Wireless irrigation control device and related method

• US 7,359,769 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Ensworth, Mark Murphy, Antonucci, Thomas Anthony, Bailey, David Franklin, Mickels, Ronald Willard
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US10/922,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700282-284, 239/67, 239/69, 137/78.2
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A method for checking the power status of a power source for a wireless irrigation control device having an irrigate condition, the method comprising:

receiving broadcast signals through an antenna installed in the housing;

decoding the received broadcast signals;

receiving a broadcast signal to cause the water control device to set to the irrigate condition in response to the broadcast signal received and decoded in the decoding step only if the power status of the power source associated with the wireless irrigation control device is below a predetermined level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

shutting down portions of the controller according to a power saving schedule in response to a signal received and decoded in the decoding step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined level is a level indicating low battery power.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast signal causes the water control device to set to irrigate only when irrigation is not normally scheduled to occur.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the water control device is set to the irrigate condition in order to determine whether or not the power status of the power source is below the predetermined level.