LOCAL AND INTEGRATED REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RETROFITTING EXISTING ELECTRIC CENTER IRRIGATION PIVOTS

• US 20170055467A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lindsay Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lindsay Corporation
• Inventors: ANDREWS, REECE ROBERT, PICKERILL, DANIEL JAMES
• Granted Patent: US 10,021,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/092 movable around a pivot centre
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 9/12 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

A system and method for retrofitting an electric center irrigation pivot to have a standardized user interface and remote control functionality. A local control element having a standardized local user interface is installed at a pivoting point of the pivot by bypassing an existing control logic of an original control system while using an existing transformer of the original control system. A remote control element having a standardized remote user interface is also installed at the pivoting point of the pivot, and is functionally integrated with the local control element. A position-determining element is mounted on a movable portion of the electric pivot. Retrofitting multiple pivots provides each with the same standardized user interfaces. Because existing elements of the original control system are either bypassed or used, uninstalling the system and reverting to the original control system can be quickly and easily accomplished.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an electric center irrigation pivot, wherein the electric center irrigation pivot includes an original control system having an existing control logic , the system comprising:

a local control element configured to facilitate a user locally controlling a plurality of operations of the electric center irrigation pivot, the local control element being installed at a pivoting point of the electric center irrigation pivot and bypassing the existing control logic of the original control system;

a remote control element configured to facilitate the user remotely controlling the plurality of operations of the electric center irrigation pivot, the remote control element being installed at the pivoting point of the electric center irrigation pivot, and being functionally integrated with the local control element such that a change made via the remote control element is reflected in the local control element; and

a position-determining element mounted on a movable portion of the electric pivot and configured to determine and report a position to the local and remote control elements.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the local control element includes a standardized local user interface.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the standardized local user interface includes a plurality of selectable icons corresponding to plurality of operations.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote control element includes a standardized remote user interface which is configured to operate on a mobile electronic device.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the local control element also uses an existing transformer, existing forward and reverse contactors, an existing field wiring terminal block, and an existing disconnect component of the original control system.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the positioning-determining element uses global positioning system technology to determine the position.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to allow the user to control the plurality of operations of the electric center irrigation pivot differently across 360 sectors.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, and the system further includes—

a plurality of local control elements, with each local control element configured to facilitate the user locally controlling the plurality of operations of a respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, and each local control element including a standardized local user interface such that the retrofitted plurality of electric center irrigation pivots are all provided with the standardized local control interface;

a plurality of remote control elements, with each remote control element configured to facilitate the user remotely controlling the plurality of operations of the respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, and each remote control element includes a standardized remote user interface which is configured to operate on a mobile electronic device; and

a plurality of position-determining elements, with each position-determining element being mounted on a movable portion of the respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots and configured to determine and report the position to respective local and remote control elements.

9. A method for retrofitting an electric center irrigation pivot to have a standardized local user interface and remote control functionality, wherein the electric center irrigation pivot includes an original control system having an existing control logic, the method comprising the steps of:

installing a local control element configured to facilitate a user locally controlling a plurality of operations of the electric center irrigation pivot, the local control element being installed at a pivoting point of the electric center irrigation pivot by bypassing the existing control logic of the original control system, wherein the local control element has a standardized local user interface;

installing a remote control element configured to facilitate the user remotely controlling the plurality of operations of the electric center irrigation pivot, the remote control element being installed at the pivoting point of the electric center irrigation pivot, wherein the remote control element is functionally integrated with the local control element such that a change made via the remote control element is reflected in the local control element, and wherein the remote control element is configured to allow a user to remotely control and monitor operation of the electric center irrigation pivot; and

mounting a position-determining element on a movable portion of the electric pivot, wherein the position-determining element is configured to determine and report a position to the local and remote control elements.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further including, when it is desired to revert to the original control system, uninstalling the local control element and the remote control element and reconnecting the existing control logic of the original control system. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the local control element includes a standardized local user interface.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the remote control element includes a standardized remote user interface which is configured to operate on a mobile electronic device.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein installing the local control element includes using an existing transformer, existing forward and reverse contactors, an existing field wiring terminal block, and an existing disconnect component of the original control system.

14. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the positioning-determining element uses global positioning system technology to determine the position.

15. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the local and remote control elements are configured to allow the user to control the plurality of operations of the electric center irrigation pivot differently across 360 sectors.

16. The method as set forth in claim 9, further including—

installing a plurality of local control elements on a plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, with each local control element configured to facilitate the user locally controlling the plurality of operations of a respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, and each local control element including a standardized local user interface such that the retrofitted plurality of electric center irrigation pivots are all provided with the standardized local control interface;

installing a plurality of remote control elements on the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, with each remote control element configured to facilitate the user remotely controlling the plurality of operations of the respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, and each remote control element includes a standardized remote user interface which is configured to operate on a mobile electronic device; and

mounting a plurality of position-determining elements on the plurality of electric irrigation center pivots, with each position-determining element being mounted on the respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots and configured to determine and report the position to the respective local and remote control elements.

17. A method of retrofitting a plurality of electric center irrigation pivots to have a standardized local user interface and remote control functionality, wherein each of the electric center irrigation pivots includes an original control system having an existing control logic, the method comprising the steps of:

installing on each electric irrigation center pivot a local control element configured to facilitate a user locally controlling a plurality of operations of a respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, with each local control element being installed at a pivoting point of the respective pivot by bypassing the existing control logic of the original control system of the respective original control system, and wherein each local control element has a standardized local user interface such that the retrofitted plurality of electric irrigation center pivots are all provided with the standardized local user interface;

installing on each electric irrigation center pivot a remote control element configured to facilitate the user remotely controlling the plurality of operations of the respective pivot of the plurality of electric center irrigation pivots, with each remote control element being installed at the pivoting point of the respective pivot, wherein the remote control element is functionally integrated with the local control element such that a change made via the remote control element is reflected in the local control element, and wherein each remote control element has a standardized remote user interface such that the retrofitted plurality of electric irrigation center pivots are all provided with the standardized remote user interface; and

mounting on a movable portion of each electric irrigation center pivot a position-determining element, wherein each position-determining element is configured to determine and report the position to the respective local and remote control elements.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, further including, when it is desired to revert to the original local control system of one or more of the plurality of electric irrigation center pivots, uninstalling from each of the one or more electric irrigation center pivots the local control element and the remote control element and reconnecting the existing control logic of the original control system.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein installing each local control element includes using an existing transformer, existing forward and reverse contactors, an existing field wiring terminal block, and an existing disconnect component of the respective original control system.

20. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the standardized remote user interface is configured to allow the user to control the plurality of operations of the plurality of electric irrigation pivots using a mobile electronic device.