Patent Description:
Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to a system and method that use an optical fiber for detecting red palm weevils, and more particularly, to an enhanced system that processes data recorded with the optical fiber, which is wrapped around a red palm, to detect not only the presence of the red palm weevils, but also an ambient temperature and moisture.

Red palm weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a snout pest originating from tropical Asia. In the past few decades, it has spread out to many regions worldwide including North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean regions. This pest has wiped out many palm farms in different countries, so it is considered a very severe problem. In the Gulf countries and the Middle East, millions of dollars are spent yearly only to remove the infested palm trees. The cost to treat the infested palm trees could be even higher. Additionally, by <NUM>, it is estimated that RPW control cost and loss of benefits to be in the millions of dollars in Italy, Spain, and France.

The problem with this pest is that although there are available techniques to heal RPW infested palm trees, detecting the presence of the RPW threat at an early stage (first two/three weeks of the weevil larvae stage) is challenging. This is so because by the time a palm tree shows visible signs of distress, such as a sagging canopy, this generally means that the RPW infection is well-advanced and it is too late to rescue the tree. As a result, governments of many countries are committing to develop a reliable and efficient early detection approach to tackle this problem.

There are several methods that have been reported to tackle this sever danger. For instance, trained dogs are used to smell the gases released from infested palms during the fermentation processes. Unfortunately, sensing such kind of gases is not an accurate selective process because its efficiency is impacted by the presence of other volatile products. Alternatively, infested trees are screened with a computer-based tomography system. However, this technique lacks feasibility since it is slow and expensive.

The first detectable signals of an infested tree originate from the noise produced by the weevil larvae while eating within the trunk of the tree. Therefore, the most promising early detection methods rely on using acoustic sensors. The existing technologies mainly insert a sound probe into the tree trunk such that the probe records larvae sound in real-time.

More specifically, the existing methods that use acoustic sensors, as illustrated in <FIG>, primarily insert an acoustic probe <NUM>, such as microphone, into a hole <NUM> drilled into a palm trunk <NUM> and then the probe records the sound produced by the beetles in real-time. The sound is recorded on a computer <NUM> that is connected to the acoustic probe <NUM>. The differences among the methods that are using the acoustic sensor are mainly in the signal processing techniques implemented for processing the recorded sound. However, all these methods require in-situ monitoring.

For vast farms, checking palms one-by-one is labor-, time-, and cost-consuming. Moreover, a major drawback of these reported methods is that they do not offer continuous monitoring for palm trees. An alternative solution is where each palm is equipped with a corresponding sound probe, which is connected to a wireless communication interface so that data transfer can take place to a central server. This system may be powered via a solar panel. Although this method provides continuous observation for the individual palm trees, its overall cost is still very high. Another disadvantage of the aforementioned acoustic methods is the damage done to the tree because of the hole made in the trunk for inserting the sound probe, the labor necessary to drill each tree, the impact of the hole on the growth of the palms, and the possibility of other insects to establish a nest into the holes made into the trunk.

Additionally, offering an acoustic sensor along with a wireless communication interface for each tree to provide continuous monitoring significantly increases the cost of the entire RPW surveillance system given that a red palm tree orchard can have thousands of such trees.

The presence of the RPW is just one concern associated with the palm trees in an orchard. The farmers of these trees are also faced with the potential of fires in the trees, which can destroy many of the trees, especially that these trees thrive in semi-desertic zones, which are prone to fires. In addition, these trees also require the right amount of water for maximizing their crop and saving on the cost associated with watering. Thus, the farmers need in addition to the RPW monitoring system, a fire detection system, and also a moisture detection system to improve the efficiency of the palm tree farm. All these systems are not only expensive, but also require substantial infrastructure support, which is not affordable for the typical farm.

"<NPL>et al. discloses a system using an optical fiber distributed around a tree and connected to a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) box to detect sounds produced by red palm weevils. "<NPL>et al. discloses various convention distributed fiber-optic sensors used for measuring different parameters such as vibration, temperature, humidity. "<NPL>describes a variety of different optical sensors based on optical fibers, which can measure various parameters such as physical quantities (e.g. temperature), chemical properties (e.g. humidity), or vibrations.

<CIT> and <CIT> each describe distributed optical sensor systems measuring vibrations and temperature via a single optical fiber.

<CIT>, <CIT> describe each distributed optical sensor systems measuring temperature and moisture via a single optical fiber.

"<NPL>et al. describes FBG optical sensor systems measuring temperature and moisture, and mentions also a FBG sensor for measurement of vibration.

Thus, there is a need for a new integrated system that is capable of detecting not only the presence of the RPW larvae, but also to be able to determine the presence of a fire and the moisture of the ambient of the trees, with minimal infrastructure investment and support. In addition, the new system is expected to not be invasive for the health of the tree.

According to an aspect, there is an integrated system for detecting a red palm weevil (RPW), farm fire, and soil moisture, and the system includes an optical fiber configured to be extending to a tree, and a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) box connected to the optical fiber. The DAS box is configured to process first to fourth different optical signals reflected from the optical fiber, to determine a presence of the RPW from the first optical signal, a temperature at a location along the optical fiber from the second and third optical signals, and a moisture at a location around the tree from the fourth optical signal. A system according to the invention is defined in claim <NUM>.

The DAS box is configured to process a Rayleigh signal, which is reflected in the optical fiber, to determine a presence of the RPW, process Stokes Raman and Anti-Stokes Raman signals reflected in the optical fiber, to determine a temperature at a location along the optical fiber, and process Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) signals generated by FBGs formed in the optical fiber, to determine a moisture at a location around the tree.

In another aspect, there is a method for detecting a red palm weevil (RPW), farm fire, and soil moisture, and the method includes distributing an optical fiber around a tree, connecting the optical fiber to a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) box, generating with the DAS box a first optical pulse and a second optical pulse, transmitting the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse along the optical fiber, receiving first, second, third and fourth different optical signals, which are reflected from the optical fiber, determining a presence of the RPW from the first optical signal, determining a temperature at a location along the optical fiber from the second and third optical signals and determining moisture from the fourth optical signal. A method according to the invention is defined in claim <NUM>.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a red palm tree having its trunk drilled to place an acoustic sensor;.

<FIG> illustrates a distributed acoustic sensor system that is used to monitor a tree, which does not form part of the invention but is useful for understanding it;.

<FIG> illustrate various implementations of the distributed acoustic sensor system of <FIG>;.

<FIG> shows a modified distributed acoustic sensor system that has not only a red palm weevil detection capability, but also temperature and moisture capabilities;.

<FIG> illustrate the sound signature of the larva when recorded with an optical fiber, in the time domain and the frequency domain, respectively;.

<FIG> illustrate a low- and high-temperature detection point, respectively, with the same optical fiber;.

<FIG> illustrate the placement of Fiber Bragg Gratings along the optical fiber for monitoring the moisture of the soil; and.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for determining when a tree is infected, and the temperature and moisture of the ambient of the tree, based on the DAS system.

The following description of the embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. The following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. The following embodiments are discussed, for simplicity, with regard to a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) system that is used to determine the presence of a RPW larvae, the temperature around the tree, and also the moisture around the tree.

Reference throughout the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.

According to the invention, an optical fiber distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) is introduced as a robust solution for the early detection of RPW, temperature detection, and moisture monitoring. In one implementation, all of the optical/electronic components of such a system, such as a laser, photodetector, amplifier, circulator, etc., are gathered within a single unit, the DAS box, and one or more optical fibers are connected to the DAS box. The one or more optical fibers is wound around one or more of the palm trees, thus forming an optical network. As discussed next, this system is used to distinguish two palm trees, one which is healthy and another one that is infested with an about <NUM> days old larvae. In addition, the same system is used to monitor the temperature along the optical fiber, and to also monitor the moisture along the optical fiber. In comparison to the existing acoustic sensors systems discussed in the Background section, the DAS system is unique by providing noninvasive monitoring, continuous surveillance with relatively low cost, spacious farm area coverage with using a single optical fiber cable, and the additional capability of monitoring the temperature and moisture in the farm. Of course, it is possible to use plural optical fibers with this system.

Prior to discussing the above noted capabilities of the new system, the DAS box is introduced. The underlying operation concept of an optical fiber DAS relies on using a coherent (narrow linewidth) laser source to launch optical pulses into the optical fiber. While a pulse of light is propagating along the optical fiber, this pulse of light can experience a scattering while inside the optical fiber, and then a back pulse is generated and this back pulse propagates in an opposite direction along the optical fiber relative to the original pulse of light. The back pulse can be a Rayleigh scattering when the interaction between the initial pulse of light and the optical fiber is elastic, and/or the back pulse is Stokes Raman and/or Anti-Stokes Raman when the interaction is inelastic. The backscattered pulses (Rayleigh, Stokes-Raman, or Anti-Stokes Raman) propagate backwards along the optical fiber and they are received at the fiber input port of the DAS box for storage and processing. By monitoring the intensity's temporal evolution of the recorded backscattered pulses, it is possible to accurately calculate (<NUM>) a position along the optical fiber, which was subjected to an acoustic signal and to determine its frequency, and/or (<NUM>) to determine a temperature at a given position along the fiber, and/or (<NUM>) to determine a relative moisture along the fiber. Based on these responses, a processing part of the DAS system can be configured to determine whether the RPW is present in the tree, the temperature around the tree, and the moisture next to the tree.

In this regard, <FIG> shows a fiber optic DAS system <NUM> that is capable of measuring a strain exerted on the optical fiber by changes in pressure, temperature and/or acoustic noise. System <NUM> has two main components, the DAS box <NUM> and the optical fiber <NUM>, which is connected to the DAS box <NUM>. The DAS box <NUM> includes all the electronics for generating a light beam, sending the light beam into the optical fiber, receiving a reflected light from the optical fiber, and processing the reflected light for detecting the RPW, temperature, and moisture. More specifically, the DAS box <NUM> includes a light source <NUM> that is configured to generate continuous-wave (CW) light <NUM> that is coherent. For example, the light source <NUM> may be a laser or a light-emitting diode. The CW light <NUM> is converted to optical pulses <NUM> via a light modulator <NUM>. The light modulator <NUM> is connected to a function generator <NUM>. The function generator <NUM>, which can be controlled by a computing device <NUM>, is configured to generate a mathematical function to be applied to the modulator to modulate the light <NUM>. For example, <FIG> shows the modulator <NUM> applying a rectangular pulse <NUM> to the light <NUM>, to obtain the optical pulses <NUM> (or modulated light). Other shapes may be used for the pulse <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> is also connected to an input/output module <NUM>, which is capable of communicating, for example, in a wireless or wired manner with a smartphone, personal computer, or any other electronic device for both sending messages and also for receiving instructions/commands.

Optionally, the system <NUM> includes an amplifier <NUM> for amplifying the modulated light <NUM>, prior to launching it through a circulator <NUM> into the optical fiber <NUM>. <FIG> schematically shows the optical fiber <NUM> being directed to plural trees <NUM>. The circulator <NUM> may be, for example, a three- or four-port optical device designed such that light entering any port exits from the next port. This means that if light enters a first port 214A, it is emitted from a second port 214B. However, if some of the emitted light <NUM> is reflected back to the circulator <NUM>, it does not come out of the first port 214A, but instead exits from a third port 214C. This makes possible that a reflected Rayleigh signal <NUM>, after reaching the circulator <NUM>, is directed toward a photodetector <NUM>, instead of being sent toward the amplifier <NUM>.

While the optical pulse <NUM> is propagating along the fiber <NUM>, the Rayleigh signal <NUM> is backscattered from the trees <NUM>. In the backward direction, the Rayleigh signal is recorded via the photodetector <NUM> and then sampled using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) <NUM>. A digital signal processing (DSP) <NUM> may be used to filter out the RPW sounds in the frequency domain and exactly identifies the locations of the infected palm trees <NUM> using, for example, the time domain signal.

The optical fiber <NUM> may be a single-mode fiber (SMF). At the fiber input port, consecutive Rayleigh backscattered traces are recorded in the time domain. Each Rayleigh trace has a speckle-like profile because of coherent interference of the signals reflected by scattering centers within the injected pulse duration. In the absence of intrusions along the optical fiber, i.e., no refractive index perturbation, the recorded Rayleigh traces are ideally identical. In the case that an acoustic signal is applied at a position along the fiber, such as the weevil larvae sound, the effective refractive index changes at this position and consequently, the intrusion could be sensed by observing the intensity fluctuations of its corresponding speckle in the recorded traces.

By monitoring the intensity temporal evolution of the recorded Rayleigh signals <NUM>, one can accurately figure out a position along the optical fiber <NUM> which was subjected to an acoustic signal emitted by the RPW and thus, determine the location of the RPW. For the purpose of RPW early detection, the system <NUM> shown in <FIG> outweighs the existing acoustic sensors in the literature because of at least one of the following reasons: <NUM>) it would provide non-stop monitoring for palm trees with a relatively low price, <NUM>) the sensing length of the typical optical fiber DAS is around <NUM>, which could cover spacious farm area, <NUM>) by using an optical switch and time-division-multiplexing (TDM), several fibers can be attached to the same DAS box, in case that monitoring larger farm areas is demanded, <NUM>) no invasive sensing is required since the optical fiber would be wounded externally around the palms, and <NUM>) the optical fiber used for acoustic sensing can simultaneously monitor ambient temperatures, with a resolution less than <NUM>, which is considerably important to control farm fires, which is another major problem around the world.

In one embodiment, all the elements of the system <NUM>, except the optical fiber <NUM>, may be placed in a single housing <NUM>. This means that all of the optical components such as laser, photodetector, etc., are gathered within the DAS box, for example, at a control master station, whereas only the optical fiber <NUM> is wounded around the palm trees <NUM> in a form of an optical network.

The optical fiber <NUM> can be distributed along one or more trees. For example, <FIG> shows an embodiment in which the DAS box <NUM> is connected to a single optical fiber <NUM>, which extends at plural trees 230i, where i is any natural number. The same optical fiber <NUM> can be rolled around each tree 230i, for example, from the ground up to about <NUM> height on the trunk of the tree, where the probability of finding the RPW larva is the highest. However, other heights may be used. Between the trees, the optical fiber cable can be either laid down on the ground or buried into the soil, based on the environmental conditions. In another embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, a single DAS box <NUM> and a single optical fiber <NUM> are used to monitor plural trees 230i. However, in this embodiment, the trees are not just a line of trees as in the embodiment of <FIG>, but plural lines 232j of trees, with j being a natural number. Note that in this embodiment, the same optical fiber <NUM> extends along each line 232j of trees 230i.

In yet another embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, plural optical fibers 220j are distributed from a single DAS box <NUM>, to plural lines 232j of trees 230i. An optical switch <NUM> may be used to connect each optical fiber 220j to a corresponding line 232j of trees 230i. The optical switch <NUM> may be programmed to connect each optical fiber 220j, for a given time, to the DAS box <NUM>, enough to get information to determine whether RPW are present in the trees or not. In this regard, note that there is no need to monitor the entire day a line of trees or a single tree for determining that RPW are present. Intermittent monitoring of the trees, for example, every hour or every couple of hours or even every day or every couple of days could be enough for determining the RPW presence. In one application, time multiplexing may be implemented over the optical switch <NUM> for optical switching.

Thus, the topology of the optical fiber DAS network, as illustrated in <FIG> is quite flexible and can be adapted to fit almost any spatial distribution of palm trees in a small or large farm. If the sum of the separations between consecutive trees, including the lengths of the optical fibers wounded around trees, is within the sensing range of the DAS system <NUM>, one optical fiber is sufficient to cover the whole farm, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. Otherwise, for extremely large farms, multiple optical fibers 220j can be connected through an optical switch to the DAS box, as illustrated in <FIG>. Because the sensing speed is not a considerable factor in this application, rotating the optical switch <NUM> around the different fibers 230j would provide continuous monitoring to the whole farm.

The optical fiber <NUM> may be wounded around the trunk of the tree <NUM> by itself, as shown in <FIG>, or protected by a cover layer as illustrated in <FIG>. More specifically, <FIG> shows the optical fiber <NUM> being completely surrounded by a filler material <NUM>, for example, cotton or similar fiber material, and an exterior shield layer <NUM>. This optical fiber assembly <NUM> may have the exterior shield layer <NUM> made to fully enclose the filler material and the optical fiber. The exterior shield layer <NUM> may be made from a rigid material (e.g., steel tube or pipe, plastic pipe) or from a flexible material (e.g., flexible metallic or plastic pipe, etc.). In one embodiment, the exterior shield layer <NUM> is rigid for a portion of the optical fiber and flexible for another portion of the optical fiber.

For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the optical fiber assembly <NUM> has a first portion <NUM> that is fully buried in the ground <NUM>, and a second portion <NUM> that is wounded around the trunk <NUM> of the tree <NUM>. The first portion <NUM> may be made to be rigid while the second part <NUM> may be made to be flexible, to allow it to wound around the trunk of the tree. The purpose of the filler material and the exterior shield layer <NUM> is to protect the optical fiber <NUM> from mechanical or thermal damage while being deployed in the field. In this regard, note that in a farm there is heavy equipment that move around the trees for various agricultural procedures. In one application, the depth D1 at which the first portion <NUM> is buried into the ground is between <NUM> to <NUM>. A height H1 at which the optical fiber assembly starts to wound around the trunk <NUM> is about <NUM> to <NUM> for best efficiency, as the weevil larva tends to attack the trunk at these heights. A length of the optical fiber <NUM> that is present in the second portion <NUM> is between <NUM> and <NUM>. Other numbers for the parameters discussed herein may be used. However, one or more portions of the optical fiber may be directly exposed to the ambient, at desired locations between the trees, to be able to detect the temperature and moisture of the ambient.

While the system illustrated in <FIG> was configured to detect only the Rayleigh scattered light, the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> is configured to also detect the Stokes Raman backscattering, the Anti-Stokes Raman backscattering, and also the fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) pulses, as now discussed in more detail. The system <NUM> also has a single housing <NUM> (the DAS box <NUM>) that includes many of the elements shown in <FIG> (those elements are not repeated herein), but also new elements, such as a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) filter <NUM>, an amplifier <NUM> located between the circulator <NUM> and the RPW detection and moisture monitoring unit <NUM>, and the fire detection unit <NUM>. The modulator <NUM> in <FIG> is replaced with an optical amplifier (OA) <NUM>, which may be implemented as a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) or a super-luminescent diode (SLD). An optical amplifier is a device that directly amplifies an optical signal without transforming it first into an electrical signal.

The narrow linewidth laser <NUM> produces a continuous wave (CW) light <NUM>, which is then modulated into time-domain optical pulses <NUM> using the optical amplifier <NUM>, which is driven by the function generator <NUM>. The laser <NUM> is selected to generate a CW light <NUM> having a single wavelength, e.g., between <NUM> and <NUM>, with a preferred range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The modulated pulses <NUM> are optionally amplified by amplifier <NUM> and then injected via the circulator <NUM> into the WDM filter <NUM>. The WDM filter <NUM> includes three input ports, Rayleigh port <NUM>, Stokes Raman port <NUM>, and Anti-Stokes Raman <NUM>, and one output common port <NUM>.

Because the Rayleigh scattering is an elastic phenomenon, which means it occurs at the same wavelength as the pumped signal <NUM>, the optical pulses are injected into the WDM filter <NUM> through the Rayleigh scattering input port <NUM>. The output common port <NUM> of the WDM filter <NUM> is connected to the optical fiber <NUM> that extends to the trees <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. While the optical pulses <NUM> are traveling forward through the optical fiber <NUM>, the Rayleigh signal <NUM>, the Stokes Raman signal <NUM>, and the Anti-Stokes Raman signal <NUM> are backscattered, as also shown in <FIG>. Because the three backscattered signals <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> have different wavelengths (the Rayleigh signal has the same wavelength as the input pulse <NUM>, as the Rayleigh signal is produced as a result of an elastic scattering, while the Stokes Raman and Anti-Stokes Raman signals have different wavelengths due to their inelastic scattering origin), they can be well separated via the WDM filter <NUM> such that the Rayleigh signal <NUM> is directed via the circulator <NUM> to the amplifier <NUM> and the RPW detection unit <NUM>, for acoustic sensing, while the Stokes and Anti-Stokes Raman signals <NUM> and <NUM> are sent to the fire detection unit <NUM> for temperature sensing (fire detection). Using the amplifier <NUM> is optional and depends on the Rayleigh signal <NUM> power level.

The Rayleigh signal <NUM> is detected by the photodetector <NUM>, processed with the analog-to-digital converter <NUM>, and finally the digital signal processor <NUM> is used for early detection of RPW, as discussed, for example, in PCT International Application No. <CIT>. On the other hand, the filtered Stokes and Anti-Stokes Raman signals <NUM> and <NUM> are routed through ports <NUM> and <NUM> of the WDM filter <NUM>, respectively, to the fire detection unit <NUM>, where each signal is received at corresponding PD <NUM> and <NUM>, digitized at corresponding ADCs <NUM> and <NUM>, and finally processed at a common DSP <NUM> for obtaining the temperature along the optical fiber. Thus, for monitoring the presence of the RPW and fires in the farm, the various return signals <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are distributed to the RPW detection and moisture monitoring unit <NUM> and also to the fire detection unit <NUM>, which are both part of the DAS box <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The Rayleigh signal <NUM> and the Stokes Raman and Anti-Stokes Raman signals <NUM> and <NUM> are a consequence of sending a same CW light pulse <NUM> through the optical fiber <NUM>.

However, to monitor the moisture along the optical fiber <NUM>, the narrow linewidth laser <NUM> is switched off, so that the CW light pulse <NUM> is not generated. Under this scenario, the OA <NUM> generates optical pulses <NUM> having a broadband spectrum, e.g., between <NUM> and <NUM>. The optical pulses <NUM> are then optionally amplified in amplifier <NUM> and directed via the circulator <NUM> to the WDM filter <NUM>'s Rayleigh input port <NUM>. Afterwards, the pulses <NUM> are delivered through the WDM filter's common output port <NUM> to the optical fiber <NUM>. The optical fiber <NUM> has at least two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) <NUM> and <NUM> written in it. The two FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> act as a moisture sensor. The locations of the FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> along the optical fiber <NUM> are selected where the moisture is required to be monitored. A distance d between the two FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> along the optical fiber <NUM> is selected to be around <NUM>, but not larger than <NUM>. Because the FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> reflect light without shifting the wavelength, the reflected signals <NUM> from the FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> are collected via the WDM filter's Rayleigh input port <NUM>. Similarly to the Rayleigh signals, the FBGs <NUM> and <NUM>' reflected signals <NUM> are routed with the circulator <NUM> towards the PD <NUM> and ADC <NUM> for detection, and eventually the DSP <NUM> produces the moisture sensing parameters. It is noted that the FBGs signals <NUM> are processed in this embodiment in the RPW detection and moisture monitoring unit <NUM>, where the Rayleigh signals <NUM> are processed.

While the DAS box <NUM> provides distributed acoustic and temperature sensing along the optical fiber, the FBG-based sensors offer quasi-distributed moisture sensing at the locations where the FBGs are built into the optical fiber. In other words, the acoustic and temperature sensing can take place anywhere along the optical fiber while the moisture detection can take place only at given locations, where the optical fiber was provided with the FBGs. Note that at least two FBGs need to be present into the optical fiber, one reference FBG and one moisture sensing FBG, for being able to monitor the moisture. The reference FBG may be encapsulated into a specific material so that its moisture content does not change irrespective of the ambient conditions. However, the other FBG, the moisture detection FBG, needs to be sensitive to the ambient, and thus, is capable of generating a signal that is affected by the ambient moisture.

The versatile optical fiber sensor <NUM> is used to simultaneously detect RPW, fires, and moisture changes as now discussed. For the purpose of early detection of RPW, the DAS system <NUM> can "hear" the RPWs eating sound via processing of the Rayleigh signals, as disclosed [<NUM>] and [<NUM>]. In particular, the optical fiber DAS <NUM> is used for (<NUM>) locating the acoustic signal source associated with the RPW, and (<NUM>) calculating the frequency of the acoustic signal. The first feature (<NUM>) is achieved via subtracting the Rayleigh traces in the time domain, while the second feature (<NUM>) is determined by calculating the Fourier transform of the acoustic signal. The eating sound of the RPW has frequency components that extend to roughly <NUM>. In contrast, the other environmental noises, such as tree swinging by wind, have low frequency components which are typically less than <NUM>. By applying a high- or band-bass filter in the frequency domain, as discussed in [<NUM>], the RPW sound can be extracted from the noise sources and the sensing unit can distinguish between the healthy and infested trees. In this respect, <FIG> show representative examples for the signal <NUM> in the time-domain (<FIG> shows the power versus time recorded signal) and for the signal <NUM> in the frequency-domain (<FIG> shows the power versus the frequency signal) of the weevil larvae sound recorded by the system <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the power spectrum of the larvae sound is calculated after applying a band-pass filter with the range [<NUM>,<NUM>].

Regarding the fire detection functionality of the system <NUM>, the Stokes and Anti-Stokes Raman signals are used for temperature sensing. The system <NUM> is initially calibrated by linking the ratio between the Anti-Stokes and Stokes Raman signals and the temperature to be measured, as discussed, for example, in [<NUM>]. In this respect, <FIG> show two representative examples of temperature distributions recorded via the sensing unit <NUM>, along the optical fiber <NUM>. For these measurements, the entire fiber <NUM> was located at room temperature (~<NUM>), and at a ~ <NUM>,<NUM> distance from the start of the fiber, the ambient temperature was intentionally changed down, which resulted in the negative peak <NUM> shown in <FIG>, and then the temperature was changed up, which resulted in the positive peak <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the system <NUM> provides accurate measurements to the temperature values along the optical fiber <NUM> and, from these graphs, the location along the fiber where the temperature increases or decreases can be determined. Thus, as the farmer that uses the system <NUM> knows the exact location of the optical fiber(s) <NUM> in the farm, an increase in the temperature at any location of the optical fiber, over a given threshold, for example, <NUM>, would signal the likely presence of a fire. Thus, the farmer would know exactly the location of the fire and can efficiently provide the necessary resources for suppressing the fire. In this regard, the processor <NUM>, which is connected to each of the detection units inside the housing <NUM> in <FIG>, can be configured to automatically determine when a sensed parameter is above or below a given threshold, and automatically send a message (e.g., text, email, phone call, etc.) to the farmer to alert her/him about the condition that occurred on the farm.

The system <NUM> can also perform quasi-distributed moisture measurements by using writing FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> along the optical fiber <NUM>, where moisture is desired to be monitored. Wherever moisture is desired to be monitored, along the optical fiber <NUM>, two FBGs (FBG <NUM> and FBG <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>) are made into the optical fiber. Note that <FIG> shows only two FBGs for simplicity, but any number of FBGs may be formed into the optical fiber. Also note that an FBG is a reflector used in waveguides, and it is formed from multiple layers of alternating materials with a varying refractive index, or by periodic variation of some characteristic (such as height) of a dielectric waveguide, resulting in a periodic variation in the effective refractive index in the guide. As a result of this structure, the incoming optical pulse <NUM> is reflected at the FBGs as optical pulse <NUM> and this reflected pulse is affected by the ambient moisture of the optical fiber. The FBGs are added to the optical fiber when the optical fiber is manufactured, and because it is inscribed into the internal structure of the optical fiber, the FBG is not visible by bare eye from the outside of the optical fiber.

For determining the moisture at a desired location, the first FBG <NUM> is placed in a controlled environment (i.e., sealed inside the optical fiber so that no external moisture arrives at the first FBG), which means that the moisture level is well-controlled, i.e., does not change as the ambient level of moisture changes. This is illustrated in <FIG>, as the FBG <NUM> is schematically shown placed in a sealed box. The second FBG <NUM> can be implanted in the soil <NUM> for moisture measurement. Both of the FBG <NUM> and FBG <NUM> receive the input optical pulse <NUM> generated by the OA <NUM>, and reflect back part of the input power as optical pulse <NUM>, toward the DAS box <NUM>, where either a photodetector or a spectrum analyzer is receiving them. As the soil moisture changes, the peak reflectivity <NUM> of the FBG <NUM> is shifted while the peak reflectivity <NUM> of the FBG <NUM> is kept fixed, as illustrated in <FIG>. The PD <NUM>, or a spectrum analyzer, can detect the FBG <NUM>'s spectrum shift and the DSP <NUM> can evaluate the soil moisture value. Note that in order to map the spectrum shift to the actual moisture of the soil, the two FBGs <NUM> and <NUM> need to be first calibrated in a controlled environment.

Thus, the system shown in <FIG> is capable to determine not only the sound signature of the RPW by using the optical fiber <NUM> and the associated electronics, but also the presence of a fire, by measuring the temperature along the optical fiber, and also the moisture of the soil around the tree where the optical fiber is distributed. While the sound signature of the RPW and the temperature can be detected simultaneously, by using a same input narrow linewidth optical signal <NUM> generated by a laser device <NUM>, the moisture is detected by using a broadband light signal <NUM>, which is generated by the OA <NUM>. The electronics used to measure all these parameters is integrated into the single DAS box <NUM>, so that the system <NUM> includes only two externally visible components, the DAS box <NUM>, and the optical fiber <NUM>. This ensures that the user of the system can easily install and maintain the system.

A method for detecting red palm weevil, farm fire, and soil moisture is now discussed with regard to <FIG>. The method includes a step <NUM> of distributing the optical fiber <NUM> around a tree, a step <NUM> of connecting the optical fiber <NUM> to the distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) box <NUM>, a step <NUM> of generating with the DAS box <NUM> a first optical pulse <NUM>, a step <NUM> of transmitting the first optical pulse <NUM> along the optical fiber <NUM>, a step <NUM> of receiving first, second and third different optical signals <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, which are reflected from the optical fiber <NUM>, a step <NUM> of determining a presence of the RPW from the first optical signal <NUM>, and a step <NUM> of determining a temperature at a location along the optical fiber <NUM> from the second optical signal <NUM> and the third optical signal <NUM>. Although not illustrated in <FIG>, the method further includes switching off the first optical pulse, generating a second optical pulse, which is different from the first optical pulse, transmitting the second optical pulse along the optical fiber, to first and second Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs), receiving a fourth optical signal from the first and second FBGs, and determining moisture at a location around the tree, from the fourth optical signal. The first optical signal is a Rayleigh signal <NUM>, the second optical signal includes Stokes Raman signals <NUM>, the third optical signal includes Anti-Stokes Raman signals434, and the fourth optical signal includes FBGs signals <NUM>.

The disclosed embodiments provide an optical DAS system for monitoring tree infestation, and ambient temperature and moisture around the trees. It should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Further, in the detailed description of the embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed invention. However, one skilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may be practiced without such specific details.

Claim 1:
An integrated system (<NUM>) for detecting a red palm weevil (RPW), farm fire, and soil moisture, the system (<NUM>) comprising:
an optical fiber (<NUM>) comprising a sensing Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) and a reference FBG, and configured to be extending to a tree; and
a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) box (<NUM>) connected to the optical fiber (<NUM>),
wherein the DAS box (<NUM>) is configured to process first to fourth different optical signals (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) reflected from the optical fiber (<NUM>), to determine a presence of the RPW from the first optical signal (<NUM>), a temperature at a location along the optical fiber (<NUM>) from the second and third optical signals (<NUM>, <NUM>), and moisture at a location around the tree from the fourth optical signal (<NUM>), wherein the DAS box (<NUM>) comprises
a laser device (<NUM>) configured to generate a first optical pulse (<NUM>), which, after propagating through the optical fiber, generates the first reflected Rayleigh optical signal (<NUM>), the second reflected Stokes Raman optical signal (<NUM>) and the third reflected Anti-Stokes Raman optical signal (<NUM>), and
an optical amplifier (<NUM>) configured to generate while the laser device (<NUM>) is switched off a second optical pulse (<NUM>), which is different from the first optical pulse (<NUM>), and after the second optical pulse (<NUM>) propagates through the optical fiber, generates the fourth FBG-reflected optical signal, wherein the optical amplifier is optically connected to the laser device and is configured to amplify the first optical pulse;
a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) filter having first to third input ports and a common output port,
wherein the common output port is connected to the optical fiber and is configured to pass along the first (<NUM>) and second (<NUM>) optical pulses,
wherein WDM filter filters a reflected signal from the optical fiber and provides the first (<NUM>) and fourth (<NUM>) optical signals to the first input port, the second (<NUM>) optical signal to the second input port, and the third (<NUM>) optical signal to the third input port, and
wherein the first input port is optically connected to an RPW detection and moisture monitoring unit (<NUM>), and the second and third input ports are optically connected to a fire detection unit (<NUM>), both said units (<NUM>, <NUM>) being part of the DAS box (<NUM>).