Irrigation system and method for operating thereof

• US 8,554,379 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katharina Arthur Hilton
• Original Assignee: Katharina Arthur Hilton
• Inventors: Hilton, Wendell Gayle
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/952,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20110120564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 700/16, 700/284, 137/2, 137/637
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87096 Valves with separate, correlated, actuators

Abstract

The present invention discloses an irrigation system comprising a plurality of valve stations that are operatively coupled with a controller operative to control the operation of the plurality of valve stations. The valve stations are grouped into a plurality of valve station groups, each group comprising at least two valve stations. The at least two valve stations are operatively coupled in parallel with a hotwire to a respective output port of the controller; and the at least two valve stations respective of the plurality of valve station groups are operatively coupled in parallel with a common wire to a corresponding input port of the controller. The controller is operative to change the operational mode of a selected one of the valve stations.

Claims

1. An irrigation controller for operating a plurality of electrically activatable irrigation valve stations each having first and second electrical pole connectors, the controller comprising:

a first set of a plurality of selectively energizeable electrical ports;

a second set of a plurality of selectively energizeable electrical ports, each of the second set of ports configured to form an electrical circuit when connected with a port of the first set of ports;

an electrical logic circuit configured to selectively energize or deenergize the ports of the first and second set to selectively activate or deactivate a single selected valve station of all electrically connected valve stations, when

a) the valve stations are electrically arranged in a plurality of groups, each group containing a plurality of valve stations,

b) the first pole of all valve stations in a group is electrically connected by a wire to a single one of the ports of the first set of ports, each group connected to a unique port of the first set of ports, and

c) the second pole of each valve station in a group is electrically connected by a wire to a unique port of the second set of ports,

e) one of the ports of the first set, and one of the ports of the second set, are energized or deenergized to activate or deactivate a selected valve station to thereby starts flow of water or stop of water a flow of water from at least one of the plurality of electrically activatable irrigation valve stations.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to sequentially energize and deenergize valves.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein a valve station contains a plurality of valves activated and deactivated together.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the electrical logic circuit is electronic.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the electrical logic circuit includes a computer.

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein electrically connected by a wire consists of an electrical connection at the controller, an insulated wire extending to the valve station, and an electrical connection at the valve station.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein the number of wires required to activate all valve stations is not greater than half of the number of valve stations.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein there is a only one electrical logic circuit at a single location.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the electrical logic circuit includes a timer.

10. An irrigation controller for operating a plurality of electrically activatable irrigation stations each having first and second electrical pole connectors, the controller comprising:

a first set of a plurality of selectively energizeable electrical ports;

a second set of a plurality of selectively energizeable electrical ports, each of the second set of ports configured to form an electrical circuit when connected with a port of the first set of ports;

an electrical logic circuit configured to selectively energize or deenergize the ports of the first and second set to selectively activate a single selected irrigation station of all electrically connected irrigation stations, when

a) the irrigation stations are electrically arranged in a plurality of groups, each group containing a number of irrigation stations not higher in number than the number of ports in the second set,

b) the first pole of all irrigation stations in a group is electrically connected to a single one of the ports of the first set of ports,

c) each group of irrigation stations is electrically connected to a unique port of the first set of ports, and

d) the second pole of each irrigation station in the group is electrically connected to a unique port of the second set of ports,

e) one of the ports of the first set, and one of the ports of the second set, are energized to thereby start irrigation.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein an irrigation station contains a plurality of devices activated and deactivated together.

12. The controller of claim 10, wherein an irrigation station includes an irrigation valve which is opened or closed during activation or deactivation, to release or stop the flow of water.

13. The controller of claim 10, wherein the electrical logic circuit is electronic.

14. The controller of claim 10, wherein the poles of the irrigation stations and the ports of the controller are electrically connected by a wire consisting of an electrical connection at the controller, an insulated wire extending to the irrigation station, and an electrical connection at the irrigation station.

15. The controller of claim 10, wherein the number of electrical connections required to activate all irrigation stations is not greater than half of the number of irrigation stations.

16. The controller of claim 10, wherein there is a only one electrical logic circuit at a single location.

17. The controller of claim 10, wherein the electrical logic circuit includes a timer.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting a timer associated with the electrical logic circuit.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting the electrical logic circuit to sequentially activate valve stations.

18. A method of performing irrigation using a plurality of electrically activatable irrigation valve stations each having first and second electrical pole connectors, the method comprising:

connecting a controller to a plurality of valve stations each opened or closed during activation deactivation to start or stop a flow of water, the controller having

a first set of a plurality of selectively energizeable electrical ports;

a second set of a plurality of selectively energizeable electrical ports, each of the second set of ports configured to form an electrical circuit when connected with a port of the first set of ports;

an electrical logic circuit configured to selectively energize or deenergize the ports of the first and second set to selectively activate or deactivate a single selected valve station of all electrically connected valve stations, when

a) the valve stations are electrically arranged in a plurality of groups, each group containing a plurality of valve stations,

b) the first pole of all valve stations in a group are electrically connected together, and to a unique port of the first set of ports with respect to the first poles of all other groups of valve stations, and

d) the second pole of each valve station in the group is electrically connected by a wire to a unique port of the second set of ports,

e) one of the ports of the first set, and one of the ports of the second set, are energized or deenergized to activate or deactivate a selected valve station to start or stop a flow of water.