Irrigation controller water management with temperature budgeting
First Claim
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1. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
- a. providing said controller with a preliminary irrigation schedule for a geographic location;
b. computing a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data wherein said local geo-environmental data does not include evapotranspiration data; and
c. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio.
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods for water conservation with irrigation controllers based upon the ambient temperature and extraterrestrial radiation of a particular geographical area. It receives a preliminary irrigation schedule from the operator and computes a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, then modifying the preliminary irrigation schedule based upon that ratio. The present invention utilizes fewer variables, is less complex, and is much easier to install and maintain than the current evapotranspiration-based controllers.
154 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
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a. providing said controller with a preliminary irrigation schedule for a geographic location; b. computing a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data wherein said local geo-environmental data does not include evapotranspiration data; and c. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
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a. providing said controller with a current date, an expected maximum temperature, a time frame for said expected maximum temperature, approximate latitudinal information, and a preliminary irrigation schedule; b. computing a water budget ratio from current local geo-environmental data and stored local geo-environmental data comprising the steps of; 1. computing a standard temperature budget factor from said stored local geo-environmental data by multiplying the expected maximum temperature by an extraterrestrial radiation value for the time frame of said expected maximum temperature at a latitude determined from said approximate latitudinal information, 2. computing a periodic temperature budget factor by multiplying an actual recorded maximum temperature taken over a previous predetermined time period by an extraterrestrial radiation value at said determined latitude during said predetermined period, and 3. computing said water budget ratio by dividing said periodic temperature budget factor by said standard temperature budget factor; and c. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for automatically adjusting irrigation watering schedules, comprising:
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a. an input device; b. a microprocessor including at least one data storage device having instructions for computing a water budget ratio using current local geo-environmental data and stored local geo-environmental data wherein said local geo-environmental data does not include evapotranspiration data; c. at least one temperature sensor; d. a power source; and e. at least one irrigation water output cutoff switch. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
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a. providing said controller with a preliminary irrigation schedule for a geographic location and approximate latitudinal information for the geographic location; b. computing a water budget ratio by comparing values in a table of current local geo-environmental data with values in a table of stored local geo-environmental data, said local geo-environmental data comprising extraterrestrial radiation (RA) values arranged by date and by approximate latitude, by 1. computing a standard temperature budget factor using said stored local Geo-environmental data by multiplying an expected maximum temperature for a time frame by an extraterrestrial radiation value for said geographic location; 2. computing a periodic temperature budget factor using said current local geo-environmental data by multiplying an actual recorded maximum temperature taken over a previous predetermined time period by an extraterrestrial radiation value for said geographic location during said predetermined time period; and 3. dividing said periodic temperature budget factor by said standard temperature budget factor; and c. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio.
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28. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
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a. providing said controller with a preliminary irrigation schedule for a geographic location; b. computing a water budget ratio by 1. computing a standard temperature budget factor by multiplying an expected maximum temperature for a time frame by an extraterrestrial radiation value for said geographic location; 2. computing a periodic temperature budget factor by multiplying an actual recorded maximum temperature taken over a previous predetermined time period by an extraterrestrial radiation value for said geographic location during said predetermined period; and 3. dividing said periodic temperature budget factor by said standard temperature budget factor; and c. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. An apparatus for automatically adjusting irrigation watering schedules, comprising:
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a. an input device; b. a microprocessor having instructions for computing a water budget ratio; c. at least one data storage device; d. at least one temperature sensor; e. a power source; and f. at least one irrigation water output cutoff switch, wherein said instructions comprise dividing a periodic temperature budget factor by a standard temperature budget factor, wherein said temperature budget factors do not include evapotranspiration data. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for automatically adjusting irrigation watering schedules, comprising:
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a. an input device; b. a microprocessor including at least one data storage device for storing local geo-environmental data having instructions for computing a water budget ratio using current local geo-environmental data and said stored local geo-environmental data wherein said local geo-environmental data does not include evapotranspiration data, and wherein said instructions comprise dividing a periodic temperature budget factor by a standard temperature budget factor to compute said ratio; c. at least one temperature sensor; d. a power source; and e. at least one irrigation water output cutoff switch. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
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a. providing said controller with a current date, an expected maximum temperature, a time frame for said expected maximum temperature, approximate latitudinal information, and a preliminary irrigation schedule; b. computing a water budget ratio by 1. computing a standard temperature budget factor by multiplying the expected maximum temperature by an extraterrestrial radiation value for the time frame of said expected maximum temperature at a latitude determined from said approximate latitudinal information, 2. computing a periodic temperature budget factor by multiplying an actual recorded maximum temperature taken over a previous predetermined time period by an extraterrestrial radiation value at said determined latitude during said predetermined period, and 3. dividing said periodic temperature budget factor by said standard temperature budget factor; and c. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio.
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39. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a. a memory for storing extraterrestrial radiation information arranged by date for an approximate latitude; b. at least one temperature sensor; and c. a processing unit connected to the memory and receptive of data from the temperature sensor, the processing unit operable to execute an irrigation application program which; 1. calculates a standard temperature budget factor by multiplying an expected maximum temperature for a time frame by an extraterrestrial radiation value from said memory; 2. calculates a periodic temperature budget factor by multiplying a recorded maximum temperature from said sensor taken over a previous predetermined time period and an extraterrestrial radiation value from said memory; 3. divides said periodic temperature budget factor by said standard temperature budget factor to arrive at a ratio; and 4. implements a watering program based on said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A method for controlling irrigation, comprising the steps of:
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a. measuring temperature data at a certain site; b. calculating a water budget ratio from the measured temperature data and from stored extraterrestrial radiation data relating to the site by 1. computing a standard temperature budget factor by multiplying an expected maximum temperature for a time frame and an extraterrestrial radiation value from said stored data; 2. computing a periodic temperature budget factor by multiplying said measured temperature data and an extraterrestrial radiation value from said stored data; and 3. dividing said periodic temperature budget factor by said standard temperature budget factor; and c. determining a watering program for the site based upon said ratio.
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42. A method for automatically operating an irrigation controller comprising the steps of:
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a. providing said controller with a preliminary irrigation schedule; b. entering the local latitude and expected summer high temperature; c. computing a water budget ratio by comparing a current high temperature with said expected summer high temperature; and d. modifying said preliminary irrigation schedule based upon said ratio.
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43. An apparatus for automatically adjusting irrigation watering schedules, comprising:
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a. an input device; b. a microprocessor having instructions for computing a water budget ratio using current local geo-environmental data and stored local geo-environmental data; c. at least one data storage device; d. at least one temperature sensor; e. a power source; and f. at least one irrigation water output cutoff switch wherein said instructions for computing a water budget ratio comprise dividing a periodic temperature budget factor by a standard temperature budget factor, wherein said microprocessor computes said periodic temperature budget factor by multiplying an actual recorded maximum temperature taken by said at least one temperature sensor over a previous predetermined time period and an extraterrestrial radiation value at a user-input approximate latitude during said predetermined period, and wherein said microprocessor computes said standard temperature budget factor by multiplying an expected maximum temperature entered by an operator by an extraterrestrial radiation value for a user-input time frame of said expected maximum temperature at said approximate latitude. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification