PC-programmed irrigation control system

Abstract

A free-standing field irrigation controller is selectively programmed by a personal computer over a radio link. The computer is equipped with software that displays a screen with seven horizontal time bands representing one day each, arranged vertically to display one week's time. Box icons representing watering settings for a plurality of zones can be dragged and dropped onto the time bands, copied and modified thereon as desired, to form a freely selectable watering schedule. Other selectable screens allow odd-days or even-days watering, sophisticated interval watering, global watering time adjustment, and a variety of manual functions. Selectable portions of the main screen can be enlarged as desired. Based on the selected schedule, the computer calculates and displays the monthly cost of water. Selected zones can be temporarily disabled to deal with weather or maintenance issues. A handheld global shut-off and manual watering remote and / or a separate radio-linked computer may be used in field maintenance.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to irrigation control systems, and more particularly to a system using a free-standing field controller programmed by a conventional personal computer with the aid of a novel interactive graphic interface. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Irrigation controllers are used in irrigation systems to electrically operate valves that deliver water under pressure to sprinklers or other distribution devices for watering turf or plants. Controllers are normally installed and programmed after the irrigation system has been designed. Technical skills and experience relating to such installations vary greatly from first-time do-it-yourselfers to professional landscaping crews. Furthermore, once the watering schedules are set on initial installation, they need to be changed or adjusted from time to time to adapt the system to climate or seasonal changes, growth of plants, or unanticipated conditions of soil or topography that result in inadeq...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention provides a centrally operated irrigation control system with an intuitive, interactive graphic operator interface by presenting to the operator a two-dimensional time-date chart on a PC screen. Color-coded icons representing the different zones of the system can be placed on the chart and manipulated so as to present to the operator a graphic picture of which zone will be watering how long, at what time and on which days. Clicking on other icons can shut off watering on selected days, start a manual watering cycle, or cause a selected setting to repeat at selected intervals or on selected days of the week or month.

[0010] The schedule and run time settings created by the operator on the PC screen are transmitted to a field controller when desired, and the PC polls the field controller to assure reliable communications by radio or other electronic means at frequent intervals, e.g. once per second, as long as the control program of this invention is running on the PC. The field controller's clock is synchronized with the PC's clock whenever a schedule is uploaded from, or downloaded to, the field controller. This prevents unintentional resetting of the field controller's clock e.g. between daylight saving and standard time. The field controller's transceiver acknowledges each transmission back to the PC. The transmitted schedules and settings for the field controller are stored in that controller and remain in effect until altered by the PC, even if the PC goes off line.

[0011] Thus, a significant aspect of the invention is that the field controller is a free-standing unit; i.e. it does not depend on the PC for its operation. Once it has been programmed by the PC, it continues to function on its own, with or without the PC, until its operation is purposely disabled or modified. This is important for several reasons. Firstly, the system of this invention does not tie up the PC unnecessarily. Secondly, a PC or radio link failure does not impede the scheduled functioning of the system. Thirdly, a landscape maintenance technician can (with an appropriate radio access code) download and / or modify the field controller's schedule and settings from his truck. This is useful for diagnostic purposes and for correcting inappropriately selected watering parameters without the homeowner having to be present. The homeowner receives the new schedule when he activates the inventive program or chooses, within the program, the menu option to upload the schedule from the field controller.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, once the watering schedules are set on initial installation, they need to be changed or adjusted from time to time to adapt the system to climate or seasonal changes, growth of plants, or unanticipated conditions of soil or topography that result in inadequate or excessive watering in some areas of the system.

Thus, altering the watering schedule of a controller can be a bewildering, frustrating experience for users, such as homeowners, who seldom find it necessary to make schedule changes.

The typical lack of intuitive controls, the often obscure instructions in manuals, and an installer's reluctance to spend time training the user exacerbate that problem.

Worse yet is the not uncommon situation where the 24V AC power fails when the back-up battery that retains data in memory during power failures has been allowed to wear out.

In that case, all program information may be lost, and the user has to reprogram the whole system without the original installer's guidance.

As personal computers (PCs) have become more and more commonplace in homes, fairly complex irrigation control systems have been sold to homeowners and other users who are not very sophisticated in manually programming complex controllers, but who do own a PC.

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