Wireless Extension to an Irrigation Control System and Related Methods

• US 20090076659A1
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Thornton, Dean C., Napier, Malcolm N., Hern, Randall A., Ensworth, Mark M., Booth, Barbara E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/18 Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form G05B19/418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1866 For controlling soil irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

Several embodiments provide wireless extensions to an irrigation controller system and related methods of use, as well as other improvements to irrigation control equipment. In one implementation, an irrigation control system includes a transmitter unit including a controller and having a connector to be coupled to an irrigation controller having station actuation output connectors. The controller is configured to receive an indication that the irrigation controller has activated an irrigation station, and is also configured to cause the transmitter unit to transmit a wireless activation signal responsive to the indication. A receiver unit is coupled to an actuator coupled to an actuatable device, such as an irrigation valve, the actuator configured to actuate the irrigation valve to control the flow of water therethrough. The receiver unit receives the wireless activation signal and in response, causes the actuator to actuate the actuatable device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an irrigation system, the irrigation system comprising an irrigation solenoid valve electrically coupled to a wireless receiver and an irrigation controller electrically coupled to a wireless adapter, the method comprising:

transmitting a control signal from the wireless adapter, the control signal being representative of a signal received from the irrigation controller indicating that the irrigation solenoid valve should be activated;

receiving the control signal at the wireless receiver;

in response to receiving the control signal, activating the irrigation solenoid valve; and

de-activating the irrigation solenoid valve if the control signal is not again received during a predetermined time interval after a prior reception of the control signal, thereby reducing a likelihood of the irrigation solenoid valve over-watering;

the method further comprising resetting the predetermined time interval upon each periodic reception of the control signal at the wireless transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is periodically transmitted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time interval is longer than 17 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the irrigation solenoid valve in response to receiving a control signal indicating that the irrigation solenoid valve should be deactivated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver alternates between a listen mode and a sleep mode, wherein in the sleep mode the wireless receiver draws less power than in the listen mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sleep mode comprises a time period that is more than 3 times the time period of the listen mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is transmitted no more than 25% of the time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, the irrigation solenoid valve allows water to pass through the irrigation solenoid valve when activated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is transmitted for less than 10 seconds.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time interval is more than 1 minute.

11. A method of retrofitting a hard-wired irrigation system for wireless communication, wherein the hard-wired irrigation system comprises an irrigation controller that is adapted to be electrically coupled to at least one irrigation solenoid valve by one or more physical wires, the irrigation controller being adapted to output control signals to the irrigation solenoid valve via the one or more physical wires, the method comprising:

wiring a wireless adapter to at least one output of the irrigation controller so that the wireless adapter receives the control signals;

wiring a wireless receiver to the irrigation solenoid valve; and

inducing the wireless adapter to transmit a transformed version of the received control signals, wherein in response to receiving the transformed version of the control signals, the wireless receiver activates the irrigation solenoid.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

inducing the wireless adapter to transmit a second transformed version of the received control signals, wherein in response to receiving the second transformed version of the control signals, the wireless receiver deactivates the irrigation solenoid.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the irrigation controller comprises at least one of:

a sprinkler time, a personal computer, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), a manual switch, an Air Conditioning Thermostat, a SPA or Pool timer, and a sequencer.

14. A method of controlling an irrigation system, the irrigation system comprising an irrigation solenoid valve electrically coupled to a wireless receiver and an irrigation controller electrically coupled to a wireless adapter, the method comprising:

transmitting an activation control signal from the wireless adapter, the activation control signal being representative of an activation signal received from the irrigation controller indicating that the irrigation solenoid valve should be activated in order to allow water to flow through the irrigation solenoid valve to one or more water distribution devices that are in fluidic communication with the irrigation solenoid valve;

receiving the activation control signal at the wireless receiver, wherein the wireless receiver alternates between a listen period and a sleep period, wherein during the sleep period the wireless receiver draws less power than in the listen period and the activation control signal is only detected by the wireless receiver during the listen period;

in response to receiving the activation control signal, activating the irrigation solenoid valve; and

de-activating the irrigation solenoid valve if the activation control signal is not again received during a predetermined quantity of one or more of the listen and the sleep periods, thereby reducing a likelihood of the irrigation solenoid valve over-watering.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising de-activating the irrigation solenoid valve in response to receiving a deactivation control signal from the wireless adapter so as to inhibit flow of water through the irrigation solenoid valve to the one or more water distribution devices.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the activation control signal is periodically transmitted at a rate that is equal to or less than the predetermined quantity of one or more of the listen and the sleep periods.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleep period is more than two times the duration of the listen period.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the activation control signal is transmitted no more than about 25% of the time during a period in which the irrigation solenoid is to be activated.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the activation control signal is transmitted for less than about 15 seconds.

20. A wireless adapter system for use with an irrigation controller that is configured for hard-wiring to one or more irrigation valves associated with respective of one or more watering zones, wherein each of the irrigation valves is coupled to one or more water distribution devices and the irrigation valves are configured to control passage of water to respectively coupled water distribution devices, the irrigation controller further comprising a separate electrical connection for hard-wiring to each of the one or more irrigation valves, the wireless adapter system comprising:

a wireless transmitter comprising a plurality of input connections configured for coupling to the electrical connections of the irrigation controller so that the wireless transmitter receives control signals from the irrigation controller and the wireless transmitter periodically transmits a wireless signal indicative of which watering zones should be active in accordance with the control signals from the irrigation controller on the input connections; and

one or more wireless receivers associated with respective of the irrigation valves, wherein the wireless receivers, in response to receiving the wireless signal, selectively activate their corresponding irrigation valves, wherein the wireless receivers are further adapted to de-activate their respective irrigation valves if the wireless signal is not detected during a pre-determined time interval to thereby reduce the likelihood of the irrigation valve over-watering due to not detecting the wireless signal during the pre-determined time interval.

21. The wireless adapter system of claim 20, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a wireless signal indicative of which watering zones should not be active, as indicated by the control signals from the irrigation controller on the input connections, and the wireless receivers, in response to receiving the wireless signal, selectively de-activate the irrigation valves of their respective watering zones as indicated by the wireless signal.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the wireless receivers is battery operated and alternates between a sleep state and an awake state.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the pre-determined time interval comprises a total duration of a predetermined quantity of one or more of the sleep states and awake states.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the pre-determined time interval comprises a quantity of one or more seconds or minutes.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein one or more of the sprinkler valves comprises a DC-latching solenoid valve.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless signal comprises encoded data indicating one or more of the wireless receivers for which the wireless signal is intended.