Irrigation controller with weather station

• US 9,301,460 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Runge, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US13/406,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/32, 700/275, 700/282, 700/284
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• 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: Y02A 40/10 in agriculture

Abstract

An irrigation control module is described that adjusts a watering schedule for a connected irrigation controller based on weather data provided by a local weather station. The irrigation control module can add additional weather-based irrigation schedule adjustments to an irrigation controller that may otherwise lack the hardware (e.g., wireless transmitter, sufficient memory) and software (e.g., evapotranspiration algorithms) to store and interpret weather data from a weather station.

Claims

1. An irrigation control device for modifying an irrigation controller comprising:

a control device housing separate from said irrigation controller;

electrical circuitry disposed in said housing and configured to process and store data;

a display in communication with said electrical circuitry;

a first communication link configured to communicate data between said irrigation control device and said irrigation controller; and

,

a zip code input interface executed by said electrical circuitry and displayed on said display;

said zip code input interface accepting input of a zip code by a user;

wherein said irrigation control device determines a schedule percentage adjustment based in part on a current date and said zip code inputted by said user; and

wherein said irrigation control device transmits said schedule percentage adjustment over said first communication link to said irrigation controller to modify an irrigation schedule of said irrigation controller by said schedule percentage adjustment;

wherein said irrigation control device stores said schedule percentage adjustment;

wherein said irrigation control device further comprises a water history interface, displayable on said display by said electrical circuitry;

said water history interface displaying a graph representing a plurality of stored schedule percentage adjustments that have been previously communicated to said irrigation controller over a past amount of time to modify said device operation schedule.

2. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein said device operation schedule is an irrigation schedule.

3. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein said schedule adjustment commands are further determined based on a time of sunrise or sunset for a location designated by said zip code.

4. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein said schedule adjustment commands are further determined based on adjusting a measured solar radiation value based on said zip code.

5. The irrigation control device of claim 1, further comprising a second communication link that communicates with a weather station.

6. The irrigation control device of claim 1, further comprising a second communication link that communicates with a soil moisture sensor.

7. The irrigation control device of claim 1, further comprising a second communication link that communicates with a personal computer.

8. An irrigation control device for modifying an irrigation controller comprising:

a control device housing separate from said irrigation controller;

electrical circuitry disposed in said housing and configured to process and store data;

a display in communication with said electrical circuitry;

a first communication link configured to communicate data between said irrigation control device and said irrigation controller; and

,

a location input interface executed by said electrical circuitry and displayed on said display;

said location input interface accepting input of location data by a user comprising a postal code or latitude/longitude coordinates;

wherein said irrigation control device determines a schedule percentage adjustment based in part on a current date and said location data inputted by said user; and

wherein said irrigation control device transmits said schedule percentage adjustment over said first communication link to said irrigation controller to modify a device operation schedule;

wherein said irrigation control device saves said schedule percentage adjustment in a database;

wherein said irrigation control device further comprises a water history interface, displayable on said display by said electrical circuitry;

said water history interface displaying a graph that displays a plurality of saved schedule percent adjustments that have been communicated over a past amount of time to said irrigation controller to modify said device operation schedule.

9. The irrigation control device of claim 8, further comprising a second communication link that communicates with a weather station.

10. The irrigation control device of claim 8, wherein said graph of said water history interface further comprises a plurality of parallel lines having lengths relative to said plurality of percentages of adjustment for previous dates.

11. The irrigation control device of claim 8, further comprising a removable memory card storing a postal code database.

12. The irrigation control device of claim 9, wherein said irrigation control device estimates an amount of rain based on data from a hygroscopic rain sensor on said weather station.

13. The irrigation control device of claim 8, further comprising a second communication link that communicates with a weather station and a soil moisture sensor.

14. The irrigation control device of claim 13, wherein said irrigation control device adjusts a first irrigation station of said irrigation controller based on data from said weather station and wherein said irrigation control device adjusts a second irrigation station of said irrigation controller based on data from said soil moisture sensor.

15. The irrigation control device of claim 8, wherein said first communication link is a cable.

16. The irrigation control device of claim 8, wherein said first communication link is a plug located on said control device housing and is directly connectable with a port on said irrigation controller.

17. An irrigation control device for modifying an irrigation controller comprising:

a control device housing separate from said irrigation controller;

electrical circuitry disposed in said housing and configured to process and store data;

a display in communication with said electrical circuitry;

a first communication link configured to communicate data between said irrigation control device and said irrigation controller;

a second communication link configured to communicate data between a weather station; and

,

a location input interface executed by said electrical circuitry and displayed on said display;

said location input interface accepting input of location data by a user comprising a postal code or latitude/longitude coordinates;

wherein said irrigation control device determines a schedule percentage adjustment based in part on a current date and said location data inputted by said user; and

wherein said irrigation control device transmits said schedule percentage adjustment over said first communication link to said irrigation controller to modify an irrigation operation schedule by said schedule percentage adjustment;

wherein said irrigation control device stores said schedule percentage adjustment in a database;

wherein said irrigation control device further comprises a water history interface, displayable on said display by said electrical circuitry;

said water history interface displaying a graph that displays a plurality of stored schedule percentage adjustments that have been communicated over a past amount of time to said irrigation controller to modify said irrigation operation schedule.

18. The irrigation control device of claim 17, wherein said water history interface is displayed on a default interface display, said default interface display being displayed after setting up said irrigation control device.

19. The irrigation control device of claim 17, wherein said graph of said water history interface further comprises a plurality of bars having a height that each correspond to each of said plurality of percentage adjustments to said device operation schedule of said irrigation controller.

20. The irrigation control device of claim 17, wherein said water history interface display displays said plurality of percentage adjustments to said device operation schedule over a predetermined period of time;

and wherein an interface button reduces a length of said predetermined period of time.

21. The irrigation control device of claim 17, wherein said graph of said water history interface further comprises a plurality of bars having a height that each correspond to each of said plurality of adjustment percentages.

22. The irrigation control device of claim 17, wherein said water history interface is displayed on a default interface display, said default interface display being displayed after setting up said irrigation control device.

23. The irrigation control device of claim 17, wherein said water history interface further comprises a plurality of percentage adjustment data points connected by a line.