IRRIGATION SYSTEM INCLUDING A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20140039696A1
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lindsay Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lindsay Corporation
• Inventors: Andrews, Reece R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

A system for managing irrigation equipment comprises a first irrigation system for applying water in a first irrigated area, a second irrigation system for applying water in a second irrigated area, a control system for controlling the irrigation systems, and a user interface for enabling a user to configure the control system. The user interface presents a map view of a geographic area including the irrigated areas and includes a first graphical element corresponding to the first irrigation system and a second graphical element corresponding to the second irrigation system. The user interface further presents a first interactive control panel for controlling the first irrigation system concurrently with the map view when the user selects the first graphical element, and presents a second interactive control panel for controlling the second irrigation system concurrently with the map view when the user selects the second graphical element.

Claims

1. An irrigation management system comprising:

a control system for controlling a first irrigation system that applies water in a first irrigated area and a second irrigation system that applies water in a second irrigated area; and

a user interface for enabling a user to configure the control system, the user interface presenting a map view of a geographic area including the first irrigated area and the second irrigated area, the map view including a first graphical element corresponding to the first irrigation system and a second graphical element corresponding to the second irrigation system, the user interface presenting a first interactive control panel for controlling the first irrigation system concurrently with the map view when the user selects the first graphical element, and presenting a second interactive control panel for controlling the second irrigation system concurrently with the map view when the user selects the second graphical element.

2. The system of claim 1, the first interactive control panel and the second interactive control panel each including controls for enabling the user to activate and deactivate movement of the respective irrigation system, select a direction of travel of the respective irrigation system, activate and deactivate a water dispensing function in each respective irrigation system, and set an automatic stop position for the respective irrigation system.

3. The system of claim 1, the user interface presenting only one of the first interactive control panel and the second interactive control panel at a time, such that selecting the second graphical element causes the first interactive control panel to be replaced by the second interactive control panel and selecting the first graphical element causes the second interactive control panel to be replaced by the first interactive control panel.

4. The system of claim 1, the map view depicting a shape of each irrigated area and a position of the irrigation system within the irrigated area.

5. The system of claim 4, the map view including an aerial image of the geographic area.

6. The system of claim 5, the aerial image being a satellite image of the geographic area.

7. The system of claim 1, the first graphical element and the second graphical element each indicating a current status of the respective irrigation system.

8. The system of claim 7, the status including whether the irrigation system is currently irrigating.

9. The system of claim 1, the user interface presented remotely from the irrigation systems via a computer network.

10. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface with a map view of a geographic area, the graphical user interface including a first graphical element associated with a first irrigation system located in the geographic area and a second graphical element associated with a second irrigation system located in the geographic area;

receiving a first input from a user indicating selection of the first graphical element;

displaying, in response to the first input, a first plurality of control elements concurrently with the map view, the plurality of control elements for enabling the user to control the first irrigation system;

changing operation of the first irrigation system in response to user interaction with the first plurality of control elements;

receiving a second input from the user indicating selection of the second graphical element;

displaying, in response to the second input, a second plurality of control elements concurrently with the map view, the second plurality of control elements for enabling the user to control the second irrigation system; and

changing operation of the second irrigation system in response to user interaction with the second plurality of control elements.

11. The method of claim 10,

the step of displaying the first plurality of control elements including displaying control elements for starting and stopping travel of the first irrigation system, for selecting a direction of travel of the first irrigation system, and for activating and deactivating a water dispensing function of the first irrigation system, and

the step of displaying the second plurality of control elements including displaying control elements for starting and stopping travel of the second irrigation system, for selecting a direction of travel of the second irrigation system, and for activating and deactivating a water dispensing function of the second irrigation system.

12. The method of claim 10,

the step of changing operation of the first irrigation system including starting travel of the first irrigation system, stopping travel of the first irrigation system, selecting a direction of travel of the first irrigation system, activating a water dispensing function of the first irrigation system, or deactivating the water dispensing function of the first irrigation system, and

the step of changing operation of the second irrigation system including starting travel of the second irrigation system, stopping travel of the second irrigation system, selecting a direction of travel of the second irrigation system, activating a water dispensing function of the second irrigation system, or deactivating the water dispensing function of the second irrigation system.

13. The method of claim 10, the map view depicting a location of an irrigated area corresponding to each irrigation system.

14. The method of claim 13, the map view further depicting a shape of each irrigated area and a position of the irrigation system within each irrigation area.

15. The method of claim 13, the map view including a satellite image of the geographic area.

16. The method of claim 10, the step of displaying the second plurality of control elements including removing the first plurality of control elements and displaying only the second plurality of control elements.

17. The system of claim 10, the step of displaying the graphical user interface including presenting the user interlace remotely from the irrigation systems via a computer network.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising displaying the graphical user interface via the Internet using the hypertext transfer protocol.

19. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

displaying a graphical user interface with a map view of a geographic area including a first graphical element associated with a first irrigation system located in the geographic area and a second graphical element associated with a second irrigation system located in the geographic area;

determining a first input is received from a user indicating the first graphical element;

displaying, in response to the first input, a first plurality of control elements concurrently with the map view, the first plurality of control elements for enabling the user to control the first irrigation system;

determining a second input is received from the user indicating the second graphical element; and

displaying, in response to the second input, a second plurality of control elements for enabling the user to control the second irrigation system.

20. The system of claim 19,

the operation of displaying the first plurality of control elements including displaying control elements for starting and stopping travel of the first irrigation system, for selecting a direction of travel of the first irrigation system, and for activating and deactivating a water dispensing function of the first irrigation system, and

the operation of displaying the second plurality of control elements including displaying control elements for starting and stopping travel of the second irrigation system, for selecting a direction of travel of the second irrigation system, and for activating and deactivating a water dispensing function of the second irrigation system.

21. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface with a map view of a geographic area including a first graphical element associated with a first irrigation system located in the geographic area and a second graphical element associated with a second irrigation system located in the geographic area;

determining a first input is received from a user indicating the first graphical element;

displaying, in response to the first input, a first plurality of control elements concurrently with the map view, the first plurality of control elements for enabling the user to control the first irrigation system;

determining a second input is received from the user indicating the second graphical element; and

displaying, in response to the second input, a second plurality of control elements for enabling the user to control the second irrigation system.