Method and apparatus for irrigation system design registration and on-site sprinkler package configuration verification

• US 8,839,135 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nelson Irrigation Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nelson Irrigation Corporation
• Inventors: Vander Griend, Loren, Nelson, Craig B.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US13/074,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/772
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

Internet-accessible system and method for customized design and on-site verification of agriculture irrigation systems includes one or more of: 1) sprinkler package configuration software operable on a user'"'"'s PC or accessible via an Internet website, 2) Internet-accessible proprietary irrigation system registry database and user interface, 3) computer-controlled automated component selection and labeling system for placing barcode or RFID information on components, and 4) portable wireless location-aware communication device operable at or near an irrigation site for accessing the registry database and obtaining sprinkler package configuration information specific to a particular irrigation system based on location and/or a particular irrigation system component detected in proximity to the portable communication device.

Claims

1. An Internet-accessible registration and component verification system for agriculture irrigation systems, comprising:

at least one server for providing an irrigation system registration web site accessible via the Internet;

an Internet-accessible irrigation system information database in data communication with said server and configured to store sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information defining specific irrigation system components and their respective arrangement within a particular system, and geographic location information associated to one or more discrete irrigation systems;

a geographic location-aware handheld mobile device configured for use at an irrigation site to receive ID information of an irrigation system component directly from the irrigation system component at the irrigation site and to wirelessly communicate with the irrigation system information database to obtain SPC information specific to the irrigation site; and

an interactive user interface to the database, the user interface accessible via a terminal or the mobile device and configured to enable a user to register or retrieve geographic location information associated with each irrigation system component in the SPC information associated to a particular irrigation system;

wherein the registration and component verification system is configured to enable a user to check and verify irrigation system components which are in place at the irrigation system site and placement locations of the components within the irrigation system at the irrigation site based upon a current geographic location of the mobile device, an ID obtained from a component by the mobile device and the SPC data associated to the irrigation site.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an automated labeling machine for placing physical tags on components and conveying component related information uniquely associated with each tag to the registration database for storage in association with SPC information for a particular irrigation site.

3. A method for in-situ checking and verification of an irrigation system component, comprising:

providing an Internet-accessible registry database for registering and storing information specific to one or more irrigation systems, the information comprising at least geographic location information and component specification information;

providing an irrigation system component having an attached physical tag or label, the component being specific to a particular irrigation system and the tag/label capable of conveying certain information about the component including at least information useful for accessing corresponding information in the registry database;

providing a software application for use on a portable computer-controlled registry interface device having a display and being operable by a user in-situ at or near an irrigation system site, the software application configured to cause the interface device to wireless acquire certain information from a tag/label attached to an irrigation system component and to wirelessly access the registry database for retrieving corresponding registered information specific to a particular irrigation system or component from the registry database based on the certain information acquired from a component tag/label; and

displaying information retrieved from the registry database on the display of the portable computer-controlled registry interface device, wherein information stored in the registry database is retrieved and used on site to check and/or verify that a checked irrigation system component and location of the component at the site correspond to a particular pre-registered irrigation system.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing an Internet-accessible user interface for registering an irrigation system and inputting at least one of irrigation system component information and corresponding geographic location information.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing a website accessible registry having an interactive user interface for registering and accessing sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information for a particular irrigation system is identified by a specific ID or is associated with specific geographic location information.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the portable computer-controlled device registry interface device includes circuitry for wirelessly accessing the Registry Database via conventional Telecommunications or WiFi/WiMAX communications.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising wirelessly acquiring information from a tag or label attached to an irrigation system component by using the portable computer-controlled registry interface device, wherein specifications corresponding to the component are automatically checked by the registry interface device against sprinkler package configuration information associated with a particular previously registered irrigation system that is stored in the registry database.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the ID tag is an RFID device and the portable computer-controlled device includes integral or operatively connected circuitry that is capable of receiving transmitted RFID information when in proximity to a sprinkler head.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein the ID tag is a barcode label and the portable computer-controlled device includes a barcode reader device that is either integral or operatively connected thereto.

11. A global position-aware mobile registry interface device used for wirelessly acquiring information of an irrigation system component by a user in situ and for wirelessly accessing an Internet-based registry database containing pre-registered sprinkler package configuration information defining specific irrigation system components and ter arrangement within a particular irrigation system, the mobile registry interface device comprising:

a display;

a processor;

a memory for storing digital data including software comprising instructions for controlling the processor;

an RFID or barcode reader for wirelessly acquiring information from a tag/label attached to an irrigation system component;

RF communications circuitry for wirelessly accessing a WAN or the Internet; and

registry interface software operable on the processor for;

(a) providing an interactive user interface for exchanging information with the Internet-based registry database;

(b) inputting information wirelessly acquired from a label/tag attached to an irrigation system component;

(c) transmitting component information and/or GPS-based position information to the Internet-based registry database; and

(d) receiving and displaying irrigation system information or component specification information received from the registry database;

wherein said pre-registered sprinkler package configuration information and/or individual component specification information identified according to information acquired from a label/tag attached to an irrigation system component may be obtained from the registry database and displayed on the mobile registry interface device of a user located at the irrigation system site for performing in-situ checking and verification of one or more irrigation system components.

12. The mobile interface device of claim 11 wherein the registry interface software operable on the processor comprises an HTML5 capable web browser.

13. The mobile interface device of claim 11 including software operable on the processor for implementing irrigation system component mapping using GPS or GIS data.

14. An Internet website accessible system for registering sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information and performing in-situ checking of component configurations for agriculture irrigation systems, comprising:

an Internet-accessible website server and registry database for registering and storing sprinkler package configuration data specific to one or more irrigation systems, the website server and registry database including one or more computer processor configured to;

store SPC data for one or more irrigation systems in said registry database, the website server and registry database operatively connected to a WAN or the Internet, and the SPC data for each irrigation system comprising an irrigation system site ID, geographic location data indicative of a global position of the irrigation system, and component configuration data which specifies locations of sprinkler components within the irrigation system and includes component specification data for one or more sprinkler components of the irrigation system.

15. A method for in-situ checking and verification of an agriculture irrigation system component, comprising:

providing an Internet-accessible web site server and registry database for registering and storing sprinkler package configuration information defining specific irrigation system components and their respective arrangement within a particular irrigation system and including at least sprinkler nozzle type/model information for one or more sprinkler heads used in a particular irrigation system;

labeling a sprinkler head nozzle with a specific ID tag prior to installing the nozzle at a particular irrigation system site, the ID tag providing identification information specific to each sprinkler head nozzle used in a particular irrigation system in accordance with sprinkler package configuration information registered and stored in said database; and

providing a GPS location-aware portable registry interface device operable at or near an irrigation system site for wirelessly accessing the registry database and retrieving previously registered sprinkler package configuration information specific to a particular irrigation system or component from the registry database based on GPS location information from the device and component identification information obtained from the ID tag on a sprinkler head,

wherein a nozzle type/model of one or more sprinkler heads associated with a particular irrigation system is verified by retrieving corresponding sprinkler package configuration information for a particular irrigation system using the location-aware portable device on site at an irrigation system.

16. The method for in-situ checking and verification of an agriculture irrigation system component according to claim 15 wherein the ID tag is an RFID device and component identification information is wirelessly communicated to the registry interface device from an RFID tag on a sprinkler head.