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Irrigation controller and system integrating no-watering restrictions and an empirically-derived evapotranspiration local characteristic curve

  • US 10,394,206 B2
  • Filed: 07/28/2015
  • Issued: 08/27/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An irrigation controller for regulating at least one water control valve corresponding to a watering zone, comprising:

  • an irrigation controller comprising;

    a housing;

    a microcontroller housed within said housing and programmed with a microcontroller program that receives data;

    a data input system configured to allow data to be imported into said irrigation controller;

    wherein said data input system comprises a data input receiver operable to receive a customized watering budget/schedule;

    at least one non-volatile memory storage medium configured to receive and to store data from said microcontroller; and

    a real-time clock operatively connected to said microcontroller;

    a customer-accessible processor providing an irrigation customization software application;

    wherein said customer-accessible processor performs the steps of;

    (1.) receiving input property-specific data;

    (2.) accessing evapotranspiration data for at least one locality;

    (3.) accessing any mandatory watering restriction regulation data; and



    (4.) calculating said customized watering budget/schedule for at least one designated watering zone for distribution over a specified time period based on using a minute-based representation of a total water volume and by allocating said total water volume or allocating a reduced total water volume to be distributed within said specified time period for said designated watering zone;

    wherein said customized watering budget/schedule is based on at least said input property-specific data, on said evapotranspiration data, and on said any regulation data;

    wherein said customized watering budget/schedule allocates said minute-based representation of a total water volume into a particular number of watering days per said specified time period for said designated watering zone, into a particular number of watering events per each of said watering days for said designated watering zone, and into a particular number of minutes per said watering event for said designated watering zone;

    wherein said microcontroller is electrically connected to said at least one water control valve associated with said designated watering zone; and

    wherein said microcontroller electrically opens and closes said at least one water control valves based on said customized watering budget/schedule for said designated zone.

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