Automatic control method and system for irrigation
First Claim
1. A controlled irrigation system comprising:
- a control device for determining whether to irrigate soil;
at least one irrigation structure having an actuator for controlling water flow, said actuator being communicably coupled to said control device for delivering water to irrigate a region;
at least one time domain reflectometry sensor (“
TDRS”
) located in the soil and communicably coupled to said control device for measuring soil moisture; and
wherein said control device determines whether to irrigate the soil based on data from said at least one TDRS.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A controlled irrigation system can include a control device for determining whether to irrigate soil and at least one irrigation structure having an actuator for controlling water flow. The actuator can be communicably coupled to the control device for delivering water to irrigate a region. The controlled irrigation system further can include at least one time domain reflectometry sensor (“TDRS”) located in the soil and communicably coupled to the control device for measuring soil moisture where the control device determines whether to irrigate the soil based on data from the at least one TDRS. Additionally, a method for controlling an irrigation system can include providing multiple TDRS'"'"'s having probes, distributing each TDRS at a different soil depth, measuring soil moisture content, and irrigating soil based on the measuring step.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A controlled irrigation system comprising:
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a control device for determining whether to irrigate soil;
at least one irrigation structure having an actuator for controlling water flow, said actuator being communicably coupled to said control device for delivering water to irrigate a region;
at least one time domain reflectometry sensor (“
TDRS”
) located in the soil and communicably coupled to said control device for measuring soil moisture; and
wherein said control device determines whether to irrigate the soil based on data from said at least one TDRS. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for controlling an irrigation system, comprising the steps of:
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providing multiple time domain reflectometry sensors (“
TDRS”
) having probes;
distributing each TDRS at a different soil depth;
measuring soil moisture content; and
irrigating soil based upon said measuring step. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification