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

• Current Assignee: Bruce Allen Bragg, Connie Ruby Masters, Philip Andrew Kantor
• Original Assignee: Bruce Allen Bragg, Connie Ruby Masters, Philip Andrew Kantor
• Inventors: Bragg, Bruce Allen, Kantor, Philip Andrew, Masters, Connie Ruby
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig, Peter L
• Application Number:
  US13/080,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 700/67
• US Class Current: 700/67
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/06 Watering arrangements making use of perforated pipe-lines located in the soil
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

A convenient, easy-to-use, water-saving, and labor-saving FROG irrigation controller and system are provided, which determine the appropriate water budget and schedule for the property'"'"'s landscaping based on evapotranspiration data for the geographic area, regulation data (mandated and voluntary watering restrictions), and property-specific data (such as type of plant, zone number, emitter type, and plant environment), with consideration given to reduction in watering days, increase in soil watering depth, and day of year. Once set, the FROG provides incremental adjustments over the course of the year; the homeowner no longer needs to re-set the watering program seasonally to comply with local mandated and voluntary watering restrictions. Compliance is automatic and obligatory, meeting the water saving goals of the local water authority. Optionally presented is a web-based wizard used to determine a customized water budget/schedule that is input into the FROG controller through a data storage unit or wireless input.

Claims

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.

2. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 1, wherein said data input receiver comprises a data storage unit reader.

3. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said add-on irrigation controller is programmed to allow a user-selectable voluntary no-watering day restriction;

said any regulation data further comprise said voluntary no-watering day restriction; and

said microcontroller program is functional to prohibit watering on said voluntary no-watering day on an ongoing basis, with a minimum of one watering day allowed per week.

4. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 1, wherein said data input receiver comprises a wireless receiver.

5. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 1, further comprising an environmental sensor configured to sense at least one environmental factor, wherein said microcontroller program further bases said watering schedule on said sensor data.

8. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said microcontroller program is further configured to automatically shift zone start times by creating said zone start times that differ from said initial start times.

10. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said add-on irrigation controller is configured to be transformed to a stand-alone converted controller upon the disconnecting of said existing irrigation controller.

11. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor program further includes a learn mode that is configured to determine an initial watering schedule pre-set by the user for the full summer maximum amount of water needed for said designated zone by sensing voltage changes, wherein said initial watering schedule comprises said initial number of watering days per a defined period of time for said designated zone of said existing controller, said initial number of said watering events per day for said designated zone of said existing controller, and said number of minutes per watering event for said designated zone of said existing controller, wherein said defined period of time is at least one day.

12. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 11, wherein said defined period of time comprises one week.

13. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 11, wherein said defined period of time comprises two weeks.

14. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said watering budget is calculated for a particular time period by determining the current day and multiplying an evapotranspiration factor, from said evapotranspiration local characteristic curve, associated with said current day or multiplying an average of evapotranspiration factors, from said evapotranspiration local characteristic curve, associated with a small range of days including said current day by said representation of said total water volume for said particular time period.

15. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 14, wherein said watering schedule for said particular time period is calculated by dividing said watering budget for said particular time period by said number of said watering days allowed per said particular time period and by said initial number of watering events per day for said designated zone.

16. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 14, wherein said watering budget for said particular time period is multiplied by a watering depth factor to reduce said watering budget, wherein said watering depth factor is based on a reduction in water need due to increased depth of watering.

17. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data input receiver comprises a wireless transceiver configured to receive and transmit data.

6. 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; and

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, and on said initial run-time durations; and

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

wherein said data input system is configured to receive into said add-on irrigation controller a customized watering schedule calculated through use of a web-based irrigation customization software application accessible to a user through an Internet website, wherein said customized watering schedule is based on property-specific data input by the user, on said evapotranspiration data, on said any regulation data, on said initial start times, and on said initial run-time durations;

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.

7. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said data input receiver comprises a data storage unit reader, and wherein said data input system is configured to receive said customized watering schedule stored on a data storage unit.

18. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 6, wherein said data input receiver comprises a wireless receiver.

19. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said add-on irrigation controller is programmed to allow a user-selectable voluntary no-watering day restriction;

said any regulation data further comprise said voluntary no-watering day restriction; and

said microcontroller program is functional to prohibit watering on said voluntary no-watering day on an ongoing basis, with a minimum of one watering day allowed per week.

20. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 6, further comprising an environmental sensor configured to sense at least one environmental factor, wherein said microcontroller program further bases said watering schedule on said sensor data.

21. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said microcontroller program is further configured to automatically shift zone start times by creating said zone start times that differ from said initial start times.

22. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said add-on irrigation controller is configured to be transformed to a stand-alone converted controller upon the disconnecting of said existing irrigation controller.

23. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said data input receiver comprises a wireless transceiver configured to receive and transmit data.

24. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said customized watering schedule is further based on a watering depth factor providing a reduction in water need due to increased depth of watering.

9. An add-on irrigation controller for controlling water control valves 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;

wherein said microcontroller program is further configured with a learn-while-managing mode;

wherein said microcontroller program disallows watering by said existing controller for a disallowance time period of at least twenty-four hours while determining said initial start times and said initial run-time durations from said existing controller during said at least twenty-four hours to create a temporary minutes of run time per run period per zone;

wherein said microcontroller program calculates a temporary watering budget and schedule based on said temporary minutes of run time per run period per zone;

wherein said temporary watering budget and schedule are used to control said valves for at least a second twenty-four hours after the end of said disallowance time period; and

wherein said microcontroller program determines said initial start times and said initial run-time durations from said existing controller during said at least a second twenty-four hours;

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 regulation data are accessible to said microcontroller program; and

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, and on said initial run-time durations; and

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

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

a real-time clock operatively connected to said microcontroller.

25. The add-on irrigation controller, as recited in claim 9, wherein said data input receiver comprises a data storage unit reader.

26. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 9, wherein said data input receiver comprises a wireless receiver.

27. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 9, further comprising an environmental sensor configured to sense at least one environmental factor, wherein said microcontroller program further bases said watering schedule on said sensor data.

28. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 9, wherein said data input receiver comprises a wireless transceiver configured to receive and transmit data.

29. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 9, wherein said microcontroller program is further configured to automatically shift zone start times by creating said zone start times that differ from said initial start times.

30. The add-on irrigation controller as recited in claim 9, wherein said add-on irrigation controller is configured to be transformed to a stand-alone converted controller upon the disconnecting of said existing irrigation controller.