Irrigation control system

• US 20050154498A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Dunstone Townsend
• Original Assignee: James Dunstone Townsend
• Inventors: Townsend, James Dunstone
• Application Number:
  US11/030,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154498A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• 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: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1866 For controlling soil irrigation

Abstract

An irrigation control system for land comprising: (a) at least one meter to measure one or more wheather conditions in a first area; (b) at least one monitor to (i) examine rainfall data derived from a radar scanning at least the first area according to pre-determined criteria and (ii) to extract data which is representative of the scanned rainfall in a subarea of the first area; (c) a store to store the extracted data; and (d) a controller connected directly or indirectly to the meter and the monitor and to the store, to calculate a moisture content value for the subarea and a predetermined moisture content value for the sub-area, and to regulate the irrigation in a sub-area.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. An irrigation control system for land comprising:

a monitor that examines rainfall data derived from a radar scanning at least a first area and generates information representative of the rainfall in said first area; and

a controller connected to the monitor to regulate the irrigation of said area in accordance with said information.

17. The irrigation control system of claim 16 further comprising a weather station disposed in said first area and generating indication signals indicative of weather conditions in said area;

wherein said controller receives said weather signals and controls said irrigation in response to said weather conditions.

18. The irrigation control system of claim 17 wherein said weather station measures ambient temperature.

19. The irrigation control system of claim 17 wherein said weather station measures solar radiation intensity.

20. The irrigation control system of claim 16 further comprising a local switch in said first-area to initiate or prevent irrigation in response to signals from the controller.

21. The irrigation control system of claim 20 wherein the local switch in said first area activates or de-activates a local controller for initiating or preventing the irrigation, in response to signals from the controller.

22. An irrigation system comprising:

a monitor receiving information from a radar unit and generating from said information rainfall data indicative of the amount of rain falling in an area;

an irrigation apparatus including water delivery means and a controller receiving said rainfall data and controlling said water delivery means in accordance with said rainfall data.

23. The irrigation system of claim 22 further comprising a weather station monitoring a weather condition in said area and generating weather data indicative of said weather condition in said area.

24. The irrigation system of claim 23 wherein said weather station monitors temperature in said area.

25. The irrigation system of claim 23 wherein said weather station monitors solar radiation.

26. The irrigation system of claim 22 wherein said irrigation apparatus operates in one of a fail wet and fail dry mode.

27. A method of irrigating an area comprising the steps of:

monitoring rain fall remotely from said area;

generating rainfall data indicative of said rainfall; and

controlling delivery of water to said area in accordance with said rainfall data.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising monitoring a weather condition in said area and further controlling said delivery in accordance with said weather condition.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said weather condition is temperature.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said weather condition is solar radiation.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising determining an irrigation characteristic of said area.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said irrigation characteristic is soil moisture content.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising calculating said soil moisture content based on said rainfall data.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising calculating said moisture content based on the soil type of said area.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising comparing said soil moisture content to a threshold level, and initiating irrigation if said soil moisture content is below said threshold level.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein said rainfall is obtained from a scanning radar installation.