Irrigation System with ET Based Seasonal Watering Adjustment
First Claim
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1. An ET based irrigation system, comprising:
- a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature;
a stand alone weather station including at least one environmental sensor; and
a stand alone ET unit operatively in communication with the irrigation controller and the weather station including programming configured to calculate an estimated ET value using a signal from the environmental sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated ET value.
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Abstract
An ET based irrigation system includes a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature and a stand alone weather station including at least one environmental sensor. The ET based irrigation system further includes a stand alone ET unit operatively connected to the irrigation controller and the weather station. The ET unit includes programming configured to calculate an estimated ET value using a signal from the environmental sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated ET value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. An ET based irrigation system, comprising:
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a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature; a stand alone weather station including at least one environmental sensor; and a stand alone ET unit operatively in communication with the irrigation controller and the weather station including programming configured to calculate an estimated ET value using a signal from the environmental sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated ET value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An ET based irrigation system, comprising:
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an interface that enables a user to select and/or enter a watering schedule; a memory for storing the watering schedule; at least one sensor for generating a signal representative of an environmental condition; a processor capable of calculating an estimated ET value based at least in part on the signal from the sensor; and a program executable by the processor to enable the processor to generate commands for selectively turning a plurality of valves ON and OFF in accordance with the watering schedule, the program including a seasonal adjust feature that provides the capability for automatically modifying the watering schedule based on the estimated ET value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of controlling a plurality of valves on an irrigation site, comprising the steps of:
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selecting and/or creating a watering schedule; storing the watering schedule; generating a signal representative of an environmental condition on an irrigation site; calculating an estimated ET value based at least in part on the signal; selectively turning a plurality of valves located on the irrigation site ON and OFF in accordance with the watering schedule; and automatically modifying the watering schedule based on the estimated ET value using a seasonal adjust algorithm to thereby conserve water while maintaining the health of plants on the irrigation site. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A weather station for use with an irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a rain sensor supported by the housing; a solar radiation sensor supported by the housing; a temperature sensor supported by the housing; a micro-controller supported by the housing and connected to the sensors; a communications interface for permitting communications between the micro-controller and an irrigation controller; and firmware executable by the micro-controller for periodically sampling the output of the sensors and providing representative sensor data to the irrigation controller. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A weather station for use with an irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a rain sensor supported by the housing; a solar radiation sensor supported by the housing; a temperature sensor supported by the housing; a micro-controller supported by the housing and connected to the sensors; a communications interface for permitting communications between the micro-controller and an ET interface; a communications interface for permitting communications between the ET interface and an irrigation controller; and firmware executable by the micro-controller for periodically sampling the output of the sensors and providing representative sensor data to the ET interface. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification