Irrigation System with Soil Moisture Based Seasonal Watering Adjustment
First Claim
1. A soil moisture based irrigation system, comprising:
- a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature;
a soil moisture sensor; and
a stand alone soil moisture control unit operatively in communication with the irrigation controller wherein the soil moisture sensor control unit includes programming configured to calculate a soil moisture requirement value using a signal from the soil moisture sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the soil moisture requirement value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A soil moisture based irrigation system includes a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature and a stand alone weather station including at least one soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture based irrigation system further includes a stand alone soil moisture control unit operatively connected to the irrigation controller and the soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture control unit includes programming configured to calculate an estimated soil moisture requirement value using a signal from the soil moisture sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated soil moisture requirement value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health.
155 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A soil moisture based irrigation system, comprising:
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a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature; a soil moisture sensor; and a stand alone soil moisture control unit operatively in communication with the irrigation controller wherein the soil moisture sensor control unit includes programming configured to calculate a soil moisture requirement value using a signal from the soil moisture sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the soil moisture requirement value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A soil moisture 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 a soil condition; a processor capable of calculating a soil moisture requirement 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 soil moisture requirement value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. 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 a soil condition on an irrigation site; calculating a soil moisture requirement 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 soil moisture requirement value using a seasonal adjust algorithm to thereby conserve water while maintaining the health of plants on the irrigation site. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification