Landscape controller with control panel insertable feature module

• US 9,678,485 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Woytowitz, Peter J., Malaugh, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Sunray R
• Application Number:
  US13/708,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/10 using selector switches
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

A landscape controller includes a housing and a control panel in the housing. The control panel includes a display and at least one manual control that enable a user to enter and/or select a watering schedule. A memory is provided for storing an operational program for carrying out the watering schedule. A processor is connected to the memory and is capable of executing the operational program. A connecting device in the control panel operatively connects at least one feature module to the processor. The controller further includes station control circuitry controlled by the processor that enables the processor to selectively energize a plurality of valves to deliver water to sprinklers in accordance with the watering schedule.

Claims

1. A landscape controller, comprising:

a control panel for entering and/or selecting a watering schedule;

data memory and program memory storing an operational program including a watering program for executing the watering schedule;

a plurality of station module receptacles located on a back plane, each station module receptacle configured to receive a removable station module, each removable station module comprising a plurality of switch circuits for energizing one or more valves;

a processor connected to the data memory and the program memory and configured to execute the operational program and control the plurality of switch circuits in accordance with the watering schedule, the processor, the data memory, and the program memory located on the control panel; and

at least one feature module comprising a flash memory device, each feature module of the at least one feature module inserted into a corresponding feature module receptacle located on the control panel, the at least one feature module operatively connectable to the processor through a communications path located on the control panel, wherein the communication path between the processor and the at least one feature module does not include the backplane, the at least one feature module configured to provide additional functional irrigation features not available without the at least one feature module, the processor configured to execute the additional functional irrigation features when the at least one feature module is operationally connected to the processor, the flash memory device configured to provide additional memory capacity not provided by the data memory and the program memory.

2. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the at least one feature module further comprises an interface to enable the processor to read and write data files to the flash memory device.

3. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the flash memory device comprises a file that can be used to reprogram the landscape controller with new firmware.

4. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the flash memory device of the at least one feature module comprises a file that can be used to reprogram the watering schedule.

5. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the flash memory device of the at least one feature module comprises a file that can be used to change a display language of the landscape controller.

6. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the flash memory device comprises files comprising images that can be shown on a display of the landscape controller.

7. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the landscape controller has programming configured to save a fault log file on the flash memory device of the at least one feature module.

8. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the feature module further comprises a secure digital memory (SD) card that comprises the flash memory device and the control panel comprises a device configured to enable the SD card to be removably connected to the at least one feature module.

9. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the control panel comprises a device configured to enable the at least one feature module to be removably connected to the control panel.

10. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the corresponding feature module receptacle comprises a slot for removably receiving the at least one feature module.

11. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the control panel is a removable face pack.

12. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the flash memory device comprises programming configured to provide the additional functionality to the landscape controller, the processor further configured to execute the programming from the feature module in order to perform the additional functionality.

13. The landscape controller of claim 1 wherein the additional functional irrigation features are selected from the group consisting of additional memory for irrigation data logging, watering schedule modification, optimization of a flow of water through irrigation pipes, external rain sensor communication, soil moisture sensor communication, weather station communication, pump relay control, predetermined irrigation feature unlock, and display of images associated with an irrigation location.

14. A landscape controller, comprising:

a control panel for entering and/or selecting a watering schedule;

a data memory and a program memory storing an operational program including a watering program for executing the watering schedule;

a plurality of station module receptacles located on a back plane, each station module receptacle configured to receive a removable station module that comprises a plurality of switch circuits for energizing a plurality of valves;

a processor connected to the data memory and the program memory and configured to execute the operational program and control the plurality of switch circuits in accordance with the watering schedule, the processor, the data memory, and the program memory located on the control panel; and

at least one feature module comprising a secure digital memory (SD) card, the at least one feature module mounted to a connecting device located on the control panel and operationally connected to the processor through the connecting device and a communication path located on the control panel, the at least one feature module configured to provide additional functional irrigation features not available without the at least one feature module, the processor configured to execute the additional functional irrigation features when the at least one feature module is operationally connected to the processor;

the SD card configured to provide additional memory capacity not provided by the data memory and the program memory.

15. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the control panel comprises a device configured to enable the at least one feature module to be removably connected to the control panel.

16. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the SD card comprises a flash memory device.

17. The landscape controller of claim 16 wherein the at least one feature module further comprises an interface to the SD card to enable the processor to read and write data files to the flash memory device in the SD card.

18. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the control panel comprises a slot for removably receiving the at least one feature module.

19. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the at least one feature module comprises a file that can be used to reprogram the landscape controller with new firmware.

20. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the at least one feature module comprises a file that can be used to reprogram the watering schedule in the landscape controller.

21. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the at least one feature module comprises a file that can be used to change a display language of the landscape controller.

22. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the at least one feature module comprises files comprising images that can be shown on a display of the landscape controller.

23. The landscape controller of claim 14 wherein the operational program of the landscape controller can save data logging information on the at least one feature module.