JP7723488B2 - Soil condition prediction system and soil condition prediction program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a soil condition prediction system and a soil condition prediction program.

Recently, the effects of sunlight (e.g., ultraviolet, visible light, and infrared) on the human body and living environment have become known, and attention is beginning to be paid to the amount of sunlight exposure (e.g., ultraviolet exposure and solar radiation). For example, in the exposure amount estimation system described in Japanese Patent No. 5524741, location information indicating a location is associated with environmental information indicating the amount of exposure targets, such as ultraviolet rays, present at that location and stored in an environmental information storage unit. The exposure amount is estimated based on the environmental information obtained from the environmental information storage unit and an exposure rate determined according to factors such as the user's behavior, and the estimated exposure amount is provided to the user.

Patent No. 5524741

Incidentally, the exposure estimation system described in Patent No. 5524741 estimates exposure levels using environmental information (pollen dispersion amount, UV radiation amount, aerosol amount) identified by location information stored in an environmental information storage unit. However, there is a problem with this environmental information identified by location information, in that it is difficult for users receiving the information to easily obtain more detailed information.

For example, in the real world, the parts and locations where we want to know the energy intensity of UV radiation, solar radiation, etc. are not necessarily horizontal or perpendicular to the sun's rays, but can vary. In order to know the energy intensity of such various parts and locations, it is possible to calculate the energy intensity on the actual irradiated surface from the energy intensity on the horizontal or perpendicular to the sun's rays using trigonometric functions, etc. However, because the energy intensity from the real sky, scattered and reflected by atmospheric components, differs depending on the direction, there is a problem in that calculations using trigonometric functions, etc., do not provide sufficient accuracy.

It is also known that sunlight affects soil conditions. For this reason, there is likely to be a demand for predicting the effects of sunlight on soil conditions, but until now, no system has been provided that can predict the effects of sunlight on soil conditions.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a soil condition prediction system that predicts the effects of sunlight on soil conditions.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a soil condition prediction system, which includes a storage unit that stores date and time information, which is information about date and time, location information, which is information about a location, and sunlight intensity information, which is information about sunlight intensity at the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the location indicated by the location information, in association with each other; a communication unit that performs communication; a first calculation unit that calculates the sunlight intensity information associated with sunlight inquiry information included in prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit; a second calculation unit that calculates direction-specific sunlight intensity information using a calculation result of the first calculation unit; and using the calculation result of the second calculation unit, predicting the influence of sunlight on soil indicated by soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit. and a third calculation unit that calculates soil condition prediction information, wherein the sunlight inquiry information includes the date and time information, the location information, and direction information indicating the direction in which the irradiated surface that is irradiated with sunlight faces, the direction-specific sunlight intensity information is information including the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface indicated by the direction information at the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the location indicated by the location information, the soil condition prediction information is information that predicts the effect of sunlight on the temperature of the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, and includes a soil temperature profile that is a depth profile of the soil , and the communication unit transmits the calculation results of the third calculation unit to the sender of the prediction information inquiry information.

The present invention provides a soil condition prediction system that predicts the effects of sunlight on soil conditions.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a soil condition prediction system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the irradiation direction of sunlight. 1 is a diagram illustrating sunlight irradiating an irradiation surface A that is a surface parallel to the ground. 10 is a diagram illustrating sunlight irradiating an irradiation surface B, which is a surface that forms an angle of 30° with the ground. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating sunlight irradiating an irradiation surface C that is a surface that forms an angle of 90° with the ground. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating sunlight reflected by an irradiation surface E and irradiated onto an irradiation surface D. FIG. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of how to determine the spectral reflectance of another irradiated surface, in which FIG. 7A shows how sunlight directly received by irradiated surface E is measured, and FIG. 7B shows how reflected light from irradiated surface E is measured. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating light reflected from other irradiation surfaces that enters the irradiation surface. 2 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a storage unit 13 shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the soil condition prediction system 10 shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a soil condition prediction system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the soil condition prediction system 100 shown in FIG. 11 . 1 is a graph showing spectral irradiance. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the conditions for calculating the temperature rise of an irradiated material. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a trial calculation of the temperature rise after one hour depending on the material. 16A is a graph showing an example of spectral irradiation intensity from each direction on a sidewalk, and FIG. 16B is a graph showing an example of spectral reflectance on a sidewalk. 17A is a graph showing an example of spectral irradiance from each direction on a grassland, and FIG. 17B is a graph showing an example of spectral reflectance on the grassland. 18(a) is a graph showing an example of spectral irradiation intensity from each direction on asphalt, and FIG. 18(b) is a graph showing an example of spectral reflectance on asphalt. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the wavelength and energy of light. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the amount of heat received by soil in temperature prediction. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the amount of heat that the soil surface receives from the outside in temperature prediction. 10A is a graph showing the irradiated energy penetrating into the soil, and FIG. 10B is a graph showing the air temperature and the temperature. 10A is a graph showing soil temperature, and FIG. 10B is a graph showing the soil temperature profile calculated by the third calculation units 21 and 121. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the integrated value of energy to soil.

The soil condition prediction system according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are preferred examples of the system according to the present invention, and may include various limitations based on typical hardware and software configurations. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments shown below can be appropriately replaced with existing components, and various variations, including combinations with other existing components, are possible. Therefore, the description of the embodiments shown below does not limit the content of the invention described in the claims.

In the following examples, the present invention is applied to a soil condition prediction system, and a system is described that provides a user with information about sunlight, such as solar radiation. However, the present invention may also provide a user with individual information about ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, visible light, or other electromagnetic waves contained in sunlight. In the following examples, sunlight intensity is also referred to as solar radiation intensity.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a soil condition prediction system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The soil condition prediction system 10 of this embodiment is, for example, a server machine comprising a computer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the soil condition prediction system 10 includes a memory unit 13 that stores sunlight intensity information 16 (described in detail below) and various other information; a communication unit 17 that performs communication; a first calculation unit 11 that calculates sunlight intensity information 16 associated with sunlight inquiry information included in forecast information inquiry information received via the communication unit 17; a second calculation unit 12 that calculates direction-specific sunlight intensity information using the calculation results of the first calculation unit 11; and a third calculation unit 21 that calculates soil condition prediction information that predicts the impact of sunlight on soil indicated by the soil information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the communication unit 17. The communication unit 17 communicates with, for example, an external device. The forecast information inquiry information includes sunlight inquiry information and soil information. The sunlight inquiry information includes date and time information 14, location information 15, and direction information 16a that indicates the direction in which sunlight is irradiated, i.e., the irradiated surface faces. The direction-specific sunlight intensity information is the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface indicated by direction information 16a at the date and time indicated by date and time information 14 and the location indicated by location information 15, and the communication unit 17 transmits the calculation results of the third calculation unit 21 to the sender of the prediction information inquiry information. Each component shown in FIG. 1 may be configured as hardware. Furthermore, each component shown in FIG. 1 may be realized by the soil condition prediction system 10 executing a program, and the memory unit 13 may store the program executed by the soil condition prediction system 10. The memory unit 13 has a volatile storage device or a non-volatile storage device depending on the use of the data.

The communication unit 17 may also be configured to transmit direction-specific sunlight intensity information indicating the direction-specific sunlight intensity calculated by the second calculation unit 12 to the sender of the forecast information inquiry information.

In the soil condition prediction system 10, the communication unit 17 may be configured to transmit the sunlight intensity information calculated by the first calculation unit 11 to the sender of the forecast information inquiry information. In this case, the client machine 2 or 3 may have a configuration equivalent to the function of the second calculation unit 12. That is, the present invention is a soil condition prediction system in which a server machine and a client machine are connected via a network, and the server machine comprises a memory unit 13 that stores, in association with each other, date and time information 14, which is information regarding the date and time; location information 15, which is information regarding the location; and sunlight intensity information 16, which is information regarding the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the sunlight intensity at the location indicated by the location information; a first communication unit that communicates with the client machine; and a first calculation unit 11 that calculates the sunlight intensity information 16 associated with the sunlight inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the first communication unit. The first communication unit transmits sunlight intensity information 16 calculated by the first calculation unit 11 to the client machine. The client machine includes a second communication unit that communicates with the server machine 1 and a second calculation unit (corresponding to the function of the second calculation unit 12) that calculates direction-specific sunlight intensity information using the sunlight intensity information 16 input via the second communication unit. The second communication unit (corresponding to the function of the second calculation unit 12) transmits sunlight inquiry information to the server machine. The sunlight inquiry information may include date and time information 14, the location information, and direction information 16a indicating the direction in which the irradiated surface facing the sunlight faces. The client machine and the server machine may be located within the same terminal device without a network. In this case, the client machine and the server machine may be the same device, or may be connected via a bus, for example. When the client machine and the server machine are the same device, connecting the client machine and the server machine may refer to data exchange between a program that realizes the client machine's functions and a program that realizes the server machine's functions via memory or the like.

The memory unit 13 stores, in association with each other, date and time information 14, which is information about the date and time; location information 15, which is information about the location; and sunlight intensity information 16, which is information about the sunlight intensity at the date and time indicated by the date and time information 14 and the location indicated by the location information 15.

The communication unit 17 of the soil condition prediction system 10 is connected to a network 4 such as the Internet. Client machines 2 and 3 used by users are connected to the network 4, and the client machines 2 and 3 communicate with the soil condition prediction system 10 via the network 4.

Forecast information inquiry information is sent from client machine 2 or client machine 3 to soil condition prediction system 10 via network 4. The forecast information inquiry information includes sunlight inquiry information and soil information. The sunlight inquiry information includes date and time information 14, location information 15, and direction information 16a indicating the direction in which the irradiated surface receiving sunlight faces. The direction indicated by direction information 16a is a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the irradiated surface receiving sunlight extends. Direction information 16a will be described later with reference to Figures 2 to 5. The calculation results by first calculation unit 11 are sent from soil condition prediction system 10 via network 4 to client machine 2 or client machine 3, which is the sender of the forecast information inquiry information.

The first calculation unit 11 calculates sunlight intensity information 16, which will be described in detail below, using the date and time information and location information included in the sunlight inquiry information. The second calculation unit 12 uses the calculation results by the first calculation unit 11 to calculate direction-specific sunlight intensity information, which is information including the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface indicated by direction information 16a. The communication unit 17 transmits the direction-specific sunlight intensity information, which indicates the direction-specific sunlight intensity calculated by the second calculation unit 12, via the network 4 to the client machine 2 or client machine 3, which is the sender of the forecast information inquiry information.

The direction information 16a will now be described. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the irradiation direction of sunlight. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating sunlight irradiating illumination surface A, which is a surface parallel to the ground. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating sunlight irradiating illumination surface B, which is a surface that forms a 30° angle with the ground. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating sunlight irradiating illumination surface C, which is a surface that forms a 90° angle with the ground. In Figures 3, 4, and 5, the direction in which the illumination surface that receives sunlight faces, i.e., the direction indicated by direction information 16a, is referred to as the "direction of the illumination surface."

As shown in Figure 2, the sunlight irradiating the Earth includes direct solar radiation irradiated from the direction of the sun, as well as diffuse solar radiation irradiated from directions other than the direction of the sun. Diffuse solar radiation is irradiated onto the irradiated surface from the entire sky. Irradiated surface A, which is a surface parallel to the ground, is irradiated with both diffuse solar radiation and direct solar radiation from the entire sky, as shown in Figure 3.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, irradiated surface B, which forms a 30° angle with the ground, is irradiated with diffuse solar radiation and direct solar radiation from the direction of the sky toward which irradiated surface B faces. As shown in Figure 5, irradiated surface C, which forms a 90° angle with the ground, is not irradiated with direct solar radiation because the sun is facing the back side of irradiated surface C, but is irradiated with diffuse solar radiation from the direction of the sky toward which irradiated surface C faces. In addition to the diffuse solar radiation and direct solar radiation that directly irradiates the irradiated surface, sunlight also reflects from the ground and other surfaces before irradiating the irradiated surface.

As can be seen by referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the intensity of the sunlight irradiated varies greatly depending on the direction the irradiated surface faces. Therefore, in this embodiment, different direction-specific sunlight intensity information is calculated for each direction the irradiated surface faces, and this information is provided to client machine 2 or client machine 3, which is the sender of the forecast information inquiry information.

In addition to diffuse solar radiation and direct solar radiation, this embodiment can also take into account sunlight that is reflected by other irradiation surfaces, such as the ground or a wall, and then irradiated onto the irradiation surface. This point will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram explaining sunlight that is reflected by irradiation surface E and then irradiated onto irradiation surface D.

In an actual environment, the amount of sunlight received by irradiated surface D includes not only the sunlight (direct sunlight and diffuse sunlight) directly received by irradiated surface D, but also sunlight (direct sunlight and diffuse sunlight) reflected by other irradiated surfaces (irradiated surface E) such as the ground or a wall (reflected light). In this embodiment, by including the intensity of reflected light reflected by these other irradiated surfaces in the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface, the accuracy of determining the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface can be further improved.

Normally, the reflectance of the other illuminated surface is used to calculate the reflected light from that surface. The reflectance of a material surface is generally calculated using the reflectance at a specific representative wavelength, but to accurately calculate energy intensity, it is preferable to use spectral reflectance. Here, we will explain how to calculate the spectral reflectance of the other illuminated surface with reference to Figure 7.

7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of a method for determining the spectral reflectance of another irradiated surface, in which FIG. 7A illustrates measuring sunlight directly received by irradiated surface E, and FIG. 7B illustrates measuring reflected light from irradiated surface E. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a measuring instrument 50 is used here. The measuring instrument 50 functions as a spectrophotometer. First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the measuring instrument 50 is used to measure the spectral irradiance from above irradiated surface E (the spectral irradiance of sunlight irradiating irradiated surface E). The measuring instrument 50 is also used to measure the spectral irradiance reflected from irradiated surface E (the spectral irradiance of light reflected from irradiated surface E). The spectral reflectance of irradiated surface E is calculated using Equation 1 using the calculated spectral irradiance from above irradiated surface E and the spectral irradiance reflected from irradiated surface E.

Next, calculation of the irradiation energy received by the irradiation surface using the spectral reflectance obtained by Equation 1 will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the light that enters the irradiation surface out of the light reflected from another irradiation surface. Fig. 8 shows a case where the irradiation surface G, which is the other irradiation surface, is the ground, and takes into account the proportion of the light reflected from irradiation surface G that enters irradiation surface F. The energy of light that enters irradiation surface F from irradiation surface G (ground) can be calculated using Equation 2.

The irradiation energy received by the irradiation surface G in Equation 2 can be obtained, for example, using the method shown in Figure 7(a). The reflectance in Equation 2 can be the spectral reflectance calculated using Equation 1, for example. The area ratio H in Equation 2 can be calculated as described below with reference to Figure 8. In Figure 8, the field of view area of the ground (irradiated surface G) at the irradiation surface F is determined by the angle θ, which corresponds to the orientation of the irradiation surface F. The angle θ, which determines the field of view area of the irradiation surface G (ground), is geometrically the angle between the irradiation surface F and the horizontal direction if the irradiation surface G is an ideal ground surface (horizontal). However, in practice, it is best to take into account changes in the terrain and the fact that the farther the position on the irradiation surface G from the irradiation surface F, the less reflected light enters the irradiation surface F and the weaker its contribution. Therefore, it is best to determine the angle θ according to the required accuracy.

The ratio of the field of view area of the ground on irradiated surface F to the hemispherical area of irradiated surface F is area ratio H. In this embodiment, when calculating the irradiation energy received by irradiated surface F, it is possible to calculate it with greater accuracy by adding the energy of light entering irradiated surface F calculated using equation 2 to the irradiation energy due to diffuse solar radiation and direct solar radiation that directly irradiates irradiated surface F. Furthermore, while equation 2 takes the ground into account as another irradiated surface, it is possible to calculate the irradiation energy received by irradiated surface F with greater accuracy by considering not only the light reflected by the ground, but all other irradiated surfaces onto which reflected light may enter irradiated surface F.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the storage unit 13 shown in Figure 1. The storage unit 13 stores the information shown in Figure 9, for example, in database format. The storage unit 13 stores date and time information 14 as a first primary key. The date and time information 14 may include the year, month, day, and time. The storage unit 13 stores location information 15 as a second primary key. The location information 15 is information that identifies a location on Earth using, for example, east longitude and north latitude.

The memory unit 13 stores the solar solid angle for the first primary key and the second primary key as the stored value of the sunlight intensity information 16. The memory unit 13 stores the direct sunlight intensity for the first primary key and the second primary key as the stored value of the sunlight intensity information 16. The memory unit 13 stores the scattered sunlight intensity for the first primary key and the second primary key as the stored value of the sunlight intensity information 16. The memory unit 13 stores the albedo value for the first primary key and the second primary key as the stored value of the sunlight intensity information 16. The albedo value is the ratio of the reflected sunlight intensity to the incident sunlight intensity. For example, in a certain region where the location information 15 is located, on a date and time information 14 indicating summer, the ground is soil and the albedo value is low, whereas on a date and time information 14 indicating winter, the ground is snowy and the albedo value is high. The values shown in FIG. 9 are, for example, collected measured values and stored in the memory unit 13. The direction information 16a included in the sunlight ray intensity information 16 is included in the stored values shown in Figure 9. The information included in the sunlight ray intensity information 16 includes, for example, values calculated by solving the radiative transfer equation and values calculated in the process of solving the radiative transfer equation.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the soil condition prediction system 10 shown in Figure 1. In step S71, it is determined whether or not prediction information inquiry information has been received from client machine 2 or client machine 3 via network 4. If prediction information inquiry information has been received (step S71: Yes), the system proceeds to step S72; if prediction information inquiry information has not been received (step S71: No), the system returns to step S71.

In step S72, based on the sunlight inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information received in step S71, sunlight intensity information 16 is calculated, which includes information including the intensity of sunlight received at the location indicated by the location information 15 included in the sunlight inquiry information on the date and time indicated by the date and time information 14 included in the sunlight inquiry information, and stored in the memory unit 13. The sunlight intensity information 16 is calculated, for example, using a radiative transfer equation.

In step S73, a mathematical calculation is performed on the sunlight intensity information 16 calculated in step S72 using the direction information 16 as an input value to calculate direction-specific sunlight intensity information, which is sunlight intensity information received by the irradiated surface indicated by direction information 16a at the date and time indicated by date and time information 14, at the location indicated by location information 15 included in the sunlight inquiry information.

In step S74, the direction-specific sunlight intensity information calculated in step S73 is used to calculate soil condition prediction information that predicts the effect of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information received in step S71. The soil condition prediction information includes, for example, at least one of the following information: a soil temperature profile that predicts the effect of sunlight on the soil temperature indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; the spectral intensity of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; a predicted effect of soil fertility restoration on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; a predicted yield for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; and a predicted suitable cultivation site for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information. Details of the calculation of the soil condition prediction information will be described later.

In step S75, the soil condition prediction information calculated in step S74 is sent via network 4 to client machine 2 or client machine 3, the sender of the current prediction information inquiry information. Client machine 2 or client machine 3 can obtain soil condition prediction information and easily obtain more detailed information about the impact on the soil simply by sending sunlight inquiry information, including date/time information 14, location information 15, and direction information 16a, and prediction information inquiry information, including soil information, to soil condition prediction system 10. Client machine 2 or client machine 3 can use the soil condition prediction information obtained from soil condition prediction system 10 to provide various applications to end users.

Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a soil condition prediction system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The soil condition prediction system 100 of this embodiment is, for example, a server machine comprising a computer.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the soil condition prediction system 100 includes a first calculation unit 110 that calculates sunlight intensity information 116 in advance using date/time information and location information, as described in detail below; a memory unit 113 that stores the sunlight intensity information 116 calculated by the first calculation unit 110 and various other information; a communication unit 117 that performs communication; an extraction unit 111 that extracts from the memory unit 113 sunlight intensity information 116 associated with sunlight inquiry information included in prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit 117; a second calculation unit 112 that calculates direction-specific sunlight intensity information using the sunlight intensity information 116 extracted by the extraction unit 111; and a third calculation unit 121 that uses the calculation results of the second calculation unit 112 to calculate soil condition prediction information that predicts the impact of sunlight on soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit 117. The communication unit 117 communicates, for example, with an external device. The prediction information inquiry information includes sunlight inquiry information and soil information. The sunlight ray inquiry information includes date and time information 114, location information 115, and direction information 116a. The direction-specific sunlight ray intensity information is information including the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface indicated by direction information 116a at the date and time indicated by date and time information 114 and the location indicated by location information 115. The communication unit 117 transmits the calculation results of the third calculation unit 121 to the sender of the prediction information inquiry information. Each component shown in FIG. 11 may be configured as hardware. Furthermore, each component shown in FIG. 11 may be realized by the soil condition prediction system 100 executing a program, and the memory unit 113 may store the program executed by the soil condition prediction system 100. The memory unit 113 has a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device depending on the use of the data.

The communication unit 117 may also be configured to transmit direction-specific sunlight intensity information indicating the direction-specific sunlight intensity calculated by the second calculation unit 112 to the sender of the forecast information inquiry information.

In the soil condition prediction system 100, the communication unit 117 may be configured to transmit the sunlight intensity information extracted by the extraction unit 111 to the sender of the forecast information inquiry information. In this case, the client machine 2 or 3 may have a configuration equivalent to the function of the second calculation unit 112. That is, the present invention is a soil condition prediction system in which a server machine and a client machine are connected via a network, and the server machine includes a first calculation unit 110 that calculates sunlight intensity information 116, which is information about sunlight at a date and time indicated by date and time information 114, which is information about the date and time, and a location indicated by location information 115, which is information about the location; a memory unit 113 that stores the date and time information 114, the location information 115, and the sunlight intensity information 116 calculated by the first calculation unit 110 in association with each other; a first communication unit that communicates with the client machine; and a sunlight intensity information associated with the sunlight inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the first communication unit. The system may also include an extraction unit 111 that extracts light ray intensity information 116 from a storage unit 113, and a first communication unit that transmits the sunlight ray intensity information 116 extracted by the extraction unit 111 to the client machine. The client machine may also include a second communication unit that communicates with the server machine and a second calculation unit (corresponding to the function of the second calculation unit 112) that calculates direction-specific sunlight ray intensity information using the sunlight ray intensity information 116 input via the second communication unit. The second communication unit transmits sunlight ray inquiry information to the server machine, and the sunlight ray inquiry information includes date and time information 114, location information 115, and direction information 116a that indicates the direction in which the irradiated surface that is irradiated by sunlight faces.

The memory unit 113 stores, in association with each other, date and time information 114, which is information about the date and time; location information 115, which is information about the location; and sunlight intensity information 116, which is information about the sunlight intensity at the date and time indicated by the date and time information 114 and the location indicated by the location information 115 (sunlight intensity information 116 calculated by the first calculation unit 110).

The communication unit 117 of the soil condition prediction system 100 is connected to a network 4 such as the Internet. Client machines 2 and 3 used by users are connected to the network 4, and the client machines 2 and 3 communicate with the soil condition prediction system 100 via the network 4.

Forecast information inquiry information is sent from client machine 2 or client machine 3 to soil condition prediction system 100 via network 4. The sunlight inquiry information includes date and time information 114, location information 115, and direction information 116a. Direction-specific sunlight intensity information, which is the extraction result by extraction unit 112, is sent from soil condition prediction system 100 via network 4 to client machine 2 or client machine 3, the sender of the forecast information inquiry information.

In this embodiment, an example of information stored in the memory unit 113 is the information shown in Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the soil condition prediction system 100 shown in Figure 11. In step S91, date and time information and location information are used to calculate the information contained in the sunlight intensity information 116 for all locations at all dates and times. The radiative transfer equation, for example, is used to calculate the information contained in this sunlight intensity information 116. That is, the information contained in the sunlight intensity information 116 includes, for example, values calculated by solving the radiative transfer equation and values calculated in the process of solving the radiative transfer equation. In step S92, the information contained in the sunlight intensity information 116 calculated in step S91 is stored in the memory unit 113.

Next, if forecast information inquiry information is received from client machine 2 or client machine 3 via network 4 (step S93: Yes), proceed to step S94; if forecast information inquiry information is not received (step S93: No), return to step S90. The forecast information inquiry information includes sunlight inquiry information. Note that the calculation of the information included in sunlight intensity information 116 and the storage of the calculated information in memory unit 13 may be completed before the process of receiving sunlight inquiry information from client machine 2 or 3 is performed, or it may be updated each time data becomes available, for example, when new data becomes available for an area that was previously unavailable.

In step S94, sunlight intensity information 116 is extracted from memory unit 113 based on sunlight inquiry information included in the data received from client machine 2 or client machine 3. That is, sunlight intensity information 116 corresponding to date and time information 114 and location information 115 included in the sunlight inquiry information is extracted from memory unit 113. In step S94, a mathematical calculation is further performed on the extracted sunlight intensity information 116 value using direction information 116a as an input value to calculate direction-specific sunlight intensity information, which is information including the intensity of sunlight received by the irradiated surface indicated by direction information 116a at the date and time indicated by date and time information 114, at the location indicated by location information 15 included in the sunlight inquiry information.

In step S95, the direction-specific sunlight intensity information calculated in step S94 is used to calculate soil condition prediction information that predicts the effect of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information received in step S93. The soil condition prediction information includes, for example, at least one of the following information: a soil temperature profile that predicts the effect of sunlight on the soil temperature indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; the spectral intensity of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; a predicted effect of soil fertility restoration on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; a predicted yield for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information; and a predicted suitable cultivation site for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information. Details of the calculation of the soil condition prediction information will be described later.

In step S96, the soil condition prediction information calculated in step S95 is sent via network 4 to client machine 2 or client machine 3, the sender of the current prediction information inquiry information. Client machine 2 or client machine 3 can obtain soil condition prediction information and easily obtain more detailed information about the impact on the soil simply by sending sunlight inquiry information, including date/time information 14, location information 15, and direction information 16a, and prediction information inquiry information, including soil information, to soil condition prediction system 100. Client machine 2 or client machine 3 can use the soil condition prediction information obtained from soil condition prediction system 100 to provide various applications to end users.

In addition, in this embodiment, the sunlight ray intensity information 116 is calculated in advance, which allows for a faster response and more immediate provision of direction-specific sunlight ray intensity information compared to when the sunlight ray inquiry information is received from client machine 2 or client machine 3 and then calculated.

<Calculation of irradiated heat amount>
In this example, the soil condition prediction system 10 in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 can calculate the amount of irradiated heat. FIG. 13 is a graph showing spectral irradiance. In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the spectral irradiance. FIG. 13 shows the results of calculating the amount of heat irradiated to the irradiated surface after calculating the energy intensity of the sky relative to the irradiated surface through a simulation based on the above-described Example 1. FIG. 13 also shows an example of calculation of the amount of heat received by an irradiated surface located on Miyako Island from 12:00 to 13:00 on June 20, 2016. According to this example, the integrated value of the energy irradiated to the irradiated surface is determined to be 1,029.8 [W/m ² ], and the amount of heat received by the irradiated surface is determined to be 3,707,358 [J/m ² ].
This embodiment makes it possible to predict the amount of heat radiation received by high-rise structures and forests, which have been difficult to measure, and can be used in the protection design of structures and forest plantation plans.

<Calculation of the amount of radiation irradiated to the structure>
In this embodiment, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the soil condition prediction system 10 can predict the temperature rise corresponding to the irradiated material (the material of the irradiated material having the irradiated surface) from the amount of heat received by the irradiated surface, which is the result obtained in Example 3. In this embodiment, the prediction of the temperature rise of this irradiated surface will be explained. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the calculation conditions for the temperature rise of the irradiated material. As shown in FIG. 14, in this embodiment, it is assumed that sunlight is incident on the irradiated surface J2 of the irradiated material J1, and the reflectance of the irradiated surface J2 is 30%. It is also assumed that the thermal radiation from the irradiated material J1 is zero. It is also assumed that the heat transfer and heat conduction from the irradiated material J1 are zero.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a calculation of the temperature rise after one hour depending on the material. When sunlight with a heat quantity of 3,707,358 [J/m ² ] is incident on irradiation material J1, whose irradiation surface J2 has a reflectance of 30%, the reflected heat quantity at irradiation surface J2 is 1,112,207 [J/m ² ], and the heat quantity absorbed by irradiation material J1 is 2,595,151 [J/m ² ]. Taking into account the thermal characteristics of each material shown in FIG. 15 , the temperature rise after one hour for each material can be calculated as shown in FIG. 15 . For example, if the material of irradiation material J1 is steel, the heat capacity is 18,864 [J/K], so the heat quantity received in one hour is 2,595.151 [J/m 2 ] × 1 [m ² ] / 18,864 [J/K] = 137.6 [K]. Therefore, the temperature of the steel, initially at 20°C, rises to 20°C + 137.6 K = 157.6°C after one hour. Similarly, the temperature of the glass wool insulation plate, initially at 20°C, rises to 20°C + 25745.5 K = 25765.5°C. Note that the shape of the material model of the irradiated material J1 is 1 m x 1 m x 5 mm thick. This calculation assumes that there is no heat radiation (thermal radiation, thermal conduction, heat transfer, etc.) from the irradiated material J1. In reality, the temperature would not rise this much because of heat radiation from the irradiated material J1. Heat radiation can be taken into account in the calculation as needed. This calculation makes it possible to predict temperature rises on irradiated surfaces, such as structures and land, that are difficult to measure because they are located at high altitudes or inaccessible to humans. This example can be used to predict deterioration of structures and for forest plantation planning.

<Inclusion of reflections from other illuminated surfaces (example of a sidewalk)>
In this embodiment, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the soil condition prediction system 10 calculates reflected energy based on the reflectance of the sidewalk and can calculate the amount of irradiation irradiated onto the irradiation surface. The reflectance of the sidewalk can be determined, for example, by the method described with reference to FIGS. 7( a) and 7(b). FIG. 16(a) is a graph showing an example of spectral irradiation intensity from each direction on a sidewalk. In FIG. 16(a), the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the irradiation intensity. FIG. 16(b) is a graph showing an example of spectral reflectance on a sidewalk. In FIG. 16(b), the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the spectral reflectance. Referring to FIG. 16(b), it can be seen that the spectral reflectance of the sidewalk is 10 to 20%.

<Inclusion of reflections from other illuminated surfaces (e.g. grass)>
In this embodiment, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the soil condition prediction system 10 calculates reflected energy based on the reflectance of grassland and can calculate the amount of irradiation irradiated onto the irradiation surface. The reflectance of grassland can be calculated, for example, using the method described with reference to FIGS. 7( a ) and 7( b ). FIG. 17( a ) is a graph showing an example of spectral irradiation intensity from each direction on grassland. In FIG. 17( a ), the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the irradiation intensity. FIG. 17( b ) is a graph showing an example of spectral reflectance on grassland. In FIG. 17( b ), the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the spectral reflectance. Referring to FIG. 17( b ), it can be seen that the spectral reflectance of grassland is 5 to 10%. Also, referring to FIG. 17( b ), it can be seen that the reflectance of grassland increases sharply in the near-infrared region.

<Inclusion of reflections from other irradiated surfaces (example of asphalt)>
In this embodiment, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the soil condition prediction system 10 calculates the reflected energy based on the reflectance of the asphalt and can calculate the amount of irradiation irradiated onto the irradiation surface. The reflectance of asphalt can be determined, for example, by the method described with reference to FIGS. 7( a) and 7(b). FIG. 18(a) is a graph showing an example of the spectral irradiation intensity from each direction on asphalt. In FIG. 18(a), the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the irradiation intensity. FIG. 18(b) is a graph showing an example of the spectral reflectance of asphalt. In FIG. 18(b), the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the spectral reflectance. Referring to FIG. 18(b), it can be seen that the spectral reflectance of asphalt is 5%.

<Explanation of soil condition prediction information>
The soil condition prediction information will be further explained below.
The third calculation units 21 and 121 calculate soil condition prediction information. The soil condition prediction information includes, for example, information on at least one of a soil temperature profile predicting the effect of sunlight on the temperature of the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information, a spectral intensity of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information, a predicted effect of soil fertility restoration on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information, a predicted yield for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information, and a prediction of a suitable cultivation site for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information.

Figure 19 is a diagram showing the relationship between light wavelength and energy. The third calculation unit 21 or third calculation unit 121 described above can calculate soil condition prediction information by using the relationship shown in Figure 19.

(Spectral intensity of sunlight)
The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 generate the spectral intensity data (the spectral intensity data is composed of a direct light component and a scattered light component) according to the location, date and time, direction, and spectral intensity.

(Predicting soil temperature profiles)
The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 generate the spectral intensity data according to the location, date and time, direction, and spectral intensity. Of the generated spectral intensity data, the soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 calculate the spectral transmittance entering the soil according to the spectral reflectance (color) of the soil measured in advance. The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 integrate the spectral transmittance (spectral energy) according to the date and time, and predict the thermal energy entering the soil and the surface and internal temperatures of the soil.

The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 accept input of the soil type, location, date and time, and direction contained in the prediction information inquiry information, and request a prediction of the soil temperature profile indicating the temperature within the soil according to the date and time.

The amount of heat received by the soil in temperature prediction can be calculated using the formula shown in Figure 20. The amount of heat received by the soil surface from the outside in temperature prediction can be calculated using the formula shown in Figure 21. Figure 22(a) is a graph showing the irradiance energy entering the soil, and Figure 22(b) is a graph showing the air temperature and temperature. Figure 23(a) is a graph showing the soil temperature, and Figure 23(b) is a graph showing the soil temperature profile calculated by the third calculation units 21 and 121. Solar radiation contributes greatly to soil temperature prediction. Measured solar radiation data is easily affected by the weather at the time of measurement, making quantitative comparison between lands difficult. On the other hand, solar radiation (solar radiation data) calculated by simulation as described above makes quantitative comparison between lands possible.

(Predicting the effects of soil restoration)
The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 use the previously obtained spectral intensity data and soil temperature profile to predict the effect of soil restoration on the desired land. The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 predict the effect of biostimulants, such as solar disinfection, as a prediction of the effect of soil restoration. The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 predict the effect of solar disinfection using the soil temperature at a desired depth and the accumulated temperature. The period accumulated value, which is the accumulated value of energy applied to the soil, can be calculated using the formula shown in FIG. 24. Conventionally, the soil temperature profile of the desired land was unknown, so the accuracy of predicting the effect of biostimulants, such as solar disinfection, was low. According to this embodiment, the prediction accuracy can be improved by using the soil temperature profile.

(Regarding yield forecasts)
The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 use the previously obtained spectral intensity data and soil temperature profile to obtain a yield prediction for a desired piece of land. The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 predict the photosynthetic efficiency of plants and the yield of agricultural crops, etc., as the yield prediction. It is known that the wavelength of light available for photosynthesis is, for example, 400 to 700 nm. However, in the past, the soil temperature profile of a desired piece of land was unknown, making it impossible to predict photosynthetic efficiency or yield using sunlight information (light intensity at specific wavelengths that contribute to photosynthetic efficiency). According to this embodiment, a yield prediction can be obtained by using the soil temperature profile.

(Prediction of suitable areas for cultivation)
The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 use the previously obtained spectral intensity data and soil temperature profile to predict whether a desired land is suitable for cultivation. The soil condition prediction systems 10 and 100 predict whether a desired land is suitable for cultivation. While temperatures suitable for cultivating a desired crop are known, the soil temperature profile of the desired land was previously unknown, making it impossible to predict photosynthetic efficiency and yield using sunlight information (light intensity at specific wavelengths that contribute to photosynthetic efficiency) and select a suitable cultivation site. Furthermore, it was impossible to grasp the correlation between the results of genome/metagenomic analysis of a desired crop and the soil temperature profile, making it impossible to predict photosynthetic efficiency and yield and select a suitable cultivation site. According to this embodiment, a suitable cultivation site can be predicted using the soil temperature profile.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The object of the present invention can also be achieved by providing a storage medium storing program code (computer program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device, and having the computer of the system or device read and execute the program code stored on the storage medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the computer executes the program to function as each processing unit, but some or all of the processing may also be implemented using dedicated electronic circuits (hardware). The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described, and various modifications and variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

2, 3 Client machine 4 Network 10 Soil condition prediction system 11 First calculation unit 12 Second calculation unit 12 Second calculation unit 13 Memory unit 17 Communication unit

Claims (7)

a storage unit that stores date and time information, which is information about a date and time; location information, which is information about a location; and sunlight intensity information, which is information about the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the sunlight intensity at the location indicated by the location information, in association with each other;
a communication unit for performing communication;
a first calculation unit that calculates the sunlight ray intensity information associated with sunlight ray inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the communication unit;
a second calculation unit that calculates direction-specific solar ray intensity information using the calculation result of the first calculation unit;
a third calculation unit that calculates soil condition prediction information that predicts the influence of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the second calculation unit; and
Equipped with
the sunlight inquiry information includes the date and time information, the location information, and direction information indicating a direction in which an irradiation surface irradiated with sunlight faces,
the direction-specific sunlight intensity information is information including the intensity of sunlight received by an irradiation surface indicated by the direction information at the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the location indicated by the location information,
the soil condition prediction information is information predicting an effect of sunlight on the temperature of the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, and includes a soil temperature profile which is a depth profile of the soil;
the communication unit transmits the calculation result of the third calculation unit to a sender of the prediction information inquiry information.
A soil condition prediction system characterized by: a first calculation unit that calculates sunlight intensity information that is information about sunlight intensity at a date and time indicated by date and time information that is information about date and time and at a location indicated by location information that is information about a location;
a storage unit that stores the date and time information, the location information, and the sunlight intensity information calculated by the first calculation unit in association with each other;
a communication unit for performing communication;
an extracting unit that extracts, from the storage unit, the sunlight ray intensity information associated with sunlight ray inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the communication unit;
a second calculation unit that calculates direction-specific sunlight intensity information using the sunlight intensity information extracted by the extraction unit;
a third calculation unit that calculates soil condition prediction information that predicts the influence of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the second calculation unit; and
Equipped with
the sunlight inquiry information includes the date and time information, the location information, and direction information indicating a direction in which an irradiation surface irradiated with sunlight faces,
the direction-specific sunlight intensity information is information including the intensity of sunlight received by an irradiation surface indicated by the direction information at the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the location indicated by the location information,
the soil condition prediction information is information predicting an effect of sunlight on the temperature of the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, and includes a soil temperature profile which is a depth profile of the soil;
the communication unit transmits the calculation result of the third calculation unit to a sender of the prediction information inquiry information.
A soil condition prediction system characterized by: 3. The soil condition prediction system according to claim 1 or 2,
The third calculation unit
a fourth calculation unit that uses the calculation result of the second calculation unit to calculate a soil temperature profile that predicts the influence of sunlight on the soil temperature indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit; and
a fifth calculation unit that calculates the spectral intensity of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the second calculation unit;
a sixth calculation unit that calculates a prediction of an effect of soil fertility restoration on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the fourth calculation unit;
A seventh calculation unit that calculates a yield prediction for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit using the calculation result of the fifth calculation unit;
an eighth calculation unit that calculates a prediction of a suitable cultivation site for the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the fourth calculation unit and the calculation result of the fifth calculation unit;
Including,
the communication unit transmits a calculation result of at least one of the fourth calculation unit, the fifth calculation unit, the sixth calculation unit, the seventh calculation unit, and the eighth calculation unit to a sender of the prediction information inquiry information.
A soil condition prediction system characterized by: The soil condition prediction system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A soil condition prediction system, characterized in that the direction indicated by the directional information is a direction perpendicular to a plane on which an irradiated surface receiving sunlight spreads. The soil condition prediction system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
the sunlight intensity information includes the intensity of sunlight reflected by a surface other than the irradiation surface facing the direction indicated by the direction information;
A soil condition prediction system characterized by: a storage unit that stores date and time information, which is information about a date and time; location information, which is information about a location; and sunlight intensity information, which is information about a date and time indicated by the date and time information and a sunlight intensity at a location indicated by the location information, in association with each other;
a communication unit for performing communication;
a first calculation unit that calculates the sunlight ray intensity information associated with sunlight ray inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the communication unit;
a second calculation unit that calculates direction-specific solar ray intensity information using the calculation result of the first calculation unit;
a third calculation unit that calculates soil condition prediction information that predicts the influence of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the second calculation unit; and
It functions as
the sunlight inquiry information includes the date and time information, the location information, and direction information indicating a direction in which an irradiation surface irradiated with sunlight faces,
the direction-specific sunlight intensity information is information including the intensity of sunlight received by an irradiation surface indicated by the direction information at the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the location indicated by the location information,
the soil condition prediction information is information predicting an effect of sunlight on the temperature of the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, and includes a soil temperature profile which is a depth profile of the soil;
the communication unit transmits the calculation result of the third calculation unit to a sender of the prediction information inquiry information.
A soil condition prediction program characterized by: The computer includes a first calculation unit that calculates sunlight intensity information, which is information about sunlight intensity at a date and time indicated by date and time information, which is information about date and time, and at a location indicated by location information, which is information about a location;
a storage unit that stores the date and time information, the location information, and the sunlight intensity information calculated by the first calculation unit in association with each other;
a communication unit for performing communication;
an extracting unit that extracts, from the storage unit, the sunlight ray intensity information associated with sunlight ray inquiry information included in the forecast information inquiry information input via the communication unit;
a second calculation unit that calculates direction-specific sunlight intensity information using the sunlight intensity information extracted by the extraction unit;
a third calculation unit that calculates soil condition prediction information that predicts the influence of sunlight on the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, using the calculation result of the second calculation unit; and
It functions as
the sunlight inquiry information includes the date and time information, the location information, and direction information indicating a direction in which an irradiation surface irradiated with sunlight faces,
the direction-specific sunlight intensity information is information including the intensity of sunlight received by an irradiation surface indicated by the direction information at the date and time indicated by the date and time information and the location indicated by the location information,
the soil condition prediction information is information predicting an effect of sunlight on the temperature of the soil indicated by the soil information included in the prediction information inquiry information input via the communication unit, and includes a soil temperature profile which is a depth profile of the soil;
the communication unit transmits the calculation result of the third calculation unit to a sender of the prediction information inquiry information.
A soil condition prediction program characterized by: