LONG-RANGE RADIO FREQUENCY RECEIVER-CONTROLLER MODULE AND WIRELESS CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING SAME
First Claim
1. A wireless control system for controlling a plurality of devices via a central controller, said wireless control system comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RE apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, anda network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules each in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules configured for operative association with one or more of said devices and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RE) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight,wherein said RFTC modules actuate or de-actuate said plurality of devices in response to commands from said central controller transmitted via RF signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A long-range radio frequency (RF) transceiver-controller module configured to transmit and receive RF signals in one or more of the 433, 868, 915 MHz, and 2.4 and 5.8 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency bands is provided that is capable of consistently transmitting such signals over a range of 100 metres or more without line of sight, including underground. A wireless control system that comprises a plurality of the long-range RF transceiver-controller modules arranged in a distributed, ad hoc networking topography is also provided. The wireless control system has utility in a wide range of medical, industrial, agricultural, military and commercial applications, including, for example, the management of irrigation systems, manufacturing processes, security systems, sewage treatment and handling systems, hospital management systems.
283 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wireless control system for controlling a plurality of devices via a central controller, said wireless control system comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RE apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules each in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules configured for operative association with one or more of said devices and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RE) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight, wherein said RFTC modules actuate or de-actuate said plurality of devices in response to commands from said central controller transmitted via RF signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for controlling an irrigation system comprising a plurality of water management devices and a central controller, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a wireless control system comprising a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RF apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules configured for operative association with one or more of said water management devices, each RFTC module configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight; and (b) transmitting a command via a RF signal on one of the ISM frequency bands from said central controller to a RFTC module; wherein said RFTC module processes said command and determines whether to retransmit the signal, actuate a water management device or collect data from a sensor based on said command. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification