Irrigation system

• US 7,899,580 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Et Water Systems Inc. (JAIN Irrigation Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Et Water Systems Inc. (JAIN Irrigation Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Fogarty, Michael, Berkowitz, Gregor A., Cardinal, Bruce J., Stewart, Gordon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/544,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 700/284, 700 83- 85, 700 15- 16
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors

Abstract

A technique for controlling an irrigation system is disclosed. The technique comprises receiving landscape information, receiving environmental information, deriving an irrigation schedule based on the landscape information and the environmental information, and sending the irrigation schedule to an irrigation control unit.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an irrigation system that includes a first station situated at a first irrigation site, a first irrigation control unit situated at the first irrigation site, and a central control system, the method comprising:

receiving at the central control system a first landscape information associated with the first irrigation site;

receiving at the central control system a first environmental information associated with the first irrigation site;

receiving at the central control system a first water agency information from a water agency, wherein the water agency is a third-party utility company that manages water resources and/or water rights for a locality associated with the first irrigation site;

deriving at the central control system a first individual station irrigation schedule for the first irrigation control unit utilizing one or more of the first water agency information, the first landscape information, and the first environmental information; and

sending from the central control system to the first irrigation control unit the first individual station irrigation schedule for controlling the first irrigation control unit.

2. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the sending from the central control system to the first irrigation control unit of the first individual station irrigation schedule is performed via a network.

3. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the sending from the central control system to the first irrigation control unit of the first individual station irrigation schedule is performed via a telephone line.

4. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving at the central control system of the first landscape information includes configuiring a landscape parameter received via a web interface.

5. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first landscape information includes soil type, irrigation method, precipitation rate, and distribution uniformity.

6. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first landscape information includes slope information, root depth of plant, dripline diameter, number of emitters per plant, and flow rate of emitter.

7. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first landscape information includes plant type, age of plant, sun exposure information, plant coefficient by month, and seasonality of plants.

8. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first environmental information includes evapotranspiration information.

9. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first environmental information includes weather information.

10. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first individual station irrigation schedule schedules the first station to operate simultaneously with a second station.

11. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first water agency information includes an instruction from the water agency.

12. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first individual station irrigation schedule includes hourly restrictions.

13. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first individual station irrigation schedule includes non-watering days.

14. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the deriving at the central control system the first individual station irrigation schedule includes accounting for the priority of the first station and a second station.

15. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the deriving at the central control system the first individual station irrigation schedule includes optimizing the first individual station irrigation schedule to fit within a user-defined water window.

16. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the deriving at the central control system the first individual station irrigation schedule includes balancing usage between the first irrigation site and a second irrigation site.

17. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the deriving at the central control system the first individual station irrigation schedule includes selecting an algorithm utilized for the deriving from a plurality of algorithms.

18. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the deriving at the central control system of the first individual station irrigation schedule includes minimizing runoff.

19. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the sending from the central control system the first individual station irrigation schedule to the first irrigation control unit includes the first irrigation control unit utilizing a pull model to request the first individual station irrigation schedule.

20. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an alert if the sending from the central control system of the first individual station irrigation schedule fails.

21. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising utilizing a stored irrigation schedule on the first irrigation control unit if the sending from the central control system of the first individual station irrigation schedule fails.

22. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing by the central control system analysis of water usage to a the water agency.

23. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising modifying one or both of the first landscape information and the first individual station irrigation schedule via a web interface.

24. A method of controlling an irrigation system that includes a first station situated at a first irrigation site, a first irrigation control unit situated at the first irrigation site, and a central control system, the method comprising:

receiving at the central control system via an online interface a first landscape information associated with the first irrigation site;

receiving at the central control system a first environmental information associated with the first irrigation site;

receiving at the central control system a first water agency information associated with a water agency, wherein the water agency is a third-party utility company that manages water resources and/or water rights for a locality associated with the first irrigation site;

deriving at the central control system a first individual station irrigation schedule for the first irrigation control unit utilizing one or more of the first landscape information, the first water agency information, and the first environmental information;

receiving at the central control system via the online interface an adjustment for changing the first individual station irrigation schedule;

changing at the central control system the first individual station irrigation schedule utilizing the adjustment; and

sending from the central control system to the first irrigation control unit the first individual station irrigation schedule for controlling the first irrigation control unit.

25. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 24, wherein deriving the first individual station irrigation schedule includes balancing usage among a plurality of irrigation sites.

26. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 24, wherein sending the first individual station irrigation schedule to the first irrigation control unit is initiated by the first irrigation control unit.

27. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 24, further comprising performing irrigation using the stored irrigation schedule on the first irrigation control unit if sending the first individual station irrigation schedule fails.

28. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 24, further comprising displaying one or both of the first landscape information and the first individual station irrigation schedule via the online interface.

29. A method of controlling an irrigation system as recited in claim 24, further comprising modifying one or both of the first landscape information and the first individual station irrigation schedule via the online interface.

30. A central control system for controlling an irrigation system that includes a first station situated at a first irrigation site and a first irrigation control unit situated at the first irrigation site, the central control system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the central control system to;

receive via an online interface a first landscape information associated with the first irrigation site;

receive a first environmental information associated with the first irrigation site;

receive a first water agency information associated with a water agency wherein the water agency is a third-party utility company that manages water resources and/or water rights for a locality associated with the first irrigation site;

derive a first individual station irrigation schedule for the first irrigation control unit utilizing one or more of the first water agency information, the first landscape information, and the first environmental information; and

send to the first irrigation control unit the first individual station irrigation schedule for controlling the first irrigation control unit.

31. A central control system as recited in claim 30, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the central control system to provide an alert if sending the first individual station irrigation schedule fails.

32. A central control system as recited in claim 30, wherein irrigation is performed using a stored irrigation schedule on the first irrigation control unit if sending the first individual station irrigation schedule fails.