Wireless irrigation control device and related method

• US 6,782,310 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Ensworth, Mark Murphy, Bailey, David Franklin, Mickels, Ronald Willard, Kass, Leon Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US10/029,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 700/284, 700/16, 340/539, 340/3.1, 361/179, 307/116, 137/624.11, 405/37
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering

Abstract

An irrigation control device (12) with a controller (14), antenna (16), power supply (70) and battery charging device (72), such as a solar array, all contained within a housing, such as a rotor body (90). The controller (14) receives signals through the antenna (16). The controller (14) updates one or more watering schedules stored in a memory module (32), based on the received signals, and generates control signals to execute a watering schedule. The battery charging device (72) recharges the power supply (70) and the irrigation control device requires no external electrical connections for power or control. Control signals are generated in a central controller (18) remote from the rotor (12), and are preferably transmitted to the rotor antenna (16) through a commercial paging or other type of public broadcast network (20, 22, 24).

Claims

1. A method for controlling a wireless irrigation control system having at least one wireless irrigation control device including a controller contained in a substantially sealed controller housing, and an antenna coupled to the controller and capable of receiving radio-frequency (RF) signals, and a rechargeable battery power supply contained in the housing to supply power to the controller and a water flow control device, the method comprising:

initializing the controller by means of a proximity switch contained within the housing;

recharging, as needed, the battery power supply using a battery charging generator;

broadcasting signals for reception by the initialized controller through the antenna;

decoding the broadcast signals received by the initialized controller and confirming that they apply to the particular irrigation control device associated with the initialized controller;

based on signals received through the antenna from time to time, and decoded in the preceding step, storing and updating at least one watering schedule in a memory module; and

based on the stored watering schedule, generating signals to control a water flow control device in accordance with the watering schedule.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of generating signals to control a water flow control device are directed to a device selected from the group comprising:

a rotor, a valve and a pump.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, and further comprising:

configuring the controller by transmitting signals to it from a handheld transmitter.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, and further comprising:

verifying that broadcast command signals have been transmitted to the wireless irrigation control device by receiving the same signals in a verification receiver.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, and further comprising:

determining a transmission latency time from the verifying step; and

transmitting a clock adjustment signal to the wireless irrigation control device, to compensate for the determined latency time.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, and further comprising:

displaying a condition of the controller in a display device associated with the controller.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of displaying a condition includes displaying a condition selected from the group consisting of:

battery condition, receiver status, and fault condition.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery charging generator includes an array of solar cells.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the proximity switch comprises a magnetic proximity switch.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the wireless irrigation control system includes a plurality of wireless irrigation control devices each including a controller contained in a substantially sealed controller housing, and an antenna coupled to the controller and capable of receiving radio-frequency (RF) signals, and wherein said broadcasting step comprises broadcasting signals applicable to more than one of said devices, each of said devices decoding the broadcast signals and confirming that they apply thereto.

11. A method as defined in claim 1 said broadcasting step comprises broadcasting signals from a central controller broadcast station.

12. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said initializing step comprises actuating the proximity switch with a handheld configurer unit then sending configuration information from the handheld configurer unit.

32. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 1, further including a visual status indicator coupled to the controller and integrated into the housing.

33. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 32, wherein the visual status indicator is indicative of at least one of the conditions selected from the group comprising:

battery condition, receipt of a control signal by the antenna, and a fault condition detected in the controller.

13. A method for controlling a wireless irrigation control system having a plurality of wireless irrigation control devices each including a controller contained in a substantially sealed controller housing, an antenna coupled to the controller and capable of receiving radio-frequency (RF) signals, and a rechargeable battery power supply contained in the housing to supply power to the controller and a water flow control device, the method comprising:

initializing the controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices by using a handheld configurer unit and actuating a magnetic proximity switch contained within the housing thereof;

recharging, as needed, the battery power supply using a battery charging generator;

broadcasting signals for reception by the antenna associated with the initialized controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices, said signals being applicable to more than one of said wireless irrigation control devices;

decoding the broadcast signals received by the initialized controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices and confirming that they apply to the particular irrigation control device associated therewith;

based on signals received through the antenna from time to time, and decoded in the preceding step, storing and updating at least one watering schedule in a memory module of the controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices; and

based on the stored watering schedule, generating signals to control a water flow control device associated with each of said wireless irrigation control devices, in accordance with the watering schedule.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step of generating signals to control a water flow control device associated with each of said wireless irrigation control devices is directed to a device selected from the group comprising:

a rotor, a valve and a pump.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, and further comprising configuring the controller by transmitting signals to it from the handheld unit.

16. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the battery charging generator includes an array of solar cells.

17. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein said broadcasting step comprises broadcasting signals from a central broadcast station.

18. A wireless irrigation control system, comprising:

at least one water flow control device;

at least one wireless irrigation control device coupled to said water flow control device and including a controller mounted within a substantially sealed housing, an antenna capable of receiving radio-frequency (RF) signals, a configurable microcontroller contained within the housing and coupled to receive and process signals from the antenna, a memory module contained within the housing for storing watering schedules established or modified by wireless signals received through the antenna, and a proximity switch contained within the housing and configured to initialize the controller;

a rechargeable battery power supply also contained within the housing, to supply power to the microcontroller and to the water flow control device;

means for actuating said proximity switch for initializing said controller; and

broadcast means for transmitting wireless signals for reception by the initialized controller through the antenna;

said controller decoding the received broadcast signals received by the initialized controller and confirming that they apply to the particular irrigation control device associated therewith;

said controller responding to the received broadcast signals for storing and updating at least one watering schedule in a memory module, and, based on the stored watering schedule, for generating signals to control said water flow control device in accordance with the watering schedule for reception by said antenna.

21. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18, and further wherein said proximity switch comprises a magnetic proximity switch installed in the controller housing and coupled to the microcontroller.

22. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 21, wherein the magnetic proximity switch is configured to perform at least one function from the group consisting of:

resetting the microcontroller, initiating a desired irrigation program sequence, and initiating a secured program sequence to allow system initialization.

23. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18, wherein the water flow control device is selected from the group consisting of a rotor, a valve and a pump.

24. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18, wherein the controller has RF reception capability to process both short-range signals transmitted from a location near the irrigation control device and longer-range signals transmitted through a broadcast system.

25. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 24, wherein the controller receives short-range and longer-range RF signals through separate receivers operating in parallel at different frequencies.

26. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 24, wherein the controller receives short-range and longer-range RF signals through a single receiver employing time-division multiplexing.

27. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18, wherein the microcontroller includes means for processing received signals indicative of real-time control commands directed to the water flow control device.

28. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 27, wherein the means for processing received signals includes means for scheduling ON and OFF times for the water flow control device.

29. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 27, wherein the means for processing received signals includes means for setting a real-time clock based on the received signals.

30. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 29, wherein the means for setting a real-time clock makes adjustment for latency of transmission through a public broadcasting system.

31. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 27, wherein the means for processing received signals includes means for adjusting irrigation control commands and sequences for the water flow control device.

34. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18, wherein said at least one water flow control device comprises a plurality of water flow control devices, and further wherein said at least one wireless irrigation control device comprises a plurality of wireless irrigation control devices coupled respectively to said plurality of water flow control devices;

each of said plurality of wireless irrigation control devices including a controller mounted within a substantially sealed housing, an antenna capable of receiving radio-frequency (RF) signals, a configurable microcontroller contained within the housing and coupled to receive and process signals from the antenna, a memory module contained within the housing for storing watering schedules established or modified by wireless signals received through the antenna, a proximity switch contained within the housing and configured to initialize the controller, and a rechargeable battery power supply also contained within the housing to supply power to the microcontroller and to the water flow control device associated therewith;

said broadcast means for transmitting wireless signals applicable to more than one of said wireless irrigation control devices, and each of said wireless irrigation control devices decoding the received broadcast signals to confirm that they apply thereto.

35. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18 wherein said means for actuating said proximity switch comprises a handheld configurer unit.

36. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 35 wherein said broadcast means comprises said handheld unit.

37. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 36 wherein said broadcast means further comprises a central broadcast station.

38. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 18 wherein said broadcast means comprises central broadcast station.

19. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim and further comprising a battery charge generator integrated into the controller housing and coupled to the battery power supply.

20. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 19, wherein the battery charge generator includes an array of solar cells.

39. A wireless irrigation control system, comprising:

a plurality of water flow control devices;

a plurality of wireless irrigation control devices coupled respectively to each of said water flow control devices;

each of said wireless irrigation control devices including a controller mounted within a substantially sealed housing, an antenna capable of receiving radio-frequency (RF) signals, a configurable microcontroller contained within the housing and coupled to receive and process signals from the antenna, a memory module contained within the housing for storing watering schedules established or modified by wireless signals received through the antenna, a proximity switch contained within the housing and configured to initialize the controller; and

a rechargeable battery power supply also contained within the housing to supply power to the microcontroller and to the water flow control device associated therewith;

means for actuating said proximity switch for initializing said controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices; and

broadcast means for transmitting wireless signals for reception by the initialized controller through the antenna of each of said wireless irrigation control devices, said wireless signals being applicable to more than one of said wireless irrigation control devices;

said controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices decoding the received broadcast signals received by the initialized controller and confirming that they apply to the particular irrigation control device associated therewith;

said controller of each of said wireless irrigation control devices responding to the received broadcast signals for storing and updating at least one watering schedule in a memory module, and, based on the stored watering schedule, for generating signals to control said water flow control device associated therewith in accordance with the watering schedule for reception by said antenna.

40. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 39 wherein said rechargeable battery power supply of each of said wireless irrigation control devices includes an array of solar cells.

41. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 39, and further wherein said proximity switch of each of said wireless irrigation control devices comprises a magnetic proximity switch installed in the controller housing and coupled to the microcontroller associated therewith.

42. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 39, wherein each of said water flow control devices is selected from the group consisting of a rotor, a valve and a pump.

43. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 39 wherein said means for actuating said proximity switch of each of said wireless irrigation control devices comprises a handheld configurer unit.

44. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 39 wherein said broadcast means comprises a handheld configurer unit.

45. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 43 wherein said broadcast means further comprises a central broadcast station.

46. A wireless irrigation control system as defined in claim 39 wherein said broadcast means comprises central broadcast station.