Grain aeration systems and techniques
In one embodiment, the invention is directed toward a networked grain aeration control system. For example, the system can provide centralized monitoring of the aeration of a number of grain storage facilities, thereby improving the management of stored grain. The networked grain aeration control system can allow the custodian of the system to offer an aeration service. Farmers, or other individuals, cooperatives, or companies can purchase the aeration service at a cost proportionate to the amount of stored grain to be aerated and the duration of storage. In this manner, the purchaser of the aeration service can avoid relatively high fixed costs that can be associated with various aeration hardware.
1. A crop storage system for determining fees associated with management of remote crop storage facilities, the system comprising:
an operator interface in communication with a central computer, wherein the operator interface is configured to transmit crop storage data from a remote crop storage facility to the central computer;
a central computer for managing storage of a crop within the crop storage facility; wherein the central computer is in communication with the operator interface, and wherein the central computer determines management fees by:
receiving crop storage data of the crop from the remote crop storage facility;
evaluating the received storage data of the crop to determine a management fee; and
communicating the determined management fee to the remote crop storage facility.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crop storage data includes the amount of grain stored in the remote crop storage facility.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crop storage data includes the storage duration of grain stored in the remote crop storage facility.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computer communicates the determined management fees to an operator interface through a network.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operator interface transmits crop storage data to the central computer through a network.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operator interface includes restricted access to the central computer, wherein the restricted access prohibits the operator interface from evaluating the received storage data to determine the management fee.
7. A computer-implemented method for charging management fees to remote crop storage facilities, the method comprising:
providing communication between a crop storage facility, an operator interface, and a central computer separate from the crop storage facility, wherein the central computer provides a management service to manage crops stored within the crop storage facility;
transmitting crop storage data of the crop from the crop storage facility to the central computer, wherein the crop storage data is associated with the management service;
evaluating the received crop storage data of the crop on the central computer to determine a management fee for the management service.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the crop storage data includes the amount of grain stored in the crop storage facility.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the crop storage data includes the storage duration of grain stored in the remote crop storage facility.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the central computer communicates the determined management fees to the operator interface.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the central computer communicates through a network.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the operator interface transmits crop storage data to the central computer through a network.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the operator interface includes restricted access to the central computer, wherein the restricted access prohibits the operator interface from evaluating the received storage data.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the central computer communicates the determined management fees to the operator interface, wherein the operator interface includes access to the determined management fees and other operator interfaces associated with the central computer are restricted from accessing the determined management fees.
15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for charging management fees to remote crop storage facilities, the instructions comprising:
receiving, through a network, crop storage data associated with management of a crop in a remote crop storage facility;
evaluating the crop storage data associated with the management of the crop in the remote crop storage facility to determine a fee to charge the remote crop storage facility; and
generating a fee notification.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the crop storage data includes the amount of grain stored in the remote crop storage facility.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the crop storage data includes the storage duration of the grain stored in the remote crop storage facility.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein receiving crop storage data includes receiving crop storage data through a secure network according to an access level.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising sending the fee notification through a network.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein sending the fee notification includes sending the fee notification through a network according to an access level.