Network enabled gardening with a remotely controllable positioning extension

• US 9,439,367 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthi Abhyanker
• Original Assignee: Arthi Abhyanker
• Inventors: Abhyanker, Arthi
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US14/174,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20150223415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/09 Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246

Abstract

A watering apparatus and associated methods and systems to enable networked gardening with a remotely controllable positioning extension are disclosed. In one embodiment, the watering apparatus includes a weather-resistant housing to encompass a micro-processor and a communications circuitry. In addition, the watering apparatus includes a weather-resistant camera communicatively coupled with the weather resistant housing through the communications circuitry. An input connector directs water through a partitioned channel from the weather-resistant housing responsive to a signal from the microprocessor through a pressure regulated valve. The watering apparatus is connected to a flexible extension coupled with the weather-resistant housing to automatically transport the water through the partitioned channel to a desired location within a central view of a focused angle of the weather-resistant camera. Further, the watering apparatus may be accessed through a mobile device through a network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the watering apparatus.

Claims

1. A watering apparatus, comprising:

a weather-resistant housing encompassing a micro-processor, a communications circuitry;

a weather-resistant camera communicatively coupled with the weather resistant housing through the communications circuitry;

an input connector to direct water through a channel partitioned from the weather resistant housing responsive to a signal from the microprocessor through a pressure regulated valve;

a flexible extension coupled with the weather-resistant housing to automatically transport the water directed through the channel partitioned to a desired location within a central view of a focused angle of the weather-resistant camera, and

a solar panel affixed on an upper surface of the watering apparatus to a power circuitry in the weather-resistant housing,

wherein a privacy server communicatively coupled with the watering apparatus through a network to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of an online community formed using the privacy server to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of the online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using a processor and a memory of the privacy server,

wherein the privacy server to generate a latitudinal data and a longitudinal data associated with each claimable residential address of the online community associated with each user of the online community,

wherein the privacy server to automatically determine a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using a Bezier curve algorithm of the privacy server,

wherein the watering apparatus to be constrained in accessibility only to those neighbors that are verified to live in the neighborhood boundary in which the watering apparatus is located,

wherein the watering apparatus to function as a community resource in the online community such that neighbors verified as living inside the neighborhood boundaries and which are part of a gardening club of the online community can collectively take turns using the watering apparatus to water a community garden of the online community, and

wherein the watering apparatus wirelessly registers a public and private Internet Protocol (IP) address with a local access point of the network through the communications circuitry.

2. The watering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the watering apparatus is accessed through a mobile device through the network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the watering apparatus.

3. The watering apparatus of claim 2 wherein the watering apparatus communicates a visual data of the weather-resistant camera including the focused angle and the central view to the mobile device through the network, and wherein the weather-resistant camera repositions based on a reposition data received from the mobile device through the network when a haptic gesture is applied on a touchscreen of the mobile device.

4. The watering apparatus of claim 3:

wherein the watering apparatus to activate the water at a communicated pressure through the channel partitioned using the pressure regulated valve based on a trigger data received from the mobile device through the network, and

wherein the watering apparatus to deactivate the water through the channel partitioned using the pressure regulated valve based on a stop data received from the mobile device through the network.

5. The watering apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a rainfall sensor in the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate an amount of rainfall detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network;

a humidity sensor in the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a relative humidity detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network; and

a temperature sensor in the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a temperature data to the mobile device through the network.

6. An irrigation system, comprising:

a weather-resistant housing encompassing a micro-processor, a communications circuitry;

a weather-resistant camera communicatively coupled with the weather resistant housing through the communications circuitry;

a mobile device to reposition the weather-resistant camera and to direct water to a plant of a garden in a central view of the weather-resistant camera based on commands communicated from the mobile device to the microprocessor through a network;

an input connector to direct the water through a channel partitioned from the weather resistant housing responsive to a signal from the microprocessor through a pressure regulated valve; and

a flexible extension coupled with the weather-resistant housing to automatically transport the water directed through the channel partitioned to a desired location within the central view of a focused angle of the weather-resistant camera,

wherein a watering apparatus wirelessly registers a public and private Internet Protocol (IP) address with a local access point of the network through the communications circuitry,

wherein the watering apparatus is accessed through the mobile device through the network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the watering apparatus,

wherein the watering apparatus communicates a visual data of the weather-resistant camera including the focused angle and the central view to mobile device through the network, and wherein the weather-resistant camera repositions based on a reposition data received from the mobile device through the network when a haptic gesture is applied on a touchscreen of the mobile device,

wherein the watering apparatus to activate the water at a communicated pressure through the channel partitioned using the pressure regulated valve based on a trigger data received from the mobile device through the network,

wherein the watering apparatus to deactivate the water through the channel partitioned using the pressure regulated valve based on a stop data received from the mobile device through the network,

wherein a privacy server communicatively coupled with the watering apparatus through a network of the irrigation system to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of an online community formed using the privacy server to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of the online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using a processor and a memory of the privacy server,

wherein the privacy server to generate a latitudinal data and a longitudinal data associated with each claimable residential address of the online community associated with each user of the online community,

wherein the privacy server to automatically determine a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using a Bezier curve algorithm of the privacy server,

wherein the watering apparatus to be constrained in accessibility only to those neighbors that are verified to live in the neighborhood boundary in which the watering apparatus is located, and

wherein the watering apparatus to function as a community resource in the online community such that neighbors verified as living inside the neighborhood boundaries and which are part of a gardening club of the online community can collectively take turns using the watering apparatus to water a community garden of the online community.

7. The irrigation system of claim 6 further comprising:

a rainfall sensor associated with the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate an amount of rainfall detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network;

a humidity sensor associated with the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a relative humidity detected by the watering apparatus to the mobile device through the network; and

a temperature sensor associated with the weather-resistant housing of the watering apparatus to communicate a temperature data to the mobile device through the network.

8. The irrigation system of claim 6 further comprising:

a solar panel affixed on an upper surface of the watering apparatus to a power circuitry in the weather-resistant housing.

9. An irrigation method, comprising:

repositioning a weather-resistant camera wirelessly coupled with a remotely located mobile device based on a haptic gesture applied on a touchscreen of the mobile device;

adjusting a water pressure of a channel partitioned between an input connector and a flexible extension of a watering tube based on the haptic gesture applied on the remotely located mobile device;

directing water to a plant of a garden in a central view of the weather-resistant camera based on a command communicated from the mobile device to a microprocessor communicatively coupled with the weather-resistant camera and to the watering tube through a network;

determining an amount of rainfall detected by a rainfall sensor in an irrigation system on the mobile device through the network;

analyzing a relative humidity detected by a humidity sensor in the irrigation system using the mobile device through the network;

accessing the microprocessor through the mobile device through the network based on an access control policy configured by a user of the irrigation system associated with the microprocessor; and

suggesting a recommended water amount on the mobile device based on a temperature data detected by a temperature sensor in the irrigation system through an optimum garden algorithm applied through the mobile device,

wherein the microprocessor and the weather-resistant camera is powered through a solar panel affixed to the weather resistant camera,

wherein the microprocessor, the rainfall sensor, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor are embedded in a weather-resistant housing of the weather-resistant camera,

wherein a privacy server communicatively coupled with a watering apparatus through the network to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of an online community formed using the privacy server to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of the online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using a processor and a memory,

wherein the privacy server to generate a latitudinal data and a longitudinal data associated with each claimable residential address of the online community associated with each user of the online community,

wherein the privacy server to automatically determine a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using a Bezier curve algorithm of the privacy server,

wherein the watering apparatus to be constrained in accessibility only to those neighbors that are verified to live in a neighborhood boundary in which the watering apparatus is located, and

wherein the watering apparatus to function as a community resource in the online community such that neighbors verified as living inside the neighborhood boundaries and which are part of a gardening club of the online community can collectively take turns using the watering apparatus to water a community garden of the online community.

10. The irrigation method of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor communicates a visual data of the weather-resistant camera including a focused angle and the central view to the mobile device through the network.

11. The irrigation method of claim 10:

wherein the microprocessor to activate the water at a communicated pressure through the channel partitioned using a pressure regulated valve based on a trigger data received from the mobile device through the network, and

wherein the microprocessor to deactivate the water through the channel partitioned using the pressure regulated valve based on a stop data received from the mobile device through the network.