Raindrop sensor for an irrigation system

• US 7,552,632 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Runge, Thomas H., Hopkins, Larry Kent, Grundy, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US11/835,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 7317001-17017
• US Class Current: 73/170.17
• 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 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F

Abstract

The present invention describes a rain sensor that counts water drops with a microcontroller. After a predetermined threshold of water drops have been counted, the rain sensor interrupts an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller.

Claims

1. A precipitation sensor for an irrigation system comprising:

a housing for receiving precipitation;

a sensing element disposed in said housing to contact said precipitation;

said sensing element comprising a substrate and at least two electrical contacts at least partially exposed from said substrate to sense precipitation;

a microprocessor in communication with said sensing element; and

an irrigation schedule interruption mechanism operatively coupled to said microprocessor for selectively interrupting an irrigation schedule of said irrigation system.

2. The precipitation sensor of claim 1, wherein a shape of said substrate is selected from a group comprising:

a rectangle plane, a curved plane;

a bent plane;

a funnel; and

a cylinder.

3. The precipitation sensor of claim 2, wherein said at least two contacts further comprise a plurality of contacts.

4. The precipitation sensor of claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of contacts are evenly spaced from each other.

5. The precipitation sensor of claim 3, wherein said plurality of contacts are unevenly spaced from each other.

6. The precipitation sensor of claim 1, wherein said irrigation interruption mechanism is selected from a group consisting of:

a switch and a communication module.

7. The precipitation sensor of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a surface positioned to be in direct exposure to precipitation;

said sensing element disposed on said surface.

8. A precipitation sensor for an irrigation controller comprising:

a first enclosure;

a precipitation detection sensor coupled to said first enclosure;

circuitry in communication with said precipitation detection sensor for processing precipitation signals from said precipitation detection sensor and interrupting an irrigation schedule executed on said irrigation controller

wherein said first enclosure further comprises a collecting member that directs precipitation to drip on a single location above said precipitation detection sensor.

9. The precipitation sensor of claim 8, wherein said circuitry is disposed in a second enclosure, distinct from said first enclosure.

10. The precipitation sensor of claim 9, wherein said circuitry is in communication with said precipitation detection sensor by a communication link selected from a group consisting of a wire and a wireless communications system.

11. The precipitation sensor of claim 8, wherein said circuitry further comprises a switch connected to a common wire of said irrigation system.

12. The precipitation sensor of claim 8, wherein said first enclosure further comprises a rounded surface disposed over a sloped surface.

13. The precipitation sensor of claim 8, wherein said circuitry further comprises a microprocessor and a memory for executing an irrigation threshold.

14. A method of interrupting an irrigation system comprising:

providing an irrigation controller coupled to at least one sprinkler;

coupling a precipitation sensor to said irrigation controller;

directing water drops from precipitation on to a drop sensor;

completing an electrical circuit with said drop sensor during contact with said water drops;

counting a number of circuit completions of said electrical circuit with a microprocessor;

comparing said number of circuit completions of said electrical circuit with a predetermined threshold;

interrupting an irrigation schedule on said irrigation controller when said number of circuit completions is greater than or equal to said threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said completing an electrical circuit with said drop sensor during contact with said water drops further comprises completing an electrical circuit between two contacts disposed on a substrate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said comparing said number of circuit completions of said electrical circuit with a predetermined threshold further comprises determining said predetermined threshold via a user interface.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said completing an electrical circuit with said drop sensor further comprises completing said electrical circuit with a drop sensor selected from the following group:

a lever sensor, a spring sensor, a conductive probe sensor and a printed circuit board sensor.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said comparing said number of circuit completions of said electrical circuit with a predetermined threshold further comprises comparing said number of circuit completions of said electrical circuit with a plurality of predetermined thresholds wherein each of said plurality of thresholds executes a different irrigation interruption time period.