AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND CONFIGURATION OF FAULTS WITHIN AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20150081117A1
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SD Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skydrop, LLC
• Inventors: Romney, Matt, Endrizzi, Clark
• Granted Patent: US 9,912,732 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
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24033 Failure, fault detection and isolation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

The disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, systems, and computer program products for generating and optimizing irrigation protocols. The disclosure also extends to a system and method for the detection of faults or deviations from a baseline configuration in an irrigation system during operation in accordance with the disclosed methods, systems, and computer program products for optimizing water usage in growing plants for yard and crops.

Claims

1. A method for the detection of faults in an irrigation system during operation comprising:

powering on an irrigation system having operable irrigation components that are in electronic communication with an irrigation controller;

wherein the irrigation controller is configured for use as a component of a computer network, wherein the irrigation controller receives an operating protocol from an irrigation server over the computer network, said irrigation controller comprising a control unit and an irrigation adapter wherein the adapter is configured to actuate operable irrigation components that operate according to instructions issued from the control unit;

retrieving a baseline configuration from computer memory;

sensing a deviation from the baseline configuration;

identifying an operable component that is responsible for the deviation from the baseline and identifying the operable component as faulty;

stopping operation of the faulty operable component that is responsible for the deviation from the baseline in the current operating protocol; and

generating a new operating protocol that precludes the faulty operable component and storing the new operating protocol in memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the deviation from the baseline configuration comprises sensing a current draw.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseline configuration is a set of current draw values of operable components that are attached to the system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises identifying faulty operable components individually.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing a deviation comprises sensing an increase that is above a predetermined threshold in the irrigation system as compared to the baseline configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises retrieving a lookup table from memory and identifying a normal standard of operation of attached operable components.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the normal standard of operation comprises current usage values.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the normal standard of operation comprises values corresponding to operation of operable components.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises suggesting a group of identified operable components for selection by a user to remove the faulty operable component from the system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operable component is a solenoid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operable component is a sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the operable component is an expansion module.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises identifying subsequent faulty components.

14. The method claim 1, wherein generating the new operating protocol comprises communication with a supporting irrigation protocol server.

15. A system for the detection of faults in an irrigation system during operation comprising:

an irrigation system comprising plumbing and an irrigation controller, wherein the irrigation system comprises operable irrigation components that are in electronic communication with the irrigation controller;

an irrigation server connected to the irrigation controller over a computer network, wherein the irrigation controller receives an operating protocol from the irrigation server over the computer network, wherein the irrigation controller is configured for use as a component of the computer network;

wherein said irrigation controller comprises a control unit and an irrigation adapter, wherein the adapter is configured to actuate the operable irrigation components that operate according to instructions issued from the control unit;

a sensor that is in electronic communication with the irrigation controller; and

a baseline configuration of the operable irrigation components that is stored in computer memory, wherein a deviation from the baseline configuration within the irrigation system is sensed by the sensor, such that a measurable increase above or a decrease below baseline configuration results in the system sending a notification to a user regarding the sensed deviation establishing a fault in the system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operable irrigation components comprise an identifier such that the operable irrigation component responsible for the deviation from the baseline configuration is identifiable by the identifier.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a signal is sent to the controller from the sensor when there is a deviation from the baseline configuration turning off the operable irrigation component that is responsible for the deviation.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the current operating protocol is amended so as to bypass future operation of the identified operable irrigation component responsible for the fault.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a new operating protocol is generated by the irrigation server that precludes the operation of the identified operable irrigation component responsible for the deviation and storing the new protocol in memory of the controller.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the baseline configuration is a set of values of a baseline configuration of previously attached operable components.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises a lookup table that is retrieved from memory that identifies a normal standard of operation of attached operable components.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the normal standard of operation comprises normal operating values from a plurality of iterations of operating the irrigation system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the normal standard of operation comprises normal operating values corresponding to a plurality of iterations of operation of individual operable components.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein a group of identified operable components responsible for the deviation is suggested and output to a user for selection by the user.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the operable component is a solenoid.

26. The system claim 19, wherein the new protocol is generated by communication with the irrigation server.