accessing a network such as the Internet or a local area network (“LAN”). Those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications can be made to these configurations without departing from the scope or spirit of the claimed subject matter. 
     Certain operations of methods according to the disclosure, or of systems executing those methods, can be represented schematically in the figures or otherwise discussed herein. Unless otherwise specified or limited, representation in the figures of particular operations in particular spatial order can not necessarily require those operations to be executed in a particular sequence corresponding to the particular spatial order. Correspondingly, certain operations represented in the figures, or otherwise disclosed herein, can be executed in different orders than are expressly illustrated or described, as appropriate for particular embodiments of the disclosure. Further, in some embodiments, certain operations can be executed in parallel, including by dedicated parallel processing devices, or separate computing devices configured to interoperate as part of a large system. 
     As used herein in the context of computer implementation, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “component,” “system,” “module,” etc. are intended to encompass part or all of computer-related systems that include hardware, software, a combination of hardware and software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to being, a processor device, a process being executed (or executable) by a processor device, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a computer program, or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computer and the computer can be a component. One or more components (or system, module, and so on) can reside within a process or thread of execution, can be localized on one computer, can be distributed between two or more computers or other processor devices, or can be included within another component (or system, module, and so on). 
     In some implementations, devices or systems disclosed herein can be utilized or installed using methods embodying aspects of the disclosure. Correspondingly, description herein of particular features, capabilities, or intended purposes of a device or system is generally intended to inherently include disclosure of a method of using such features for the intended purposes, a method of implementing such capabilities, and a method of installing disclosed (or otherwise known) components to support these purposes or capabilities. Similarly, unless otherwise indicated or limited, discussion herein of any method of manufacturing or using a particular device or system, including installing the device or system, is intended to inherently include disclosure, as embodiments of the disclosure, of the utilized features and implemented capabilities of such device or system. 
     Various features and advantages of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.