System and methods for providing remote irrigation system operation

• US 9,943,047 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Richard Scott, Winegar, Thomas Colby, Brower, Brian, Warren, Jeremy Bruce, Jenkins, Harrison Taylor, Dunn, Alexander J., Moulton, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ, CARLOS R
• Application Number:
  US14/961,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

The present disclosure relates systems and methods for providing remote irrigation system operation. In any embodiment, the method for a home automation system may include coupling an irrigation control bypass module with a legacy irrigation control panel associated with a legacy irrigation automation system. The method may also include setting the legacy irrigation control panel to an inactive state, and operating the legacy irrigation automation system based at least in part on a first set of one or more instructions received from the irrigation control bypass module. In any embodiment, the irrigation control bypass module may be initiated based at least in part on a second set of one or more instructions received from the home automation system.

Claims

1. A method for a home automation system, comprising:

coupling an irrigation control bypass module with a legacy irrigation control panel associated with a legacy irrigation automation system;

setting the legacy irrigation control panel to an inactive state; and

operating the legacy irrigation automation system based at least in part on a first set of one or more instructions received from the irrigation control bypass module, wherein the irrigation control bypass module is initiated based at least in part on a second set of one or more instructions received from the home automation system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the legacy irrigation control panel to an active state; and

operating the legacy irrigation automation system based at least in part on a third set of one or more instructions received from the legacy irrigation control panel.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing an alert to a user based at least in part on setting the legacy irrigation control panel to the active state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the alert comprises any of an auditory alert, a visual alert, or a haptic alert, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more instructions received from the home automation system are derived based at least in part on any of a user input at the home automation system, or data received from one or more sensors associated with the home automation system, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

comparing the data received from the one or more sensors with one or more predetermined thresholds; and

deriving the second set of one or more instructions based at least in part on the comparing.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the home automation system is coupled with the irrigation control bypass module with a wireless connection.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more sensors comprise any of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a moisture sensor, or a light sensor, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the irrigation control bypass module with the legacy irrigation control panel associated with the legacy irrigation automation system comprises coupling a wire harness associated with the irrigation control bypass module with one or more irrigation zone wires associated with the legacy irrigation control panel.

10. An apparatus for a home automation system, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

processor instructions stored in the memory, the processor instructions being executable by the processor to;

set a legacy irrigation control panel associated with a legacy irrigation automation system to an inactive state; and

operate the legacy irrigation automation system based at least in part on a first set of one or more instructions received from an irrigation control bypass module, wherein the irrigation control bypass module is coupled with the legacy irrigation control panel, and wherein the irrigation control bypass module is initiated based at least in part on a second set of one or more instructions received from the home automation system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor instructions are further executable by the processor to:

set the legacy irrigation control panel to an active state; and

operate the legacy irrigation automation system based at least in part on a third set of one or more instructions received from the legacy irrigation control panel.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor instructions are further executable by the processor to:

provide an alert to a user based at least in part on setting the legacy irrigation control panel to the active state.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the alert comprises any of an auditory alert, a visual alert, or a haptic alert, or a combination thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

one or more sensors associated with the home automation system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second set of one or more instructions received from the home automation system are derived based at least in part on any of a user input at the home automation system, or data received from one or more sensors associated with the home automation system, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor instructions are further executable by the processor to:

compare the data received from the one or more sensors with one or more predetermined thresholds; and

derive the second set of one or more instructions based at least in part on the comparing.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the home automation system is coupled with the irrigation control bypass module with a wireless connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors comprise any of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a moisture sensor, or a light sensor, or a combination thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a wire harness associated with the irrigation control bypass module is coupled with one or more irrigation zone wires associated with the legacy irrigation control panel.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the code executable by a processor to:

set a legacy irrigation control panel associated with a legacy irrigation automation system to an inactive state; and

operate the legacy irrigation automation system based at least in part on a first set of one or more instructions received from an irrigation control bypass module, wherein the irrigation control bypass module is coupled with the legacy irrigation control panel, and wherein the irrigation control bypass module is initiated based at least in part on a second set of one or more instructions received from the home automation system.