Calculating an ET value for an irrigation area

• US 7,430,458 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HydroPoint Data Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: HydroPoint Data Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Carlson, Peter, Dansereau, Dan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US11/799,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 700281-284, 239 63- 69, 137/78.2, 137/170.16
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method of method of calculating an ET value for an irrigation area is disclosed. The method includes a weather parameter measurement system collecting at least one weather parameter of a weather parameter area, the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area providing a representation of weather outside of the irrigation area. An irrigation area weather parameter is calculated providing a representation of the weather within the irrigation area from the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area. The ET value for the irrigation area is calculated from an N-dimensional continuous function using the at least one irrigation area weather parameter, wherein the N-dimensions includes at least a 3-dimensional spatial cube.

Claims

1. A method of calculating an ET value for an irrigation area, comprising:

a weather parameter measurement system collecting at least one weather parameter of a weather parameter area, the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area providing a representation of weather outside of the irrigation area;

calculating an irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of weather within the irrigation area from the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area;

calculating the ET value for the irrigation area from an N-dimensional continuous function using the at least one irrigation area weather parameter, wherein the N-dimensional continuous function includes at least a 3-dimensional spatial cube.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a second weather parameter measurement system collecting at least one second weather parameter of a second weather parameter area, the at least one second weather parameter of the second weather parameter area providing a representation of weather outside of the irrigation area; and

wherein

calculating the irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of the irrigation area weather parameter within the irrigation area, further includes the at least one second weather parameter of the second weather parameter area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of the irrigation area weather parameter within the irrigation area further includes the at least one second weather parameter of the second weather parameter area comprises interpolating between the at least one weather parameter and the at least one second weather parameter.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of the irrigation area weather parameter within the irrigation area further comprises executing a numerical weather model with the at least one weather parameter and the at least one second weather parameter as inputs to the numerical weather model.

5. The method of claim1, wherein the N-dimensions of the continuous function comprises at least latitude, longitude, and elevation dimensions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the N-dimensional continuous function further comprises a time dimension.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the ET value for the irrigation area comprises calculating irrigation area weather parameters for the irrigation area for a desired time using the N-dimensional continuous function which includes at least one collected or calculated weather parameter for locations outside of the irrigation area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the ET value for the irrigation area comprises calculating irrigation area weather parameters for the irrigation area for a desired time using the N-dimensional continuous function which includes at least one collected or calculated weather parameter for locations outside of the irrigation area and at least one weather factor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively updating the N-dimensional function based on a quality of the ET value.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively updating the N-dimensional function based on a quality of the at least one irrigation area weather parameter.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively updating the N-dimensional function based on a quality of the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the ET value at a rate that is greater than a Nyquist frequency of a dominant harmonic of a natural cycle of the ET value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ET value is calculated at a rate of once per hour, if the rate of once per hour is greater than the Nyquist frequency.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the ET value for the irrigation area.

15. A method of providing a non-measured weather related parameter to an irrigation system, comprising:

a weather parameter measurement system collecting at least one weather parameter of a weather parameter area, the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area providing a representation of weather outside of the irrigation area;

calculating an irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of the weather parameter within the irrigation area from the at least one weather parameter outside of the weather parameter area;

calculating a non-measured weather parameter for the irrigation area from an N-dimensional continuous function using the at least one irrigation area weather parameter, wherein the N-dimensions includes at least a 3-dimensional spatial cube,

providing the non-measured weather related parameter to the irrigation system;

the irrigation system controlling irrigation of an irrigation area based on the non-measured weather related parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the N-dimensions of the continuous function comprises at least latitude, longitude, and elevation dimensions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the N-dimensional continuous function further comprises a time dimension.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein calculating the weather related parameter for the irrigation area comprises calculating irrigation area weather parameters for the irrigation area for a desired time using the N-dimensional continuous function which includes at least one collected or calculated weather parameter for locations outside of the irrigation area.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adaptively updating the N-dimensional function based on a quality of the non-measured weather parameter.

20. An irrigation control system comprising:

a weather parameter measurement system collecting at least one weather parameter of a weather parameter area, the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area providing a representation of weather outside of the irrigation area;

a processor calculating an irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of weather within the irrigation area from the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area;

the processor calculating the ET value for the irrigation area from an N-dimensional continuous function using the at least one irrigation area weather parameter, wherein the N-dimensional continuous function includes at least a 3-dimensional spatial cube,

providing the ET value for the irrigation area.

21. A method of calculating an ET value for an irrigation area, comprising:

a weather parameter measurement system collecting at least one weather parameter of a weather parameter area, the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area providing a representation of weather outside of the irrigation area;

calculating an irrigation area weather parameter providing a representation of weather within the irrigation area from the at least one weather parameter of the weather parameter area;

calculating the ET value for the irrigation area from an N-dimensional continuous function using the at least one irrigation area weather parameter, wherein the N-dimensional continuous function includes at least 3 dimensions.