559 results about "Controller (irrigation)" patented technology

The present invention provides a multitude of embodiments for landscape water conservation with automated water budgeting or seasonal adjustment. Water budget automation may be implemented within an irrigation controller, by means of an add-on or a plug-in to the controller, or broadcast from a central location. The environmental data used for automated water budgeting may be historical including ambient temperature, wind, solar radiation, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, or evapotranspiration, or combinations thereof, or with a combination of current sensor data. The automated water budgeting may be accomplished with a percentage accumulation method which adjusts watering intervals and schedules, or on a daily percentage basis. In addition, government based restricted watering schedules may be combined within all the above embodiments to provide additional flexibility for water conservation.

A multi-zone landscape irrigation and lighting system includes a personal computer equipped with a detachable wireless remote, and a multi-station controller operating a plurality of irrigation valves and lighting circuits in accordance with schedules wirelessly transmitted to it by the computer through the remote. When detached from the computer, the remote can wirelessly operate selected irrigation or lighting zones manually. The computer has an intuitive graphic user interface capable of using actual zone photographs to identify individual zones in a strip of zone icons. The icon strip is movable past a lens-like window, the zone icon under the lens at a given time determining the zone currently programmable. A residential system can be operated by a contractor from the street, and the system can be programmed by e-mail from the contractor's shop. Fully automatic operation may be derived from data obtained over the Internet.

The present invention provides methods for water conservation with AC, DC, or ambient light powered irrigation controllers without the use of complex ET (evapotranspiration) data or ET related service fees. Programming may consist of the operator entering a preliminary irrigation schedule, and entering the local zip code. The controller then periodically calculates a water budget by comparing current (non ET) local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and then modifies the preliminary schedule using the water budget. A number of embodiments are possible: stand-alone controllers with a temperature sensor attached directly to the microprocessor within that controller, or as a centrally placed CBM (Central Broadcast Module) which calculates a water budget percentage which is transmitted to one or more field controllers by wired or wireless means. Alternately, a TBM (Temperature Budget Module) that is separate from the controller is connected between the controller outputs and the valves, or mounted at the valves themselves. The TBM periodically calculates the ,water budget, monitors the controller outputs and adjusts the irrigation schedule based upon the water budget ratio. Because of its flexible capabilities with AC, DC, solar, or ambient light powered controllers, as a centrally broadcast water budget ratio in a wired or wireless configuration, or as an add-on to existing controllers or valves, its programming simplicity and close approximation to ET without its complications and cost, the present invention has the potential to save more water and minimize runoff than currently available ET methods.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers are modular in that various functional components of the irrigation controller are implemented in removable modules that when inserted into position within the controller, expand the capabilities of the controller. Also described are various different types of expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of these modules in the controller. In one implementation, an expansion module is provided that includes a microcontroller capable of sending and receiving data communications to and from the a main microcontroller of the controller that executed irrigation programs, the data communications relating to an irrigation program.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers are modular in that various functional components of the irrigation controller are implemented in removable modules that when inserted into position within the controller, expand the capabilities of the controller. Also described are various different types of expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of these modules in the controller.

An irrigation controller for selectively turning on and off a set of sprinkler valve stations. The irrigation controller is programmable by a user. The irrigation controller includes an irrigation control processor. The irrigation control processor includes an input port, an output port, a memory element for storing an irrigation control program and irrigation control parameters, the irrigation control program implementing a plurality of functionalities that are selectively enabled, a processing unit for executing the irrigation control program, and a bus connecting said processing unit to said memory element and to said input and output ports. An input device is interfaced with the input port. The output port is provided with interface with the sprinkler valve stations for controlling the turning on and off of the sprinkler valve stations. The input device cooperates with the control program to enable at least one specific functionality from the functionalities in response to a predetermined input being received from the user through the input device.

An irrigation controller includes a base unit with a removable and programmable control panel and backplane circuitry for communicating with a plurality of removable modules capable of performing a variety of irrigation and non-irrigation functions. A base module having irrigation station drivers is mated with the backplane circuitry and communicates with the base unit to carry out basic irrigation functions. A plurality of expansion modules and one or more smart modules, each having its own logic circuit, can be mated with the backplane circuitry to communicate with the base unit and carry out additional irrigation and non-irrigation functions.

An irrigation system for a medical device. The irrigation system may include a pump that can pump irrigation fluid from a reservoir through an irrigation line. The system may further have a controller coupled to the pump and an accumulator pressure sensor that senses the pressure of the irrigation line. The controller can vary the speed of the pump in response to a change in the line pressure to control the irrigation line pressure. Additionally, the controller can monitor the fluidic resistance of the system by determining the pump speed and corresponding flowrate of the pump. The controller can provide one or more safety output signals if the fluidic resistance exceeds a threshold value(s).

An irrigation scheduler modifies output of a preprogrammed irrigation schedule of an installed irrigation controller to at least partially improve irrigation of the corresponding landscape. Preferred embodiments accomplish this task using a microprocessor programmed to: (a) derive a first set of information from the output of an irrigation controller used to control an operation of an irrigation valve; (b) receive a second set of information comprising at least one of an environmental factor and a meteorological factor; and (c) use the first set of information and the second set of information to interfere with reception of the output by the valve.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers are modular in that various functional components of the irrigation controller are implemented in removable modules that when inserted into position within the controller, expand the capabilities of the controller. Also described are various different types of expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of these modules in the controller. In one implementation, expansion station modules and decoder type modules are used.

The present invention provides numerous methods, systems and apparatus that use a novel form of water budgeting technology for water conservation without the use of complex ET (Evapotranspiration) data or methods. Embodiments include incorporating the technology directly into irrigation controllers, into modules added on to existing controllers, or into central units that broadcast a water budget that can alter the schedules of one, many, or selected groups of remotely located controllers or modules. The various methods of the present invention offer the choice of adjusting the station run times, accumulating the water budgets, altering the watering intervals, and / or combining the present water budgeting technology with local watering communities' restricted watering schedules. The result offers residential, commercial, and municipal users a wide range of practical choices for effective water conservation in landscape irrigation with temperature based water budgeting.

The irrigation controller is for directing the times and duration of the flow of water to a set of irrigation zones within an irrigation system in accordance with irrigation program and schedule data. The irrigation controller includes a microprocessor and a memory which are programmed with an embedded Web server. The embedded Web server can send and receive irrigation program and schedule data in the hypertext mark-up language (HTML) format. The irrigation controller communicates HTML formatted program and schedule data through an on-board Ethernet chipset to a local area network (LAN). Accordingly, irrigation controller program and schedule data may be interactively accessed from any network accessing device having a standard Web browser which is connected to the LAN, such as for example a personal computer with a Web browser connected to the LAN. Moreover, if the LAN is connected to the Internet, the program and schedule data may be viewed or changed from a web accessing device connected to the Internet.

An irrigation controller is programmed to automatically initiate communication with a data server to perform at least one of the following functions: (a) exchange irrigation data; (b) receive control data; and (c) receive synchronization data. The irrigation data can be station runtime history, evapotranspiration (ETo) data, rainfall, weather related information, irrigation faults and any other irrigation data. The control data can involve station runtime settings, cycle and soak settings, irrigation scheduling and any other irrigation control data. The synchronization data preferably includes a date and a time, originating from the data server, but can include other data that would be used to synchronize the communication between the irrigation controller and the data server. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a microprocessor disposed in the irrigation controller is programmed to use the date and time to schedule a future contact with the data server.

An irrigation controller for selectively turning on and off a set of sprinkler valve stations. The irrigation controller is programmable by a user. The irrigation controller includes an irrigation control processor. The irrigation control processor includes an input port, an output port, a memory element for storing an irrigation control program and irrigation control parameters, the irrigation control program implementing a plurality of functionalities that are selectively enabled, a processing unit for executing the irrigation control program, and a bus connecting said processing unit to said memory element and to said input and output ports. An input device is interfaced with the input port. The output port is provided with interface with the sprinkler valve stations for controlling the turning on and off of the sprinkler valve stations. The input device cooperates with the control program to enable at least one specific functionality from the functionalities in response to a predetermined input being received from the user through the input device.

Several embodiments provide wireless extensions to an irrigation controller system and related methods of use, as well as other improvements to irrigation control equipment. In one implementation, an irrigation control system includes a transmitter unit including a controller and having a connector to be coupled to an irrigation controller having station actuation output connectors. The controller is configured to receive an indication that the irrigation controller has activated an irrigation station, and is also configured to cause the transmitter unit to transmit a wireless activation signal responsive to the indication. A receiver unit is coupled to an actuator coupled to an actuatable device, such as an irrigation valve, the actuator configured to actuate the irrigation valve to control the flow of water therethrough. The receiver unit receives the wireless activation signal and in response, causes the actuator to actuate the actuatable device.

An irrigation controller (101a, 101b) includes a receiver (105a, 105b) and a processor. The processor is configured to facilitate receiving, in accordance with the receiver, an indication of rainfall which is forecast to fall on one or more locations (109a, 109b). Further, the processor is programmed to determine a minimum allowable water level and an optimal water level at the locations (109a, 109b). The processor is also programmed to determine water available at the locations (109a, 109b). In addition, the processor is programmed to determine an amount of water to be delivered so that the water available and the forecast rainfall exceed the minimum allowable water level, and avoid exceeding the optimal water level.

A controlling and monitoring system for irrigation of localized areas of soil includes a water pipeline, a plurality of controllable irrigation valves, a plurality of field sensors measuring specific irrigation parameters, and a plurality of localized irrigation control units. Each of the control units has a sensor decoder connected to a specific one of the field sensors and a line decoder connected to a specific one of the irrigation valves. The system further includes a controller and power supply unit that applies a first alternating DC voltage signal to a two-wire cable interconnecting the controller and power supply unit and the control units. The cable provides power from the controller and power supply unit to each of the control units. The controller and power supply unit transmits schedules of instructions to the control units, and receives the irrigation parameters from the control units, through the cable.

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for water conservation with landscape irrigation controllers, plug-in and add-on devices, and centralized systems. In embodiments of the invention, a water budget percentage is determined by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and the preliminary irrigation schedule or station run times are automatically modified based upon that water budget percentage. Embodiments of the present invention also provide for automation of mandated landscape watering restrictions alone, or in various combinations with water budgeting methods and apparatus.

The present invention provides methods for water conservation with AC, DC, or ambient light powered irrigation controllers without the use of complex ET (evapotranspiration) data or ET related service fees. Programming may consist of the operator entering a preliminary irrigation schedule, and entering the local zip code. The controller then periodically calculates a water budget by comparing current (non ET) local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and then modifies the preliminary schedule using the water budget. A number of embodiments are possible: in stand-alone controllers with a temperature sensor attached directly to the microprocessor within that controller, or as a centrally placed CBM (Central Broadcast Module) which calculates a water budget percentage which is transmitted to one or more field controllers by wired or wireless means. Alternately, a TBM (Temperature Budget Module) that is separate from the controller is connected between the controller outputs and the valves, or mounted at the valves themselves. The TBM calculates the water budget, monitors the controller outputs and shortens the duration times as calculated by the water budget ratio. Because of its flexible capabilities with stand alone AC, DC, solar, or ambient light powered controllers, as a centrally broadcast WBR in a wired or wireless configuration, or as an add-on to existing controllers or valves, its programming simplicity and close approximation to ET without its complications and cost, the present invention significantly reduces that cost, has the potential to save more water and minimize runoff than currently available ET methods.

Methods and devices are provided to automatically determine plant water requirements and adjust irrigation in order to make efficient use of water. In one implementation, an irrigation control unit comprises at least one input adapted to be coupled to and receive signals from a rainfall sensor and a temperature sensor, the signals corresponding to current values of an amount of rainfall and temperature. The unit also includes a memory storing historical values of a plurality of variables and a processor coupled to the at least one input and the memory. The processor is adapted to determine plant water requirements at least in part using the historical values of the plurality of variables and the current values of the temperature and the amount of rainfall.

A water irrigation system may include a computer system, a sensing unit, an irrigation controller, and / or a water delivery system. The computer system may include an infrared receiver. An operator may use a portable device with an infrared transmitter to provide a signal to the infrared receiver of the computer system. The signal may include instructions for the water irrigation system. The computer system may control irrigation of a zone to be irrigated at least partially based on the infrared signal from the portable device. A method of controlling irrigation may include allowing an infrared receiver of a computer system to receive infrared output from a portable device and controlling irrigation of a zone to be irrigated at least partially based on the infrared output. The method may include controlling irrigation of a zone to be irrigated at least partially based on the infrared output received from the portable device.

A method is provided for identifying a flow anomaly in a system having first and second water using devices, comprising: generating baseline data comprising water use signatures and corresponding water pressure information regarding the water using devices; comparing the baseline data with actual water usage signatures and corresponding actual water pressure information to identify a flow anomaly with the water using devices; and providing information on the flow anomaly to an individual. It is especially contemplated that baseline data are generated for multiple devices coupled to a common water supply system, with baseline data from two or more water using devices compared against future water use patterns of the same devices. Apparatus to accomplish these tasks is preferably housed in an irrigation controller, which may be advantageously coupled to a flow meter.

Irrigation systems, moisture sensors and related methods having a sensor embedded in the ground to sense moisture and help control watering. The sensor is responsive to capacitance changes from ground moisture variations. The sensor uses spaced insulated electrodes which are mounted within a granular filled chamber within a water-permeable shell. The sensor is mounted as part of a ground unit that also includes a high frequency driver that excites the sensor. The ground unit further has a detector circuit which produces a moisture indicating signal based on the capacitance which varies with ground moisture. Also disclosed are controllers that electrically isolate the ground units so that reliable moisture signals can be obtained and used to control irrigation. The controllers can be configured to provide multiple zone operation using a shared controller having shared or independent moisture adjusters.

The invention provides a distributed-network automatic irrigation control system and an irrigation control method thereof, wherein the system carries out automatic irrigation control on agricultural, forest, commercial, industrial or urban green areas by using the combined technical means such as intensively setting and monitoring a distributed irrigation process by a central control computer, controlling the distributed irrigation process by a wireless terminal controller, a wireless network communication technique and the like; and in addition, the system also enables the data processing pressure of the central control computer to be decomposed by using a distributed irrigation control method which is implemented through the steps of intensively setting the irrigation process by the central control computer, and independently controlling each unit irrigation process by the wireless terminal controllers according to the setting, thereby avoiding a mass of real-time communication data transmission, ensuring that the system can smoothly carry out data processing and communication, improving the execution efficiency and management efficiency of the system, decreasing the construction requirements of system hardware and wireless communication networks, and enhancing the economical efficiency and feasibility of the system applied in large-scale irrigations.

A remote download of microprocessor code for an irrigation controller is provided. A microprocessor, on an irrigation controller, is executing program code (in volatile memory) and receives a remote download of updated program code, which it stores into non-volatile random access memory, e.g., flash memory. The microprocessor is configured to receive the updated program code, via a communication port, and to store the updated program code into the non-volatile flash memory. Optionally, the updated program code is received at multiple controllers via a global transmission on a communication bus. The microprocessor receives a communication causing it to re-start. In response to the re-start communication, the microprocessor fetches the updated program code stored in the non-volatile flash memory into the program memory RAM to replace the original program code, and begins execution of the updated program code in the program memory RAM. A device is also provided for directing the download of program code to irrigation controllers. Options provide for global download of entirely new program code, global and / or individual download of particular pages of updated program code, and global downloads to controllers grouped by communication speed.

A conveyor system (4, 5) moves vertical poles (2) in an agricultural facility between a growing area (20) and a workstation (W). Each pole carries plant growing containers (3) at multiple levels (H1-H9). An irrigation reservoir (30) may be mounted atop each pole. Irrigation lines (31-33) from the reservoir may be individually metered (35) at each level to compensate for differing water pressure with height. Sensors (40) in the reservoir and at each level of the poles may provide a controller (36) with data input. The controller may impose different growing conditions in different areas of the facility, including vertically different grow areas (20A, 20B), and controls pole movements and locations selectively to provide a sequence of poles at the workstation ready to harvest on a demand schedule. The workstation may have multiple heights (W1, W2, W3) for tall poles that increase plant density per facility footprint.

The present invention includes an irrigation controller utilizing a “virtual” dial. In particular, the present invention contemplates an electronic programming and controlling interface that is controlled according to actuation of a simple on / off switch (i.e., a binary switch), preferably a push button. For example, in one embodiment, an irrigation controller is provided wherein a rotary dial is replaced with a circular liquid crystal display. The LCD contains segments peripherally on its screen that are energized according to the desired function selected by the user. The segment that is “on” at a particular time will correspond to visual indicia on the panel of the controller to inform the user which function is operable at that particular time. The user can then advance to the next segment on the LCD screen by pressing a button located elsewhere on the controller panel.

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.