Wireless extension to an irrigation control system and related methods
First Claim
1. A method of controlling an irrigation system, the irrigation system comprising an irrigation solenoid valve electrically coupled to a wireless receiver and an irrigation controller electrically coupled to a wireless adapter, the method comprising:
- transmitting a control signal from the wireless adapter, the control signal being representative of a signal received from the irrigation controller indicating that the irrigation solenoid valve should be activated;
receiving the control signal at the wireless receiver;
in response to receiving the control signal, activating the irrigation solenoid valve; and
de-activating the irrigation solenoid valve if the control signal is not again received during a predetermined time interval after a prior reception of the control signal, thereby reducing a likelihood of the irrigation solenoid valve over-watering;
the method further comprising resetting the predetermined time interval upon each periodic reception of the control signal at the wireless receiver.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Several embodiments provide wireless extensions to an irrigation controller system and related methods of use, as well as other improvements to irrigation control equipment. In one implementation, an irrigation control system includes a transmitter unit including a controller and having a connector to be coupled to an irrigation controller having station actuation output connectors. The controller is configured to receive an indication that the irrigation controller has activated an irrigation station, and is also configured to cause the transmitter unit to transmit a wireless activation signal responsive to the indication. A receiver unit is coupled to an actuator coupled to an actuatable device, such as an irrigation valve, the actuator configured to actuate the irrigation valve to control the flow of water therethrough. The receiver unit receives the wireless activation signal and in response, causes the actuator to actuate the actuatable device.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of controlling an irrigation system, the irrigation system comprising an irrigation solenoid valve electrically coupled to a wireless receiver and an irrigation controller electrically coupled to a wireless adapter, the method comprising:
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transmitting a control signal from the wireless adapter, the control signal being representative of a signal received from the irrigation controller indicating that the irrigation solenoid valve should be activated; receiving the control signal at the wireless receiver; in response to receiving the control signal, activating the irrigation solenoid valve; and de-activating the irrigation solenoid valve if the control signal is not again received during a predetermined time interval after a prior reception of the control signal, thereby reducing a likelihood of the irrigation solenoid valve over-watering; the method further comprising resetting the predetermined time interval upon each periodic reception of the control signal at the wireless receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of retrofitting a hard-wired irrigation system for wireless communication, wherein the hard-wired irrigation system comprises an irrigation controller that is adapted to be electrically coupled to at least one irrigation solenoid valve by one or more physical wires, the irrigation controller being adapted to output control signals to the irrigation solenoid valve via the one or more physical wires, the method comprising:
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wiring a wireless adapter to at least one output of the irrigation controller so that the wireless adapter receives the control signals; wiring a wireless receiver to the irrigation solenoid valve; and inducing the wireless adapter to periodically transmit transformed versions of the received control signals, wherein in response to receiving the transformed versions of the control signals, the wireless receiver activates the irrigation solenoid valve, wherein the wireless receiver is adapted to de-activate the irrigation solenoid valve if a subsequent transformed version of the control signals is not again received during a predetermined time interval after a prior reception of a given transformed version of the control signals, thereby reducing a likelihood of the irrigation solenoid valve over-watering. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling an irrigation system, the irrigation system comprising an irrigation solenoid valve electrically coupled to a wireless receiver and an irrigation controller electrically coupled to a wireless adapter, the method comprising:
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transmitting an activation control signal from the wireless adapter, the activation control signal being representative of an activation signal received from the irrigation controller indicating that the irrigation solenoid valve should be activated in order to allow water to flow through the irrigation solenoid valve to one or more water distribution devices that are in fluidic communication with the irrigation solenoid valve; receiving the activation control signal at the wireless receiver, wherein the wireless receiver alternates between a listen period and a sleep period, wherein during the sleep period the wireless receiver draws less power than in the listen period and the activation control signal is only detected by the wireless receiver during the listen period; in response to receiving the activation control signal, activating the irrigation solenoid valve; and de-activating the irrigation solenoid valve if the activation control signal is not again received during a predetermined quantity of one or more of the listen and the sleep periods, thereby reducing a likelihood of the irrigation solenoid valve over-watering. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A wireless adapter system for use with an irrigation controller that is configured for hard-wiring to one or more irrigation valves associated with respective of one or more watering zones, wherein each of the irrigation valves is coupled to one or more water distribution devices and the irrigation valves are configured to control passage of water to respectively coupled water distribution devices, the irrigation controller further comprising a separate electrical connection for hard-wiring to each of the one or more irrigation valves, the wireless adapter system comprising:
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a wireless transmitter comprising a plurality of input connections configured for coupling to the electrical connections of the irrigation controller so that the wireless transmitter receives control signals from the irrigation controller and the wireless transmitter periodically transmits a wireless signal indicative of which watering zones should be active in accordance with the control signals from the irrigation controller on the input connections; and one or more wireless receivers associated with respective of the irrigation valves, wherein the wireless receivers, in response to receiving the wireless signal, selectively activate their corresponding irrigation valves, wherein the wireless receivers are further adapted to de-activate their respective irrigation valves if the wireless signal is not detected during a pre-determined time interval to thereby reduce the likelihood of the irrigation valve over-watering due to not detecting the wireless signal during the pre-determined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification