Wireless sprinkler control

• US 20060049271A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Sun, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digital Sun, Inc.
• Inventors: Hitt, Dale K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,789,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/63
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method to control the flow duration and the flow rate of each individual sprinkler head wirelessly in each zone of an automatic sprinkler system. The system comprises a plurality of sensors, preferably wireless, to control the sprinkler heads, either directly or through a controller. The system enables precise control over irrigation times for the areas covered by each sprinkler head. The system also enables each sprinkler head to control its on/off and duration decisions based on receiving data from a sensor within an irrigation zone of an automatic sprinkler system.

Claims

1. An automatic sprinkler system for providing irrigation to a soil area, the system comprising

a sprinkler head comprising a sensor for sensing the soil conditions;

wherein the sprinkler head watering the soil based on the sensed data from the sensor.

2. A sprinkler system as in claim 1 wherein the soil condition is soil moisture, humidity, sun light, or plant characteristics.

3. A sprinkler system as in claim 1 wherein the water flow of the sprinkler head is adjustable and the sensed soil conditions from the wireless sensor is translated into command to adjust the water flow rate.

4. A sprinkler system as in claim 1 wherein the sensed soil conditions from the wireless sensor is translated into command to adjust the watering time of the sprinkler head.

5. A sprinkler system as in claim 1 wherein the sprinkler head comprises a transmitter to transmit command of running or not running to coordinate with other sprinkler heads.

6. An automatic sprinkler system for providing irrigation to a soil area, the system comprising

a wireless sensor for sensing the soil conditions, the wireless sensor comprising a wireless tranmitter for transmitting data related to the sensed soil conditions;

a sprinkler head comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted data;

wherein the sprinkler head waters the soil based on the receiving data.

7. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the soil condition is soil moisture, humidity, sun light, or plant characteristics.

8. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 further comprising a microchip controller to process the data received from the wireless sensor into sprinkler command to control the sprinkler head.

9. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the wireless sensor comprises a microchip controller to process the sensed soil conditions into sprinkler command to control the sprinkler head.

10. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the sprinkler head comprises a microchip controller to process the data received from the wireless sensor into sprinkler command to control the sprinkler head.

11. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the water flow of the sprinkler head is adjustable and the sensed soil conditions from the wireless sensor is translated into command to adjust the water flow rate.

12. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the sensed soil conditions from the wireless sensor is translated into command to adjust the watering time of the sprinkler head.

13. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the sprinkler head comprises a transmitter to transmit command of running or not running to coordinate with other sprinkler heads.

14. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 wherein the sprinkler head comprises a receiver to receive command of running or not running from other sprinkler heads to coordinate with other sprinkler heads.

15. A sprinkler system as in claim 6 further comprising a plurality of secondary wireless sensors for sensing the soil conditions, the secondary wireless sensors comprising a wireless tranmitter for transmitting data related to the sensed soil conditions, the wireless sensor further comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted data from the plurality of secondary wireless sensors, and the wireless sensor transmitting soil condition data based also on the data from the secondary wireless sensors.

16. An automatic sprinkler system for providing irrigation to a soil area, the system comprising

a plurality of secondary wireless sensors for sensing the soil conditions, the wireless sensors comprising a wireless tranmitter for transmitting data related to the sensed soil conditions;

a central wireless sensor for sensing the soil conditions, the central wireless sensor comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted data from the plurality of transmitted wireless sensors, the central wireless sensor further comprising a wireless tranmitter for transmitting a combination soil condition data from the secondary sensors and the central sensor;

a sprinkler head comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted data from the central wireless sensor;

the sprinkler head comprising adjustable water flow controller and on-off controller;

wherein the sprinkler head waters the soil by adjusting the water flow controller and the on-off controller based on the received combination data.

17. A sprinkler system as in claim 16 wherein the soil condition is soil moisture, humidity, sun light, or plant characteristics.

18. A sprinkler system as in claim 16 further comprising a microchip controller to process the data received from the wireless sensor into sprinkler command to control the sprinkler head.

19. A sprinkler system as in claim 16 wherein the sprinkler head comprises a transmitter to transmit command of running or not running to coordinate with other sprinkler heads.

20. A sprinkler system as in claim 16 wherein the sprinkler head comprises a receiver to receive command of running or not running from other sprinkler heads to coordinate with other sprinkler heads.