PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING MODULATION ASSISTED VALVES FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS

• US 20150351337A1
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul Francis Sabadin
• Original Assignee: Paul Francis Sabadin
• Inventors: SABADIN, Paul Francis
• Granted Patent: US 10,368,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3026 the controlling element being a gate valve, a sliding valve or a cock B05B1/3006, B05B1/326 take precedence; gate valves or sliding valves in general F16K3/00; cocks in general F16K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/74 driven by the discharged fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/042 with electric means, e.g. for controlling the motor or a clutch between the valve and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

The invention comprises a process and system for controlling a genus of valve, typically in a pipe network. The genus of valve is herein referred to as a modulation assisted valve (MAV). The process and system of controlling said MAV'"'"'s comprises a multitude of embodiments of such MAV'"'"'s as deployed in a plurality of network configurations of pipes, such networks of pipes further interconnected with means of modulating the fluid forces encountered by such MAV'"'"'s so as to assist in the actuation of such MAV'"'"'s. The coordinated modulation of fluid forces within embodiments of pipe networks enables MAV'"'"'s that are connected in common with the same pipe network to be controlled and actuated with reduced electrical energy consumed by said MAV'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A process of controlling a valve comprising:

a. Providing a valve, said valve having two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings, said valve having the purpose of modulating the flow of fluid through or pressure across said valve;

b. Providing a means for the valve to communicate and accept a command signal to change said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings;

c. Fluidly connecting said valve to a network of pipes;

d. Providing a means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve, said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve being physically distinct from said valve;

e. Fluidly connecting said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve to said network of pipes in such a way as to enable modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve;

f. Providing a means for the means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve to accept one or more commands to modulate the pressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve;

g. Commanding said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve to firstly modulate the pressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve in said network of pipes, the means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve affecting such first modulation, wherein fluid forces acting on said valve are modulated, for the purpose of physically assisting a change of the state of said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings of said valve by increasing or decreasing said fluid forces;

h. Commanding said valve to actuate a change of state of said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings of said valve, said valve affecting such actuation of said change of state of said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings with the assistance of said modulation of pressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve;

i. Commanding said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve to secondly modulate the pressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve in said network of pipes, the means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valve so affecting such second modulation, wherein the pressure or flow of fluid through said valve commences under said changed state of said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings of said valve; and

whereby said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings of said valve is changed by coordinating the modulation of external pressure forces on said valve with commands to actuate said valve resulting in the assisted actuation of said valve with reduced actuation energy expended by said valve.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said providing a means for the valve to communicate and accept a command signal is by providing a means of wireless communications, said wireless communications comprising at least one of radio frequency, ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light, sonic through air, sonic through ground, sonic through fluid, or other wireless means of communication.

3. The process of claim 1 further comprising collecting light energy at said valve for the purpose of supplying power for the actuation of said valve.

4. The Process of claim 2 further comprising collecting light energy at said valve for the purpose of supplying power for said means for the valve to communicate and accept a command signal

5. The Process of claim 1 further comprising said valve supplying at least one of water, nutrient fluids, fluid agricultural chemicals, or other fluids used to aid in the cultivation of plants.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising said first modulation or said second modulation modulating said pressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve to an off state, wherein said off state is the state of fluid modulation that effectively ceases the application of fluid pressure or flow across said valve.

7. A valve system comprising:

a. an enclosed conduit having an inlet port and an outlet port, said conduit having one or more modulation orifices between the inlet port and the outlet port, said one or more modulation orifices having the purpose of modulating flow or pressure of a working fluid through said conduit;

b. a stator attached to said conduit, said stator having a means of accepting electrical energy, said electrical energy being time-varying, said stator serving the purpose accepting electrical energy from said means of accepting electrical energy and to generate a magnetic field, said stator further having zero or more stator teeth, the zero or more stator teeth serving the purpose of spatially shaping said magnetic field, the zero or more stator teeth being spatially discrete or spatially continuous;

c. a gating mechanism comprised of one more parts and in contact with the working fluid and mechanically contained and movably positioned within the conduit so as to enable the modulation of flow or pressure of the working fluid through the one or more modulation orifices, said gating mechanism having one or more gate teeth, the one or more gate teeth being spatially discrete or spatially continuous, the one or more gate teeth having the purpose of interacting with said magnetic field and transmitting mechanical force from the magnetic field to hold or move part or all of the gating mechanism in or to one of two or more discrete or continuous gate positions with respect to the one or more modulation orifices, the two or more discrete or continuous gate positions intended modulate fluid flow or pressure through the one or more modulation orifices, said gating mechanism further structured such that modulating the flow or differential pressure of the working fluid across the inlet port and outlet port of said conduit by said means of modulating the flow or differential pressure of the working fluid across the inlet port and outlet port of said conduit preferentially moves, holds, or leaves undisturbed, the gating mechanism in one of two or more gate hydraulic positions with respect to the one or more modulation orifices, wherein which of the two or more gate hydraulic positions is stably held, moved to, or left undisturbed is determined by one or both of the initial position of the two or more discrete or continuous gate positions and the direction and or magnitude of the flow or differential pressure applied at the time of modulating such flow, thus further modulating such flow in the conduit by said gating mechanism;

d. at least one means of modulating the flow or differential pressure of the working fluid across the inlet port and outlet port of said conduit, said at least one means of modulating the flow being for the purpose of modulating fluid forces on said gating mechanism, said means of modulating flow being physically distinct, but fluidly connected to, and in fluid communication with said conduit; and

whereby modulating the fluid forces acting on said gating mechanism assists in changing the position of said two or more gate hydraulic positions, the changed gate hydraulic position further enabling the modulation of fluid flow or pressure through said conduit by the obscuration of said one or more modulation orifices by said gating mechanism.

8. The valve system of claim 7 further comprising

a. at least one energy storage device, at least one of said at least one energy storage devices being in electrical communication with said means of accepting electrical energy, said at least one energy storage device being at least one of an electro-chemical battery and a capacitor;

b. at least one means of harvesting and converting light energy to electrical energy, at least one of said at least one means of harvesting and converting light energy being in electrical communication with at least one of said at least one energy storage devices;

c. a computer, said computer being in electrical communication with at least one of said at least one energy storage devices, said computer being electronically attached to and enabled to control said means of accepting electrical energy, said computer being for the purpose of controlling the modulation of said magnetic field generated by said stator;

d. a means of accepting command signals, said means of accepting command signals being in electrical communication with said computer, said means of accepting command signals being in electrical communication with at least one of said at least one energy storage devices, said command signals being for the interpretation by said computer for the purpose of controlling the modulation of said magnetic field, wherein said means of accepting command signals is comprised of a wireless communications apparatus, said wireless communications apparatus using at least one of radio frequency energy, modulated light energy, sonic energy through air, sonic energy through ground, and sonic energy through fluid; and

whereby said at least one means of harvesting and converting light energy to electrical energy are the only means of supplying electrical power for generation of said magnetic field.

9. The valve system of claim 7 further comprising a means of accepting command signals, said means of accepting command signals being electrically connected to said means of accepting electrical energy, said means of accepting command signals being for the purpose of supplying energy for and temporally modulating said magnetic field, wherein said means of accepting command signals is comprised of a means of electrical communication over wires.

10. The valve system of claim 7 wherein at least one of said at least one means of modulating the flow or differential pressure of the working fluid is a valve.

11. The valve system of claim 7 wherein the working fluid is any fluid used in the cultivation of plants.

12. An automated animal portal system comprising

a. a base structure;

b. a portal barrier mechanism movably attached to said base structure;

c. at least one photovoltaic array, said at least one photovoltaic array being attached to said base structure or attached to said portal barrier mechanism, said at least one photovoltaic array being for the purpose of generating electrical power from light, said at least one photovoltaic array being essentially the only means of generating operational power for said automated animal portal system;

d. one or more electrical latches attached to said base structure or attached with said portal barrier mechanism, said one or more electrical latches being for the purpose of latching or unlatching said portal barrier mechanism in an open position or in a closed position so to impede or allow movement of said portal barrier mechanism with respect to said base structure;

e. at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device being at least one of an electro-chemical battery and a capacitor, said at least one energy storage device being attached near said portal barrier mechanism, at least one of said at least one energy storage devices being in electrical communication with at least one of said at least one photovoltaic arrays, said at least one of said at least one energy storage device supplying actuation energy to said one or more electrical latches, said at least one energy storage devices being essentially the only means of storing operational energy for said automated animal portal system;

f. a computer in electrical communication with and powered by energy stored in one of said at least one energy storage device, said computer being in electrical communication with a digital memory, said computer being in electrical communication with a timekeeping clock, said computer further in electrical communication with said one or more electrical latches and enabled to control the actuation of said one or more electrical latches based on time data in said timekeeping clock, a program and a time schedule, said program and said time schedule being resident in said memory of said computer;

g. a transceiver, said transceiver being in electrical communication with said computer, said transceiver being for the purpose of receiving radio frequency communications from an external transceiver, the purpose of said communications being to communicate said program and said time schedule and other control information to said computer; and

whereby said automated animal portal system is operated under said time schedule essentially using only the power generated by said at least one photovoltaic array.

13. The automated animal portal system of claim 12 further comprising at least one proximity sensor attached near said portal barrier mechanism, each of said at least one proximity sensor being in communication with said computer, each of said at least one proximity sensor each being independently capable of sensing the presence of a nearby animal and eliciting a signal based on the presence of said nearby animal, said computer receiving said signal and latching or unlatching said portal barrier mechanism based, in part, on at least one of reception of at least one of said signals and, reception of at least one of said signals and said time schedule.

14. The portal system of claim 13 wherein said proximity sensor is at least one of radio frequency identification sensor, radio frequency receiver, passive infrared sensor, magnetic field sensor, ultrasonic sensor, optical sensor, photocell, camera.

15. The automated animal portal system of claim 14 being further comprised of an animal tag, said animal tag being fixed to an animal, said animal tag being for the purpose of generating a physical signal proximal to said animal, said signal being sensed by said proximity sensor, wherein said animal tag is at least one of radio frequency identification transponder, radio frequency transmitter, and a magnet.