SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS IRRIGATION CONTROL WITH A REMOTE APPLICATION

• US 20150105921A1
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZBS Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: ZBS Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Shupe, Michael Edward, Bettcher, Jeffery Stephen, Zambai, Anthony Carlo, Shupe, Deborah Gail
• Application Number:
  US14/551,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for wireless irrigation control with a remote application. According to one embodiment, the system includes a processor and a plurality of interactive zone switches for connection to at least one irrigation device, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a state of the at least one irrigation device. A non-volatile memory is coupled to the processor and provided with processor executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch. There is at least one remote application to establish a schedule within the non-volatile memory for operation for each interactive zone switch and to receive the schedule from the non-volatile memory in response to a users desire to review or modify the schedule. A wireless network component is coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory and is in communication with the at least one remote application to schedule operation of at least one interactive zone switch and the at least one irrigation device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium on which is stored an application as a computer program for wireless irrigation control, the computer program comprising instructions which when executed by a computer system having at least one processor and a wireless network component performs the steps of:

providing a remote scheduler by providing a scheduling interface upon a display of the computer, the scheduling interface permitting a user to establish a schedule for a plurality of interactive zone switches coupled to a plurality of remote irrigation devices, and to directly control each interactive zone switch;

connecting to at least one wireless network irrigation controller, comprising;

a self containing housing substantially enclosing;

a processor;

a plurality of independently controllable interactive zone switches for connection to a plurality of remote irrigation devices, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a diagnostic state of each irrigation device;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor having processor executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch;

a wireless network component coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, further including:

connecting with the wireless network irrigation controller to retrieve a current schedule from non-volatile memory for display to the user;

permitting the user to review the current schedule, and in response to a user directed change to the schedule;

changing the schedule in the non-volatile memory.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the application permits the multiple zone activations of each switch per day.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the schedule for at least one zone is automatically divided across multiple activations per day.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the division of the schedule for at least one zone is by time interval.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, the non-transitory machine readable medium is provided to a user with the wireless network irrigation controller.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the schedule within the non-volatile memory of the controller is a master schedule, a plurality of remote applications harmoniously adjusting the schedule by retrieving the master schedule from the non-volatile memory before establishing a change to the schedule and uploading a new master schedule to the non-volatile memory.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the application receives notice of the diagnostic state of each irrigation device.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one wireless irrigation device is coupled to a water flow sensor, the application receiving notice of unintended or excessive water flow.

10. A wireless irrigation controller for control by a remote application, comprising:

a wireless network irrigation control module having a self containing housing enclosing;

a processor;

a plurality of independently controllable interactive zone switches for connection to a plurality of remote irrigation devices, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a diagnostic state of each irrigation device;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor having processor executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch;

a wireless network component coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory, wherein the wireless network controller is adapted for communication with a remote application providing a scheduler to establish a schedule within the non-volatile memory for operation for each interactive zone switch and to receive the schedule from the non-volatile memory in response to a users desire to review or modify the schedule, the application further permitting direct control of each interactive zone switch.

11. The wireless irrigation controller of claim 10, wherein the remote application is an application in a local area network apart from an Internet.

15. The wireless irrigation controller of claim 10, wherein the remote application permits the multiple zone activations of each switch per day.

12. The wireless irrigation controller of 10, wherein the remote application is provided by a computer in a local area network.

13. The wireless irrigation controller of 10, wherein the remote application is provided by at least one remote server accessed via an Internet.

14. The wireless irrigation controller of 10, wherein the remote application is provided by a smart phone, wirelessly communicating with the wireless network irrigation control module.

16. The wireless irrigation controller of 10, wherein the schedule for at least one zone is automatically divided across multiple activations per day.

17. The wireless irrigation controller of 16, wherein the division of the schedule for at least one zone is by time interval.

18. The wireless irrigation controller of 10, wherein the schedule within the non-volatile memory of the controller is a master schedule, a plurality of remote applications harmoniously adjusting the schedule by retrieving the master schedule from the non-volatile memory before establishing a change to the schedule and uploading a new master schedule to the non-volatile memory.

19. The wireless irrigation controller of 10, wherein the wireless network irrigation controller is further coupled to a water flow sensor.

20. A system for wireless irrigation control with remote application, comprising:

a wireless network irrigation control module having a self containing housing enclosing;

a processor;

a plurality of independently controllable interactive zone switches for connection to a plurality of remote irrigation devices, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a diagnostic state of each irrigation device;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor having processor executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch;

a wireless network component coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory;

at least one remote application to establish a schedule within the non-volatile memory for operation for each interactive zone switch and to receive the schedule from the non-volatile memory in response to a users desire to review or modify the schedule, the application further permitting direct control of each interactive zone switch and providing the user an option to automatically divide the schedule for at least one zone across multiple activations per day.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the schedule within the non-volatile memory of the controller is a master schedule, a plurality of remote applications harmoniously adjusting the schedule by retrieving the master schedule from the non-volatile memory before establishing a change to the schedule and uploading a new master schedule to the non-volatile memory.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the division of the schedule for at least one zone is by time interval.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the division of the schedule for at least one zone is by number of activations.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the wireless network irrigation controller is further coupled to a water flow sensor.