System and method for wireless irrigation control with a remote application

• US 8,930,032 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffery Stephen Bettcher
• Original Assignee: ZBS Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Shupe, Deborah Gail, Shupe, Michael Edward, Bettcher, Jeffery Stephen, Zambai, Anthony Carlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US13/302,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282, 700/284, 700/67, 700/18
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for wireless irrigation control with a remote application. The system includes a processor and plurality of interactive zone switches for connection to at least one irrigation device; each zone switch further operable to detect a state of a connected irrigation device. Non-volatile memory is coupled to the processor and provided with executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch. There is at least one remote application to establish a schedule within the non-volatile memory for operation for each interactive zone switch and to receive the schedule from the non-volatile memory in response to a users desire to review or modify the schedule. A wireless network component is coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory and is in communication with the remote application to schedule operation of at least one interactive zone switch and at least one irrigation device.

Claims

1. A system for wireless irrigation control with remote application, comprising:

a wireless network irrigation control module having a self containing housing enclosing;

a processor;

a plurality of independently controllable interactive zone switches for connection to a plurality of remote irrigation devices, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a diagnostic state of each irrigation device;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor having processor executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch;

a wireless network component coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory;

at least one remote application to establish a schedule within the non-volatile memory for operation for each interactive zone switch and to receive the schedule from the non-volatile memory in response to a users desire to review or modify the schedule, the application further permitting direct control of each interactive zone switch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic state of each of the plurality of irrigation device is selected from the group consisting of connected, disconnected, open, and closed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the schedule within the non-volatile memory of the controller is a master schedule, a plurality of remote applications harmoniously adjusting the schedule by retrieving the master schedule from the non-volatile memory before establishing a change to the schedule and uploading a new master schedule to the non-volatile memory.

4. The system of claim 3, where each upload of a new master schedule is an atomic transaction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each zone switch directly senses the state of a current applied to activate each irrigation device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is an application in a wireless ad-hock network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is an application in a local area network apart from an Internet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is provided by a computer in a local area network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is provided by at least one remote server accessed via an Internet.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is provided by a smart phone, wirelessly communicating with the wireless network irrigation control module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is not a web browser.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of remote applications are in communication via the wireless network component with the irrigation controlling system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote application is structured and arranged to control a plurality of distinct irrigation controlling systems.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a first remote application is used by a first user and a second remote application is used by a second user.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the schedule permits multiple activations of each zone switch per day.

16. A method for wireless irrigation control with remote application, comprising:

providing a wireless irrigation controller irrigation controller in a self containing protective case having;

a plurality of independently controllable interactive zone switches for connection a plurality of remote irrigation devices, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a diagnostic state of each irrigation device;

a non-volatile memory coupled to a processor, the memory having processor executable instructions to direct the operation of each interactive zone switch;

a wireless network component coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory;

providing at least one remote application to establish via the wireless network component a schedule within the non-volatile memory for operation of each interactive zone switch, the application further permitting direct control of each interactive zone switch; and

in response to a user'"'"'s desire to review or modify the schedule, retrieving the schedule from the non-volatile memory, and displaying the schedule to the user within the application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a plurality of remote applications harmoniously adjust the schedule by retrieving the master schedule from the non-volatile memory before establishing a change to the schedule and uploading a new master schedule to the non-volatile memory.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each upload of a new master schedule is an atomic transaction.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each zone switch directly senses the state of a current applied to activate each irrigation device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the state of each irrigation device is selected from the group consisting of connected, disconnected, open, and closed.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote application and the wireless network component communicate via a wireless ad-hock network.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the schedule permits multiple activations of each zone switch per day.

23. A system for wireless irrigation control with remote application, comprising:

a remote scheduler structured and arranged to provide a scheduling interface upon a display, the scheduling interface permitting a user to establish a schedule for a plurality of interactive zone switches coupled to a plurality of remote irrigation devices, and to directly control each interactive zone switch;

at least one wireless network irrigation controller, comprising;

a self containing housing substantially enclosing;

a processor;

a plurality of independently controllable interactive zone switches for connection to each remote irrigation device, each zone switch further structured and arranged to detect a diagnostic state of each irrigation device;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor having processor executable instructions to direct operation of each interactive zone switch; and

a wireless network component coupled to the processor and the non-volatile memory and in communication with the remote scheduler to receive direct control for the interactive zone switches and to exchange the schedule for the interactive zone switches and a plurality of irrigation devices, the schedule within the non-volatile memory being a master schedule.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a plurality of remote schedulers harmoniously adjusting the schedule by retrieving the master schedule from the non-volatile memory before establishing a change to the schedule and uploading a new master schedule to the non-volatile memory.

25. The system of claim 24, where each upload of a new master schedule is an atomic transaction.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein each zone switch directly senses the state of a current applied to activate each irrigation device.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the schedule permits multiple activations of each zone switch per day.