Adaptive control for irrigation system

• US 8,219,254 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Optimizer, LLC
• Original Assignee: Water Optimizer, LLC
• Inventors: O'Connor, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lopez Alvarez, Olvin
• Application Number:
  US12/800,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282, 700/284, 137/78.3, 340/602
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/02 Public or like main pipe systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0664 the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a plurality of diverging flows from a single flow G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

A combined water management and communication system for a water provider wirelessly communicating with selected ones of the multiplicity of user wireless transceiver for changing water distribution to selective ones of the multiplicity of independent users upon an undesired water flow characteristic within the water distribution channels. The multiplicity of user wireless transceivers communicating with proximate user wireless transceivers for forming a network for communicating information to a third party wireless transceiver unrelated to liquid flow. The invention is also incorporated into a remote controlled solar operated wireless irrigation valve. The invention is further incorporated into an improved water management irrigation system incorporating an adaptive weather based controller that is adjusted by a weather based sensor base controller.

Claims

1. An adaptive control for controlling an irrigation system for irrigating soil in an irrigated region, comprising:

a weather based control having a programmable memory for storing user set parameters related to the environment and plant life to provide a desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region;

a connector connecting said weather based controller to the irrigation system for watering the soil in an irrigated region in accordance with said user set parameters;

a moisture sensor located in the soil in the irrigated region for sensing an actual moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region;

a sensor based controller connected to said moisture sensor for sensing an actual moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region;

a comparator for comparing said actual moisture level in the soil of the irrigated region from said sensor based controller with said desired moisture level provided by said user set parameters;

a tolerance control having an input enabling a user to enter a tolerance range of said desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region establishing a user acceptable limit of variation between said desired moisture level of said weather based controller and the actual moisture level as measured by the moisture sensor;

said tolerance control connected to said comparator for maintaining said parameters stored in said programmable memory of said weather based control when the moisture in the soil in the irrigated region is within said user acceptable limit of variation between said desired moisture level of said weather based controller and the actual moisture level as measured by the moisture sensor; and

an adjustment in the comparator for modifying said parameters stored in said programmable memory of said weather based control when the moisture in the soil in the irrigated region exceeds said user acceptable limit of variation between said desired moisture level of said weather based controller and the actual moisture level as measured by the moisture sensor.

2. An adaptive control for controlling an irrigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region is a percentage of moisture desired the soil in the irrigated region.

3. An adaptive control for controlling an irrigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region is a percentage of moisture desired the soil in the irrigated region;

and

said tolerance range being expressed as a percentage of said percentage of moisture desired the soil in the irrigated region.

4. An adaptive control for controlling an irrigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region is a percentage of moisture desired the soil in the irrigated region;

and

said tolerance range being expressed as a percentage above and below of said percentage of moisture desired the soil in the irrigated region.

5. An adaptive control for controlling an irrigation system as set forth in claim 1, including a time delay interposed between said tolerance control and said comparator for delaying said comparator from comparing said actual moisture level in the soil of the irrigated region from said sensor based controller with said desired moisture level provided by said user set parameter for a period of time after the irrigation of the soil in the irrigated region.

6. An adaptive control for controlling an irrigation system for irrigating soil in an irrigated region, comprising:

a weather based control having a programmable memory for storing user set parameters related to the environment and plant life to provide a desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region;

a connector connecting said weather based controller to the irrigation system for watering the soil in an irrigated region in accordance with said user set parameters;

a moisture sensor located in the soil in the irrigated region for sensing an actual moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region;

a sensor based controller connected to said moisture sensor for sensing an actual moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region;

a comparator for comparing said actual moisture level in the soil of the irrigated region from said sensor based controller with said desired moisture level provided by said user set parameters;

a tolerance control having an input enabling a user to enter a tolerance range of said desired moisture level in the soil in the irrigated region establishing a user acceptable limit of variation between said desired moisture level of said weather based controller and the actual moisture level as measured by the moisture sensor;

said user acceptable limit of variation defining a tolerance range expressed as a percentage above and below of said desired the soil in the irrigated region,

said tolerance control connected to said comparator for maintaining said parameters stored in said programmable memory of said weather based control when the moisture in the soil in the irrigated region is within said user acceptable limit of variation between said desired moisture level of said weather based controller and the actual moisture level as measured by the moisture sensor;

an adjustment in the comparator for modifying said parameters stored in said programmable memory of said weather based control when the moisture in the soil in the irrigated region exceeds said user acceptable limit of variation between said desired moisture level of said weather based controller and the actual moisture level as measured by the moisture sensor; and

a time delay interposed between said tolerance control and said comparator for delaying said comparator from comparing said actual moisture level in the soil of the irrigated region from said sensor based controller with said desired moisture level provided by said user set parameter for a period of time after the irrigation of the soil in the irrigated region.