System and method for use in controlling irrigation and compensating for rain

• US 7,229,026 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Evelyn-Veere, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORMAN, DARREN W
• Application Number:
  US10/966,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20050082382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 239/11, 239/63, 239/65, 239/69, 239/64, 239/67, 239/68, 239/70, 239/71, 239/723, 137/78.2, 137/78.3, 700/284, 700/283
• US Class Current: 239/11
• 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

Abstract

The present embodiments provide methods and system for use in irrigating and controlling irrigation. In some embodiments, a method pauses irrigation at a field station when an amount of rain detected exceeds a first threshold, detects an indication of an amount of rain received after the pausing, resumes irrigation, and reduces a station runtime corresponding to the amount of the rain received after pausing. Some methods determine when an amount of rain received exceeds a first threshold and pause irrigation from a field station, and determine when the amount of rain received exceeds a second threshold and stop irrigation from the field station. Some embodiments provide systems that comprise a field station, a rain detector, and a controller that monitors detected rain and pauses irrigation when a first threshold of rain is detected and shuts down irrigation when a second threshold of rain is detected.

Claims

1. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

determining when an amount of rain received exceeds a first threshold;

pausing irrigation from a field station when the amount of rain exceeds the first threshold;

determining when the amount of rain received exceeds a second threshold;

stopping irrigation from the field station when the amount of rain exceeds the second threshold;

determining whether a pause threshold of time has expired in the event the amount of rain received does not exceed the second threshold; and

resuming the irrigation from the field station when the pause threshold time has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

determining an amount of rain received prior to the resuming irrigation; and

reducing a station runtime of the field station by an amount corresponding to the amount of rain received prior to the resuming irrigation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a rain irrigation runtime of an effective amount of rain received prior to the resuming irrigation; and

the reducing the station runtime comprises reducing the station runtime by the rain irrigation runtime.

4. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

determining when an amount of rain received exceeds a first threshold;

pausing irrigation from a field station when the amount of rain exceeds the first threshold;

determining when the amount of rain received exceeds a second threshold;

stopping irrigation from the field station when the amount of rain exceeds the second threshold;

receiving an evapotranspiration value;

determining a net evapotranspiration value by adjusting the evapotranspiration value proportional to an amount of rain received prior to launching programmed irrigation from the field station; and

determining a station runtime corresponding to the net evapotranspiration.

5. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

determining when an amount of rain received exceeds a first threshold;

pausing irrigation from a field station when the amount of rain exceeds the first threshold;

determining when the amount of rain received exceeds a second threshold;

stopping irrigation from the field station when the amount of rain exceeds the second threshold;

determining a rain watch window of time; and

eliminating detected rain that was detected outside the rain watch window of time from the determining when the amount of rain received that exceeds the first threshold and the determining when the amount of rain received that exceeds the second threshold.

6. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

pausing irrigation at a field station when an amount of rain detected exceeds a first threshold;

detecting an indication of an amount of rain received after the pausing;

resuming irrigation at the field station;

reducing a station runtime corresponding to the amount of the rain received after the pausing;

receiving an evapotranspiration value;

detecting an indication of an amount of rain received after receiving the evapotranspiration value;

adjusting the evapotranspiration value by an amount proportional to the amount of rain received after receiving the evapotranspiration value defining a net evapotranspiration value; and

determining the station runtime for the field station based on the net evapotranspiration value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reducing the station runtime further comprises:

determining a time-to-runoff relative to the field station;

determining whether the amount of rain received after receiving the evapotranspiration value exceeds the time-to-runoff;

reducing the amount of rain received after receiving the evapotranspiration value by an amount of rain that exceeds the time-to-runoff when the amount of rain received after receiving the evapotranspiration value exceeds the time-to-runoff; and

the adjusting the evapotranspiration value comprises adjusting the evapotranspiration value by the reduced amount of rain.

8. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

pausing irrigation at a field station when an amount of rain detected exceeds a first threshold;

detecting an indication of an amount of rain received after the pausing;

resuming irrigation at the field station;

reducing a station runtime corresponding to the amount of the rain received after the pausing;

determining an irrigation rate for the field station;

calculating a rain irrigation runtime based on the amount of the rain received after the pausing and the irrigation rate for the field station;

the reducing the station runtime comprises reducing the station runtime by the rain irrigation runtime;

determining a time-to-runoff relative to the field station;

determining an amount of rain received after the pausing that exceeds the time-to-runoff;

defining an adjusted amount of rain received after the pausing by reducing the amount of rain received after the pausing by the amount of rain exceeding the time-to-runoff; and

the calculating the rain irrigation runtime comprises calculating the rain irrigation runtime based on the adjusted amount of the rain received after the pausing and the irrigation rate for the field station.

9. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

pausing irrigation at a field station when an amount of rain detected exceeds a first threshold;

detecting an indication of an amount of rain received after the pausing;

resuming irrigation at the field station;

reducing a station runtime corresponding to the amount of the rain received after the pausing;

determining a rain watch window of time; and

the reducing the station runtime comprises reducing the station runtime by the amount of the rain received prior to an expiration of the rain watch window.

10. A system for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

a controller;

a field station coupled with the controller, wherein the controller activates the field station to irrigate;

a first switch coupled with the field station, where the first switch transitions when an amount of rain detected exceeds a first threshold causing the field station to pause the irrigating; and

a second switch coupled with the field station, where the second switch transitions when an amount of rain detected exceeds a second threshold causing the field station to stop the irrigating.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a bypass switch coupled across the first switch;

a timer coupled with the bypass switch, and the timer activates the bypass switch to bypass the first switch when a pause time expires causing the field station to resume irrigating in the event the amount of rain received does not exceed the second threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a rain detector coupled with the controller to identify an amount of rain detected prior to the field station resuming irrigating, wherein the controller adjusts a station runtime of the field station corresponding to the amount of rain detected prior to the field station resuming irrigating.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first switch again transitions when rain is no longer detected causing the field station to resume the irrigating in the event the amount of rain received does not exceed the second threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller adjusts a station runtime of the field station corresponding to an amount of rain detected prior to the field station resuming irrigating.

15. A system for use in irrigation, comprising:

a controller;

a field station coupled with the controller such that the controller controls irrigation through the field station; and

a rain detector coupled with the controller such that the controller monitors an amount of rain detected through the rain detector;

wherein the controller pauses irrigation from the field station when a first threshold amount of rain is detected and shuts down irrigation from the field station when a second threshold amount of rain is detected; and

wherein the controller comprises a timer such that the controller further resumes irrigation through the field station when a pause threshold of time has expired.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller further comprises a rain compensator that determines a rain irrigation runtime proportional to an amount of rain received prior to the expiration of the pause threshold of time, such that the controller reduces the runtime of the field station by the rain irrigation runtime.

17. A system for use in irrigation, comprising:

a controller;

a field station coupled with the controller such that the controller controls irrigation through the field station; and

a rain detector coupled with the controller such that the controller monitors an amount of rain detected through the rain detector;

wherein the controller pauses irrigation from the field station when a first threshold amount of rain is detected and shuts down irrigation from the field station when a second threshold amount of rain is detected;

wherein the controller further comprises an evapotranspiration evaluator, wherein the evapotranspiration evaluator receives an evapotranspiration value and determines a station runtime for the field station proportional to the evapotranspiration value; and

wherein the controller further comprises a rainfall compensation calculator that determines a rain irrigation runtime according to the amount of rain received prior to the resuming irrigation, and the field station controller adjusts the station runtime by the rain irrigation runtime.

18. A system for use in irrigation, comprising:

a controller;

a field station coupled with the controller such that the controller controls irrigation through the field station; and

a rain detector coupled with the controller such that the controller monitors an amount of rain detected through the rain detector;

wherein the controller pauses irrigation from the field station when a first threshold amount of rain is detected and shuts down irrigation from the field station when a second threshold amount of rain is detected;

wherein the controller further comprises an evapotranspiration evaluator, wherein the evapotranspiration evaluator receives an evapotranspiration value and determines a station runtime for the field station proportional to the evapotranspiration value; and

wherein the evapotranspiration evaluator determines a net evapotranspiration value by adjusting the received evapotranspiration value proportional to an effective amount of rain received prior to the resuming irrigation, and determines the station runtime according to the net evapotranspiration.

19. A method for use in controlling irrigation, comprising:

identifying a rain watch window of time wherein the rain watch window of time is a period of time before a current time in which rain received is relevant to a determination affecting current watering needs; and

resetting the rain watch window of time when rain is detected;

monitoring an amount of rain detected;

detecting that the rain has stopped;

activating the rain watch window of time when rain has stopped; and

clearing the monitored amount of rain detected when the rain watch window of time expires.