SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RFID COMMUNICATION IN LANDSCAPE CONTROLLER WITH FEATURE MODULE
First Claim
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1. An irrigation system comprising:
- a back plane housed by a housing;
a control panel mounted to the housing and configured to enable a user to enter and/or select a watering schedule, the control panel comprising a memory configured to store an operational program that implements the watering schedule and a processor configured to execute the operational program;
at least one feature module configured to provide additional functionality not available without the at least one feature module, the at least one feature module comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to provide tag information;
an RFID tag reader configured to read the RFID tag and to communicate the tag information to the processor, wherein based at least in part on the tag information, the processor implements the additional functionality; and
station control circuitry configured to selectively energize a plurality of valves to deliver water to sprinklers according to the watering schedule, the station control circuitry further configured to be removably insertable on the back plane.
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Abstract
A feature module includes an RFID tag and a landscape controller includes an RFID reader. The RFID reader provides communication between the feature module and the processor of the landscape controller to provide additional functionality such as feature unlocking, user privileges, new features, module identification, module inventory, and health/history log.
23 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An irrigation system comprising:
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a back plane housed by a housing; a control panel mounted to the housing and configured to enable a user to enter and/or select a watering schedule, the control panel comprising a memory configured to store an operational program that implements the watering schedule and a processor configured to execute the operational program; at least one feature module configured to provide additional functionality not available without the at least one feature module, the at least one feature module comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to provide tag information; an RFID tag reader configured to read the RFID tag and to communicate the tag information to the processor, wherein based at least in part on the tag information, the processor implements the additional functionality; and station control circuitry configured to selectively energize a plurality of valves to deliver water to sprinklers according to the watering schedule, the station control circuitry further configured to be removably insertable on the back plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method to control a plurality of valves on an irrigation site, the method comprising:
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accepting inputs on a control panel from a user that enable the user to enter a watering schedule; storing the watering schedule in memory that is operatively connected to a processor configured to execute the watering schedule; providing a feature module that comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a housing configured to house the RFID tag, the feature module configured to provide additional functionality not available without the feature module; reading the RFID tag to obtain tag information; determining, based on the tag information, whether to access the additional functionality provided by the feature module; and selectively turning a power signal ON to a plurality of valves that deliver water to a plurality of sprinklers located on an irrigation site according to the watering schedule. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A landscape controller comprising:
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a housing; a control panel associated with the housing and including at least one manual control that enables a user to enter and/or select a watering schedule; a memory storing an operational program to implement the watering schedule; a processor configured to execute the operational program; a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to read tag information from an RFID tag when the RFID tag is near the RFID tag reader, the RFID tag associated with a feature module that provides additional functionality not available without the feature module, the RFID tag reader further configured to communicate the tag information to the processor, wherein based at least in part on the tag information, the processor accesses the additional functionality provided by the feature module; and station control circuitry controlled by the processor that enables the processor to selectively energize a plurality of valves to deliver water to sprinklers according to the watering schedule. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification