RAINFALL PREDICTION AND COMPENSATION IN IRRIGATION CONTROL
First Claim
1. A method of controlling irrigation, the method comprising:
- obtaining a barometric pressure (BP) profile corresponding to changes in BP over a period of time and corresponding to a location where irrigation is to be controlled;
determining a dew point factor (DPF) profile as a function of changes in temperature and relative humidity over the period of time and corresponding to the location where irrigation is to be controlled;
making a determination that a rain event is likely to occur as a function of both the BP profile and the DPF profile; and
generating, based on the determination that the rain event is likely to occur, a control signal configured to cause one or both of current and scheduled irrigation to be limited.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments provide methods of controlling irrigation, comprising: obtaining a barometric pressure (BP) profile corresponding to changes in BP over a period of time and corresponding to a location where irrigation is to be controlled; determining a dew point factor (DPF) profile as a function of changes in temperature and relative humidity over the period of time and corresponding to the location where irrigation is to be controlled; making a determination that a rain event is likely to occur as a function of both the BP profile and the DPF profile; and generating, based on the determination that the rain event is likely to occur, a control signal configured to cause one or both of current and scheduled irrigation to be limited.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of controlling irrigation, the method comprising:
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obtaining a barometric pressure (BP) profile corresponding to changes in BP over a period of time and corresponding to a location where irrigation is to be controlled; determining a dew point factor (DPF) profile as a function of changes in temperature and relative humidity over the period of time and corresponding to the location where irrigation is to be controlled; making a determination that a rain event is likely to occur as a function of both the BP profile and the DPF profile; and generating, based on the determination that the rain event is likely to occur, a control signal configured to cause one or both of current and scheduled irrigation to be limited. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system of controlling irrigation, comprising:
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a processor; a memory coupled with the processor and storing program code that when implemented by the processor causes the processor to; obtain a barometric pressure (BP) profile corresponding to a change in BP over a period of time and corresponding to a location where irrigation is to be controlled; determine a dew point factor (DPF) profile proportional to changes in temperature and relative humidity over the period of time and corresponding to the location where irrigation is to be controlled; determine that a rain event is likely to occur as a function of both the current BP profile and the current DPF profile; and generate a control configured to cause one or both of current and scheduled irrigation to be limited based on the determination that the rain event is likely to occur. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of controlling irrigation, the method comprising:
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predicting that a rain event is likely to occur at a site to be irrigated; generating a correction factor in response to predicting the rain event, wherein the correction factor is configured to be applied in adjusting one or more irrigation runtimes implemented by an irrigation controller at the site to result in one or more corresponding adjusted irrigation runtimes that are less than the corresponding one or more irrigation runtimes; determining whether a sensed amount of rain is received sufficient to compensate for an estimated amount of water that was not distributed because of an implementation of the one or more adjusted irrigation runtimes; calculating a compensation factor in response to determining the received amount of rain is insufficient to compensate for the estimated amount of water that was not distributed in the implementation of the one or more adjusted irrigation runtimes; and causing the compensation factor to be applied in subsequently adjusting the one or more irrigation runtimes. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A method, the method comprising:
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determining that a rain event is likely to occur as a function of at least a barometric pressure (BP) profile relative to a BP reference threshold and a dew point factor (DPF) profile relative to a DPF reference threshold; evaluating, as a function of two or more different predicted rain events, at least one of the BP reference threshold and the DPF reference threshold; identifying an inconsistency between a detection of an actual rain event and the at least one of the BP reference threshold and the DPF reference threshold; and adjusting the at least one of the BP reference threshold and the DPF reference threshold in response to identifying the inconsistency. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification