Method and system for providing isolated detail information about stations which are simultaneously active in an irrigation system

• US 20090319934A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hunts, David, Smith, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• 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

A method provides information about stations in an irrigation system which are simultaneously active. An irrigation flow curve image is displayed which summarizes flow information for an irrigation system. The method interacts with a user to receive an indication from a user interface pointing device of a position within a flow curve area of the irrigation flow curve image on the display. The method retrieves detail information for stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at a time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device. Detail information is displayed isolating the stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device, wherein the detail information further individually indicates irrigation activity for stations which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on a computer, for providing information about stations in an irrigation system which are simultaneously active, comprising:

on a display of a computer, displaying an irrigation flow curve image which summarizes flow information for an irrigation system;

interacting with a user to receive an indication from a user interface pointing device of a position within a flow curve area of the irrigation flow curve image on the display;

retrieving detail information for stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at a time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device; and

on the display of the computer, displaying detail information isolating the stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device, wherein the detail information further individually indicates irrigation activity for stations which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detail information includes start time and watering duration for the stations in the irrigation system, and wherein the stations which are simultaneously active at the time are determined from the start time and watering duration in the detail information.

3. The method of claim 1, the irrigation activity individually indicated by the detail information being indications of the start time for each of the stations which are simultaneously active at the time, the stations being grouped on the display by individual satellites, the stations which are not simultaneously active being omitted from the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation flow curve image indicates scheduled flow vs. time, wherein the detail information is a watering schedule of planned irrigation per station, the stations which are simultaneously active at the time being determined by referring to the watering schedule of planned irrigation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation flow curve image indicates actual flow vs. time, wherein the detail information is a history of actual irrigation per station, the stations which are simultaneously active at the time being determined by referring to the actual irrigation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an available flow curve image indicating available flow for the irrigation system vs. time juxtaposed on the display with the irrigation flow curve image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising building a sorted list of runtimes with the detail information for the stations in the irrigation system, wherein the irrigation flow curve image is prepared from the sorted list of runtimes, the detail information is retrieved from the sorted list of runtimes running during the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a display operable to receive screens to be displayed to a user;

a user interface pointing device operable to indicate a position on the display; and

a processor cooperatively operable with the display and the user interface pointing device, and configured to facilitate providing information about stations in an irrigation system which are simultaneously active, comprising;

displaying, on the display, an irrigation flow curve image which summarizes flow information for an irrigation system;

interacting with a user to receive an indication from the user interface pointing device of a position within a flow curve area of the irrigation flow curve image on the display;

retrieving detail information for stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at a time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device; and

on the display of the computer, displaying detail information isolating the stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device, wherein the detail information further individually indicates irrigation activity for stations which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the detail information includes start time and watering duration for the stations in the irrigation system, and wherein the stations which are simultaneously active at the time are determined from the start time and watering duration in the detail information.

10. The computer system of claim 8, the irrigation activity individually indicated by the detail information being indications of the start time for each of the stations which are simultaneously active at the time, the stations being grouped on the display by individual satellites, the stations which are not simultaneously active being omitted from the display.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the irrigation flow curve image indicates scheduled flow vs. time, wherein the detail information is a watering schedule of planned irrigation per station, the stations which are simultaneously active at the time being determined by referring to the watering schedule of planned irrigation.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the irrigation flow curve image indicates actual flow vs. time, wherein the detail information is a history of actual irrigation per station, the stations which are simultaneously active at the time being determined by referring to the actual irrigation.

13. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising displaying an available flow curve image indicating available flow for the irrigation system vs. time juxtaposed on the display with the irrigation flow curve image.

14. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising building a sorted list of runtimes with the detail information for the stations in the irrigation system, wherein the irrigation flow curve image is prepared from the sorted list of runtimes, the detail information is retrieved from the sorted list of runtimes running during the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for providing information about stations in an irrigation system which are simultaneously active, the instructions for implementing:

on a display of a computer, displaying an irrigation flow curve image which summarizes flow information for an irrigation system;

interacting with a user to receive an indication from a user interface pointing device of a position within a flow curve area of the irrigation flow curve image on the display;

retrieving detail information for stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at a time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device; and

on the display of the computer, displaying detail information isolating the stations in the irrigation system which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device, wherein the detail information further individually indicates irrigation activity for stations which are simultaneously active at the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the detail information includes start time and watering duration for the stations in the irrigation system, further comprising determining the stations which are simultaneously active at the time from the start time and watering duration in the detail information.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the irrigation activity individually indicated by the detail information being indications of the start time for each of the stations which are simultaneously active at the time, the stations being grouped on the display by individual satellites, the stations which are not simultaneously active being omitted from the display.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the irrigation flow curve image indicates scheduled flow vs. time, wherein the detail information is a watering schedule of planned irrigation per station, further comprising instructions for determining the stations which are simultaneously active at the time by referring to the watering schedule of planned irrigation.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for displaying an available flow curve image indicating available flow for the irrigation system vs. time juxtaposed on the display with the irrigation flow curve image.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for building a sorted list of runtimes with the detail information for the stations in the irrigation system, wherein the irrigation flow curve image is prepared from the sorted list of runtimes, the detail information is retrieved from the sorted list of runtimes running during the time indicated by the position of the user interface pointing device.