Modular and expandable irrigation controller
First Claim
1. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
- a housing;
a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs;
a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and
a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program;
wherein the data communications relating to the irrigation program include one or more data value, variable and/or constant stored in a second memory associated with the second microcontroller.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers are modular in that various functional components of the irrigation controller are implemented in removable modules that when inserted into position within the controller, expand the capabilities of the controller. Also described are various different types of expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of these modules in the controller. In one implementation, an expansion module is provided that includes a microcontroller capable of sending and receiving data communications to and from a main microcontroller of the controller that executed irrigation programs, the data communications relating to an irrigation program.
-
Citations
46 Claims
-
1. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program; wherein the data communications relating to the irrigation program include one or more data value, variable and/or constant stored in a second memory associated with the second microcontroller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a main microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a plurality of expansion module mounting locations within the housing configured to removably receive expansion modules, each expansion mounting location electrically coupled to the main microcontroller; and a first expansion module removably mounted to a first expansion module mounting location and electrically coupled to the main microcontroller, the first expansion module including a first microcontroller, the first microcontroller configured to operate with the main microcontroller and provide additional functionality not present in the capabilities of the main microcontroller; wherein the first expansion module includes an input to receive evapotranspiration (ET) data, wherein the additional functionality includes that the first microcontroller is configured to adjust irrigation based on the ET data. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a main microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a plurality of expansion module mounting locations within the housing configured to removably receive expansion modules, each expansion mounting location electrically coupled to the main microcontroller; and a first expansion module removably mounted to a first expansion module mounting location and electrically coupled to the main microcontroller, the first expansion module including a first microcontroller, the first microcontroller configured to operate with the main microcontroller and provide additional functionality not present in the capabilities of the main microcontroller; wherein the first expansion module includes driver circuitry for a decoder output, the first microcontroller configured to transmit an actuation signal to the decoder output that will selectively actuate a plurality of irrigation valves, wherein the first expansion module functions as a decoder module.
-
-
17. An expansion module for a modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; an electrical connector configured to removably connect to one of a plurality of expansion module mounting locations of a modular irrigation controller; and a microcontroller within the housing and coupled to the electrical connector, the microcontroller configured to operate with a control unit of the modular irrigation controller and provide additional control functionality not present in the capabilities of the control unit; wherein the expansion module further comprises an input coupled to the microcontroller and configured to receive evapotranspiration (ET) data, wherein the additional control functionality includes that the microcontroller is configured to adjust irrigation executed by the control unit based on the ET data. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a plurality of expansion module mounting locations within the housing configured to removably receive expansion modules, each expansion mounting location electrically coupled to the first microcontroller; and an expansion module removably mounted to a first expansion module mounting location and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the expansion module including a second microcontroller, the second microcontroller configured to operate with the first microcontroller; wherein the first microcontroller is configured to send data corresponding to the stored irrigation programs to the second microcontroller upon request by the second microcontroller. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program; wherein the second microcontroller is configured to transmit a request to request data relating to the irrigation program from the first microcontroller. - View Dependent Claims (38)
-
-
39. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program; wherein the second microcontroller is configured to initiate a request for data relating to the irrigation program from the first microcontroller.
-
-
40. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation wherein the second microcontroller is configured to alter data relating to the irrigation program received from the first microcontroller and transmit the altered data back to the first microcontroller.
-
-
41. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program; wherein the second microcontroller is configured to transmit a command to the first microcontroller, the command configured to cause the first microcontroller to perform a function, and wherein the first microcontroller is configured to act in accordance with the command from the second microcontroller.
-
-
42. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program; a first memory associated with the first microcontroller; a second memory associated with the second microcontroller; and wherein the second microcontroller is configured to access one or more data value, variable and/or constant of the first memory. - View Dependent Claims (43)
-
-
44. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a first expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the first expansion module including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a second expansion module removably mounted within the housing and electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, the second expansion module including a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, the data communications relating to an irrigation program; wherein the data communications include data from the second microcontroller that is configured to change memory data in a first memory associated with the first microcontroller in order to alter operation of the first microcontroller.
-
-
45. A modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a main microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs; a plurality of expansion module mounting locations within the housing configured to removably receive expansion modules, each expansion mounting location electrically coupled to the main microcontroller; and a first expansion module removably mounted to a first expansion module mounting location and electrically coupled to the main microcontroller, the first expansion module including a first microcontroller, the first microcontroller configured to operate with the main microcontroller and provide additional functionality not present in the capabilities of the main microcontroller; wherein the first expansion module includes a wireless transmitter.
-
-
46. An expansion module for a modular irrigation controller comprising:
-
a housing; an electrical connector configured to removably connect to one of a plurality of expansion module mounting locations of a modular irrigation controller; a microcontroller within the housing and coupled to the electrical connector, the microcontroller configured to operate with a control unit of the modular irrigation controller and provide additional control functionality not present in the capabilities of the control unit; and a wireless transmitter coupled to the microcontroller.
-
Specification