Watering instructions and irrigation protocols sent over a network

• US 9,924,644 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SD Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skydrop Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Endrizzi, Clark, Mars, Robert, Dalley, Mack, Endrizzi, Betsy
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US14/315,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• 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 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25056 Automatic configuration of monitoring, control system as function of operator input, events
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25205 Encrypt communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0664 the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a plurality of diverging flows from a single flow G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13

Abstract

The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for generating and optimizing irrigation protocols. The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for optimizing water usage in growing plants for yard and crops. The disclosure also extends to methods, systems and computer program products for providing automated irrigation.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing an environmental system having a controller connected to a server over a computer network comprising:

sending a query from the server over the computer network to a database containing environmental data at a predetermined interval;

receiving the queried environmental data from the database and storing the environmental data in computer memory of the server;

determining an amount of environmental change needed to return a zone to a predetermined condition, wherein the amount is based on the environmental data, and storing the data relating to environmental change needed for the given zone in computer memory of the server;

building a table of changes in environmental data based at least in part on environmental data received from a plurality of queries made at predetermined intervals;

generating a change protocol within the server;

conveying said change protocol from the server to the controller, such that the change protocol is written into computer memory of the controller that is in electronic communication with components of the environmental system, wherein the controller uses the change protocol to control the environmental system;

querying the user for a subjective evaluation of a zone; and

receiving data comprising subjective information provided by the user in response to the query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises optimizing an irrigation system, wherein the environmental data relates to irrigation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein optimizing the irrigation system further comprises:

sending the query from the server over the computer network to a database containing weather data at a predetermined interval;

receiving the queried weather data from the database and storing the weather data in computer memory of the server;

determining an amount of water needed to replenish a root zone for a given irrigation zone to raise the amount of water in the root zone, wherein the amount is based on the weather data, and storing the data relating to water needed to replenish the root zone for the given irrigation zone in computer memory of the server;

recording weather data for the predetermined interval in computer memory of the irrigation server;

building a table of changes in weather data based at least in part on weather data received during the plurality of predetermined intervals;

generating an irrigation protocol with the server; and

conveying said irrigation protocol from the irrigation server to a controller, such that the irrigation protocol is written into computer memory of the controller that is in electronic communication with plumbing of the irrigation system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises pairing a user web account with the controller;

generating the irrigation protocol with the irrigation server; and

conveying the irrigation protocol to the controller, which in turn executes the irrigation protocol that provides a schedule of irrigation events within the irrigation system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises sending notifications to a user prompting the user to enter data relating to the irrigation system and/or one or more irrigation zones of the irrigation system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the irrigation server electronically communicates with a user through a web account located on a database and displayed using a general purpose computer, through a mobile device, and/or through the controller to send the notifications to the user.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the method of determining an amount of water needed to replenish a root zone for a given irrigation zone includes determining an evapotranspiration for the irrigation zone.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises querying the database for current humidity, temperature, solar radiation, and/or wind speed.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises determining whether there is solar radiation data provided as part of the weather data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the amount of water needed to replenish a root zone for a given irrigation zone is based on raising the amount of water in the root zone such that it is greater than seventy percent for an irrigation zone.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises determining a slope of the ground, current temperature, and/or the geographical region type if there is no solar radiation data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the slope of the ground, temperature, and/or the geographical region type occurs prior to determining the amount of water needed to replenish the root zone for the given irrigation zone.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises generating a transcript of a duration of an actual irrigation run time for the given zone and sending the transcript to the irrigation server over the computer network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises aggregating data from a plurality of sources.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein method further comprises determining whether a start time for the controller to initiate actuation of the system is within one hour.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the system is an irrigation system and wherein the method further comprises conveying weather updates to the table of changes if the start time for the controller is greater than one hour away from a current date and time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the system is an irrigation system and wherein the method further comprises conveying weather updates and the irrigation protocol to the controller if the start time for the controller is one hour or less away from a current date and time.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined interval is once per hour.

19. A system for the optimization of an automated irrigation system comprising:

an irrigation server comprising an irrigation protocol generator, and processors and memory for executing computing instructions, wherein the irrigation server is in electronic communication with a dedicated controller that controls a plumbing system having an electronically actuated control valve for controlling the flow of water through said plumbing system and wherein the controller is electronically and directly connected to said control valve and configured for sending actuation signals to the control valve, thereby controlling water flow through the plumbing system;

an irrigation protocol generated by the irrigation protocol generator and comprising instructions for the controller relating to irrigation run times for at least one zone of the irrigation system; and

a computer network that is in electronic communication with said controller and said irrigation server;

wherein the protocol generator builds a table of changes in weather data based at least in part on weather data received during a plurality of predetermined intervals;

wherein the irrigation server communicates with and sends the irrigation protocol to the controller over the computer network where the irrigation protocol is written into computer memory of the controller;

wherein the controller uses the irrigation protocol to control the automated irrigation system; and

wherein the irrigation server sends a notification to a user requesting a subjective evaluation of at least one zone of the irrigation system and incorporating the received subjective information provided by the user into the irrigation protocol.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the irrigation server sends a query over the computer network to a database containing weather data at a predetermined interval, and receives the queried weather data from the database and stores the weather data in computer memory;

and

wherein the protocol generator determines an amount of water needed to replenish a root zone for a given irrigation zone to raise the amount of water in the root zone based on the weather data and stores the data relating to water needed to replenish the root zone for the given irrigation zone in computer memory.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the protocol generator determines the amount of water needed to replenish a root zone for a given irrigation zone is based on raising the amount of water in the root zone such that it is greater than seventy percent for an irrigation zone.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises a clock configured to provide time stamp data to events within the system, and wherein the irrigation protocol comprises time stamp data.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller executes the irrigation protocol to thereby actuate the irrigation system.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the irrigation server aggregates weather data from a plurality of sources.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the system comprises a user web account, wherein the user web account is paired with the controller.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises a notice generator that generates notifications for a user regarding events within the system, wherein the irrigation server transmits the notifications to the user prompting the user to enter data relating to the irrigation system and/or one or more irrigation zones of the irrigation system.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the irrigation server electronically communicates with the user through a web account located on a database and displayed using a general purpose computer, through a mobile device, and/or through the controller to send the notifications to the user.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the irrigation server communicates with the controller and determines whether a start time for said controller to initiate actuation of the irrigation system is within one hour.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the system further comprises conveying weather updates to the table of changes if the start time for the controller is greater than one hour away from a current date and time.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the system further comprises conveying weather updates and the irrigation protocol to the controller if the start time for the controller is one hour or less away from a current date and time.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the protocol generator determines an evapotranspiration for the irrigation zone.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the irrigation server queries the database for current humidity, temperature, solar radiation, and/or wind speed.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined interval is once per hour.

34. The system of claim 19, wherein the protocol generator determines whether there is solar radiation data provided as part of the weather data.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the irrigation server uses a slope of the ground, current temperature, and/or the geographical region type if there is no solar radiation data provided to the protocol generator to determine the evapotranspiration for each zone based on user inputs.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the irrigation server uses the slope of the ground, current temperature, and/or the geographical region type prior to the protocol generator determining the amount of water needed to replenish the root zone for the given irrigation zone.

37. The system of claim 19, wherein a transcript of a duration of an actual irrigation run time for the given zone is generated and the transcript is sent to the irrigation server over the computer network.