System and method for an improved sprinkler control system

• US 9,594,366 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rachio, Inc
• Original Assignee: Rachio, Inc
• Inventors: Reisman, Matthew B., Klein, Christopher Michael, Garsombke, Franz David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tecklu, Isaac T
• Application Number:
  US14/271,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/162 Sequential operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23435 Select a program per zone to be controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0629 characterised by the type of regulator means

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments can provide a system and method for controlling irrigation schedules for a sprinkler system including automatically updating irrigation schedules based on qualitative and quantitative feedback and meteorological data as well as matching optimal or near-optimal irrigation schedules to other sprinkler zones based on characteristics of the landscape and sprinkler system as well as other characteristics.

Claims

1. A method for programming a sprinkler controller, comprising:

receiving at least one characteristic record value for a first sprinkler zone associated with a first sprinkler controller and a first irrigation schedule, the first irrigation schedule associated with the first sprinkler zone;

receiving a computer-readable file including instructions for programming an irrigation schedule for the first sprinkler zone;

receiving at least one characteristic record value for a second sprinkler zone associated with a second sprinkler controller and a second irrigation schedule, the second sprinkler controller unrelated to the first sprinkler controller and the second irrigation schedule associated with the second sprinkler zone;

determining that a characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone matches a characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone;

generating a computer-readable file in a memory of computer server, the file including instructions for programming an irrigation schedule for the second sprinkler zone in response to the determining that a characteristic record associated with the first sprinkler zone matches a characteristic record associated with the second sprinkler zone, the second irrigation schedule based at least in part on the first irrigation schedule;

sending, by a network communication device of the computer server, the second irrigation scheduling data for the second sprinkler zone to the second sprinkler controller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one characteristic for the second sprinkler zone is a landscape characteristic selected from the group comprising:

soil type, vegetation type, turf type, slope value, and shade value.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic for the second sprinkler zone is a sprinkler characteristic selected from the group comprising:

make of sprinkler nozzle, make of sprinkler valve, model of sprinkler nozzle, model of sprinkler valve, nozzle type, water flow rate, water pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request signal to update the second irrigation schedule for the second sprinkler zone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a qualitative indicator signal for the second sprinkler zone and wherein the second irrigation schedule is determined in response to the receiving the qualitative indicator signal for the second sprinkler zone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a qualitative indicator signal for the first sprinkler zone and wherein the second irrigation schedule is determined in response to the receiving the qualitative indicator signal for the second sprinkler zone.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving watering restriction data; and

wherein the determining the second irrigation schedule includes at least one of omitting a watering day from the schedule based on the restriction information, adding a watering day to the schedule based on the restriction information, and setting a cycle time for at least one watering cycle based on the restriction information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone matches the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone includes determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone equals the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone.

9. The method of claim 1 where determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone matches the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone includes determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone is within a predetermined ranged of the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone.

10. A non-transitory, computer readable medium containing instructions comprising

receiving at least one characteristic record value for a first sprinkler zone associated with a first sprinkler controller and a first irrigation schedule, the first irrigation schedule associated with the first sprinkler zone;

receiving a computer-readable file including instructions for programming an irrigation schedule for the first sprinkler zone;

receiving at least one characteristic record value for a second sprinkler zone associated with a second sprinkler controller and a second irrigation schedule, the second sprinkler controller unrelated to the first sprinkler controller and the second irrigation schedule associated with the second sprinkler zone;

determining that a characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone matches a characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone;

generating a computer-readable file in a memory of computer server, the file including instructions for programming an irrigation schedule for the second sprinkler zone in response to the determining that a characteristic record associated with the first sprinkler zone matches a characteristic record associated with the second sprinkler zone, the second irrigation schedule based at least in part on the first irrigation schedule;

sending, by a network communication device of the computer server, the second irrigation scheduling data for the second sprinkler zone to the second sprinkler controller.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 wherein at least one characteristic of the second sprinkler zone is a landscape characteristic selected from the group comprising:

soil type, vegetation type, turf type, slope value, and shade value.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 wherein at least one characteristic of the second sprinkler zone is a sprinkler characteristic selected from the group comprising:

make of sprinkler nozzle, make of sprinkler valve, model of sprinkler nozzle, model of sprinkler valve, nozzle type, water flow rate, water pressure.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request signal to update the second irrigation schedule for the second sprinkler zone.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

receiving a qualitative indicator signal for the second sprinkler zone and wherein the second irrigation schedule is determined in response to the receiving the qualitative indicator signal for the second sprinkler zone.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

receiving a qualitative indicator signal for the first sprinkler zone and wherein the second irrigation schedule is determined in response to the receiving the qualitative indicator signal for the second sprinkler zone.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

receiving watering restriction data; and

wherein the determining the second irrigation schedule includes at least one of omitting a watering day from the schedule based on the restriction information, adding a watering day to the schedule based on the restriction information, and setting a cycle time for at least one watering cycle based on the restriction information.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 wherein determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone matches the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone includes determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone equals the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions of claim 10 where determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone matches the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone includes determining that the characteristic record value for the first sprinkler zone is within a predetermined ranged of the characteristic record value for the second sprinkler zone.