Hybrid Irrigation Controller

• US 20120072036A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telsco Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Telsco Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Piper, Matthew E., Bangalore, Venkataramu L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method and software program product for detecting and counteracting a temperature sensor failure with an irrigation controller operating in auto adjust watering mode. A plurality of pseudo temperature data are created from solar radiation for a particular location using unique pseudo temperature conversions for each temperature parameter. The pseudo temperature values can be compared to corresponding measured temperature values from the sensor to validate the integrity of the measurement. These pseudo temperature values are used in place of the measured temperatures for calculating a potential evapotranspiration water deficit for the site. Furthermore, if some valid measured temperature data existed prior to the sensor failure, the measured temperature data is compared to the corresponding pseudo temperature data. Any differences detected between the two values can be used to correct the pseudo temperature toward the measure temperature. The accuracy of the potential evapotranspiration water deficit using the corrected pseudo temperature values approach that of using measured temperature values.

Claims

1. A method for operating an advanced irrigation controller, said advanced irrigation controller capable of receiving communications from a temperature sensor and coupled to a plurality of irrigation values for controlling an irrigation run time for each plurality of irrigation values for regulating irrigation water to a plurality of irrigation zones on the site, said method comprising:

receiving day, date and time information and site location information for the site at the advanced irrigation controller;

finding a current solar radiation value from the site location information and a current date;

finding a pseudo temperature data conversion from the site location information;

creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the current date;

receiving current measured temperature data from the temperature sensor;

comparing the current measured temperature data with the current pseudo temperature data;

calculating a water amount for the site from the current solar radiation value and one of the current measured temperature data and the current pseudo temperature; and

activating the plurality of irrigation values using the water amount for the site for activating run times of the plurality of irrigation values.

2. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein the site location information further comprises one of an address for the site, a ZIP code for the site, a latitude and climatic condition information for the site, a latitude and a longitude for the site and a coordinate description for the site.

3. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises one of minimum and maximum pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

average and differential pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum and offset pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

maximum and offset pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum pseudo temperature over a preset time period;

maximum pseudo temperature over a preset time period; and

median pseudo temperature over a preset time period, and wherein the current measured temperature data comprises one of minimum and maximum measured temperatures over a preset time period;

average and differential measured temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum and offset measured temperatures over a preset time period;

maximum and offset measured temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum measured temperature over a preset time period;

maximum measured temperature over a preset time period; and

median measured temperature over a preset time period.

4. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises a minimum pseudo temperature over a preset time period and a pseudo maximum temperature over the preset time period and wherein the current measured temperature data comprises a minimum measured temperature over the preset time period and a maximum measured temperature over the preset time period.

5. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein comparing the current measured temperature data with the current pseudo temperature data further comprises:

setting a temperature tolerance for the current pseudo temperature data; and

determining whether the current measured temperature data matches the current pseudo temperature data within the temperature tolerance.

6. The method recited in claim 5 above, wherein calculating the water amount for the site from the current solar radiation value and one of the current measured temperature data and the current pseudo temperature further comprises:

using the current measured temperature for calculating the water amount in response to the current measured temperature data matching the current pseudo temperature data within the temperature tolerance.

7. The method recited in claim 5 above, wherein calculating a water amount for the site from the current solar radiation value and one of the current measured temperature data and the current pseudo temperature further comprises:

using the current pseudo temperature for calculating the water amount in response to the current measured temperature data not matching the current pseudo temperature data within the temperature tolerance.

8. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the current date further comprises:

creating pseudo temperature data from solar radiation data for the site and the pseudo temperature data conversion; and

deriving current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data and the current date;

9. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein calculating a water amount for the site from the current solar radiation value and one of the current measured temperature data and the current pseudo temperature further comprises:

calculating an evapotranspiration value.

10. The method recited in claim 9 above further comprises:

receiving a second evapotranspiration value from an external source;

comparing the evapotranspiration value with the second evapotranspiration value; and

adjusting the evapotranspiration value toward the second evapotranspiration value.

30. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein the site location information further comprises one of climatic condition information and a coordinate description for the site and one of an address for the site, a ZIP code for the site, a latitude and, a latitude and a longitude for the site.

11. A method for operating an advanced irrigation controller, said advanced irrigation controller capable of receiving communications from a temperature sensor and storing said communications in a controller memory and said advanced irrigation controller being coupled to a plurality of irrigation values for controlling an irrigation run time for each plurality of irrigation values for regulating irrigation water to a plurality of irrigation zones at the site, said method comprising:

receiving day, date and time information and site location information for the site at the advanced irrigation controller;

accessing the controller memory for current measured temperature data received from the temperature sensor;

finding a current solar radiation value from the site location information and a current date;

finding a pseudo temperature data conversion from the site location information;

creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the current date;

calculating a water deficit for the site from the current solar radiation value and the current pseudo temperature; and

activating the plurality of irrigation values using the water deficit for the site for activating run times of the plurality of irrigation values sufficient to cancel at least a portion of the water deficit.

12. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein the site location information further comprises one of an address for the site, a ZIP code for the site, a latitude and climatic condition information for the site, a latitude and a longitude for the site, a coordinate description for the site.

13. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises one of minimum and maximum temperatures over a preset time period;

average and differential temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum and offset temperatures over a preset time period;

maximum and offset temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum temperature over a preset time period;

maximum temperature over a preset time period; and

median temperature over a preset time period.

14. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises a minimum temperature over a preset time period and a maximum temperature over the preset time period;

15. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein accessing the controller memory for current measured temperature data received from the temperature sensor further comprises:

determining the current measured temperature data is absent in the controller memory.

16. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein accessing the controller memory for current measured temperature data received from the temperature sensor further comprises:

determining the current measured temperature data is absent in the controller memory;

finding non-current measured temperature data in the controller memory for a previous date;

creating corrected pseudo temperature data, comprising;

creating non-current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the previous date;

comparing the non-current measured temperature data with the non-current pseudo temperature data;

establishing a correction factor for use with the pseudo temperature data conversion; and

creating current corrected pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion with the correction factor, the current solar radiation value and the current date.

17. The method recited in claim 16 above, wherein creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the current date further comprises:

creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion with the correction factor, the current solar radiation value and the current date calculating the water deficit for the site from the current solar radiation value and the current corrected pseudo temperature.

18. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein calculating a water deficit for the site from the current solar radiation value and the current pseudo temperature further comprises:

calculating an evapotranspiration value.

19. The method recited in claim 18 above further comprises:

receiving a second evapotranspiration value from an external source;

comparing the evapotranspiration value with the second evapotranspiration value; and

adjusting the evapotranspiration value toward the second evapotranspiration value.

31. The method recited in claim 11 above, wherein the site location information further comprises one of climatic condition information and a coordinate description for the site and one of an address for the site, a ZIP code for the site, a latitude and, a latitude and a longitude for the site.

20. A method for operating an advanced irrigation controller, said advanced irrigation controller coupled to a plurality of irrigation values for controlling an irrigation run time for each plurality of irrigation values for regulating irrigation water to a plurality of irrigation zones at the site, said method comprising:

receiving day, date and time information and site location information for the site at the advanced irrigation controller;

finding solar radiation data from the site location information;

finding a current solar radiation value from the solar radiation date for a current date;

finding pseudo temperature data for the site;

finding current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data for the current date; and

calculating a current irrigation water quantity for the site from evapotranspiration algorithm using the current pseudo temperature data and the current solar radiation value with an evapotranspiration algorithm.

21. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein finding pseudo temperature data for the site further comprising:

receiving pseudo temperature data from a source external to the advanced irrigation controller.

22. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein finding pseudo temperature data for the site further comprising:

creating pseudo temperature data from the solar radiation value.

23. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein finding pseudo temperature data for the site further comprising:

finding climatic condition information for the site; and

creating pseudo temperature data from the solar radiation value and the climatic condition information.

24. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises one of minimum and maximum pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

average and differential pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum and offset pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

maximum and offset pseudo temperatures over a preset time period;

minimum pseudo temperature over a preset time period;

maximum pseudo temperature over a preset time period; and

median pseudo temperature over a preset time period.

25. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises a minimum pseudo temperature over a preset time period and a maximum pseudo temperature over the preset time period;

26. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein the site location information further comprises one of an address for the site, a ZIP code for the site, a latitude and climatic condition information for the site, a latitude and a longitude for the site and a coordinate description for the site.

27. The method recited in claim 26 above further comprising:

finding non-current measured temperature data in the controller memory for a previous date;

creating corrected pseudo temperature data, comprising;

finding a pseudo temperature data conversion from the site location information;

creating non-current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the solar radiation data and the previous date;

comparing the non-current measured temperature data with the non-current pseudo temperature data;

establishing a correction factor for use with the pseudo temperature data conversion; and

creating corrected pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion with the correction factor, the solar radiation value and the current date.

28. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein pseudo temperature data comprises a minimum pseudo temperature over a preset time period and a maximum pseudo temperature over the preset time period.

29. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein using the current pseudo temperature data and the current solar radiation value with an evapotranspiration algorithm further comprises:

calculating a current evapotranspiration value;

receiving a second current evapotranspiration value from an external source;

comparing the current evapotranspiration value with the second current evapotranspiration value; and

adjusting the current evapotranspiration value toward the second current evapotranspiration value.

32. The method recited in claim 20 above, wherein the site location information further comprises one of climatic condition information and a coordinate description for the site and one of an address for the site, a ZIP code for the site, a latitude and, a latitude and a longitude for the site.