Domestic watering and agricultural irrigation control system

• US 5,465,904 A
• Filed: 12/03/1993
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald B. Vaello
• Original Assignee: Donald B. Vaello
• Inventors: Vaello, Donald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, KAREN MERRITT
• Application Number:
  US08/161,722
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 239/63, 239/64, 239/67, 239/69, 239/70
• US Class Current: 239/69
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

An improved watering/irrigation control system for use in conjunction with automatic domestic lawn and plant watering systems and/or automatic agricultural irrigation systems that utilizes historical rainfall data and/or predictive rainfall data or restrictive watering data for a determination of when standard timed periodic irrigation or watering operations should be interrupted or withheld given the existence of sufficient rainfall already on the ground or a sufficient likelihood that such rainfall will occur within a predetermined period of time such that the normal watering or irrigation cycle is made unnecessary. The invention utilizes a coded signal transmitted from a centralized location or through common carriers; such as, cable, telephone, paging services, or radio and television broadcast that is received and interpreted by a local unit and utilized to provide predictive rainfall or restrictive watering information to a processor that activates or deactivates the standard timed watering or irrigation cycle. Such predictive rainfall or restrictive watering information may be used alone in a system or is combined with or supplements historical rainfall data in a manner that provides a more efficient watering or irrigation cycle and creates fewer watering cycles that end up being unnecessary in view of concurrent rainfall. This historical rainfall data processing system may be used alone to control watering and irrigation.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the distribution of water for lawn care or for agricultural operations in an irrigation system, wherein said system utilizes measured rainfall data, predictive rainfall data and restrictive watering data to control said distribution of water and wherein said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data are received as a coded signal from a remote, centralized signal transmitter, said system, comprising:

a timer means for periodically activating a flow of water in said irrigation system;

a rain stat for obtaining measured rainfall data and a means for communicating a level of rainfall within said rain stat to a processor means;

a signal receiver capable of receiving a signal transmitted by said signal transmitter and capable of decoding said signal and a means for communicating said decoded signal to said processor means, wherein said decoded signal provides said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data;

a prediction percentage selector which can be preset at the percentage level for the chance of rain at which normal operation of said timer means should be interrupted when said predictive rainfall data exceeds said preselected percentage level;

said processor means utilizing said measured rainfall data, said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data to determine appropriate interruptions in said periodic activation of said irrigation system effected by said timer means;

wherein said processor means interrupts the normal operation of said timer means when at least one of said measured rainfall data and said predictive data exceeds a preselected level and said restrictive data indicates that watering restrictions are in effect which makes unnecessary a timed irrigation.

2. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein said system additionally comprises a rain stat override selector which can be preset to determine the number of days for which said normal operation of said timer means should be interrupted when said measured rainfall data exceeds said preselected level.

3. The irrigation control system of claim 1, wherein said timer means comprises:

an irrigation interval timer, said interval timer capable of deactivating said flow of water in said irrigation system after a preselected period of time within which said flow of water in said irrigation system was active; and

a periodic irrigation timer, said periodic timer capable of selecting a time period for which an irrigation cycle is repeatedly initiated;

wherein a combination of said interval timer and said periodic timer establishes a base line irrigation plan, wherein said flow of water in said irrigation system occurs at periodic times for specified intervals of time.

4. A system for controlling the distribution of water for lawn care or for agricultural operations in a irrigation system wherein said system utilizes measured rainfall data, predictive rainfall data and restrictive watering data to control said distribution of water and wherein said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data are received as a coded signal from a remote, centralized signal transmitter, said system comprising:

an array of irrigation lines arranged so as to provide water to said lawn or said agricultural operations when said distribution of water is activated within said irrigation system;

a valve array, said valve array associated with said irrigation lines and operative so as to activate or deactivate said distribution of water within said irrigation lines;

a timer means for periodically activating a flow of water in said irrigation system, comprising an interval timer capable of selecting a duration of said distribution of water in said irrigation system and a periodic timer capable of selecting a period of time between activations of said distribution of water;

a rain stat for obtaining measured rainfall data and a means for communicating a level of rainfall within said rain stat to a processor means;

a signal receiver capable of receiving a signal transmitted by said signal transmitter and capable of decoding said signal and a means for communicating said decoded signal to said processor means, wherein said decoded signal provides said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data;

a prediction percentage selector which can be preset at the percentage level for the chances of rain at which said normal operation of said timer means should be interrupted when said predictive rainfall data exceeds said preselected percentage level;

at least one rainfall bypass switch, said bypass switch capable of deactivating an otherwise activated flow of water as determined by said timer, said at least one rainfall bypass switch connected to both said rain stat and said signal receiver;

said processor means for utilizing said measured rainfall data, said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data to determine appropriate interruptions in said periodic activation of said irrigation system effected by said timer means;

wherein said processor means interrupts the normal operation of said timer means when at least one of said measured rainfall data and said predictive data exceeds a preselected level and said restrictive data indicates that watering restrictions are in effect which makes unnecessary a timed irrigation.

5. The irrigation control system of claim 4, wherein said system additionally comprises a rain stat override selector which can be preset to determine the number of days for which said normal operation of said timer means should be interrupted when said measured rainfall data exceeds said preselected level.

6. A method for controlling the distribution of water for lawn care or for agricultural operations in an irrigation system, wherein said system utilizes measured rainfall data, predictive rainfall data and restrictive watering data to control said distribution of water and wherein said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data are received by a signal receiver as a coded signal from a remote signal transmitter and decoded, comprising:

selecting a time period for periodic activation of a flow of water in said irrigation system;

selecting a time interval for duration of said activated flow of water in said irrigation system on a periodic basis;

activating a flow of water in said irrigation system for said time interval at said periodic times through activation of a valve array in said irrigation system;

obtaining said measured rainfall data from a rain stat, and obtaining said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data from said decoded signal from said signal receiver;

communicating said measured rainfall data, said predictive rainfall data and said restrictive watering data to a processor means;

comparing said measured rainfall data to a preselected rainfall level and comparing said predictive rainfall data to a preselected percentage level;

deactivating said time period for periodic activation when said measured rainfall data exceeds said preselected rainfall level, when said predictive rainfall data exceeds said preselected percentage level and when said restrictive watering data indicates that watering restrictions are in effect; and

resetting said preselected rainfall level upon initiation of a new periodic time period for periodic activation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said measured rainfall data is indicative of the level of rainfall measured within said rain stat.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said predictive rainfall data is indicative of the likelihood of rainfall in a geographic location over a selected period of future time.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said restrictive watering data is indicative of the watering restrictions in a geographic location over a selected period of future time.