Long-range radio frequency receiver-controller module and wireless control system comprising same

• US 8,457,798 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jamie Hackett
• Original Assignee: Jamie Hackett
• Inventors: Hackett, Jamie
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Sunray
• Application Number:
  US12/282,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23316 Standby, inactive, sleep or active, operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25289 Energy saving, brown out, standby, sleep, powerdown modus for microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31162 Wireless lan
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A long-range radio frequency (RF) transceiver-controller module configured to transmit and receive RF signals in one or more of the 433, 868, 915 MHz, and 2.4 and 5.8 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency bands is provided that is capable of consistently transmitting such signals over a range of 100 meters or more without line of sight, including underground. A wireless control system that comprises a plurality of the long-range RF transceiver-controller modules arranged in a distributed, ad hoc networking topography is also provided. The wireless control system has utility in a wide range of medical, industrial, agricultural, military and commercial applications, including, for example, the management of irrigation systems, manufacturing processes, security systems, sewage treatment and handling systems, hospital management systems.

Claims

1. A wireless control system for controlling a plurality of devices via a central controller, said wireless control system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RF apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and

a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules each in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules comprising a module antenna and configured for operative association with one or more of said devices and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight and with a peak transmitter output power less than or equal to 15 dBm,

wherein said first antenna is vertically polarized, wherein the module antenna of at least one of said RFTC modules is horizontally polarized, the first antenna which is vertically polarized being used for wireless communication with the module antenna of the at least one of said RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized, wherein the first antenna and the module antenna have opposite antenna polarizations, the RFTC modules each having only horizontally polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation and the RF apparatus having only vertically polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation,

wherein said RFTC modules actuate or de-actuate said plurality of devices in response to commands from said central controller transmitted via RF signals, and

wherein at least some of the RF signals transmitted from the RF apparatus to the at least one RFTC module convey the commands at a data rate of at least 3 kpbs, the RF signals being adequately received and demodulated by the RFTC module having a receiver sensitivity of at least −

120 dBm.

2. The wireless control system according to claim 1 further comprising one or more repeater nodes, each of said repeater nodes in wireless communication with one or more of said RFTC modules and/or said central controller, wherein each of said repeater nodes comprises a repeater RF transceiver and repeater antenna and is capable of re-transmitting a RF signal received through the network to other repeater nodes, RFTC modules, and/or the central controller.

3. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more ISM frequency bands are the 5.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz and/or 915 MHz ISM frequency bands.

4. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more ISM frequency bands are the 433 MHz, 868 MHz and/or 915 MHz ISM frequency bands.

5. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more ISM bands is the 915 MHz ISM frequency band.

6. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein said RF signals are transmitted through the system using a protocol that comprises frequency hopping.

7. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein the module antenna of at least one of said RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized is further installed at an angle between about 10 degrees and about 30 degrees above a horizontal plane.

8. The wireless control system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more hand-held controllers, each of said handheld controllers operatively associated with a second RF transceiver and a second antenna and configured to transmit and receive RF signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands.

9. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said RFTC modules are further operatively associated with one or more sensors.

10. A wireless irrigation management system for controlling an irrigation system having a plurality of water management devices, said wireless irrigation management system comprising a central controller and the wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein each RFTC module is configured for operative association with one or more of said plurality of water management devices via an actuating means and with one or more sensors, wherein said RFTC modules actuate the associated one or more water management devices and/or gather data from said one or more associated sensors in response to commands from said central controller transmitted via RF signals.

11. The wireless irrigation management system according to claim 10, wherein said irrigation system having a plurality of water management devices is a golf course irrigation system.

12. The wireless control system according to claim 1, wherein the module antenna of the at least one of the RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized is located substantially at or below ground level.

13. A method for controlling an irrigation system comprising a plurality of water management devices and a central controller, said method comprising:

(a) providing a wireless control system comprising;

a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RF apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and

a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules configured for operative association with one or more of said water management devices, each RFTC module comprising a module antenna and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight and with a peak transmitter output power less than or equal to 15 dBm; and

(b) transmitting a command via a RF signal on one of the ISM frequency bands from said central controller to a RFTC module,

wherein said first antenna is vertically polarized, wherein the module antenna of at least one of said RFTC modules is horizontally polarized, the first antenna which is vertically polarized being used for wireless communication with the module antenna of the at least one of said RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized, wherein the first antenna and the module antenna have opposite antenna polarizations, the RFTC modules each having only horizontally polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation and the RF apparatus having only vertically polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation,

wherein said RFTC module processes said command and determines whether to retransmit the signal, actuate a water management device or collect data from a sensor based on said command, and

wherein the RF signal transmitted from the RF apparatus to the RFTC module conveys the command at a data rate of at least 3 kpbs, the RF signal being adequately received and demodulated by the RFTC module having a receiver sensitivity of at least −

120 dBm.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said RF signal is transmitted using a protocol that comprises frequency hopping.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the module antenna of at least one of said RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized is further installed at an angle between about 10 degrees and about 30 degrees above a horizontal plane.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the module antenna of the at least one of the RFTC modules which is horizontally polarized is located substantially at or below ground level.

17. A wireless control system for controlling a plurality of devices via a central controller, said wireless control system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first vertically polarized antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RF apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and

a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules each in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules comprising a module antenna and configured for operative association with one or more of said devices and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight and with a transmitter output power which meets North American regulatory standards with respect to at least output power for the ISM frequency bands, at least one of the module antennas being horizontally polarized and located substantially at or below ground level, the first vertically polarized antenna configured for wireless communication with at least one of the module antennas which is horizontally polarized, wherein the first antenna and the module antenna have opposite antenna polarizations, the RFTC modules each having only horizontally polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation and the RF apparatus having only vertically polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation,

wherein said RFTC modules actuate or de-actuate said plurality of devices in response to commands from said central controller transmitted via RF signals, and

wherein at least some of the RF signals transmitted from the RF apparatus to the at least one RFTC module convey the commands at a data rate of at least 3 kpbs, the RF signals being adequately received and demodulated by the RFTC module having a receiver sensitivity of at least −

120 dBm.

18. The wireless control system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one of the module antennas which is horizontally polarized is further installed at an angle between about 10 degrees and about 30 degrees above a horizontal plane.

19. The wireless control system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one of the modules antennas which is horizontally polarized is located below ground level.

20. A method for controlling an irrigation system comprising a plurality of water management devices and a central controller, said method comprising:

(a) providing a wireless control system comprising;

a radio frequency (RF) apparatus comprising a first RF transceiver and a first vertically polarized antenna operatively associated with a computing device for interfacing with said central controller, said RF apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, and

a network of radio frequency transceiver-controller (RFTC) modules in wireless communication with one or more other of said RFTC modules and/or with said central controller, each of said RFTC modules configured for operative association with one or more of said water management devices, each RFTC module comprising a module antenna and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in one or more of the ISM frequency bands, at least some of said RFTC modules further configured to transmit said RF signals a distance of at least 100 m without line of sight and with a transmitter output power which meets North American regulatory standards with respect to at least output power for the ISM frequency bands, at least one of the module antennas being horizontally polarized and located substantially at or below ground level, the first vertically polarized antenna configured for wireless communication with at least of the module antennas which is horizontally polarized, wherein the first antenna and the module antenna have opposite antenna polarizations, the RFTC modules each having only horizontally polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation and the RF apparatus having only vertically polarized antennas installed in a fixed orientation; and

(b) transmitting a command via a RF signal on one of the ISM frequency bands from said central controller to a RFTC module;

wherein said RFTC module processes the command and determines whether to retransmit the signal, actuate a water management device or collect data from a sensor based on the command, and

wherein the RF signal transmitted from the RF apparatus to the RFTC module conveys the command at a data rate of at least 3 kpbs, the RF signals being adequately received and demodulated by the RFTC module having a receiver sensitivity of at least −

120 dBm.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least one of the module antennas which is horizontally polarized is further installed at an angle between about 10 degrees and about 30 degrees above a horizontal plane.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least one of the module antennas which is horizontally polarized is located below ground level.