WATER FLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160037736A1
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H2O Flow Pro, LLC
• Original Assignee: H2O Flow Pro, LLC
• Inventors: RAINONE, Michael, SACKETT, Samuel A., WARNS, Daniel Frederick, VANCE, Adam Collin, BERRY, Bret Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 10,512,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25419 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for controlling water flow in a water distribution system (e.g., irrigation system). In an irrigation system, an interrupt controller may receive control signals from an irrigation controller and data from sensors disposed in the irrigation system, and modify operations of components in the irrigation system based on the sensor data. The sensor data may be analyzed to determine conditions in the irrigation system. Based on the analysis, the operation of the irrigation system may be interrupted or modified to optimize the supply of water. The interruption or modification of the operation of the irrigation system may allow detected abnormal conditions to be investigated and corrected.

Claims

1. An interrupt control apparatus comprising a processing system, including at least one processor, the processing system being at least configured to:

receive a plurality of control signals from an irrigation controller configured to generate control signals for controlling a plurality of irrigation devices, disposed in a plurality of zones, according to an irrigation schedule;

transmit at least one of the received control signals to one or more irrigation devices;

receive data from a plurality of sensors disposed in the plurality of zones;

compare values represented by the received data from the plurality of sensors to one or more preset values; and

when the values represented by the received data from the plurality of sensors do not match the preset value(s), modify at least one of the control signals received from the irrigation controller and transmit the at least one modified control signal to the one or more irrigation devices.

2. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each control signal received from the irrigation controller controls the irrigation device(s) in a different zone.

3. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control signals received from the irrigation controller control the plurality of irrigation devices according to the irrigation schedule such that one or more irrigation devices from a single zone are activated to provide water to the zone at a time.

4. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors include wireless sensors and the data is received from the wireless sensors over a wireless mesh network including the wireless sensors.

5. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the data received from one sensor includes values representing an amount of water provided to the zone including the sensor; and

when the values representing the amount of water being provided to the zone including the sensor exceeds the preset value for the zone including the sensor, modifying the received control signal for the zone including the sensor such that the one or more irrigation devices in the zone including the sensor are deactivated to stop supply of water to the zone including the sensor.

6. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a touch panel display configured to:

display a notification when the values represented by the received data from the plurality of sensors do not match the preset values; and

receive user inputs setting the preset values.

7. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

when the values represented by the received data from the plurality of sensors do not match the preset values, (1) transmit, to a remote control device, a notification indicating that the processing system has detected an abnormality, (2) receive instructions, from the remote control device, to further modify the at least one modified control signal to return the at least one modified control signal to the values of the received control signals, and (3) transmit the at least one further modified control signal to the irrigation device.

8. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

while transmitting the received control signals to the irrigation devices, receiving an input to enter a learning mode during which data from the plurality of sensors is received and stored in memory associated with the processing system; and

setting the preset values based on values represented by the data received from the plurality of sensors during the learning mode.

9. The interrupt control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the learning mode is activated for a time period during which data from the plurality of sensors is captured to provide a range of values to be set as the preset values or during which the preset values are set dynamically based on the values represented by the data received from the plurality of sensors.

10. An interrupt controller comprising:

a plurality of input terminals, each input terminal configured to receive a respective control signal provided by an irrigation controller controlling supply of water to a plurality of irrigation zones by activating and deactivating, according to an irrigation schedule, one or more irrigation devices disposed in a plurality of irrigation zones;

a plurality of output terminals;

a signal control circuit including a plurality of relays, each respective relay coupling an input terminal to a respective output terminal;

a network interface configured to receive data from a plurality of wireless sensors disposed in the vicinity of the irrigation devices in the irrigation zones; and

a control system coupled to the signal control circuit and the network interface, the control system configured to control the relays in the signal control circuit to decouple one or more input terminals from the respective one or more output terminals to interrupt the supply of water to one or more irrigation zones by the irrigation devices when values represented by the data received from the plurality of wireless sensors exceed preset ranges.

11. The interrupt controller according to claim 10, wherein each coupled input terminal and respective output terminal provide a control signal to control irrigation devices in a single irrigation zone and the control signals received from the irrigation controller control the plurality of irrigation devices according to the irrigation schedule such that one or more irrigation devices from a single zone are activated to provide water to the zone at a time.

12. The interrupt controller according to claim 10, wherein the network interface is configured to receive data from the plurality of wireless sensors over a wireless mesh network including the wireless sensors.

13. The interrupt controller according to claim 10, further comprising a display configured to display a notification when values represented by the data received from the plurality of wireless sensors exceed the preset ranges.

14. The interrupt controller according to claim 10, further comprising an input panel configured to receive user inputs setting the preset ranges which include setting a lower limit value and an upper limit value for each wireless sensor.

15. The interrupt controller according to claim 10, further comprising an input for activating a learning mode for a time period during which data from the plurality of wireless sensors is received from each of the plurality of wireless sensors and values represented in the received data set the preset ranges for each wireless sensor.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program executed by at least one processor of an interrupt control apparatus, the program, when executed, causing the processor to:

receive a plurality of control signals from an irrigation controller configured to generate the control signals for controlling a plurality of irrigation devices, disposed in a plurality of irrigation zones, to supply water to the irrigation zones according to an irrigation schedule pre-programmed in the irrigation controller;

transmit the received control signals to the plurality of irrigation devices;

receive data from a plurality of wireless sensors disposed in the plurality of irrigation zones;

compare values represented by the received data from the plurality of wireless sensors to preset ranges; and

when one or more of the values represented by the received data from the plurality of wireless sensors are outside of the preset range(s), modify one or more control signals received from the irrigation controller, transmit the modified control signal(s) to the irrigation device(s), and generate a notification indicating a modification has been made to the control signal(s).

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein each control signal received from the irrigation controller controls the irrigation device(s) in a different zone and the control signals received from the irrigation controller control the plurality of irrigation devices according to the irrigation schedule such that one or more irrigation devices from a single zone are activated to provide water to the zone at a time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the data from the plurality of wireless sensors is received from the wireless sensors over a wireless mesh network including the wireless sensors.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the program, when executed, further causes the processor to:

when the values represented by the received data from the plurality of wireless sensors are outside of the preset ranges, (1) transmit, to another device, a notification indicating that the values represented by the received data from the plurality of wireless sensors are outside of the preset ranges, (2) after transmitting the notification and when instructions are received from the another device to cancel the modification of the one or more control signals received from the irrigation controller, transmit the received control signals to the plurality of irrigation devices without modification.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the program, when executed, further causes the processor to:

receive an input to enter a learning mode during which (1) control signals are transmitted to the plurality of irrigation devices according to cycles of the irrigation schedule, (2) during each cycle receiving data from the wireless sensor(s) in the zone in which irrigation devise are activated in response to the transmitted control signals, (3) and setting the values represented in the received data from the wireless sensor(s) in the zone in which irrigation devise are activated during the cycle as the preset ranges for the respective wireless sensor(s).