Wireless remote irrigation control

• US 10,609,878 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Montgomery, Randy R., Micu, Anderson I., Price, John E., Harris, James R., Westphal, Jeffrey B., Peppiatt, Ray S., Whitt, Jr., Samuel P., Henderson, Forrest M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Max
• Application Number:
  US15/650,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20180014480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301
• 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: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein related to irrigation control systems. In some embodiments, an irrigation control system includes a router, an access point, and irrigation controller, a wireless adapter, and a mobile device. The mobile device can communicate with the wireless adapter in a direct communication mode in which the wireless adapter creates a wireless network, a first indirect communication mode in which the mobile device and the wireless adapter communicate via the access point while the mobile device is within range of the access point, and a second indirect communication mode in which the mobile device and the wireless adapter communicate via the access point while the mobile device is out of range of the access point.

Claims

1. An irrigation control system comprising:

an irrigation controller located within a coverage range of a first local wireless network and configured to control irrigation by outputting control signals to one or more water flow control devices;

a wireless adapter, wherein the wireless adapter comprises a processor, a memory and a wireless communication chipset; and

an irrigation control application, wherein the irrigation control application is configured to execute on a smart phone, and wherein the irrigation control application is configured to communicate with the irrigation controller via the wireless adapter to provide a remote user control interface to the irrigation controller;

wherein the wireless adapter is configured to communicate with the irrigation control application in each of the following communication modes;

a direct communication mode between the wireless adapter and the smart phone where the wireless adapter creates a second local wireless network and the smart phone becomes a client of the second local wireless network, wherein the direct communication mode is required for configuration of the wireless adapter via the irrigation control application, wherein a password is created during the direct communication mode that allows the irrigation control application to access the wireless adapter in indirect communication modes, and wherein the indirect communication modes cannot be used to access the wireless adapter until the wireless adapter is configured in the direct communication mode;

a first indirect communication mode where the wireless adapter and the smart phone communicate via an access point using the first local wireless network without a user account, wherein the smart phone is within the coverage area of the first local wireless network, and wherein during the first indirect communication mode the irrigation control application transmits the password to the wireless adapter to access the wireless adapter; and

a second indirect communication mode where the wireless adapter communicates with the access point using the first local wireless network without a user account, wherein the smart phone communicates with the access point via a wide area network, wherein the smart phone is outside of the coverage area of the first local wireless network, and wherein during the second indirect communication mode the irrigation control application transmits the password to the wireless adapter to access the wireless adapter.

2. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the only required mode is the direct communication mode.

3. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter is configured by one or more of configuring initial parameters and setting of the wireless adapter and configuring irrigation programs.

4. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the smartphone communicates with the wireless adapter without a user account in that a user account registered with a remote server including user login data is not required for the smart phone to communicate with the wireless adapter in the direct communication mode, the first indirect communication mode, and the second indirect communication mode.

5. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the irrigation control system is not an account-based system having user accounts registered with a remote server including login data.

6. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter does not require transmission of a password from the smart phone when receiving communications in the direct communication mode.

7. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter is integrated with the irrigation controller.

8. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter is separable from the irrigation controller, and wherein the wireless adapter physically couples to the irrigation controller at a port of the irrigation controller.

9. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the first indirect communication mode is a default mode.

10. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter includes a physical input, wherein selection of the physical input forces the wireless adapter to communicate in the direct communication mode.

11. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter allows reset of a password without input of the password when in the direct communication mode.

12. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter is configured to receive a geographically-based weather adjustment factor.

13. The irrigation control system of claim 12, wherein the irrigation control application allows a user to select at the smart phone whether the wireless adapter will output control signals to the irrigation controller responsive to receipt at the wireless adapter of the geographically-based weather adjustment factor.

14. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein once configured at the irrigation controller, the wireless adapter can be disconnected from the irrigation controller and coupled to a second irrigation controller and operate with the irrigation control application at the second irrigation controller.

15. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein a transition from one communication mode to another communication mode is one or more of:

manually performed by a user interacting with the irrigation control application; and

automatically performed in the operation between the wireless adapter and the irrigation control application.

16. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein the irrigation control application allows a user to transmit encrypted credentials to a person, wherein the encrypted credentials allow the person to access the wireless adapter.

17. The irrigation control system of claim 16, wherein the encrypted credentials allow the person to access the wireless adapter temporarily.

18. A method for communicating between a smart phone and an irrigation controller, the method comprising:

receiving, at the smart phone, user input, wherein the user input indicates a command for the irrigation controller; and

receiving at a wireless adapter that is within a coverage area of a first local wireless network, the command for the irrigation controller, wherein the wireless adapter is capable of receiving the command in three modes, and wherein the command is received from;

the smart phone when the wireless adapter is in a direct communication mode, wherein when in the direct communication mode the wireless adapter creates a second local wireless network and the smart phone becomes a client of the second local wireless network, wherein the direct communication mode is required for configuration of the wireless adapter via the irrigation control application, wherein a password is created during the direct communication mode that allows the irrigation control application to access the wireless adapter in indirect communication modes, and wherein the indirect communication modes cannot be used to access the wireless adapter until the wireless adapter is configured in the direct communication mode;

an access point when the wireless adapter is in a first indirect communication mode, wherein when the wireless adapter is in the first indirect communication mode the smart phone communicates directly with the access point and the smart phone is within the coverage area of the first local wireless network without a user account, and wherein during the first indirect communication mode the irrigation control application transmits the password to the wireless adapter to access the wireless adapter; and

the access point when the wireless adapter is in a second direct communication mode, wherein when in the second indirect communication mode the smart phone communicates indirectly with the access point via a wide area network and the smart phone is outside of the coverage area of the first local wireless network without a user account, and wherein during the second indirect communication mode the irrigation control application transmits the password to the wireless adapter to access the wireless adapter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the only required mode is the direct communication mode.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless adapter is configured by one or more of configuring initial parameters and setting of the wireless adapter and configuring irrigation programs.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless adapter does not require transmission of a password from the smart phone when receiving communications in the direct communication mode.