Irrigation interrupter

• US 8,565,927 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Badge, LLC
• Original Assignee: Green Badge, LLC
• Inventors: Campbell, Jeffrey, Karmel, Clayton R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/697,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,360 Days
• Field of Search: 700/284, 702/62, 405/37, 324/644, 324/694, 239/63, 239/207, 111/118
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

A irrigation interrupter is disclosed herein. The irrigation interrupter learns the watering patterns established by an irrigation controller and takes action to intelligently limit watering based on knowledge of time, temperature and soil moisture. The interrupter learns the watering pattern of the controller by monitoring behavior over a set period (two weeks), and mapping the start and duration of each zone'"'"'s irrigation. A default profile is preferably set to enable users to ignore a setting and only adjust it after observing overall plant results.

Claims

1. An irrigation interrupter comprising:

a housing;

an antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless data;

a memory for storing watering pattern data;

and

a processor configured for learning a watering pattern for a land area by monitoring a controller behavior over a predetermined time period;

wherein the antenna of the irrigation interrupter receives a plurality of wireless signals from a plurality of sub-surface sensors, each of the plurality of wireless signals comprising soil data comprising at least a moisture value of the soil, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the soil data and the processor is configured to optimize water usage for an area based on the moisture value of the soil, wherein the interrupter limits an irrigation event based on the moisture value of the soil, wherein the processor is configured to create a plurality of profiles of moisture levels and behaviors, with each profile having a minimum moisture level, a maximum moisture level, and a mechanism for mid-flow cutoff for a watering cycle of a predetermined length to control the irrigation.

2. The irrigation interrupter according to claim 1 wherein the interrupter limits the irrigation event by reducing the amount of water flowing through valves.

3. The irrigation interrupter according to claim 1 wherein the interrupter limits the irrigation event by stopping the amount of water flowing through the valves.

4. A method for controlling irrigation, the method comprising:

irrigating a soil area with water during an irrigation event utilizing a plurality of valves, each of the plurality of valves in flow communication with a water source and a sprinkler, each of the plurality of valves connected to a wireless sensor, the wireless sensor comprising a probe conducting structure to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor, a circuit comprising a high frequency oscillator for applying an electrical stimulus to the probe structure, a reference capacitor connected in series to the high frequency oscillator, a voltage meter located between the high frequency oscillator and the reference capacitor, a processor and a transceiver;

measuring an output voltage from a voltage meter when the high frequency oscillator is active;

calculating a capacitance of the soil as a function of voltage to obtain a soil moisture content value;

transmitting a wireless signal from the wireless sensor to an interrupt for each valve of the plurality of valves, the wireless signal comprising a soil moisture content value wherein a processor of the interrupt determines if the soil moisture content value exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the processor is configured to create a plurality of profiles of moisture levels and behaviors, with each profile having a minimum moisture level, a maximum moisture level, and a mechanism for mid-flow cutoff for a watering cycle of a predetermined length to control the irrigation; and

limiting the irrigation event if the soil moisture content value exceeds the predetermined threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the interrupt limits the irrigation event by reducing the amount of water flowing through each of the plurality of valves.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the interrupt limits the irrigation event by stopping the amount of water flowing through each of the plurality of valves.

7. The method according to claim 4 wherein the irrigation event is a daily scheduled irrigation event and limiting the irrigation event is limiting the scheduled irrigation event for a single day.

8. The method according to claim 4 wherein monitoring a moisture content of the soil area is performed every six hours.

9. The method according to claim 4 wherein the predetermined threshold is based on a porosity and field capacity of the soil area.

10. The method according to claim 4 wherein the predetermined threshold dynamically adjusted on a 30-60 days average of readings from the sensor.

11. A system for controlling irrigation, the system comprising:

a water source;

at least one valve in flow communication with the water source and a sprinkler, the at least one valve corresponding to a soil area;

at least one sub-surface sensor corresponding to the soil area, the sub-surface wireless sensors corresponding to the at least one valve, the sub-surface wireless sensor having a power source and a probe structure for measuring a moisture content of the soil area; and

at least one interrupter corresponding to the at least one valve, wherein the at least one interrupter is in wireless communication with the at least one sub-surface wireless sensor and wherein a signal indicating a value exceeding a predetermined moisture threshold for the soil area monitored by the at least one sub-surface wireless sensor limits an irrigation event for the soil-area, wherein the irrigation interrupter comprises

a housing, an antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless data, a memory for storing watering pattern data, and a processor configured for learning a watering pattern for a land area by monitoring a controller behavior over a predetermined time period, wherein the antenna of the irrigation interrupter receives a plurality of wireless signals from a plurality of sub-surface sensors, each of the plurality of wireless signals comprising soil data comprising at least a moisture value of the soil, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the soil data and the processor is configured to optimize water usage for an area based on the moisture value of the soil, wherein the processor is configured to create a plurality of profiles of moisture levels and behaviors, with each profile having a minimum moisture level, a maximum moisture level, and a mechanism for mid-flow cutoff for a watering cycle of a predetermined length to control the irrigation.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the probe conducting structure is placed in the soil to form a capacitor, a circuit comprising a high frequency oscillator for applying a electrical stimulus to the probe structure, a reference capacitor connected in series to the high frequency oscillator, and a voltage meter located between the high frequency oscillator and the reference capacitor.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the at least one sub-surface wireless sensor is configured to measure a moisture content of the soil area every six hours.

14. The system according to claim 12 the irrigation event is a daily scheduled irrigation event and limiting the irrigation event is limiting the scheduled irrigation event for a single day.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein the at least one interrupt limits the irrigation event by reducing the amount of water flowing through to the at least one valve.

16. The system according to claim 12 further comprising a plurality of valves, a plurality of sub-surface wireless sensors and a plurality of interrupters.