NETWORK ENABLED GARDENING WITH A REMOTELY CONTROLLABLE POSITIONING EXTENSION

• US 20150223415A1
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthi Abhyanker
• Original Assignee: Arthi Abhyanker
• Inventors: Abhyanker, Arthi
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/09 Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246

Abstract

A watering apparatus and associated methods and systems to enable networked gardening with a remotely controllable positioning extension are disclosed. In one embodiment, the watering apparatus includes a weather-resistant housing to encompass a micro-processor and a communications circuitry. In addition, the watering apparatus includes a weather-resistant camera communicatively coupled with the weather resistant housing through the communications circuitry. An input connector directs water through a partitioned channel from the weather-resistant housing responsive to a signal from the microprocessor through a pressure regulated valve. The watering apparatus is connected to a flexible extension coupled with the weather-resistant housing to automatically transport the water through the partitioned channel to a desired location within a central view of a focused angle of the weather-resistant camera. Further, the watering apparatus may be accessed through a mobile device through a network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the watering apparatus.

Claims

1. A watering apparatus, comprising:

a weather-resistant housing encompassing a micro-processor, a communications circuitry;

a weather-resistant camera communicatively coupled with the weather resistant housing through the communications circuitry;

an input connector to direct a water through a channel partitioned from the weather resistant housing responsive to a signal from the microprocessor through a pressurize regulated valve; and

a flexible extension coupled with the weather-resistant housing to automatically transport the water directed through the partitioned channel to a desired location within a central view of a focused angle of the weather-resistant camera.

2. The watering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the watering apparatus wirelessly registers a public and private Internet Protocol (IP) address with a local access point of a network through the communications circuitry.

3. The watering apparatus of claim 2 wherein the watering apparatus is accessed through a mobile device through the network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the watering apparatus.

4. The watering apparatus of claim 3 wherein the watering apparatus communicates a visual data of the weather-resistant camera including the focused angle and the central view to mobile device through the network, and wherein the weather-resistant camera repositions based on a reposition data received from the mobile device through the network when a haptic gesture is applied on a touchscreen of the mobile device.

5. The watering apparatus of claim 4:

wherein the watering apparatus to activate the water at a communicated pressure through the partitioned channel using the pressure regulated valve based on a trigger data received from the mobile device through the network, and

wherein the watering apparatus to deactivate the water through the partitioned channel using the pressure regulated valve based on a stop data received from the mobile device through the network.

6. The watering apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a rainfall sensor in the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate an amount of rainfall detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network;

a humidity sensor in the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a relative humidity detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network; and

a temperature sensor in the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a temperature data to the mobile device through the network.

7. The watering apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a solar panel affixed on an upper surface of the watering apparatus to power circuitry in the weather-resistant housing,

wherein a privacy server communicatively coupled with the watering apparatus through a network to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of the online community to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of an online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using the processor and the memory;

wherein the privacy server to generate a latitudinal data and a longitudinal data associated with each claimable residential address of the online community associated with each user of the online community,

wherein the privacy server to automatically determine a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using a Bezier curve algorithm of the privacy server,

wherein the watering apparatus to be constrained in accessibility only to those neighbors that are verified to live in a neighborhood boundary in which the watering apparatus is located, and

wherein the watering apparatus to function as a community resource in the online community such that neighbors verified as living inside the neighborhood boundaries and which are part of a gardening club of the online community can collectively take turns watering a community garden of the online community.

8. An irrigation system, comprising:

a weather-resistant housing encompassing a micro-processor, a communications circuitry;

a weather-resistant camera communicatively coupled with the weather resistant housing through the communications circuitry;

a mobile device to reposition the weather-resistant camera and to direct a water to a plant of a garden in a central view of the weather-resistant camera based on commands communicated from the mobile device to the microprocessor through a network.

9. The irrigation system of claim 8 further comprising:

an input connector to direct the water through a channel partitioned from the weather resistant housing responsive to a signal from the microprocessor through a pressurize regulated valve; and

a flexible extension coupled with the weather-resistant housing to automatically transport the water directed through the partitioned channel to a desired location within the central view of a focused angle of the weather-resistant camera,

wherein the watering apparatus wirelessly registers a public and private Internet Protocol (IP) address with a local access point of the network through the communications circuitry.

10. The irrigation system of claim 9 wherein the watering apparatus is accessed through the mobile device through the network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the watering apparatus.

11. The irrigation system of claim 10 wherein the watering apparatus communicates a visual data of the weather-resistant camera including the focused angle and the central view to mobile device through the network, and wherein the weather-resistant camera repositions based on a reposition data received from the mobile device through the network when a haptic gesture is applied on a touchscreen of the mobile device.

12. The irrigation system of claim 11:

wherein the watering apparatus to activate the water at a communicated pressure through the partitioned channel using the pressure regulated valve based on a trigger data received from the mobile device through the network, and

wherein the watering apparatus to deactivate the water through the partitioned channel using the pressure regulated valve based on a stop data received from the mobile device through the network,

wherein a privacy server communicatively coupled with the watering apparatus through a network of the irrigation system to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of the online community to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of an online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using the processor and the memory;

wherein the privacy server to generate a latitudinal data and a longitudinal data associated with each claimable residential address of the online community associated with each user of the online community,

wherein the privacy server to automatically determine a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using a Bezier curve algorithm of the privacy server,

wherein the watering apparatus to be constrained in accessibility only to those neighbors that are verified to live in a neighborhood boundary in which the watering apparatus is located,

wherein the watering apparatus to function as a community resource in the online community such that neighbors verified as living inside the neighborhood boundaries and which are part of a gardening club of the online community can collectively take turns watering a community garden of the online community.

13. The irrigation system of claim 9 further comprising:

a rainfall sensor associated with the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate an amount of rainfall detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network;

a humidity sensor associated with the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a relative humidity detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network; and

a temperature sensor associated with the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a temperature data to the mobile device through the network.

14. The irrigation system of claim 9 further comprising:

a solar panel affixed on an upper surface of the watering apparatus to power circuitry in the weather-resistant housing.

15. An irrigation method, comprising:

repositioning a weather-resistant camera wirelessly coupled with a remotely located mobile device based a haptic gesture applied on a touchscreen of the mobile device;

adjusting a water pressure of a channel partitioned between an input connector and a flexible extension of a watering tube based on a haptic gesture applied on the remotely located mobile device; and

directing a water to a plant of a garden in a central view of the weather-resistant camera based on a command communicated from the mobile device to a microprocessor communicatively coupled with the weather-resistant camera and to the watering tube through a network.

16. The irrigation method of claim 15 further comprising:

accessing the microprocessor through the mobile device through the network based on an access control policy configured by a user of an irrigation system associated with the microprocessor.

17. The irrigation method of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor communicates a visual data of the weather-resistant camera including a focused angle and the central view to mobile device through the network.

18. The irrigation method of claim 17:

wherein the microprocessor to activate the water at a communicated pressure through the partitioned channel using a pressure regulated valve based on a trigger data received from the mobile device through the network, and

wherein the microprocessor to deactivate the water through the partitioned channel using the pressure regulated valve based on a stop data received from the mobile device through the network.

19. The irrigation method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining an amount of rainfall detected by a rainfall sensor in the irrigation system on the mobile device through the network;

analyzing a relative humidity detected by a humidity sensor in the irrigation system using the mobile device through the network; and

suggesting a recommended water amount on the mobile device based on a temperature data detected by a temperature sensor in the irrigation system through a optimum garden algorithm applied though the mobile device.

20. The irrigation method of claim 19:

wherein the microprocessor and the weather-resistant camera is powered through a solar panel affixed to the weather resistant camera, and wherein the microprocessor, the rainfall sensor, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor are embedded in a weather-resistant housing of the weather-resistant camera,

wherein a privacy server communicatively coupled with the watering apparatus through a network to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of the online community to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of an online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using the processor and the memory,

wherein the privacy server to generate a latitudinal data and a longitudinal data associated with each claimable residential address of the online community associated with each user of the online community,

wherein the privacy server to automatically determine a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using a Bezier curve algorithm of the privacy server,

wherein the watering apparatus to be constrained in accessibility only to those neighbors that are verified to live in a neighborhood boundary in which the watering apparatus is located,

wherein the watering apparatus to function as a community resource in the online community such that neighbors verified as living inside the neighborhood boundaries and which are part of a gardening club of the online community can collectively take turns watering a community garden of the online community.