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Irrigation controller and system integrating no-watering restrictions and an empirically-derived evapotranspiration local characteristic curve

  • US 8,565,904 B2
  • Filed: 04/05/2011
  • Issued: 10/22/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An add-on irrigation controller for controlling water control valves and for utilizing with an existing controller set with initial start times and initial run-time durations, comprising:

  • a housing,a microcontroller housed within said housing and programmed with a microcontroller program operative to receive and transmit data and to determine said initial start times and said initial run-time durations from said existing controller;

    a data input system configured to allow data to be imported into said add-on irrigation controller;

    wherein said data input system comprises a data input receiver operable to receive evapotranspiration data and any regulation data;

    wherein said evapotranspiration data are obtained from an evapotranspiration local characteristic curve for at least one locality;

    wherein said any regulation data comprise local mandatory watering restrictions for said at least one locality;

    wherein said evapotranspiration data and said any regulation data are accessible to said microcontroller program;

    wherein said microcontroller program is configured to calculate a watering budget and watering schedule based on at least said evapotranspiration data, on said any regulation data, on said initial start times, on said initial run-time durations, and on a minute-based representation of a total water volume as delivered by said existing controller;

    wherein said representation of said total water volume is calculated by multiplying an initial number of watering days per period of time for a designated zone of said existing controller, by an initial number of watering events per day for said designated zone of said existing controller, and by a number of minutes per watering event for said designated zone of said existing controller; and

    wherein said representation of said total water volume is allocated to a number of watering days of said period of time;

    wherein said microcontroller program is capable of utilizing said watering schedule to control said water control valves;

    at least one non-volatile memory storage medium configured to receive and to store data from said microcontroller; and

    a real-time clock operatively connected to said microcontroller.

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