Control module for a water harvesting system

• US 10,225,996 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Kremicki, Jeffery J., Woytowitz, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorman, Darren W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Joel
• Application Number:
  US13/294,060
• Time in Patent Office: 2,679 Days
• Field of Search: 239 63- 71
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/00 Watering gardens, fields, sports grounds or the like special apparatus or adaptations for fertilising-liquids A01C23/00; nozzles or outlets, spraying apparatus B05B
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/00 Self-acting watering devices, e.g. for flower-pots
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/08 responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/081 responsive to the weight of a reservoir or container for liquid or other fluent material; responsive to level or volume of liquid or other fluent material in a reservoir or container
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/00 Control of flow ratio control of chemical or physico-chemical variables, e.g. pH-value, G05D21/00; control of humidity G05D22/00; control of temperature by varying the mixing ratio of two fluids having different temperatures G05D23/13; control of viscosity G05D24/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/00 Control of flow level control G05D9/00; control of flow ratio G05D11/00

Abstract

A control module for a water harvesting system can be operatively connected to a water level sensor in a water collection cistern, the pump/master valve (P/MV) output port of an irrigation controller, a pump start relay that controls a pump coupled to the cistern, and a pair of master valves that are coupled to station valves for delivering water to a plurality of sprinklers. The control module uses a processor, a plurality of switching circuits, and an operational program stored in a memory to cause the landscape vegetation to be watered with water from the water collection cistern or a municipal water supply, depending on the level of water detected in the water collection cistern. The control module can include a display that can indicate a graphic depiction that represents an actual level of the water in the water collection cistern.

Claims

1. A control module for a water harvesting system, the water harvesting system including an irrigation controller having a microcontroller that initiates a watering schedule and a pump/master valve output that provides an energized signal when the watering schedule is initiated, a water collection cistern with a water level sensor, a pump coupled to the water collection cistern, a pump start relay connected to the pump, a first master valve coupled to the pump, a second master valve coupled to a point of connection (POC), a plurality of station valves electrically connected to the irrigation controller and coupled to at least one of the first and second master valves, and a plurality of sprinklers coupled to the plurality of station valves for watering landscape vegetation, the control module comprising:

an operator interface configured to allow a user to enter user preferences, the operator interface comprising a display and at least one manually actuable input device configured to accept user input indicative of one of at least a first operational mode and a second operational mode and to provide an indication of the user-indicated operational mode;

an input circuit, separate from the operator interface, operably connectable to the pump/master valve output of the irrigation controller, and configured to receive the energized signal from pump/master valve output of the irrigation controller when the watering schedule is initiated, the input circuit further configured to provide a watering indication responsive to the receipt of the energized signal;

wherein the energized signal from the pump/master valve output of the irrigation controller is the only signal communicated between the irrigation controller and the control module;

a memory configured to store an operational program;

a processor operably connected to the at least one manually actuable-input device and the memory, and configured to execute the operational program, the processor further configured to receive the indication of the user-indicated operational mode from the operator interface, to receive a signal representative of a water level in the water collection cistern detected by the water level sensor, and to receive the watering indication from the input circuit;

a first switching circuit, separate from the input circuit, operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the pump start relay, the first switching circuit configured to energize the pump start relay to control the pump;

a second switching circuit, separate from the input circuit, operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the first master valve, the second switching circuit configured to turn the first master valve ON and OFF to direct a flow of water; and

a third switching circuit, separate from the input circuit, operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the second master valve, the third switching circuit configured to turn the second master valve ON and OFF to direct the flow of water;

wherein when the watering indication indicates that the irrigation controller has initiated the watering schedule and the water level sensor indicates that the water level in the water collection cistern is above a threshold, the processor causes the first switching circuit to energize the pump start relay, the second switching circuit to turn ON the first master valve, and the third switching circuit to turn OFF the second master valve to water the landscape vegetation with water from the water collection cistern;

wherein when the watering indication indicates that the irrigation controller has initiated the watering schedule, the water level sensor indicates that the water level in the water collection cistern is below the threshold, and the indication of the user-indicated operational mode indicates the first operational mode, the processor causes the first switching circuit to de-energize the pump start relay, the second switching circuit to turn OFF the first master valve, and the third switching circuit to turn ON the second master valve to water the landscape vegetation with water from the POC; and

wherein when the watering indication indicates that the irrigation controller has initiated the watering schedule, the water level sensor indicates that the water level in the water collection cistern is below the threshold, and the indication of the user-indicated operational mode indicates the second operational mode, the processor causes the first switching circuit to energize the pump start relay, the second switching circuit to turn ON the first master valve, and the third switching circuit to turn ON the second master valve to provide water from the POC to the water collection cistern and to water the landscape vegetation with water from the water collection cistern.

2. The control module of claim 1 further comprising a display configured to indicate a graphical representation of the water collection cistern with a simulated water level that represents an actual water level in the water collection cistern.

3. The control module of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to detect when any one station valve of the plurality of station valves has been turned ON.

4. The control module of claim 1 further comprising a sensing excitation and conditioning circuit operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the water level sensor.

5. The control module of claim 2 wherein the operational program is further configured so that the display graphically indicates a state of the first and second master valves.

6. The control module of claim 2 wherein the operational program is further configured so that the display graphically indicates the flow of water through a plurality of pipes of the water harvesting system.

7. The control module of claim 2 wherein the operational program is further configured so that the display graphically indicates a state of the pump.

8. The control module of claim 1 further comprising a sensing excitation and conditioning circuit operatively connected to the processor and connectable to a flow sensor.

9. The control module of claim 1 further comprising a detection circuit configured to detect a short by monitoring a current flow through the first, second, and third switching circuits, wherein the operational program is configured to turn OFF a shorted switching circuit to prevent damage upon detection of the short.

10. The control module of claim 1 wherein the operational program allows the control module to operate in either a system setup mode or at least one operational mode.

11. A control module for a water harvesting system, the water harvesting system including an irrigation controller housed in a first enclosure, the irrigation controller including a microprocessor and an output port that provides an energized signal when the microprocessor of the irrigation controller initiates a watering schedule, a water collection cistern with a water level sensor, a pump coupled to the water collection cistern, a pump start relay connected to the pump, a first master valve coupled to the pump, a second master valve coupled to a point of connection (POC), a plurality of station valves electrically connected to the irrigation controller and coupled to the first and second master valves, and a plurality of sprinklers coupled to the plurality of station valves for watering landscape vegetation, the control module comprising:

a first circuit operably connected to the output port of the irrigation controller and configured to receive the energized signal from the output port of the irrigation controller when the watering schedule is initiated, and to provide a watering indication responsive to the receipt of the energized signal;

wherein the energized signal from the output port of the irrigation controller is the only signal communicated between the irrigation controller and the control module;

a memory configured to store an operational program;

a processor operably connected to the memory and configured to execute the operational program, the processor further configured to receive a signal representative of a water level in the water collection cistern detected by the water level sensor and to receive the watering indication from the first circuit;

at least one manually actuable input device, separate from the first circuit, operably connected to the processor, and configured to accept user input indicative of a setup mode or at least one operational mode;

a display configured to display the setup mode or the at least one operational mode;

a plurality of switching circuits, separate from the first circuit, operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the pump start relay, the first master valve, and the second master valve, the plurality of switching circuits configured to energize the pump start relay to control the pump, and to turn the first and second master valves ON and OFF to direct a flow of water; and

a second enclosure configured to house at least the first circuit, the memory, the processor, the display, the at least one manually actuable input device, and the plurality of switching circuits, the second enclosure separate from the first enclosure of the irrigation controller;

wherein when the watering indication indicates that the irrigation controller has initiated the watering schedule and the water level sensor indicates that the water level in the water collection cistern is above a threshold, the processor causes the plurality of switching circuits to energize the pump start relay, to turn ON the first master valve, and to turn OFF the second master valve to water the landscape vegetation with water from the water collection cistern; and

wherein when the watering indication indicates that the irrigation controller has initiated the watering schedule and the water level sensor indicates that the water level in the water collection cistern is below the threshold, the processor causes the plurality of switching circuits to de-energize the pump start relay, to turn OFF the first master valve, and to turn ON the second master valve to water the landscape vegetation with water from the POC.

12. The control module of claim 11 wherein the first circuit is operatively connectable to a pump/master valve (P/MV) output port of the irrigation controller.

13. The control module of claim 11 further comprising a sensing excitation and conditioning circuit operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the water level sensor.

14. The control module of claim 11 further comprising a sensing excitation and conditioning circuit operatively connected to the processor and connectable to a flow sensor.

15. The control module of claim 11 and further comprising a second circuit for detecting a short by monitoring a current flow through each of the plurality of switching circuits and wherein the operational program is configured to turn OFF a shorted switching circuit to prevent damage upon detection of the short.

16. The control module of claim 11 wherein the operational program can cause the display to indicate a graphical representation of the water collection cistern with a simulated water level that represents an actual water level in the water collection cistern.

17. A control module for a water harvesting system, the water harvesting system including an irrigation controller housed in a first enclosure, the irrigation controller including a microprocessor and an output port that provides an energized signal when microprocessor of the irrigation controller initiates a watering schedule, a water collection cistern with a water level sensor, a pump coupled to the water collection cistern, the pump start relay connected to the pump, a first master valve coupled to the pump, a second master valve coupled to a point of connection (POC), a plurality of station valves electrically connected to the irrigation controller and coupled to receive water pumped by the pump, and a plurality of sprinklers coupled to the plurality of station valves for watering landscape vegetation, the control module comprising:

a first circuit operably connected to the output port of the irrigation controller and configured to receive the energized signal from the output port of the irrigation controller when the watering schedule is initiated, and to provide a watering indication responsive to the receipt of the energized signal;

wherein the energized signal from the output port of the irrigation controller is the only signal communicated between the irrigation controller and the control module;

a memory configured to store an operational program;

a processor operably connected to the memory and configured to execute the operational program, the processor further configured to receive a signal representative of a water level in the water collection cistern detected by the water level sensor and to receive the watering indication from the first circuit;

a display;

at least one manually actuable input device, separate from the first circuit, operably connected to the processor, and configured to accept user input indicative of a setup mode or at least one operational mode;

a plurality of switching circuits, separate from the first circuit, operatively connected to the processor and connectable to the pump start relay, the first master valve, and the second master valve, the plurality of switching circuits including a first switching circuit configured to energize the pump start relay to control the pump, a second switching circuit configured to turn the first master valve ON and OFF to direct a flow of water, and a third switching circuit configured to turn the second master valve ON and OFF to direct the flow of water; and

a second enclosure configured to house at least the first circuit, the memory, the processor, the display, the at least one manually actuable input device, and the plurality of switching circuits, the second enclosure separate from the first enclosure of the irrigation controller;

wherein the operational program is configured so that the processor can cause the landscape vegetation to be watered with water from one of the water collection cistern and the POC based at least in part on the level of water detected in the water collection cistern and whether the irrigation controller has initiated the irrigation schedule, and the display can be used in conjunction with the manually actuable input device to operate and display the setup mode or the at least one operational mode.