Irrigation controller with integrated valve locator
First Claim
1. An irrigation controller, comprising:
- at least one control node;
valve actuation control circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one control node for generating a valve actuation control signal on the at least one control node over an actuation period, wherein the valve actuation control signal comprises a plurality of control signal periods each having a continuous control voltage, whereby the valve actuation control signal continuously energizes the at least one control node, a control wire, and a valve coupled to the control wire over the actuation period; and
valve chatter circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one control node for generating a valve chatter control signal on the at least one control node, wherein said valve chatter control signal comprising a plurality of duty cycles, each duty cycle comprising one control signal period and at least one naught signal period, said control signal period comprising a first voltage over a first portion of the control signal period and a second voltage over a second portion of the control signal period, and said at least one naught signal period comprising the second voltage, wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage, whereby the valve chatter control signal intermittently energizes the at least one control node, the control wire, and the valve coupled to the control wire over the chatter period.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to an irrigation controller, method and software program product for generating valve control signal for energizing a valve. The irrigation controller includes a valve actuation control module selectively coupled each of plurality of control nodes and generating a valve actuation control signal thereon. The valve actuation control signal is a continuous control voltage over a plurality of control signal periods for selectively energizing the selected irrigation valve. Also integrated in the irrigation is a valve chatter module for selectively coupled each of plurality of control nodes and generating a valve chatter control signal thereon. The valve chatter control signal has a plurality of duty cycles, with each duty cycle defined as one control signal period and at least one naught signal period. The control signal period has a control voltage over a first portion of the control signal period and a non-control voltage over a second portion of the control signal period. The naught signal period includes only a non-control voltage. The valve chatter module selectively and, intermittently, energizes the selected irrigation valve. The irrigation controller may further include a remote controller of remotely controlling the irrigation controller.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. An irrigation controller, comprising:
-
at least one control node;
valve actuation control circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one control node for generating a valve actuation control signal on the at least one control node over an actuation period, wherein the valve actuation control signal comprises a plurality of control signal periods each having a continuous control voltage, whereby the valve actuation control signal continuously energizes the at least one control node, a control wire, and a valve coupled to the control wire over the actuation period; and
valve chatter circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one control node for generating a valve chatter control signal on the at least one control node, wherein said valve chatter control signal comprising a plurality of duty cycles, each duty cycle comprising one control signal period and at least one naught signal period, said control signal period comprising a first voltage over a first portion of the control signal period and a second voltage over a second portion of the control signal period, and said at least one naught signal period comprising the second voltage, wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage, whereby the valve chatter control signal intermittently energizes the at least one control node, the control wire, and the valve coupled to the control wire over the chatter period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An irrigation controller, comprising:
-
a control node;
a memory for storing processor usable program code for generating a valve control signal for energizing the control node; and
a processing unit connected to the memory and receptive of the program code, wherein the program code for generating a valve control signal, when executed by said processing unit, causes the irrigation controller to;
generate a valve actuation control signal on the control node for controlling a continuous control voltage to a valve over an actuation period; and
generate a valve chatter control signal on the control node for a controlling an intermittent chatter voltage to the valve over a chatter period, wherein the intermittent chatter voltage comprises a plurality of duty cycles and each duty cycle comprises one signal voltage period and at least one naught voltage period, said signal voltage period comprises a first voltage level over a first portion of the signal voltage period and a second voltage level over a second portion of the signal voltage period, and said at least one naught voltage period comprises a second voltage level, wherein the second voltage level is less than the first voltage level. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method for generating valve control signal for energizing a valve, comprising:
-
generating a valve actuation control signal on a control node for an actuation period, said valve actuation control signal comprising a plurality of control signal periods each having a continuous control voltage, whereby the valve actuation control signal continuously energizes the control node and a valve coupled to the control node for the actuation period;
discontinuing the valve actuation control signal; and
generating a valve chatter control signal on the control node for a chatter period, said valve chatter control signal comprising a plurality of duty cycles, wherein each duty cycle comprising one control signal period and at least one naught signal period, said control signal period including a first voltage over a first portion of the control signal period and a second voltage over a second portion of the control signal period, and said at least one naught signal period including a second voltage over the at least one naught signal period, wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage, whereby the valve chatter control signal intermittently energizes the second control node and a valve coupled to the second control node for the chatter period. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification