Automated Control System

• US 20170273259A1
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Eng, Adam D., Goodwin, Pat W., Heffner, James A., Nervick, Kevin, Vaillancourt, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,555,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a method that may include receiving a watering restriction for a location, detecting that a sprinkler controller is associated with a property within the location, and transmitting, to the sprinkler controller, the watering restriction. Additionally, a method may include receiving, at a sprinkler controller, a watering restriction for a location, the sprinkler controller associated with a property within the location, and adjusting, in response to the watering restriction, a sprinkling schedule for the property. Furthermore, a method may include receiving weather prediction information associated with a property, updating, in response to the weather prediction information, a sprinkling schedule for a sprinkler system associated with the property, receiving, after a time period, updated weather prediction information for the property, and updating the sprinkling schedule based on a comparison between the sprinkling schedule and the weather prediction information over the time period.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a water sensor measurement from a first sprinkler controller;

determining, by the computing device, that the water sensor measurement satisfies a threshold;

determining an association between the first sprinkler controller and a second sprinkler controller; and

transmitting, by the computing device to the second sprinkler controller and based on the determining that the water sensor measurement satisfies the threshold, a first message indicating an adjustment to a sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the adjustment to the sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller based on the water sensor measurement received from the first sprinkler controller.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the water sensor measurement comprises a water runoff measurement.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the water sensor measurement comprises a water infiltration measurement.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the water sensor measurement comprises a water percolation measurement.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the water sensor measurement comprises a water saturation measurement.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the water sensor measurement comprises a water-usage rate.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device to the first sprinkler controller and based on the determining, a second message indicating an adjustment to a sprinkling schedule of the first sprinkler controller.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first sprinkler controller is associated with a first region within a geographic location, and wherein the second sprinkler controller is associated with a second region within the geographic location.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

comparing a first soil type of the first region and a second soil type of the second region; and

determining the adjustment to the sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller based on the comparing.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the first sprinkler controller is associated with a first zone within a first property, and the second sprinkler controller is associated with a second zone within the first property.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is based upon a watering restriction for a geographic location associated with the second sprinkler controller.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first sprinkler controller, a water sensor measurement;

determining, by the first sprinkler controller, that the water sensor measurement satisfies a threshold;

determining a second sprinkler controller having an association with the first sprinkler controller; and

transmitting, by the first sprinkler controller to the second sprinkler controller and based on the determining that the water sensor measurement satisfies the threshold, a message indicating an adjustment to a sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the adjustment to the sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller based on the water sensor measurement.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the water sensor measurement comprises at least one of:

a water runoff measurement, a water infiltration measurement, a water percolation measurement, a water saturation measurement, or a water-usage rate.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first sprinkler controller is associated with a first region within a geographic location, and wherein the second sprinkler controller is associated with a second region within the geographic location.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, water sensor information from a first sprinkler controller, wherein water sensor information indicates at least one measurement associated with water;

determining, by the computing device, to adjust a sprinkling schedule of a second sprinkler controller based on the water sensor information and an association between the first sprinkler controller and the second sprinkler controller;

transmitting, by the computing device to the second sprinkler controller and based on the determining, a first message indicating an adjustment to the sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining to adjust the sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller comprises:

determining the adjustment to the sprinkling schedule of the second sprinkler controller based on the water sensor information received from the first sprinkler controller.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the water sensor information comprises at least one of:

a water runoff reading, a water infiltration reading, a water percolation reading, a water saturation reading, or a water-usage rate.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first sprinkler controller is associated with a first region within a geographic location, and wherein the second sprinkler controller is associated with a second region within the geographic location.