METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATION SYSTEM DESIGN REGISTRATION AND ON-SITE SPRINKLER PACKAGE CONFIGURATION VERIFICATION

• US 20120254784A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nelson Irrigation Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nelson Irrigation Corporation
• Inventors: VANDER GRIEND, Loren, Nelson, Craig B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

Internet-accessible system and method for customized design and on-site verification of agriculture irrigation systems includes one or more of: 1) sprinkler package configuration software operable on a user'"'"'s PC or accessible via an Internet website, 2) Internet-accessible proprietary irrigation system registry database and user interface, 3) computer-controlled automated component selection and labeling system for placing barcode or RFID information on components, and 4) portable wireless location-aware communication device operable at or near an irrigation site for accessing the registry database and obtaining sprinkler package configuration information specific to a particular irrigation system based on location and/or a particular irrigation system component detected in proximity to the portable communication device.

Claims

1. An Internet-accessible database and web-based registration system for agriculture irrigation systems, comprising:

at least one server for providing an interactive irrigation registration website accessible via the Internet;

an Internet-accessible irrigation system information database in data communication with said server and configured to store sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information and geographic location information associated to one or more discrete irrigation systems;

a geographic location-aware handheld device having a processor and a display configured to receive irrigation system component ID input information and to wirelessly connect to the irrigation system information database; and

an interactive user interface in data communication with the database, the user interface configured to register or retrieve geographic location information and/or SPC information associated to a particular irrigation system, wherein the interactive user interface is utilized in conjunction with the handheld device to enable a user to enter, view, retrieve or verify irrigation system and SPC data wirelessly.

2. An Internet-accessible database and web-based registration system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an automated labeling machine for placing tags on components and conveying component related information uniquely associated with each tag to the registration database for storage in association with particular SPC information.

3. A method for in-situ checking and verification of an irrigation system component, comprising:

providing an Internet-accessible registry database for registering and storing information specific to one or more irrigation systems, the information comprising at least geographic location information and component specification information;

providing an irrigation system component having an attached tag or label, the component being specific to a particular irrigation system and the tag/label capable of conveying certain information about the component including at least information useful for accessing corresponding information in the registry database;

providing a software application for use on a portable computer-controlled registry interface device having a display and being operable at or near an irrigation system site for wirelessly acquiring certain information from a tag/label attached to an irrigation system component and for wirelessly accessing the registry database and retrieving corresponding registered information specific to a particular irrigation system or component from the registry database based on the certain information acquired from a component tag/label; and

displaying information retrieved from the registry database on the display of the portable computer-controlled registry interface device, wherein information stored in the registry database is retrieved and used on site to check and/or verify that the observed irrigation system arrangement and components correspond to a particular pre-registered irrigation system.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing an Internet-accessible user interface for registering an irrigation system and inputting at least one of irrigation system component information and corresponding geographic location information.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing a website accessible registry having an interactive user interface for registering and accessing sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information for a particular irrigation system is identified by a specific ID or is associated with specific geographic location information.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the portable computer-controlled device registry interface device includes circuitry for wirelessly accessing the Registry Database via conventional Telecommunications or WiFi/WiMAX communications.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising wirelessly acquiring information from a tag or label attached to an irrigation system component by using the portable computer-controlled registry interface device, wherein specifications corresponding to the component are automatically checked by the registry interface device against sprinkler package configuration information associated with a particular previously registered irrigation system that is stored in the registry database.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the ID tag is an RFID device and the portable computer-controlled device includes integral or operatively connected circuitry that is capable of receiving transmitted RFID information when in proximity to a sprinkler head.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein the ID tag is a barcode label and the portable computer-controlled device includes a barcode reader device that is either integral or operatively connected thereto.

11. A global position-aware mobile interface device for wirelessly acquiring information of an irrigation system component in situ and for wirelessly accessing an Internet-based registry database containing pre-registered sprinkler package configuration information, comprising:

a display;

a processor;

a memory for storing digital data including software comprising instructions for controlling the processor;

an RFID or barcode reading means for wirelessly acquiring information from a tag/label attached to an irrigation system component;

RF communications circuitry for wirelessly accessing a WAN or the Internet; and

registry interface software operable on the processor for;

(a) providing an interactive user interface for exchanging information with the Internet-based registry database;

(b) inputting information wirelessly acquired from a label/tag attached to an irrigation system component;

(c) transmitting component information and/or GPS-based position information to the Internet-based registry database; and

(d) receiving and displaying irrigation system information or component specification information received from the registry database;

wherein pre-registered irrigation system information or component specification information identified by the information acquired from a label/tag attached to an irrigation system component may be obtained from the registry database and displayed on the portable registry interface device by a user located at the irrigation system site for performing in-situ checking and verification of one or more irrigation system components.

12. The mobile interface device of claim 11 wherein the registry interface software operable on the processor comprises an HTML5 capable web browser.

13. The mobile interface device of claim 11 including software operable on the processor for implementing irrigation system component mapping using GPS or GIS data.

14. An Internet website accessible system for registering sprinkler configuration package (SPC) information and performing in-situ checking of component configurations for agriculture irrigation systems, comprising:

storing SPC data for one or more irrigation systems in a computer database operatively connected to a WAN or the Internet, the SPC data for each irrigation system comprising at least one of an irrigation system site ID or geographic location data indicative of a global position of an irrigation system, and component specification data for one or more components of an associated irrigation system.

15. A method for in-situ checking and verification of an agriculture irrigation system component, comprising:

providing an Internet-accessible website server and registry database for registering and storing sprinkler package configuration information specific to one or more irrigation system, the sprinkler package configuration information comprising at least sprinkler nozzle type/model information for one or more sprinkler heads used in a particular irrigation system;

labeling a sprinkler head nozzle with a specific ID tag prior to installing the nozzle at a particular irrigation system site, the ID tag providing identification information specific to each sprinkler head nozzle used in a particular irrigation system in accordance with sprinkler package configuration information registered and stored in said database; and

providing a GPS location-aware portable registry interface device operable at or near an irrigation system site for wirelessly accessing the registry database and retrieving previously registered sprinkler package configuration information specific to a particular irrigation system or component from the registry database based on GPS location information from the device and component identification information obtained from the ID tag on a sprinkler head nozzle,

wherein a nozzle type/model of one or more sprinkler heads associated with a particular irrigation system is verified by retrieving corresponding sprinkler package configuration information for a particular irrigation system using the location-aware portable device on site at an irrigation system.

16. The method for in-situ checking and verification of an agriculture irrigation system component according to claim 15 wherein the ID tag is an RFID device and component identification information is wirelessly communicated to the registry interface device from an RFID tag on a sprinkler head nozzle.