Evapotranspiration unit for re-programming an irrigation controller

• US 7,412,303 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Shearin, Christopher M., Woytowitz, Peter J., Porter, Lamonte D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kosowski; Alexander J
• Application Number:
  US11/288,831
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700282-284, 239/64, 239/67, 239/69, 137 781- 783
• US Class Current: 700/284
• 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

An evapotranspiration (ET) unit includes a first communication link, a processor and a second communication link. The first communication link receives actual ET data from a plurality of environmental sensors. The processor calculates changes to a set of watering schedules of a predetermined watering program of a separate irrigation controller based on the actual ET data. The changes can increase or decrease the frequency and/or length of ON times for selected stations. The second communication link transmits the changes to the irrigation controller.

Claims

1. An evapotranspiration (ET) unit, comprising:

a box-like enclosure;

a processor mounted in the box-like enclosure;

a first communication link for enabling communication between the processor and a plurality of environmental sensors each capable of generating a signal representing an actual component of ET data;

a plurality of manually actuable controls mounted in the box-like enclosure and operably connected to the processor for inputting further ET-related information selected from the group consisting of plant type, soil condition, growth stage and sprinkler precipitation rate;

programming that enables the processor to calculate changes to a set of watering schedules of a predetermined watering program of a separate irrigation controller based on the actual ET data and the ET-related information, the changes including increases and decreases in the frequency and/or length of ON times for selected ones of a plurality of stations; and

a second communication link for enabling communication between the processor and the irrigation controller for communicating the changes to the irrigation controller.

12. The ET unit of claim 1 wherein the programming that enables the processor to calculate changes to the set of watering schedules includes changes in start times for selected ones of the plurality of stations.

2. An evapotranspiration (ET) unit, comprising:

a box-like enclosure;

a processor associated with the box-like enclosure;

a first communication link for enabling communication between the processor and a plurality of environmental sensors each capable of generating a signal representing an actual component of ET data;

a plurality of manually actuable controls mounted in the box-like enclosure and operably connected to the processor for inputting further ET-related information selected from the group consisting of plant type, soil condition, growth stage and sprinkler precipitation rate;

programming that enables the processor to calculate optimum watering schedules based on the actual ET data and the ET-related information; and

a second communication link for enabling communication between the processor and a separate irrigation controller that allows the processor to re-program the irrigation controller and turn a plurality of stations ON and OFF through the irrigation controller in accordance with the optimum watering schedules.

3. A method of optimizing the watering schedules of an irrigation controller to conserve water usage while ensuring that turf and/or other landscaping being watered are kept healthy and green, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of environmental sensors on an irrigation site that generate output signals representative of components of actual evapotranspiration (ET) data;

b) calculating, in a compact self-contained ET unit located on the same irrigation site as the environmental sensors, changes to a set of watering schedules of a predetermined watering program of a single irrigation controller also located on the same irrigation site as the environmental sensors and the ET unit, and wherein the changes to the set of watering schedules;

i) are calculated based upon the output signals of the plurality of environmental sensors, and

ii) include increases and decreases in the frequency and/or length of ON times for selected ones of a plurality of stations; and

c) communicating the changes from the ET unit to the irrigation controller which otherwise lacks the capability of directly receiving the output signals or the ET data to enable the changes to be calculated.

4. The method of claim 3 and including the step of alternately calculating the changes to the set of watering schedules of the predetermined watering program based on ET data manually inputted by a user.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the environmental sensors are mounted in a remote sensor unit located on the irrigation site and the ET data is calculated in the remote sensor unit and communicated to the ET unit.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the ET unit loads the changes to the set of watering schedules into the irrigation controller.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the ET unit assumes control of the irrigation controller and executes the watering program with the calculated changes to turn the plurality of stations ON and OFF through the irrigation controller.

8. The method of claim 3 and further comprising the step of inputting further ET-related information through a plurality of manually actuable controls mounted in the ET unit and wherein the changes to the set of watering schedules are calculated in the ET unit based on the ET data and the ET-related information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the further ET-related information is selected from the group consisting of plant type, soil condition, growth stage and sprinkler precipitation rate.

10. The method of claim 9 and further comprising the step of determining if the inputted plant type is within a predetermined range of a wilt point and overriding the existing watering schedules of the irrigation controller to cause immediate watering.

11. The method of claim 3 and further comprising the step of using stored actual ET data from a predetermined window to make up for any current ET data that is missing.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein the changes to the set of watering schedules includes changes in start times for selected ones of the plurality of stations.

14. An evapotranspiration (ET) unit, comprising:

a box-like enclosure;

a processor associated with the box-like enclosure;

a first communication link for enabling communication between the processor and a plurality of environmental sensors each capable of generating a signal representing an actual component of ET data;

a plurality of manually actuable controls mounted in the box-like enclosure and operably connected to the processor for inputting further ET-related information selected from the group consisting of plant type, soil condition, growth stage and sprinkler precipitation rate;

programming that enables the processor to calculate optimum watering schedules based on the actual ET data and the ET-related information; and

a second communication link for enabling communication between the processor and a separate irrigation controller that allows the processor to re-program the irrigation controller so that the irrigation controller can turn a plurality of stations ON and OFF in accordance with the optimum watering schedules.

15. An evapotranspiration (ET) unit, comprising:

an enclosure;

a processor associated with the enclosure;

a first communication link for enabling communication between the processor and a plurality of environmental sensors each capable of generating a signal representing an actual component of ET data;

a plurality of manually actuable controls mounted on the enclosure and operably connected to the processor for inputting further ET-related information;

programming that enables the processor to calculate changes to a set of watering schedules of a predetermined watering program of a separate irrigation controller based on the actual ET data and the ET-related information, the changes including increases and decreases in the frequency and/or length of ON times for selected ones of a plurality of stations; and

a second communication link for enabling communication between the processor and the irrigation controller for communicating the changes to the irrigation controller.

16. The ET unit of claim 15 wherein the programming enables the processor to implement complex programs not executable by the separate irrigation controller alone.