Abstract: A door to cover a battery compartment of a device has, at a hinged end, a hinge pin that is retained within a slot in a guide member that is provided at an outer peripheral edge of a battery compartment of the device. At a latch end, a hook portion has an opening that, when the door is closed, captures at least one latch pin that is adjacent to the outer peripheral edge of the battery compartment. When the door is open, the hook portion is clear of the latch pin, such that the door may rotate about the hinge pin. The slot permits both lateral and rotational movement of the door such that the door may be opened and closed by a user sliding the door laterally. The door may be securely closed independent of any need for a secondary latching arrangement.

Abstract: To aid a user in maintaining plants, where each plant is in a container with a growing medium such as soil. A water saturation level within the container is determined. From an initial non-saturated level in the container, an increase in a degree of watering of the plant in the container is estimated the user is signaled when to stop adding water to the container, thereby providing measurement guidance to the user dispersing water. One method to determine the degree of watering is by measuring the weight and/or rate of change of weight of the plant, growing medium and container. Another embodiment determines the risk that the plant and contained will tip over by sensing excessive imbalance.

Abstract: A soil moisture gauge for determining a level of moisture in a plant pot has an elongated main body, which has a lower tip and grooves formed in and along the main body. A graduated scale is formed in the main body over a distance corresponding to a maximum expected soil depth when the gauge is inserted into soil contained in the plant pot. When the gauge is inserted into the plant pot and then pulled out of the plant pot, moist soil is retained in the grooves whereas dry soil falls from the grooves, whereby a user can read moist soil depth on the graduated scale. The reading from the soil moisture gauge can be used as an input to a system to adjust a drying profile that indicates to a user a time by which the plant should be watered.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining plants, where each plant is in a container with a growing medium, includes determining a drying profile that is a function of elapsed time from a time of an initial watering state. The drying profiles may be species-specific and may also indicate total weight of the plant, container and growing medium over elapsed time; drying profiles may also be made dependent on various environmental factors. An estimate is made of when the wetness level in the growing medium will fall below a predetermined minimum level as indicated by the drying profile. An indication is given to a user of a need to water the plant when the wetness level is estimated to reach, or has already reached the predetermined minimum level.