Patent Publication Number: US-2022232808-A1

Title: Bee pollination monitoring system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of beekeeping, and more precisely to an electronic device and a system for monitoring one or more beehives. 
     An example of a beehive  100  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Such a beehive  100  typically corresponds to a model of beehive called “Langstroth”. The beehive  100  comprises a first part  101  called the “hive body” (or “body”). Beehive  100  may include, mainly in spring and summer, at least a second part  102  called “rise”, said second part  102  being placed on top of the first part  101 . The lower part  101  or hive body may comprise one or two boxes, usually of standardized dimensions, and stacked one on top of the other. A box of standard dimension is called a “deep”. A box with a height equal to half the height of a standard box (i.e. a “deep”) is called a “shallow”, the length and width of a “shallow” being identical to that of a “deep”. Three main configurations of hive body  101  are commonly found: “double-deep” (two “deep” boxes being stacked one on top of the other), “deep and shallow” (a “shallow” box being stacked on top of a “deep” box) and “single-deep” (a “deep” box alone). Similarly, a rise  102  may comprise one or several “deep(s)” and/or “shallow(s)”. 
     Possibly, a frame cover  103  is placed between the hive body  101  and the rise  102 . Possibly, several rises similar to the rise  102  can be stacked on top of the hive body  101 . Beehive  100  has a lid  105 . Possibly, an inner cover (not illustrated) is inserted between an upper part of the beehive and the lid  105 . The beehive  100  includes a floor  104  on which the body  101  rests. The floor  104  includes an extension  104 A called the “flight board” at the entrance of the hive, which is located in the lower area of body  101 . The flight board  104 A allows the bees to land before entering the beehive  100  or flying away. 
     The boxes, either “deep” or “shallow”, constituting the body  101  and, if any, the rise  102  of the beehive  100  are hollow elements that can accommodate vertically removable frames suspended inside. These frames allow the bees to build their honeycombs. A box, “deep” or “shallow”, can accommodate a same predefined number of frames, usually 8 or 10 frames. A queen bee colony is usually located in a frame of the body  101 . Unlike the body  101 , a rise  102  is not intended to accommodate a queen. In other words, the body  101  of the hive  100  corresponds to the zone of life of the bees, whereas the rise  102  corresponds to the zone exploited by a beekeeper, i.e. the zone used for the harvest of honey. 
     The French patent n° 0305784 delivered on Aug. 4, 2006 discloses a device allowing a remote monitoring of a beehive, the device taking the form of a removable base on which the beehive to be monitored can be placed. The base typically includes a weight sensor and communication means allowing to remotely monitor the evolution of the weight of the beehive placed on it. The base may include other sensors, such as a temperature, humidity, or atmospheric pressure sensor. The solution presented in the above-mentioned patent has various disadvantages. First, the disclosed solution allows only the monitoring of the total weight of the beehive. Then, the disclosed solution only allows monitoring of parameters outside the beehive and does not allow in any way to monitor what is happening inside the beehive. It is therefore necessary to propose a solution to overcome these various disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bee pollination monitoring system. The invention relates to an electronic device for monitoring a beehive, the beehive being adapted to comprise a plurality of frames on which bees can build their comb, the electronic device comprising a plurality of temperature sensors and a communication module, wherein:
         the electronic device is adapted to be placed on top of the frames, between said frames and an inner cover or a lid of the beehive, and,   each temperature sensor is coupled to a thermal diffuser, each thermal diffuser being adapted to cover one of the gaps between two adjacent frames when the electronic device is placed on top of the frames, and,   the communication module is adapted to send a message comprising at least one measure from the temperature sensors.       

     Advantageously, when the electronic device is placed inside a beehive, on top of the frames, the thermal diffuser can cover the gaps between two frames. Thus, each temperature sensor, coupled to a thermal diffuser, can measure a temperature linked to the bees&#39; activity located between two frames, said temperature being a good indicator of the bees population. The thermal diffuser gives flexibility to the measurements by enabling them even if the very sensor is not right above a gap. The measures can be sent to a remote device, possibly upon request, through the communication module. Also, the size of the electronic device does not prevent the circulation of bees in the beehive, nor alter the proper functioning of their activity within it. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the beehive being adapted to comprise “N” frames on which bees build their comb, the electronic device comprises “N/2” temperature sensors, each thermal diffuser being adapted to cover one out of two of the gaps between two adjacent frames when the electronic device is placed on top of the frames. 
     Advantageously, one out of two gaps between the frames temperature is monitored. Thus, the electronic device architecture is simplified, the size of the electronic device can be limited while still allowing the use of thermal diffuser big enough to cover the gaps even if the electronic device is not precisely placed over the frames. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the electronic device is adapted to be placed perpendicularly on top of the frames, each thermal diffuser extending over a length corresponding to the width of a frame and of the gap between two frames and being centered above a gap when the electronic device is placed on top of the frames 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the electronic device comprising a printed circuit board comprising a copper layer recovered by a varnish layer, each thermal diffuser comprises a sensing surface being obtained by:
         removing the varnish layer over the sensing surface,   perforating dotted holes around the sensing surface,
 
the temperature sensor being fixed on the sensing surface.
       

     According to a complementary embodiment, the electronic device comprises a humidity sensor, the communication module being adapted to send a message comprising at least one measure from the humidity sensor. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the electronic device comprises an accelerometer, the communication module being adapted to send a message when an acceleration is detected by the accelerometer. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the thickness of the electronic device is less than a height of a void space above the frames. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the thickness of the electronic device is around 3 mm. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the electronic device comprises an outer protection integrating the plurality of thermal diffusers. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the beehive being adapted to comprise “N” frames on which bees build their comb, the electronic device is a bar:
         the thickness of the bar being less than the height of the space between the top of the frames and an inner cover or a lid of the beehive,   the length of the bar corresponding to “N” widths of a frame and “N−1” widths of a gap between two frames.       

     According to a complementary embodiment, the communication module is a Bluetooth Low Energy communication module. 
     The invention also relates to a system for monitoring at least one beehive, the system comprising:
         at least one electronic device as described hereafter,   a concentrator, the concentrator comprising a first communication module adapted to communicate with at least a communication module of the at least one electronic device and receive data from said electronic device.       

     According to a complementary embodiment, the concentrator comprising a second communication module, the second communication module is adapted to send a message comprising at least data received from the at least one electronic device. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the concentrator is adapted to send a message via the second communication module when a connection via the first communication module to an electronic device is lost. 
     According to a complementary embodiment, the concentrator comprising an accelerometer and a geolocation module, the second communication module is adapted to send a message when an acceleration is detected by the accelerometer, the message comprising a location determined by the geolocation module. 
    
    
     
       FIGURES 
       Characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will appear more clearly when reading the following description of examples of embodiments, said description being made in relation to the attached figures, among which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a typical diagram of a beehive of the type called “Langstroth”, 
         FIG. 2  shows a top view of an electronic device for monitoring a beehive according to one embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 3  shows a section, according to axis AA, of the electronic device for monitoring a beehive, 
         FIG. 4  shows a top view of a plurality of frames inside a beehive box with two electronic devices for monitoring the beehive placed on top of them, 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of a plurality of frames inside a beehive box with two electronic devices for monitoring the beehive according to other embodiments of the invention placed on top of them. 
         FIG. 6  shows a system for monitoring a plurality of beehives according to one embodiment of the invention, and, 
         FIG. 7  shows an exemplary embodiment of a concentrator according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on temperatures measured at different points of a sensor device placed inside a beehive. Indeed, the thermo-regulatory capacity of the beehive is a good indicator of the health and quantities of the bees. 
     Indeed, beehive temperature is key to the bees. Bees maintain the temperature of the beehive around 35° C. so that brood can develop normally. When the temperature in the beehive is too high the bees ventilate by fanning the hot air out of the beehive or use evaporative cooling mechanisms. When the temperature is too low bees generate metabolic heat by contracting and relaxing their flight muscles. It has been shown that even small deviations (more than 0.5° C.) from the optimal beehive temperatures have significant influence on the development of the bees. The invention permits to measure a precise temperature over a gap between two frames where the bees actually work. 
       FIG. 1  shows a typical diagram of a beehive  100  of the type called “Langstroth”.  FIG. 1  has been previously described. 
       FIG. 2  shows a top view of a sensor device or electronic device  200  for monitoring a beehive  100  according to one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the electronic device  200  comprises a power module  201 , a power switch  202 , a communication module  203  and a plurality of temperature sensors (not shown here) comprising or coupled to thermal diffusers  206 - 1  to  206 - 5 . The thermal diffuser  206 -X may comprise copper. The effect of coupling a thermal diffuser to a temperature sensor is to allow the thermal sensor to measure a temperature on a wider surface. The power module  201  can be a battery or any other source of electricity. The communication module  203  can be a radio module, possibly a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy module (hereafter BLE module). The communication module  203  is adapted to send a message comprising at least one measure from the temperature sensor or any other sensor of the electronic device  200 . The electronic device  200  may comprise a memory (not shown) to store the measures from the sensors and transmit on request (upon receiving a message with the communication module  203 ) said measures via the communication module  203 . 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, communication module  203  is adapted to send broadcast messages. For example, communication module  2013  can be a BLE module and adapted to send advertising messages. Thus, no prior establishment of connection with a receiving device is needed. In other words, by sending advertising messages, no prior pairing step to any device is required. Moreover, it helps improving power savings. Each electronic device  200  may send an advertising message comprising at least one measure from the temperature sensor, or any other sensor of the electronic device  200 , periodically, for example every 10 seconds. By sending advertising messages, there is no need to synchronize any receiving device, the receiving device may listen for advertising messages for example continuously or only periodically, for example every hour, during a time windows of at least the period of emission of an electronic device  200 , for example 15 seconds. 
     The electronic device  200  may comprise other modules (here illustrated with modules  204  and  205 ), such as for example a humidity sensor, an accelerometer or a microphone. The humidity sensor can be a hygrometer. The humidity sensor can be adapted to measure a humidity level in the air around the electronic device  200 . The humidity sensor can be integrated within a temperature sensor  206 -X. Said otherwise, a sensor  206 -X can integrate various types of sensors such as, for example, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. Thus, according to an embodiment of the invention, the sensor  206 - 3  comprises a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. The electronic device  200  may be adapted to emit a message via the communication module  203  when the accelerometer detects a movement or acceleration of the electronic device  200 , possibly indicating that the beehive is being displaced or stolen. A microphone sensor may be adapted to capture live audio and stream it via the communication module  203 , possibly upon request. The electronic device  200  may be adapted to detect when the power of an audio signal captured by the microphone exceeds a predetermined value, the electronic device  200  being then adapted to send an alert message via the communication module  203  or possibly to switch to a live mode, where the audio captured by the microphone is streamed via the communication module  203 . 
     Globally, measures from the different sensors (temperature, humidity, microphone, etc.) may be made periodically (for example every fifteen seconds). The periods for the measures may depend on the sensor type, or even on the sensor itself. Alternatively, or in a complementary way, a measure may be triggered by a message received by the communication module  203  (“measure upon request”). 
     Measures from a sensor may be sent via the communication module  203  in real time, or may be stored, for example within the sensor itself or in the memory of the electronic device  200 , to be sent in a grouped way, either periodically (for example every hour) or upon request. Measures from different sensors may be grouped within one or several messages to be sent. 
     The electronic device  200  can take the form of a bar and be protected by an external layer or outer protection against for example humidity, liquid, dust, or possibly honey or beeswax. In this case, the thermal diffusers  206 -X are flush with the surface of the electronic device  200 . The material used for the external layer of protection shall be chosen so as not to harm—physically or chemically—the bees. For example, the external layer can be made of wood, silicon, technical fabric or technical textile. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic device  200  must not alter the beehive physically or chemically and/or must have a size small enough to allow it to fit into the beehive without requiring a modification of the structure of the beehive, such as for example a clearance between edges of a box and a lid or an inner cover. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic device  200  comprises a printed circuit board (PCB hereafter). The PCB may support and connect the different sensors and/or modules of the electronic device  200 . The thermal diffuser  206 -X may be constituted by an external copper layer of the PCB forming a sensing surface. Perforations in the PCB around each sensing surface or thermal diffuser may insure a thermal insulation. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, a PCB comprises two conductive layers comprising in between a central dielectric layer, each conductive layer being recovered by an external protective varnish. The central layer may comprise a resin layer such as a FR-4 substrate (FR for flame retardant as defined by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association). A conductive layer may comprise a metal, for example copper. Total thickness of the PCB may be around 1.2 millimeter. Thermal diffuser  206 -X may be designed by:
         removing the external protective varnish recovering a predefined area (or “sensing surface”), leaving the conductive layer, for example copper plate, naked, the sensing area may be rectangular,   fixing, by example by welding, a temperature sensor to the surface of the conductive layer, on the sensing area, the sensor being located below the sensor device, that is to say in contact with the conductive layer, for example the copper plate,   drilling or perforating a plurality of dotted holes around the predefined area, in order to establish a heat insulation between the sensing surface and the rest of the PCB, air being a much better insulator than for example copper.       

     The length of the sensing surface can be chosen to cover at least one interframe space, that is to say at least one gap between two successive frames. Thus, when the electronic device  200  is placed inside a beehive on top of the frames, even if the temperature sensor is located over a frame, a significant part of the sensing surface is facing the gap formed with the adjacent frame. Thermal diffusion over the thermal diffuser allows measurement of heat emission generated by the bees within the interframes or gap between two frames. 
     Thus, advantageously, thermal diffusers are made directly from the PCB used to make the electronic device  200 , which facilitates the making of the electronic device  200  and reduces complexity of the device. 
       FIG. 3  shows a section, according to axis AA on  FIG. 2 , of the electronic device  200  for monitoring a beehive  100 . In this  FIG. 3 , the thermal sensors  207 - 1  to  207 - 5  are visible, each thermal sensor  207 -X being coupled to a thermal diffusers  206 -X. The communication module  203  is also represented, here protected inside the electronic device  200  by the external layer. 
     In a beehive such as beehive  100 , Burr comb, brace comb and bridge comb can be avoided or minimized by keeping the dimension of all internal spaces inside the hive to the “bee space” limit of ¼ to ⅜ inch (that is to say 6.4 to 9.5 mm). Therefore, to be able to insert the electronic device  200  inside a beehive  100  using a free internal space, the thickness of the electronic device  200  shall be around 3 millimeters, for example 3.2 millimeters. As explained hereafter, thickness of the electronic device  200  can be adapted according to the available space over the frames. Possibly, a wedge system, for example removable external covers of different thickness, allows the thickness of the electronic device  200  to be adapted to the available space inside the beehive  100 . More generally, the thickness of the electronic device  200  shall not prevent the beehive to be closed normally when placed over the frames. The electronic device  200  is thus adapted to be placed on top of the frames, between said frames and a possible inner cover or lid of the beehive. Said otherwise, the thickness of the electronic device  200  is less than the height of a void space above the frames. 
       FIG. 4  shows a top view of a plurality of frames  401 - 1  to  401 - 10  inside a beehive box  400  with two electronic devices  200 A and  200 B, for monitoring the beehive, placed on top of the plurality of frames  401 -X. The beehive box  400  may be the body  101  or the rise  102 , and can be a “deep” or a “shallow”. The electronic device  200 A and  200 B are similar to the electronic device  200 . Electronic device  200 A and  200 B are here shown upside down, in order to show the location of the thermal diffusers  206 -X relatively to the gaps between the frames  401 - 1  to  401 - 10 . When in use, the electronic devices  200 A and  200 B shall be placed with the thermal diffusers  206 -X facing down, towards the frames  401 -X. According to one embodiment of the invention, each thermal diffuser  206 -X covers both sides of the electronic device  200  so that the electronic device  200  can be used in any position, “recto or verso”, i.e. facing up or down. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , each thermal diffuser  206 -X is adapted to cover one of the gaps between two adjacent frames  401 -X when the electronic device  200 A or  200 B is placed on top of the frames  401 -X. The dimension of a thermal diffuser  206 -X, particularly along the AA axis (that is to say the axis perpendicular to the frames), is such that a thermal diffuser  206 -X can cover a gap between two adjacent frames even if the electronic device  200  is not precisely placed over the frames  401 -X. In  FIG. 4 , even if electronic device  200 B is represented slightly off centered, the dimension of each thermal diffuser  206 -X allows to cover each gap between the frames  401 -X. The dimension of each thermal sensor  206 -X along the AA axis (i.e. the length of the sensing surface) can be equal to the width of a frame. According to one embodiment of the invention, dimension of each thermal sensor  206 -X along the AA axis may be chosen equal to the thickness of a frame plus the thickness of an interframe space. The dimension of each thermal sensor  206 -X along the AA axis may be 38 millimeters, or around 38 millimeter (not including insulation perforation) or 41 millimeters (including insulation perforations). Thermal diffusers may be separated from each other by 29 millimeters. 
     Possibly, each thermal diffuser  206 -X extends over a length corresponding to the width of a frame  401 -X and of the gap between two frames  401 -X and is centered above the gap when the electronic device  200  is placed on top of the frames  401 -X. 
     An electronic device  200  may comprise a system to facilitate the positioning of the electronic device  200  over the frames  401 -X. The electronic device  200  may comprise small protrusions to be inserted in the gap between the frames. Such protrusions may be removable or moveable. 
     The length (along the axis AA) of the electronic device  200  is adapted to the dimension of the beehive box  400 , so the electronic device  200  can be inserted inside the beehive box  400  and placed perpendicularly over the frames  401 -X. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic device  200  takes the form of a bar, the length of the bar corresponding to “N” widths of a frame and “N−1” widths of a gap between two successive frames, the beehive being adapted to receive N frames. The thickness of said bar is less than the height of the space between the top of the frames and an inner cover or a lid of the beehive. 
     As shown hereafter in  FIG. 5 , the electronic device may comprise one thermal diffuser, that is to say one thermal sensor, for each gap between two frames. 
     In  FIG. 4 , the beehive comprises 10 frames on which bees build their comb. The electronic device  200 A and  200 B comprises 5 temperature sensors, each thermal diffuser being adapted to cover one out of two of the gaps between two adjacent frames when the electronic device  200 A or  200 B is placed on top of the frames. 
     More generally, when a beehive is adapted to comprise “N” frames on which bees build their comb, an electronic device  200  may comprise “N/2” temperature sensors, each thermal diffuser being adapted to cover one out of two of the gaps between two adjacent frames when the electronic device is placed on top of the frames. Thus, each frame can be monitored, from one of its two sides, meanwhile the number of thermal diffusers is limited. This allows to reduce the complexity, weight, and cost of the electronic device  200 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a top view of a plurality of frames  401 -X inside the beehive box  400  with two electronic devices  500  and  505  for monitoring the beehive  100  according to other embodiments of the invention placed on top of the frames. 
     Each electronic device  500  and  505  comprises as much thermal diffusers  501 -X as there are gaps between the frames  401 -X. 
     The thermal diffusers may be placed on a same line, as on the electronic device  505 , or can be placed alternatively on two lines as on electronic device  500 . Alternative placing allows for longer thermal diffusers. 
       FIG. 6  shows a system  600  for monitoring a plurality of beehives  601 ,  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605  and  606  according to one embodiment of the invention. Each beehive  601 ,  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605  and  606  comprises at least electronic device  200  placed on top of its frames inside the body and/or the rise. Each electronic device of each beehive  601 ,  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605  and  606  is connected, for example via its Bluetooth Low Energy communication module, to a concentrator  610  (the concentrator  610  is then a receiving device for each electronic device  200 ). 
     Possibly, each electronic device may need to be paired with the concentrator  610 . The concentrator  610  is adapted to receive messages from the different electronic devices  200  at proximity, possibly store said messages, and retransmit said messages via a long-distance communication module, for example a LoRa (“Long Range” communication network, or low-power wide-area network) communication module, to a Gateway  620 . The gateway  620  may retransmit said messages to a server  640  via Internet or any communication network  630  (such as a 3G/4G/LTE/5G network). The server  640  may consolidate the data received from several groups of beehives before retransmission. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, each electronic device of each beehive  601 ,  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605  and  606  is adapted to emit (or broadcast) messages, independently of the presence of a concentrator  610 . In other words, according to this embodiment, no prior connection (or pairing) between an electronic device and a concentrator is needed. If present, a concentrator  610  may receive the sent messages. The received messages may be stored and/or retransferred to a Gateway  620 . 
     Thus, possibly, each electronic device  200  sends advertising (or broadcast) messages so no pairing with the concentrator  610  is needed. Each electronic device  200  may send a message comprising measurements periodically, for example every 10 seconds. The concentrator  610  may listen continuously or the concentrator may listen periodically during a time window, the time windows being greater than the emission period of an electronic device. The concentrator  610  may listen for example every hour during a time window of 15 seconds. 
     The concentrator  610  may comprise a temperature sensor and/or a geolocation module such as a GPS module (Global Positioning System). The concentrator may comprise an accelerometer and/or a humidity sensor. The concentrator may transmit, for example periodically, to the server  640 , via the gateway  620 , an external temperature around the group of beehives  601 ,  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605  and  606  or the location of the groups of beehives. The concentrator may comprise an identification code that is possibly added to the messages emitted by the concentrator  610 . GPS module can be used for time synchronization of the concentrator  610 . GPS module and accelerometer module can be used to send an alert message when a movement is detected, the alert message comprising a GPS determined location. Thus, messages with the location of the concentrator  610 , determined with the GPS module, may be sent every time a movement of the concentrator  610  is detected, that is to say, each time the accelerometer is triggered. 
     Similarly, each electronic device  200  may also comprise an identification code. Such identification code may correspond to, or comprise, a media access code (MAC address) associated to the communication module  203  of each electronic device  200 . The identification code of an electronic device  200  may be associated to a beehive and/or beekeeper. 
     The concentrator  610  may comprise a humidity module. Said humidity module is advantageously outside the concentrator  610 , allowing the concentrator  610  to be inside a sealed box. Humidity module, or any other module of the concentrator  610 , may be external and communicate with the concentrator  610  via the BLE module, with or without prior pairing. 
     The concentrator may be adapted to retransmit a message sent by an electronic device  200  inside a beehive when said electronic device detects a movement of the beehive. The concentrator may be adapted to send an alert message when a connection to an electronic device  200  is lost, possibly indicating a movement of the beehive outside the reach of the first communication module (when said communication module is a radio communication module, for example a Bluetooth module). Each message may comprise the identification code of said electronic device  200  and/or concentrator  610 . 
     The concentrator  610  may store the messages received from the electronic device  200  and possibly send them after a consolidation of different messages, from the same electronic device or from different electronic devices, or immediately. According to one embodiment of the invention, the concentrator  610  is adapted to store messages received from a plurality of electronic devices  200  during a predetermined period. The predetermined period may correspond to a pollination season, that is to say for example 3 months. Thus, the concentrator  610  may be adapted to store the equivalent of messages sent by 20, possibly 48, electronic devices  200  during a period of 3 months. Said messages may be stored, retransmitted to a server  640 , possibly grouped, or both. The concentrator may filter or parse the data received from the electronic devices  200  prior to the retransmission via the LoRa module to the server  640 . 
     The different data received by the server  640  may be consolidated and/or used for remotely monitoring the beehives from one or several beekeepers. The different date may be used as an input for an algorithm to determine an average number of frames of bees (or “FOB” for “Frames of Bees”) in each beehive monitored. 
       FIG. 7  shows an exemplary embodiment of a concentrator  610  according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The concentrator  610  comprises a processor CPU  701 , a memory MEM  702 , a first communication module BLE  703 , a second communication module LoRa  704 , possibly a temperature sensor  705  and a geolocation module GPS  706 . The concentrator  610  may comprise a plurality of other modules such as module  707 . Module  707  may be an accelerometer, a humidity sensor, a barometer or any other type of sensor. 
     The concentrator  610  may be adapted to collect weather data from a plurality of modules such as for example the temperature sensor  705 , a humidity sensor, a barometer, or any other type of sensor, to define a local weather and/or local weather forecast. 
     The first communication module BLE  703  is possibly a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy module. The first communication module  703  is compatible with the communication module  203  of the electronic device  200 . The first communication module BLE  703  may not be a Bluetooth module. The first communication module BLE  703  may be for example a “Zigbee” or “Wi-Fi” compatible module, or any other type of communication module, for example an Ethernet module. The first communication module BLE  703  may be a “low-power low-bandwidth” radio communication module. 
     The second communication module LoRa  704  is possibly a LoRa communication module. The second communication module  704  is compatible with a communication module of the gateway  620 . The second communication module LoRa  704  may not be a LoRa module. The second communication module LoRa  704  may be of any type, for example a radio communication module such as 3G/4G/5G radio mobile communication module or Wi-Fi module, or even a fixed communication module such as an Ethernet module. 
     The memory MEM  702  may allow data received from the electronic device  200  placed in the beehives to be stored and protected even in case of power failure of the concentrator  620 . Memory MEM  702  may be a flash memory. 
     This description is based on the use of beehives with mobile frames of the “Langstroth” type. The man skilled in the art knows how to adapt the present teaching to a model of beehive of the type “Dadant”, “Werré”, “Voirnot”, “Zander”, “Top-bar hives” or any other type of beehive with at least one element including frames or bars. It should be noted that hives of different types can be monitored simultaneously by means of different electronic devices  200  adapted to the dimensions of each type of beehives and a same concentrator  620 . 
     The invention can be adapted to any type of hive and is not restricted to beehive.