Sensor system

• US 4,936,333 A
• Filed: 02/06/1989
• Issued: 06/26/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ann S. Wachtler Separate Property Trust, First Westinghouse Ventures Corporation
• Original Assignee: AquaMetrics, Inc.
• Inventors: Bireley, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/306,160
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 239/64, 239/70, 137/78.3, 137/624.11, 137/624.12
• US Class Current: 137/78.3
• 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: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86397 With independent valve controller

Abstract

A includes a first capacitance plate, a dielectric covers a first capacitance plate, second capacitance plates are formed by moisture in an area. The capacitance value, dependent upon the second plate formation, controls the frequency of signals produced by an oscillator. This frequency controls the opening and closing of a first switch. A second switch is in a circuit with the first switch and a solenoid. The closing of the second switch is dependent upon the operation of circuitry energized by an alternating voltage. The alternating voltage is modified to extend the zero voltage level period which occurs at the zero cross-over in the negative direction. When this condition occurs, a pulse is generated by the detection circuitry and this pulse causes the second switch to remain closed. When the first switch operates to indicate no need to water the area, the solenoid is energized and an associated relay is opened. This causes a valve providing, in the open state for the watering of the area, to remain closed. The solenoid becomes de-energized to close the relay when either the second switch becomes opened to indicate a failure to produce pulses at the zero crossover or the first switch becomes opened to indicate a need for watering the area. When a button is manually operated, it prevents the pulses from being produced at the zero crossover time of the alternating voltage. This causes the second switch to open, the solenoid to become de-energized and the relay to close. The valve then becomes opened to obtain a watering of the area.

Claims

1. In combination for controlling the opening and closing of a valve regulating the watering of a particular area in accordance with the amount of moisture in the area,

a sensor for indicating the amount of moisture in the particular area,

first means responsive to the indications from the sensor for producing a first signal having first characteristics during times with less than a particular amount of moisture in the particular area and having second characteristics during times with at least the particular amount of moisture in the particular area,

a relay having first and second states of operation for operating the valve when the relay is in the first state of operation,

means for providing an alternating signal,

second means responsive to the alternating signal for normally providing a second signal periodically having first characteristics, and

means connecting the relay in a circuit with the first means and the second means (a) for obtaining an operation of the relay in the second state during the time that the first signal has the second characteristics and the second signal periodically has the first characteristics and for obtaining an operation of the relay in the first state during the time that the first signal has the first characteristics or the second signal does not periodically have the first characteristics.

2. In a combination as set forth in claim 1,

means manually operative to discontinue the periodic production of the first characteristics in the second signal.

3. In a combination as set forth in claim 2,

means responsive to the alternating voltage for providing the alternating voltage with particular characteristics,

means responsive to the production of the particular characteristics in the alternating voltage and to the production of the first characteristics in the relay for obtaining the periodic production of the second signal with the first characteristics, and

means responsive to the manual operation of the manually operative means for preventing the periodic production of the second signal with the first characteristics.

4. In combination as set forth in claim 2,

the sensor including a first capacitance plate and a dielectric and the moisture in the area defining second capacitance plates to form a capacitance with the first capacitance plate and the dielectric, and

the value of the capacitance controlling the production of the respective one of the first and second characteristics in the first signal.

5. In combination for controlling the opening and closing of a valve regulating the watering of a particular area in accordance with the amount of moisture in the particular area,

sensor means for providing signals having characteristics indicating whether or not the particular area needs additional watering,

means for providing an alternating voltage,

solenoid means normally energized by the alternating voltage,

means responsive to the alternating voltage for periodically checking the energizing of the solenoid means,

means connected in a circuit with the checking means for energizing the solenoid means during the time that the sensor means indicates that additional watering is not needed and the checking means periodically indicate that the solenoid means are being energized, and

relay means for opening the valve when the sensor means indicates that additional watering is needed or when the checking means fails to indicate periodically that the solenoid means are being energized.

6. In a combination as set forth in claim 5,

manually operative means for providing a watering of the area, and

means for overriding the periodic checking by the checking means to obtain a de-energizing of the solenoid means when the manually operative means is manually operated.

7. In a combination as set forth in claim 5,

the checking means including means for altering the characteristics of the alternating voltage in a particular manner in each cycle of the atternating voltage and further including means responsive to the altering in the characteristics of the alternating voltage in each cycle of the alternating voltage and to the indications by the sensor means of no need to water the particular area for energizing the solenoid means.

8. In a combination as set forth in claim 7,

manually operative means for providing a watering of the particular area, and

means for overriding the periodic checking by the checking means to obtain a de=energizing of the solenoid means when the manually operative means is manually operated,

the sensor means including a first capacitance plate and a dielectric covering the first capacitance plate and the water in the area constituting second capacitance plates and forming capacitances with the first capacitance plate and the dielectric to provide indications of the need of additional water in the area in accordance with the value of the capacitances.

9. In combination for controlling the opening and closing of a valve regulating the watering of a particular area in accordance with the amount of moisture in the particular area,

sensor means for sensing the amount of the moisture in the particular area,

solenoid means operable in energized and de-energized states,

relay means operative in open and closed states and associated with the solenoid means for operation in one of the open and closed states in accordance with the energizing and de-energizing of the solenoid means,

means for normally energizing the solenoid means to obtain an operation of the relay means in the open state, the relay means being constructed to be closed when the solenoid means is de-energized,

means for periodically testing the operation of the solenoid means to produce periodically a control signal during the time that the solenoid is being energized, and

means for connecting the sensor means and the periodically testing measn in a circuit to maintain the solenoid means energized during the time that the sensor means indicates no need for watering the area and the control signal is being periodically produced.

10. In a combination as set forth in claim 9,

means manually operative for preventing the periodic production of the central signal by the periodically testing means.

11. In a combination as set forth in claim 10,

means for providing an alternating voltage,

means for modifying the alternating voltage to provide a hiatus in the voltage at a particular instant in each cycle of the alternating voltage,

the periodically testing means being operative during the hiatus in each cycle of the alternating voltage to produce the control signal periodically during the time that the solenoid means is energized, and

the circuit means being operative to energize the solenoid means during the time that the control signal is periodically produced by the periodically testing means and the sensor means indicates no need for watering the area.

12. In a combination as set forth in claim 10,

means for providing an alternating voltage periodically having zero crossover positions,

means for interrupting the alternating voltage at a particular one of the zero crossover positions in each cycle of the alternating voltage,

means responsive to the interruptions in the alternating voltage at the particular one of the zero crossover positions in each cycle of the alternating voltage for receiving energy from the solenoid means to produce energy pulses, and

means responsive to the energy pulses for continuing to produce the control signal periodically during the time that the solenoid means is energized.

13. In a combination as set forth in claim 12,

means manually operative to discontinue the periodic production of the control signal and to obtain the closing of the relay means.

14. In a combination as set forth in claim 13,

the sensor means including a first capacitance plate and a dielectric covering the first capacitance plate and the water in the area forming a second capacitance plate and the capacitance formed by the capacitance plates and the dielectric having a value indicating whether the area needs additional water.

15. In combination for controlling the opening and closing of a valve regulating the watering of a particular area in accordance with the amount of moisture in the particular area,

sensor means for sensing the amount of moisture in the particular area,

solenoid means having energized and de-energized states,

relay means associated with the solenoid means to provide for an opening of the valve during the time that the solenoid means is de-energized and for a closing of the valve during the time that the solenoid means is energized,

first means for normally providing for an energizing of the solenoid means,

means connected in a circuit with the sensor means and the normally energized solenoid mean for obtaining a periodic checking of the energizing of the solenoid means by the circuit means to maintain the energizing of the solenoid means during the time that the first means provides for an energizing of the solenoid means and the sensor means indicates a sufficient amount of water in the particular area, and

means manually operated for de-activating the circuit means to obtain a de-energizing of the solenoid means.

16. In a combination as set forth in claim 15, the first means including:

means for providing an alternating voltage,

means for modifying the alternating voltage in each cycle to provide a particular change in the alternating voltage at a particular time in each cycle of the alternating voltage, and

means responsive to the particular change in the alternating voltage in each cycle and to the energy from the solenoid means for maintaining the relay means in the closed state unless the sensor means senses an insufficient amount of moisture in the area or there is not the particular change in the alternating voltage in each cycle of the alternating voltage.

17. In a combination as set forth in claim 15,

the manually operative means being operative to prevent the alternating voltage from being modified at the particular time in each cycle of the alternating voltage.

18. In a combination as set forth in claim 16,

the sensor means including a first capacitance plate and a dielectric covering the first capacitance plate and the water the particular area defining second capacitance plates and the first and second capacitance plates defining capacitances having a value dependent upon the amount of moisture in the area,

means including the first and second capacitance plates and the dielectric for producing signals at a frequency dependent upon the values of the capacitance, and

the first means being operative to obtain an energizing of the solenoid means dependent upon the frequency of such signals.

20. In a combination as set forth in claim 18,

means manually operative to prevent the control means from periodically producing the signal indicating the energized state of the solenoid.

22. In a combination as set forth in claim 20,

the regulating means being operative to produce a second signal upon each zero crossover of the alternating voltage in a particular direction,

the manually operative means including means responsive to the signals from the regulating means and to the energized state of the solenoid for introducing a voltage to the control means to continue to energize the solenoid.

24. In a combination as set forth in claim 22,

the sensor means including a first capacitance plate and a dielectric material and the water in the particular area producing second capacitance plates defining capacitances with the first capacitance plates,

the first means including oscillator means responsive to the values of the capacitances produced by the first and second capacitances plates for producing signals having a frequency representative of such capacitance values, and

the first switching means being operative in the closed state dependent upon the frequency of the signals from the oscillator means.

19. In combination for controlling the opening and closing of a valve regulating the watering of a particular area in accordance with the amount of moisture in the particular area,

a sensor for indicating the amount of moisture in the particular area,

first means responsive to the indications from the sensor for producing a first signal having first characteristics for occurrences less than a particular amount of moisture in the particular area and having second characteristics for occurrences at least equal to the particular amount of moisture in the particular area,

a solenoid for operating the valve, the solenoid having energized and de-energized states,

means for providing an alternating voltage,

control means responsive to the alternating voltage and to the energy from the solenoid in the energized state of the solenoid for periodically providing signals indicating the energized state of the solenoid,

means for connecting the solenoid, the first means and the control means in a conduit for continuing to energize the solenoid during the time that the control means periodically provides the signal indicating the energized state of the solenoid and the first means produces the first signal with the second characteristics, and

a relay for operating the valve, the relay having open and closed states and operable in the closed state to open the valve for the flow of water in the particular area, the relay being associated with the solenoid to become opened during the time that the solenoid is de-energized and to become closed when the solenoid is energized.

21. In a combination as set forth in claim 19,

regulating means for acting upon the alternating voltage to provide for an operation of the control means at a particular time in each cycle of the alternating voltage to periodically provide signals indicating the energized state of the solenoid,

the control means being responsive to the operation of the regulating means and to the energized state of the solenoid for periodically producing the signal indicating the energized state of the solenoid, and

the manually operative means being operative to de-activate the regulating means.

23. In a combination as set forth in claim 21,

the control means including first and second switching means each having open and closed states,

the first switching means being responsive to the signals from the first means to become closed when the signals from the first means have the second characteristics, and

the second switching means being responsive to the signals from the controls means to become closed when the control means produce the signals indicating the energized state of the solenoid.

25. In combination for controlling the opening and closing of a valve regulating the watering of a particular area in accordance with the amount of moisture in the particular area,

a sensor for indicating the amount of moisture in the particular area,

first means responsive to the indications from the sensor for producing a first signal having first characteristics during times with less than a particular amount of moisture in the particular area and having second characteristics during times with at least the particular amount of moisture in the particular area,

relay means having first and second states of operation for operating the valve when the relay means is in the first state of operation and for preventing the operation of the valve when the relay means in the second state,

second means for periodically testing the operation of the relay means to provide a second signal periodically having first characteristics when the relay means is operative in the second state,

third means responsive to the first means and the second means (a) for obtaining an operation of the relay means in the second state during the time that the first signal has the second characteristics and the second signal periodically has the first characteristics and (b) for obtaining an operation of the relay means in the first state when the first signal has the first characteristics or the second signal periodically does not have the first characteristics.

26. In a combination as set forth in claim 25,

means manually operative to discontinue the periodic production of the first characteristics in the second signal.

27. In a combination as set forth in claim 25,

the sensor means including a first capacitance plate and a dielectric covering the first capacitance plate and the water in the particular area defining second capacitance plates and the first and second capacitance plates defining capacitances having a valve dependent upon the amount of moisture particular in the area.

28. In a combination as set forth in claim 27,

third means including the first and second capacitance plates and the dielectric for producing signals at a frequency dependent upon the values of the capacitances, and

the second means being operative to obtain an operation of the relay means in the first and second states dependent upon the frequency of the signals from the third means.

29. In a combination as set forth in claim 28,

means manually operative to discontinue the periodic production of the first characteristics in the second signal.