Soil moisture probe and system with temperature adjustment
First Claim
1. A system for controlling irrigation, comprising:
- a plurality of wireless transmitters coupled to a plurality of stand-alone soil moisture probes, wherein a single wireless transmitter is coupled to a single probe by a length of cable, and wherein each of the probes corresponds to a separate irrigation zone, said probe comprising;
first and second elongate conductive materials encapsulated in a non-conductive substrate, said first and second elongate materials coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor;
third and fourth elongate conductive materials encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate, said third and fourth elongate materials being conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials, coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor;
a soil moisture circuit encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate coupled to the power source, said circuit having an oscillator for applying an electrical stimulus to the first and second elongate conductive materials and to the third and fourth elongate materials; and
a ground conductive material in direct electrical contact with the soil disposed between the first and second elongate conductive materials, said ground conductive material being coupled to the soil moisture circuit and conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials;
wherein the non-conductive substrate comprises a printed circuit board having a head and three coplanar prongs extending downward from the head, the first and second prongs extending downward from opposing sides of the head and the third prong extending downward between the first and second prongs, and wherein the first and third conductive materials are disposed within the first prong and the second and fourth conductive materials are disposed within the second prong, and wherein the ground conductive material is disposed on an outer surface of the third prong;
an irrigation control box operatively coupled to a plurality of irrigation valves, wherein each of said irrigation valves corresponds to separate irrigation zones, and wherein said irrigation control box is configured to control the irrigation valves based on an upper and a lower soil moisture threshold value and comprises a receiver configured to receive a wireless data signal from the plurality of transmitters;
wherein the irrigation control box is configured to receive a signal corresponding to an ambient temperature within an irrigation zone, and upon detecting that the ambient air temperature exceeds a threshold level, the irrigation control box is configured to modify the upper and lower soil moisture threshold values.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of wireless transmitters tethered to a plurality of soil moisture probes, each of said probes having first and second elongate conductive materials encapsulated in a non-conductive substrate, coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor. An irrigation control box is equipped with a receiver and a processor coupled to a plurality of irrigation control valves, each irrigation control valve corresponding to an irrigation zone wherein at least one probe is placed. The processor converts signal data received from the plurality of transmitters into a soil moisture value and (i) opens a control valve corresponding to the zone to which the probe corresponds upon detecting that the soil moisture value in the zone has dropped below a threshold value and (ii) closes the control valve upon detecting that the soil moisture value has raised above a threshold value.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for controlling irrigation, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless transmitters coupled to a plurality of stand-alone soil moisture probes, wherein a single wireless transmitter is coupled to a single probe by a length of cable, and wherein each of the probes corresponds to a separate irrigation zone, said probe comprising; first and second elongate conductive materials encapsulated in a non-conductive substrate, said first and second elongate materials coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor; third and fourth elongate conductive materials encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate, said third and fourth elongate materials being conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials, coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor; a soil moisture circuit encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate coupled to the power source, said circuit having an oscillator for applying an electrical stimulus to the first and second elongate conductive materials and to the third and fourth elongate materials; and a ground conductive material in direct electrical contact with the soil disposed between the first and second elongate conductive materials, said ground conductive material being coupled to the soil moisture circuit and conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials; wherein the non-conductive substrate comprises a printed circuit board having a head and three coplanar prongs extending downward from the head, the first and second prongs extending downward from opposing sides of the head and the third prong extending downward between the first and second prongs, and wherein the first and third conductive materials are disposed within the first prong and the second and fourth conductive materials are disposed within the second prong, and wherein the ground conductive material is disposed on an outer surface of the third prong; an irrigation control box operatively coupled to a plurality of irrigation valves, wherein each of said irrigation valves corresponds to separate irrigation zones, and wherein said irrigation control box is configured to control the irrigation valves based on an upper and a lower soil moisture threshold value and comprises a receiver configured to receive a wireless data signal from the plurality of transmitters; wherein the irrigation control box is configured to receive a signal corresponding to an ambient temperature within an irrigation zone, and upon detecting that the ambient air temperature exceeds a threshold level, the irrigation control box is configured to modify the upper and lower soil moisture threshold values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling irrigation, comprising:
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using a plurality of probes to detect a capacitance value in soil in a plurality of irrigation zones, wherein at least one probe is located in each of the plurality of irrigation zones, and wherein each probe is tethered to a wireless transmitter configured to send a wireless signal to an irrigation control box; transmitting a wireless signal from each of the plurality of wireless transmitters to a receiver coupled to the irrigation control box; receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of wireless transmitters into a processor of the irrigation control box, said plurality of signals corresponding to the capacitance value in the soil measured in each one of the plurality of irrigation zones; converting the capacitance values to a soil moisture value and comparing the capacitance values to pre-determined upper and lower soil moisture threshold values; upon detecting that a soil moisture value in an irrigation zone has dropped below a lower threshold value, opening an irrigation control valve corresponding to the irrigation zone having the soil moisture value below the lower threshold value; upon detecting that a soil moisture value in an irrigation zone has raised above an upper threshold value, closing the irrigation control valve corresponding to the irrigation zone having the soil moisture value above the upper threshold value; measuring the ambient air temperature proximate to an irrigation zone; and upon detecting that the ambient air temperature exceeds a threshold level, modifying the upper and lower soil moisture threshold values; wherein the probes comprise; first and second elongate conductive materials encapsulated in a non-conductive substrate, said first and second elongate materials coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor; a soil moisture circuit encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate coupled to the power source, said circuit having an oscillator for applying an electrical stimulus to the first and second elongate conductive materials; third and fourth elongate conductive materials encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate, said third and fourth elongate materials being conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials, coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor; and a ground conductive material in direct electrical contact with the soil disposed between the first and second elongate conductive materials, said ground conductive material being coupled to the soil moisture circuit and conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for controlling irrigation comprising:
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a plurality of wireless transmitters tethered to a plurality of stand-alone soil moisture probes, each of said probes comprising; first and second elongate conductive materials encapsulated in a non-conductive substrate, said first and second elongate materials coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor; a soil moisture circuit encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate coupled to the power source, said circuit having an oscillator for applying an electrical stimulus to the first and second elongate conductive materials; third and fourth elongate conductive materials encapsulated in the non-conductive substrate, said third and fourth elongate materials being conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials, coupled to a power source and configured to be placed in the soil to form a capacitor; and a ground conductive material in direct electrical contact with the soil disposed between the first and second elongate conductive materials, said ground conductive material being coupled to the soil moisture circuit and conductively isolated from the first and second elongate conductive materials; an irrigation control box equipped with a receiver and a processor, said processor coupled to a plurality of irrigation control valves, each irrigation control valve corresponding to an irrigation zone, wherein at least one soil moisture probe is placed in the soil located in each irrigation zone; wherein the processor is programmed to convert signal data received from the plurality of transmitters into a soil moisture value, open an irrigation control valve corresponding to the irrigation zone to which the probe corresponds upon detecting that the soil moisture value in the irrigation zone has dropped below a threshold value, and close the irrigation control valve corresponding to the irrigation zone to which the probe corresponds upon detecting that the soil moisture value in the irrigation zone has raised above a threshold value; and wherein the irrigation control box is configured to receive a signal corresponding to an ambient temperature within an irrigation zone, and upon detecting that the ambient air temperature exceeds a threshold level, the irrigation control box is configured to modify the upper and lower soil moisture threshold values. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification