Smart sprinkler system with variable scheduling and radar-based rainfall information
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a sprinkler system at a geographic location, wherein the sprinkler system is capable of being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a predetermined fixed watering schedule comprised of watering zone start times and watering zone durations, the method comprising the steps of:
- programming the sprinkler system, by the user, with a repeating variable schedule that contains non-sprinkling event days and sprinkling event days, the non-sprinkling event days occurring between the sprinkling event days, and wherein a number “
n”
is defined as the largest number of sequential non-sprinkling event days in the schedule, and is at least 1;
receiving radar-based rainfall information on a daily basis associated with the geographical location of the sprinkler system, wherein the rainfall information is historical or forecast, to determine if a rain event is capable of providing the desired amount of water;
detecting whether rainfall has occurred at the geographic location, based on the rainfall information, that is capable of providing the desired amount of water, including the date of occurrence of the rainfall at the location; and
responsive to detecting rainfall, automatically shifting the repeating variable schedule so that the next sprinkling event day in the schedule occurs n days from the date of occurrence of the rainfall, and where the repeating variable schedule commences thereafter, thereby ensuring that the location receives either a sprinkling event or a rainfall event at least every n days.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sprinkler system is controlled to ensure that a given geographic area receives sufficient watering without being over-watered. The sprinkler system, capable of being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a desired daily watering schedule, is programmed to deliver the desired amount of water every day unless interrupted. Rainfall information is received, and a signal is sent to interrupt the sprinkler system, causing the sprinkler system to: a) follow a predetermined watering schedule when there is no rain, in which case the sprinkler system delivers the desired amount of water following a predetermined number of days, n, without watering, or b) increase n by 1 or more days if the rainfall information indicates at least one significant rain event capable of providing the desired amount of water, and c) return to a) when n expires.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a sprinkler system at a geographic location, wherein the sprinkler system is capable of being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a predetermined fixed watering schedule comprised of watering zone start times and watering zone durations, the method comprising the steps of:
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programming the sprinkler system, by the user, with a repeating variable schedule that contains non-sprinkling event days and sprinkling event days, the non-sprinkling event days occurring between the sprinkling event days, and wherein a number “
n”
is defined as the largest number of sequential non-sprinkling event days in the schedule, and is at least 1;receiving radar-based rainfall information on a daily basis associated with the geographical location of the sprinkler system, wherein the rainfall information is historical or forecast, to determine if a rain event is capable of providing the desired amount of water; detecting whether rainfall has occurred at the geographic location, based on the rainfall information, that is capable of providing the desired amount of water, including the date of occurrence of the rainfall at the location; and responsive to detecting rainfall, automatically shifting the repeating variable schedule so that the next sprinkling event day in the schedule occurs n days from the date of occurrence of the rainfall, and where the repeating variable schedule commences thereafter, thereby ensuring that the location receives either a sprinkling event or a rainfall event at least every n days. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A sprinkler system for delivering water to a geographic location, comprising:
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the sprinkler system being programmed to deliver a desired amount of water in accordance with a predetermined fixed watering schedule comprised of watering zone start times and watering zone durations and is further programmed to deliver the desired amount of water every day unless interrupted; a repeating variable schedule, input by a user, that contains non-sprinkling event days between sprinkling event days, and wherein a number “
n”
is defined as the largest number of sequential non-sprinkling event days in the schedule, and where n is at least 1, wherein the fixed watering schedule is interrupted on the non-sprinkling event days of the repeating variable schedule to prevent sprinkling on the non-sprinkling event days;an input for receiving rainfall information indicating whether rainfall has occurred at the geographic location, the rainfall information including the date of occurrence of the rainfall at the location, wherein the rainfall information is radar-based and historical or forecast; and a processor programmed to automatically shift the repeating variable schedule so that the next sprinkling event day in the repeating variable schedule occurs n days from the date of occurrence of the rainfall, thereby ensuring that the location receives either a sprinkling event or a rainfall event capable of providing the desired amount of water at least every n days. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification