Misting and watering system controller with light sensistive detector

• US 5,647,388 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phytotronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phytotronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Butler, James R. Jr., Cobb, Robert E., Butler, Cynthia M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/556,270
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 137/78.3, 137/624.12, 137/624.2, 137/1, 239/64, 239/70
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86397 With independent valve controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86461 Variable cycle

Abstract

System and method for supplying water to plants. A photodetector detects light adjacent the plants and a threshold circuit generates a first signal representative of a first state when the level of illumination of the detected light is less than a threshold level and generates a second signal representative of a second state when the level of illumination of the detected light is greater than the threshold level. A processor is responsive to the first and second signals for anticipating approximately when the detected light will next change from the first state to the second state and approximately when the detected light will next change from the second state to the first state. A counter circuit responsive to the processor generates an initiate signal and a terminate signal. The counter circuit generates the initiate signal a first period of time before or after the anticipated change from the first state to the second state and generates the terminate signal a second period of time before or after the anticipated change from the second state to the first state. A valve control circuit, responsive to the initiate signal for beginning a sequence of alternating on and off periods and responsive to the terminate signal for ending the sequence, controls a valve arrangement which supplies water to the plants.

Claims

1. A method of supplying water to plants comprising the steps of:

detecting light adjacent the plants, said detected light having at least two levels of illumination corresponding to different states;

generating a first signal representative of a first state when the level of illumination of the detected light is less than a threshold level;

generating a second signal representative of a second state when the level of illumination of the detected light is greater than the threshold level;

anticipating in response to the first and second signals approximately when the detected light will next change from the first state to the second state and approximately when the detected light will next change from the second state to the first state;

generating an initiate signal and a terminate signal, said initiate signal being generated a first period of time before or after the anticipated change from the first state to the second state and said terminate signal being generated a second period of time before or after the anticipated change from the second state to the first state; and

supplying water to the plants in a sequence of at least one on period and at least one off responsive to the initiate signal to begin the sequence and responsive to the terminate signal to end the sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of detecting a change from the first state to the second state in response to the first and second signals, respectively, and detecting a change from the second state to the first state in response to the second and first signals, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of detecting a change from the second state to the first state includes detecting the change from the second state to the first state only after the first signal indicates that the level of illumination of the detected light has become less than the threshold level for longer than a first validation period and wherein the step of detecting a change from the first state to the second state includes detecting the change from the first state to the second state only after the second signal indicates that the level of illumination of the detected light has become greater than the threshold level for longer than a second validation period.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of timing a first interval corresponding to the duration of a previous first state and timing a second interval corresponding to the duration of a previous second state.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of validating the detected change from the first state to the second state, or vice-versa, when the sum of the first and second timed intervals corresponding to consecutive previous first and second states is within a predetermined range of time.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of determining the anticipated changes includes determining the anticipated change from the first state to the second state as a function of the first timed interval and determining the anticipated change from the second state to the first state as a function of the second timed interval.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of storing the first and second timed intervals corresponding to a predetermined number of previous first and second states, respectively, and wherein the step of determining the anticipated changes includes determining the anticipated change from the first state to the second state as a function of the average of the stored first timed intervals and determining the anticipated change from the second state to the first state as a function of the average of the stored second timed intervals.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of anticipating the changes includes determining the anticipated change from the first state to the second state to be approximately 24 hours after a previous change from the first state to the second state and determining the anticipated change from the second state to the first state to be approximately 24 hours after a previous change from the second state to the first state.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of bypassing the step of detecting light whereby the initiate signal is generated at a first desired time and the terminate signal is generated at a second desired time.

10. Apparatus for controlling a watering system for supplying water to plants in a sequence of at least one on and off period and at least one off period, said watering system including at least one valve connected to a water supply, said apparatus comprising:

a photodetector for detecting light adjacent the plants, said detected light having at least two levels of illumination corresponding to different states;

a threshold circuit for generating a first signal representative of a first state when the level of illumination of the detected light is less than a threshold level and for generating a second signal representative of a second state when the level of illumination of the detected light is greater than the threshold level;

a processor responsive to the first and second signals for anticipating approximately when the detected light will next change from the first state to the second state and approximately when the detected light will next change from the second state to the first state;

a counter circuit responsive to the processor for generating an initiate signal and a terminate signal, said initiate signal being generated a first period of time before or after the anticipated change from the first state to the second state and said terminate signal being generated a second period of time before or after the anticipated change from the second state to the first state; and

a valve control circuit responsive to the initiate signal to begin the sequence and responsive to the terminate signal to end the sequence.

11. A system for supplying water to plants comprising:

a photodetector for detecting light adjacent the plants, said detected light having at least two levels of illumination corresponding to different states;

a threshold circuit for generating a first signal representative of a first state when the level of illumination of the detected light is less than a threshold level and for generating a second signal representative of a second state when the level of illumination of the detected light is greater than the threshold level;

a processor responsive to the first and second signals for anticipating approximately when the detected light will next change from the first state to the second state and approximately when the detected light will next change from the second state to the first state;

a counter circuit responsive to the processor for generating an initiate signal and a terminate signal, said initiate signal being generated a first period of time before or after the anticipated change from the first state to the second state and said terminate signal being generated a second period of time before or after the anticipated change from the second state to the first state;

means, including a valve, for supplying water to the plants in a sequence of at least one on period and at least one off period; and

a valve control circuit responsive to the initiate signal to begin the sequence and responsive to the terminate signal to end the sequence.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor includes a state circuit responsive to the first and second signals, respectively, for detecting a change from the first state to the second state and responsive to the second and first signals, respectively, for detecting a change from the second state to the first state.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a timer for timing a first interval corresponding to the duration of a previous first state and for timing a second interval corresponding to the duration of a previous second state.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor includes a validation circuit for validating the detected change from the first state to the second state, or vice-versa, when the sum of the first and second timed intervals corresponding to consecutive previous first and second states is within a predetermined range of time.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor determines the anticipated change from the first state to the second state as a function of the first timed interval and determines the anticipated change from the second state to the first state as a function of the second timed interval.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a memory for storing the first and second timed intervals corresponding to a predetermined number of previous first and second states, respectively, and wherein the processor determines the anticipated change from the first state to the second state as a function of the average of the stored first timed intervals and determines the anticipated change from the second state to the first state as a function of the average of the stored second timed intervals.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the state circuit detects the change from the second state to the first state only after the first signal indicates that the level of illumination of the detected light has become less than the threshold level for longer than a first validation period and detects the change from the first state to the second state only after the second signal indicates that the level of illumination of the detected light has become greater than the threshold level for longer than a second validation period.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising a time-base circuit based on a 24-hour cycle wherein the processor is responsive to the time-base circuit so that the anticipated change from the first state to the second state is approximately 24 hours after a previous change from the first state to the second state and the anticipated change from the second state to the first state is approximately 24 hours after a previous change from the second state to the first state.

19. The system of claim 11 further comprising an override circuit for bypassing operation of the photodetector whereby the counter circuit generates the initiate signal at a first desired time and generates the terminate signal at a second desired time.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the threshold level corresponds to a level of illumination generally corresponding to dawn and dusk.