SMART SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140148959A1
• Filed: 08/14/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sustainable Savings LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael R. Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Michael R., Dickens, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 9,504,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations

Abstract

A sprinkler system is controlled to ensure that a given geographic area receives sufficient watering without being over-watered. The sprinkler system, capable of being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a desired daily watering schedule, is programmed to deliver the desired amount of water every day unless interrupted. Rainfall information is received, and a signal is sent to interrupt the sprinkler system, causing the sprinkler system to: a) follow a predetermined watering schedule when there is no rain, in which case the sprinkler system delivers the desired amount of water following a predetermined number of days, n, without watering, or b) increase n by 1 or more days if the rainfall information indicates at least one significant rain event capable of providing the desired amount of water, and c) return to a) when n expires.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a sprinkler system capable of being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a desired daily watering schedule comprised of watering zone start times and watering zone durations, the method comprising the steps of:

programming the sprinkler system to deliver the desired amount of water every day unless interrupted;

receiving rainfall information associated with the geographical location of the sprinkler system;

sending a signal to the sprinkler system to interrupt the sprinkler system, causing the sprinkler system to;

a) follow a predetermined watering schedule when there is no rain, in which case the sprinkler system delivers the desired amount of water following a predetermined number of days, n, without watering, or

b) increase n by 1 or more days if the rainfall information indicates at least one significant rain event capable of providing the desired amount of water, and

c) return to a) when n expires.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system is sent from a geographically remote site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power to the sprinkler system is interrupted or enabled on a daily basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed by one full day if the rainfall information indicates a significant rain event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple no-rain watering schedules are in effect for different daily time periods.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information is historical.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed if rainfall information indicates that the desired amount of water has been received in the last n days, where n is between 1 and 7.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information is forecast.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed if the rainfall information forecasts a high probability that the desired amount of water will be received as rainfall in the next n hours, wherein n is between 1 and 24.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed if an area forecast indicates that there is a strong probability of a significant rain event in the next 24 hours, or if weather radar indicates an existing or oncoming storm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information is a combination of historical and forecast information.

12. The method of claim 1, including the step of immediately delaying the predetermined watering schedule upon the occurrence of a significant rain event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sprinkler system is an electromechanical sprinkler system including a rotating dial with adjustable pins; and

the pins are adjusted to deliver the desired amount of water every day.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sprinkler system is an electronic sprinkler system including a programming interface; and

the system is reprogrammed through the interface to deliver the desired amount of water every day.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sprinkler system is an electronic sprinkler system including a programming interface enabling a plurality of different timing programs to be set for different watering zones; and

the different timing programs are reprogrammed through the interface to deliver the desired amount of water to each of the different watering zones on a daily basis.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information is radar-based.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information is derived through the Internet.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information includes soil moisture data associated with the geographic area.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the rainfall information includes rain gauge data associated with the geographic area.

20. The method of claim 1, including the step of using Zip Code information to determine the geographic area associated with the sprinkler system.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sprinkler system has a rain sensor input; and

including the step of providing an interface to the rain sensor input to follow or delay the predetermined watering schedule in accordance with the signal received to interrupt the sprinkler system.

22. The method of claim 1, including the step of interrupting electrical power to the sprinkler system in accordance with the signal received to interrupt the sprinkler system.

23. The method of claim 1, including the step of sending the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system through the Internet.

24. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

sending the signal from a remote site to an electronic module at the location of the sprinkler system through the Internet; and

wirelessly transmitting the signal from the electronic module to the sprinkler system.

25. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

sending the signal from a remote site to an electronic module at the location of the sprinkler system through the Internet; and

wirelessly transmitting the signal from the electronic module to a sprinkler system power controller via WiFi.

26. The method of claim 1, including the step of sending the signal from a remote site to the sprinkler system using a dial-up telephone connection.

27. The method of claim 1, including the step of sending the signal from a remote site to the sprinkler system using CallerID.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined watering schedule has the form;

do not water for x days, then water on the next day; and

the delay of the predetermined watering schedule has the form;

do not water for x+n days, then water on the next day, where n is between 1 and 7.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired amount of water, the predetermined watering schedule, or both, are determined through empirical observation associated with the effectiveness of the sprinkler system.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired amount of water, the predetermined watering schedule, or both, are determined through soil type, vegetation type, climate or other information with the geographic area.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein a remote site controls a plurality of sprinkler systems in the same or different geographic areas.

32. A system for controlling a sprinkler system capable of being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a desired daily watering schedule comprised of watering zone start times and watering zone durations, and wherein the sprinkler system is intentionally programmed to deliver the desired amount of water every day unless interrupted, the system comprising:

a processor receiving rainfall information associated with the geographical location of the sprinkler system; and

a communications interface connected to the processor, the communications interface being operative to send a signal to the sprinkler system to interrupt the sprinkler system, causing the sprinkler system to;

a) follow a predetermined watering schedule when there is no rain, in which case the sprinkler system delivers the desired amount of water following a predetermined number of days, n, without watering, or

b) increase n by 1 or more days if the rainfall information indicates at least one significant rain event capable of providing the desired amount of water, and

c) return to a) when n expires.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system is sent from a geographically remote site.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the sprinkler system is interrupted on a daily basis.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed by one full day if the rainfall information indicates a significant rain event.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein multiple no-rain watering schedules are in effect for different daily time periods.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information is historical.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed if rainfall information indicates that the desired amount of water has been received in the last n days, where n is between 1 and 3.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information is forecast.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed if the rainfall information forecasts a high probability that the desired amount of water will be received as rainfall in the next n hours, wherein n is between 1 and 24.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is delayed if an area forecast indicates that there is a strong probability of a significant rain event in the next 24 hours, or if weather radar indicates an existing or oncoming storm.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information is a combination of historical and forecast information.

43. The system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined watering schedule is immediately delayed upon the occurrence of a significant rain event.

44. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the sprinkler system is an electromechanical sprinkler system including a rotating dial with adjustable pins; and

the pins are adjusted to deliver the desired amount of water every day.

45. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the sprinkler system is an electronic sprinkler system including a programming interface; and

the system is reprogrammed through the interface to deliver the desired amount of water every day.

46. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the sprinkler system is an electronic sprinkler system including a programming interface enabling a plurality of different timing programs to be set for different watering zones; and

the different timing programs are reprogrammed through the interface to deliver the desired amount of water to each of the different watering zones on a daily basis.

47. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information is radar-based.

48. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information is derived through the Internet.

49. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information includes soil moisture data associated with the geographic area.

50. The system of claim 32, wherein the rainfall information includes rain gauge data associated with the geographic area.

51. The system of claim 32, wherein Zip Code information is used to determine the geographic area associated with the sprinkler system.

52. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the sprinkler system has a rain sensor input; and

including an interface to the rain sensor input operative to follow or delay the predetermined watering schedule in accordance with the signal received to interrupt the sprinkler system.

53. The system of claim 32, including apparatus to interrupt electrical power to the sprinkler system in accordance with the signal received to interrupt the sprinkler system.

54. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system is delivered via the Internet.

55. The system of claim 32, including an electronic module at the location of the sprinkler system interfaced to the Internet;

and

wirelessly transmitting the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system from the electronic module to the sprinkler system.

56. The system of claim 32, including an electronic module at the location of the sprinkler system interfaced to the Internet;

and

wirelessly transmitting the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system from the electronic module to a sprinkler system power controller via WiFi.

57. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system is sent via a dial-up telephone connection.

58. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal to interrupt the sprinkler system uses Caller-ID.

59. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the predetermined watering schedule has the form;

do not water for x days, then water on the next day; and

the delay of the predetermined watering schedule has the form;

do not water for x+n days, then water on the next day, where n is between 1 and 3.

60. The system of claim 32, wherein the desired amount of water, the predetermined watering schedule, or both, are determined through empirical observation associated with the effectiveness of the sprinkler system.

61. The system of claim 32, wherein the desired amount of water, the predetermined watering schedule, or both, are determined through soil type, vegetation type, climate or other information with the geographic area.

62. The system of claim 32, wherein at least the processor is located at a remote site to control a plurality of sprinkler systems in the same or different geographic areas.