Remote current sensor monitoring system and GPS tracking system and method for mechanized irrigation systems

• US 20060027677A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karlyle Haaland
• Original Assignee: PivoTrac.com, LLC
• Inventors: Abts, Gerald L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/67
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/092 movable around a pivot centre
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering

Abstract

A wireless interface remote monitoring system for self-propelled irrigation systems (center pivot and lateral move sprinklers) includes a remote terminal unit (RTU) mounted on an outer drive tower of the irrigation system. The RTU includes a radio transceiver capable of sending and receiving data packets over a satellite or terrestrial telemetry backbone to and from a central control computer. The RTU further includes a current sensor and a GPS receiver both for detecting movement or non-movement of the sprinkler, a microprocessor with nonvolatile memory for storing current data and GPS coordinate data from readings taken in series over time, and a pressure or flow sensor for detecting the presence or absence of water flow at the outer drive tower of the sprinkler. The current sensor connected between the RTU and a tower drive motor, allows the RTU to calculate the “movement” or “non-movement” of the irrigation system over a specified time period. Redundantly, the GPS receiver records changes in position to indicate movement or non-movement within the GPS error tolerance. Once a change from movement to non-movement or vice-versa is determined, the RTU transmits the data by satellite or radio telemetry to a central control computer which logs the movement or non-movement of the monitored drive tower, the GPS coordinate data and the water status readings, all with time and date stamp. The central control computer creates “page message” and “text message” updates as necessary on the status of individual irrigation systems and “groups” of irrigation systems that are in turn delivered to wireless devices and computers for sprinkler operators.

Claims

1. A universal remote terminal unit for monitoring and reporting the operational status of a mechanical irrigation system, the irrigation system includes center pivot and lateral move type of sprinklers having a pressurized water source, an electrical drive server source and control circuit for operation of said irrigation system, said irrigation system having a plurality of drive towers including tower wheels supporting a plurality of pipe spans connected to said water source extending between said towers, the control circuitry controls the electrical drive power to the tower wheels for moving the sprinkler over the intended irrigated area, the remote terminal unit comprises:

a) a current sensing device to sense the current in the electrical drive power to a motor for driving the tower wheels, said sensing device generating output signals to the remote terminal unit indicating whether the tower wheels are receiving power to move the sprinkler;

b) a microprocessor having non-volatile memory for processing the current sensor output signals to determine the status as to whether the sprinkler is moving or not moving and preparing data indicative of an operation status change of the sprinkler; and

c) a telemetry transmitter for sending the status data to a central processing computer where data is processed and transferred over a suitable network to alert a responsible operator of an operational change in the irrigation system.

2. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the current sensing device is suitably positioned to a power conductor for the drive motor for the tower wheels whereby the presence of electrical power to the drive motor can be determined to generate the output signals.

3. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 1 which further includes a power supply and an encapsulated housing which is mounted on an outer moving portion of the sprinkler and in which the processor and telemetry transmitter are suitably mounted which produces a self contained unit which is sealed from the outside environmental and contaminates.

4. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 3 wherein the power supply for powering the unit includes a battery and a solar array positioned on the outside surface of the housing for maintaining an electrical charge on said battery.

5. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitted status data is formed in data packets wherein each packet includes data segments setting forth status information concerning various operational elements of the irrigation system.

6. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 3 which further includes a global position satellite (GPS) receiver mounted within said housing whereby the coordinates of the location of said terminal unit can be precisely determined, the coordinate data from said receiver being sent to the microprocessor for storage and processing to compare the location data with the current sensing data to verify the operational status of the irrigation system.

7. A universal remote terminal unit as described in claim 3 wherein the telemetry transmitter includes an antenna suitably mounted on the outer surface of the housing.

8. A universal remote terminal unit as described in claim 7 wherein the telemetry transmitter sends the data by a terrestrial RF network to the central processing computer.

9. A universal remote terminal unit as described in claim 7 wherein the telemetry transmitter sends the data by satellite network to the central processing computer.

10. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the terminal unit further includes a pressure transducer connected to the sprinkler pressurized water source for sensing the water pressure within the sprinkler pipe spans, said transducer being connected to the microprocessor for processing output data from the transducer to determine the operational status and status changes of the sprinkler.

11. The universal remote terminal unit as defined in claim 1 wherein a suitable communications network delivers the status data from the central processor computer to the responsible operator.

12. A universal remote terminal unit for monitoring and reporting the operational status of a mechanized irrigation system, the irrigation system includes a center pivot or lateral move type of sprinkler having a pressurized water source including a hydraulic power drive source and control circuitry for operation of said irrigation system, said irrigation system having a plurality of wheel drive towers supporting a plurality of pipe spans extending between said towers, said pressurized water source being connected to said pipe spans, the control circuitry controls the hydraulic drive for driving the tower wheels for moving the sprinkler over the intended irrigation area, the remote terminal unit comprises:

a) a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver mounted within an encapsulated housing, said housing being mounted to an outer moving portion of said irrigation system, said GPS receiver including a suitable antenna mounted on said housing, said GPS receiver generating output data signals indicative of the location coordinates of the terminal unit which over a series of timed readings is indicative of the actual movement of the irrigation system;

b) a micro processor having non-volatile memory for processing the GPS output signals to determine whether the sprinkler is moving or not moving and preparing data indicative of the operational status changes of the sprinkler; and

c) a telemetry means for sending the status data from the microprocessor to a central processing computer wherein the processed data is transferred over a suitable communications network to alert a responsible operator of an operational change in the irrigation system.

13. A universal remote terminal unit as defined in the claim 12 wherein the GPS receiver, microprocessor and telemetry means are suitably mounted within an encapsulated housing which is mounted to an outer wheel drive tower whose movement is indicative of the operation of the irrigation system.

14. A method of monitoring movement or non-movement of a mechanized irrigation system without interfacing electrical circuit wires between the monitoring device and power control circuitry of the irrigation system, the method including the steps of:

a) sensing the current flowing through an electrical circuit powering an electric motor causing a drive tower of the irrigation system to move across the area to be irrigated, a series of timed output signals being generated from the current sensed condition;

b) processing the sensed output signals in a microprocessor to determine movement or non-movement of the drive tower which is indicative of the operational movement of the irrigation system;

c) generating data when a status change has taken place in the operation of the irrigation system which can indicate a malfunction in the system operation;

d) transferring the status data to a central processing computer and processing the status data to determine the operational status; and

e) generating an alert message when an operational status change of the irrigation system has taken place and transferring this message to a responsible operator for the irrigation system.

15. A method of monitoring as described in claim 14 which further includes the step of obtaining a timed sequence series of location coordinates for the moveable portion of the irrigation system and processing the coordinates in a microprocessor to determine location changes and the operational status of the irrigation system;

and

comparing the operational status of the irrigation system between the current sensed readings and the location coordinates to confirm any change in the operational status of the irrigation system.

16. A method of monitoring as defined in claim 15 wherein the location coordinates are determined by use of a global position satellite receiver said receiver generating a continuous series of timed interval coordinate readings which are used to determine the changes in the operational status of the irrigation system.

17. A method of monitoring as described in claim 15 wherein the microprocessor stores the coordinate readings in a non-volatile memory for use in performing a comparison of the coordinate readings with the current sensor output readings.

18. A method of monitoring as described in claim 17 wherein the operational status data generated by the microprocessor causes a data packet containing the current changed status and the location coordinates for the time of the status change to be transmitted by a suitable telemetry system to a central processing computer.

19. A method of monitoring as defined in claim 14 which includes the step of determining the water pressure within a span pipe of the irrigation system at one of the outer drive towers, converting this pressure to a digital output signal and forwarding this signal to the microprocessor to be combined with the current sensing readings for determining any change in the operational status of the irrigation system.

20. A method of monitoring as described in claim 19 wherein the central processing computer calculates the speed of travel of the irrigation system and determines the water application determined by the water pressure and resulting from the rate of movement of the irrigation system to determine the average quantity of water applied to the intended irrigated area.

21. A method of monitoring as described in claim 15 wherein the central processing computer creates a graphic overlay of the location coordinates which shows the actual movement of the irrigation system over the intended irrigated area to indicate any deviation from the intended normal operation of the irrigation system.