Two-wire controlling and monitoring system for in particular irrigation of localized areas of soil

• US 10,113,287 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S-Rain Control A/S
• Original Assignee: S-Rain Control A/S
• Inventors: Christiansen, Tom Nohr
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Miranda M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alvarez, Olvin Lopez
• Application Number:
  US14/404,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20150147119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 700284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 13/02 Closures for irrigation conduits
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 5/082 Closures for irrigation conduits E02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/02 Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3278 of relays, solenoids or reed switches measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1805 Circuit arrangements for holding the operation of electromagnets or for holding the armature in attracted position with reduced energising current for holding relay armature in attracted position with reduced energising current H01H47/04; quick energising of electro-dynamic machines H02P9/08; for quickly de-energising of dynamo-electric generators H02P9/123
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1844 Monitoring or fail-safe circuits for relays H01H47/002
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1877 controlling a plurality of loads

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for providing watering or non-watering of a specific area of soil through a first plurality of irrigation valves (42). Specific irrigation parameters are measured at the specific area of soil through a second plurality of field sensors (54). A controller unit (30) is interconnected to a third plurality of control units (18). Each control unit is connected to a specific irrigation valve and/or a specific field sensor. A type declaration providing communication under a second communication protocol is transmitted from the controller unit to the third plurality of control units using a first communications protocol. A second set of instructions are transmitted from the controller unit to the third plurality of control units using a second communications protocol. A first set of instructions are transmitted from the controller unit to the third plurality of control units using the first communications protocol.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and monitoring irrigation of localized areas of soil, the method comprising the steps of:

providing water to said localized areas of soil through a water pipeline;

controlling discharge or supply of water from said water pipeline, thereby providing watering or non-watering of a specific area of said localized areas of soil through a plurality of controllable irrigation valves, each of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves being positioned at said specific area of said localized areas of soil, and each of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves having a pair of valve control inputs;

measuring specific irrigation parameters through a plurality of field sensors positioned at said specific areas of said localized areas of soil, and each of said plurality of field sensors having a pair of sensor outputs;

transmitting control signals to said plurality of controllable irrigation valves and said plurality of field sensors through a plurality of localized irrigation control units, each comprising a sensor decoder and a line decoder, providing valve control signals to said plurality of controllable irrigation valves, each of said plurality of localized irrigation control units having at least one of (a) a pair of valve control outputs connected to the pair of valve control inputs of a specific controllable irrigation valve of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves and (b) a pair of sensor inputs connected to said pair of sensor outputs of a specific field sensor of the plurality of field sensors and having a pair of control and power supply inputs;

providing a first set of schedules of instructions according to a first communications protocol and a second set of schedules of instructions according to a second communications protocol by means of a controller and power supply unit having a pair of control and power outputs supplying power by applying, respectively, in accordance with each of said first communications protocol and said second communications protocol, a first alternating DC voltage signal defining a voltage maximum having a first pulse width and defining a voltage minimum having a second pulse width to one of the pair of control and power outputs, simultaneously applying a second alternating DC voltage signal similarly shaped, but of inverted polarity as compared to said first alternating DC voltage signal to another of said pair of control and power outputs and applying an alternating DC current defining a current maximum having a third pulse width and defining a current minimum having a fourth pulse width to said pair of control and power outputs, wherein the first pulse width and second pulse width of the first communications protocol are different from the first pulse width and second pulse width of the second communications protocol;

providing a two-wire cable, interconnecting said controller and power supply unit and said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said pair of control and power outputs of said controller and power supply unit to said control and power inputs of said plurality of localized irrigation control units, and providing said power from said control and power unit to each of said plurality of localized irrigation control units;

transmitting a type declaration from said controller and power supply unit transmitting to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said first communications protocol, said type declaration providing communication under said second communications protocol;

transmitting said second set of schedules of instructions from said controller and power supply unit to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said second communications protocol; and

transmitting said first set of schedules of instructions from said controller and power supply unit to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said first communications protocol.

2. A two-wire controlling and monitoring system for irrigation of localized areas of soil and comprising:

a water pipeline configured for providing water to said localized areas of soil;

a plurality of controllable irrigation valves, each positioned at a specific area of said localized areas of soil, each connected to said water pipeline for providing watering or non-watering of said specific area of said localized areas of soil and each having a pair of valve control inputs;

a plurality of field sensors, positioned at specific areas of said localized areas of soil, and configured for providing specific irrigation parameters, each of said field sensors having a pair of sensor outputs;

a plurality of localized irrigation control units, each comprising at least one of (a) a sensor decoder having a pair of sensor inputs connected to said pair of sensor outputs of a specific field sensor of said plurality of field sensors and configured for providing power to said plurality of field sensors and recording said specific irrigation parameters from said plurality of field sensors and (b) a line decoder having a pair of valve control outputs connected to said pair of valve control inputs of a specific controllable irrigation valve of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves for providing valve control signals to said first plurality of controllable irrigation valves, said sensor decoder and said line decoder further each having a pair of control and power supply inputs;

a controller and power supply unit having a first set of schedules of instructions according to a first communications protocol and a second set of schedules of instructions according to a second communications protocol, said controller and power supply unit having a pair of control and power outputs supplying power by applying, respectively, in accordance with each of said first communications protocol and said second communications protocol, a first alternating DC voltage signal defining a voltage maximum having a first pulse width and defining a voltage minimum having a second pulse width to one of said pair of control and power outputs, simultaneously applying a second alternating DC voltage signal similarly shaped, but of inverted polarity as compared to said first alternating DC voltage signal to another of said pair of control and power outputs and applying an alternating DC current defining a current maximum having a third pulse width and defining a current minimum having a fourth pulse width to said pair of control and power outputs, wherein the first pulse width and second pulse width of the first communications protocol are different from the first pulse width and second pulse width of the second communications protocol;

a two-wire cable interconnecting said controller and power supply unit and said plurality of localized irrigation control units and connecting said pair of control and power outputs of said controller and power supply unit to said control and power inputs of said plurality of localized irrigation control units and providing said power from said controller and power supply unit to each of said plurality of localized irrigation control units;

said controller and power supply unit being configured for transmitting a type declaration to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said first communications protocol, said type declaration providing communication under said second communications protocol;

said controller and power supply unit being configured for transmitting said second set of schedules of instructions to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said second communications protocol; and

said controller and power supply unit being configured for transmitting said first set of schedules of instructions to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said first communications protocol.

3. A method for controlling and monitoring irrigation of localized areas of soil, the method comprising the steps of:

providing water to said localized areas of soil through a water pipeline;

controlling discharge or supply of water from said water pipeline, thereby providing watering or non-watering of a specific area of said localized areas of soil through a plurality of controllable irrigation valves, each of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves being positioned at said specific area of said localized areas of soil, and each of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves having a pair of valve control inputs;

measuring specific irrigation parameters through a plurality of field sensors positioned at said specific areas of said localized areas of soil, and each of said plurality of field sensors having a pair of sensor outputs;

transmitting control signals to said plurality of controllable irrigation valves and said plurality of field sensors through a plurality of localized irrigation control units, each comprising a sensor decoder and a line decoder, recording said specific irrigation parameters from said plurality of field sensors, each of said plurality of localized irrigation control units having at least one of (a) a pair of valve control outputs connected to the pair of valve control inputs of a specific controllable irrigation valve of said plurality of controllable irrigation valves and (b) a pair of sensor inputs connected to said pair of sensor outputs of a specific field sensor of the plurality of field sensors and having a pair of control and power supply inputs;

providing a first set of schedules of instructions according to a first communications protocol and a second set of schedules of instructions according to a second communications protocol by means of a controller and power supply unit having a pair of control and power outputs supplying power by applying, respectively, in accordance with each of said first communications protocol and said second communications protocol, a first alternating DC voltage signal defining a voltage maximum having a first pulse width and defining a voltage minimum having a second pulse width to one of the pair of control and power outputs, simultaneously applying a second alternating DC voltage signal similarly shaped, but of inverted polarity as compared to said first alternating DC voltage signal to another of said pair of control and power outputs and applying an alternating DC current defining a current maximum having a third pulse width and defining a current minimum having a fourth pulse width to said pair of control and power outputs, wherein the first pulse width and second pulse width of the first communications protocol are different from the first pulse width and second pulse width of the second communications protocol;

providing a two-wire cable, interconnecting said controller and power supply unit and said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said pair of control and power outputs of said controller and power supply unit to said control and power inputs of said plurality of localized irrigation control units, and providing said power from said control and power unit to each of said plurality of localized irrigation control units;

transmitting a type declaration from said controller and power supply unit transmitting to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said first communications protocol, said type declaration providing communication under said second communications protocol;

transmitting said second set of schedules of instructions from said controller and power supply unit to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said second communications protocol; and

transmitting said first set of schedules of instructions from said controller and power supply unit to said plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable using said first communications protocol.