JP2020048572A - Intelligent watering pump - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide intelligent watering systems comprising components configured by simple interface and operation.SOLUTION: Provided is a system comprising a sensor equipment 30 including one or more sensors, a watering equipment 20 configured to selectively water on the land parcels, and a gateway configured to provide communication with the sensor equipment 30 and the watering equipment 20, the watering equipment 20 comprising a watering pump, the watering pump comprising a communication circuit, the communication circuit allowing the watering pump to communicate with the gateway, and the communication circuit being configured to monitor and calculate the operation time of the watering pump and the water usage thereby.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Exemplary embodiments relate generally to intelligent systems, and more particularly, to systems for intelligent watering that include a simple interface and components configured to facilitate operation.

  Site maintenance maintenance can include either lawn or horticulture related to the promotion and maintenance of lawn or horticulture, or both lawn and horticulture, and hopefully Lawn or garden trees grow as a result of their efforts. Growth promotion usually involves individuals paying routine attention to ensuring that the growth situation is appropriate for the growing plant and to provide the necessary care and development work to further enhance growth. I have requested.

  As technology has improved, various devices or sensors have been developed that can be employed to monitor various aspects of the growth situation. Gardeners are thus able to employ sensors or devices at specific locations to monitor and correct growth as needed. However, despite the improvements in monitoring devices or sensors, gardeners still often use advanced techniques to position or operate the devices or sensors, or to position and operate the devices or sensors. Need to do manual work.

  Some example embodiments may therefore provide intelligent control or management capabilities for a number of assets related to garden maintenance through the inclusion of support or user terminals. As such, for example, sensor equipment and watering equipment operation (with or without a robotic rover) can be remotely adjusted for efficient horticulture and lawn care using a smart watering pump.

  In an exemplary embodiment, a system is provided for intelligent control or management of multiple assets related to garden maintenance. The system includes a sensor device including one or more sensors located in a parcel of land, a watering device provided on the parcel and configured to selectively spray water to the parcel, and a sensor device; The apparatus may include a gateway configured to provide communication with the watering equipment. The watering equipment may include a watering pump, which is operably connected to the water source and the water line to alternately connect the water source to the water line and disconnect the water source from the water line. Is done. The watering pump further includes a pump sensor assembly configured to detect an environmental parameter and an operating parameter; and a processing circuit configured to operate the watering pump based on the detected environmental parameter and the operating parameter. , May be included.

  In another exemplary embodiment, a watering pump is provided for intelligent control or management of garden maintenance. A watering pump may be operably connected to the water source and the water line to alternately connect the water source to the water line and disconnect the water source from the water line. The watering pump includes a pump sensor assembly configured to detect an environmental parameter and an operating parameter, and a processing circuit configured to operate the watering pump based on the detected environmental parameter and the operating parameter. It may further include.

  Some exemplary embodiments may enhance an operator's ability to maximize the beauty and productivity of the operator's yard and garden, but in a user-friendly and intuitive manner .

  Although the invention has been described in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system according to an example embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating deployed components of a system according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a processing circuit that may be employed in arranged components according to an example embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a processing circuit that may be employed in a user terminal according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating various operations related to control of the watering pump according to the exemplary embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an example interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal according to an example embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an example interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal according to an example embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an example interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal according to an example embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an example interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal according to an example embodiment.

  Some exemplary embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, exemplary embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described and described herein should not be construed as limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these illustrative embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Also, as used herein, the term "or" should be construed as a logical operator that yields true whenever one or more of its operators is true. In addition, the term "garden maintenance" is intended to relate to any outdoor site improvement or maintenance-related activities and needs to be applied specifically to activities that directly lead to grass, turf or lawn care. There is no. Thus, it should be understood that garden maintenance encompasses at least any one of horticulture, lawn care, and combinations thereof and their equivalents. As used herein, an operable connection is to be understood as referring to a direct connection, or an indirect connection, and in each case, operably connected to each other. Enables functional interconnection of components.

  Exemplary embodiments may provide an intelligent system that can be in any number of locations, ie, any garden situation (ie, lawn and / or garden situations or both). For at least monitoring or maintaining, or monitoring and maintaining, over a particular section of the system, allowing an operator to relay to devices in the system in a flexible manner. Moreover, the devices of the system should be able to coordinate the activities of the devices, or to adapt them to the current situation or stimulus present in the environment of the devices, or Can be harmonized and the device can be configured to adapt to current conditions or stimuli present in the environment of the device. In some cases, one or both of the operations performed and the monitoring may be accomplished with the aid of an intelligent watering pump. In this regard, for example, an intelligent watering pump may include a pump sensor assembly, a communication network that collects growth status information from sensor devices for associating information with the area where the information was collected, and a network of other users. Can be used to provide intelligent and efficient watering of land parcels. Thus, a watering pump can have a great deal of flexibility in allowing an operator to remotely control various components of the system and to program such components via processing circuitry at each component. To a system including a relay mechanism. The programming may thus be adjusted remotely, but at least a portion of the programming may also be stored locally so that the system can operate with or without connectivity. In some cases, the connection aspects of the system may utilize a home network component and a wide area network component (eg, the Internet), but are located components (eg, components in a garden / garden, or , Garden maintenance related components) and a home network / wide area network component. As noted, the processing aspects are such that some aspects of garden maintenance may utilize remote assets or at least incorporate information available from abroad, while other aspects may be locally manageable. , Can be distributed between local and remote management components. In each case, the adaptability and ease of relaying and control are properties of the system that are improved by employing the exemplary embodiments.

  The system therefore collects data relating to a particular segment of the parcel that may correspond to each different area, either a fixed asset or a movable asset, or a fixed and a movable asset. Can be adopted. In particular, the system may employ an intelligent watering pump configured to be programmed to service one or more such specific segments. Certain segments may have different types of plants therein, and thus may optimally have different growing conditions desired in connection with each one of the segments. The owner / operator may program operating instructions to guide the located components (including intelligent watering pumps) for operation in one or more specific segments, said specific segments being referred to as "zones". Can be done. In some cases, processing circuitry may be provided to allow a user to define certain operating parameters, so that the system can operate according to the operating parameters and be adapted to the current situation. . Given that an internet connection is possible, in some cases, the system will link the desired growth status to the identified plant species based on stored information associated with each plant species from a database or online resources Can be adopted for. Thus, each zone may have a corresponding growth status parameter associated with it, and the user can view the growth status parameters for the various regions, so that for the corresponding zone, the desired growth status (eg, , The operation of the system components may be programmed with respect to the maintenance of at least one of: moisture level, temperature, lighting level, pH, and the like. In some cases, schedules between deployed components may be conflict-free or organized to prevent damage to components, inefficient use of resources, or reduced efficiency behavior. A deployed component associated with the zone may provide a report and / or alert to the operator by the gateway to allow the operator to intervene in a particular situation, and May simply respond to the operator and inform the operator of the response by the gateway.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 10 that may be used to accomplish the above-described basic operations according to an exemplary embodiment. In the context of FIG. 1, it should be understood that certain tasks, such as mowing, chemical spraying, visual surveillance, and / or the like, may be performed by a robot, ie, a robot rover 15. It is. Since the system can operate without the robot rover 15, the robot rover 15 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. Robots and other equipment may also be engaged in performing certain other garden maintenance tasks, such as raking, fertilizing, lighting, wildlife repelling, and / or the like. it can.

  Other tasks, such as lawn watering, may be performed by a sprinkler / irrigation head and / or a watering pump relaying therewith. The sprinkler / irrigation head may be attached to a hose and the sprinkler pump may provide a central intelligent controllable source to provide water to the sprinkler / irrigation head and / or hose, thereby providing a sprinkler / irrigation head. A mechanism can be provided to control the on / off of water spray at the irrigation head position. At least one of the hose, the sprinkler / irrigation head, and the watering pump may together form a watering device 20.

  On the other hand, various sensors may be employed. Such sensors may be inserted into the soil to monitor the soil or to monitor other growth conditions (eg, lighting levels, moisture levels, pH, temperature, video or image data, etc.). Can be adopted. These sensors may therefore be understood to take various forms within the system 10. However, generally speaking, the sensors have connectivity to the system 10 to enhance the operation of system components based on the soil and / or growth information collected by the sensors. I can do it. Regardless of the particular configuration or arrangement paradigm, various sensors may represent the sensor device 30 as described above.

  The sensor device 30 may communicate with the gateway 40 via a wired connection or a wireless connection. Further, in some cases, one or more devices, including the watering equipment 20, may also communicate with the gateway 40 via a wired or wireless connection. Gateway 40 may subsequently have a wired or wireless connection to access point 45, which may be directly or indirectly connected to user terminal 50. The access point 45 may be a router of the operator's home network. In some cases, the direct connection of the access point 45 to the user terminal 50 may be a short-range wireless communication method (eg, Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi (registered trademark), and / or the like). One). Indirect connection of the access point 45 to the user terminal 50 may occur via the network 60. The network 60 may be a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN) (eg, the Internet), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and the like. , At least one of the data networks. The data network transfers devices (eg, deployed components) to devices such as processing elements (eg, personal computers, server computers or the like) and / or databases such as user terminals 50. Can connect. Communication between the network 60 and other devices of the system 10 may be accomplished by either a wired or wireless communication mechanism and a corresponding communication protocol. In this manner, for example, at least one part or all of the sensor of the sensor device 30, the water sprinkling device 20, and the robot rover 15 is communicated by at least one of wired and wireless communication means. It can be connected to the user terminal 50.

  Although the robot rover 15 is shown separately in FIG. 1, it should be noted that the robot rover 15 can function as at least one of a part of the sensor device 30 and / or a part of the watering device 20. You should understand. However, the ability of the robot rover 15 to act as a part of the sensor device 30 and / or a part of the watering device 20 and the combination of the sensor device 30 and the watering device 20 or independent of them. In consideration of the ability of the robot rover 15 to perform other tasks (for example, mowing), the robot rover 15 is shown separately in FIG.

  The gateway 40 may be a conversion agent configured to relay to at least one of the arranged components by wire communication or wireless communication. In some embodiments, the gateway 40 may include a smart antenna that allows the gateway 40 to wirelessly communicate with components located over an 868 mHz wireless link (eg, a first wireless link). However, other wireless links may be employed in other cases. The first wireless link and the components connected thereby may be part of a first network (eg, a garden network) that extends outdoors, ie, a deployed component network. Components within the home or company and components extending to and between the user terminals 50 may form a second network. Thus, gateway 40 may be a translation agent between the first network and the second network. The gateway 40 can be an aggregation point and a communication center for communicating on both networks.

  In this manner, the gateway 40 can be provided in the operator's house or in another indoor environment, and further to convert commands from the operator to the gateway 40 (via the first wireless link). And wirelessly communicate with the located components, and the instructions may be provided to the access point 45 via the second wireless link. In an exemplary embodiment, wireless communications may be secured by employing encryption or other security techniques. Gateway 40 may also provide secure cloud data storage through a connection to network 60 (eg, via access point 45). In some examples, the first and second wireless links may be different wireless links that employ different communication protocols and / or frequencies.

  Gateway 40 may also provide the ability for each of the deployed components to be monitored, controlled, programmed, or relayed by an operator using user terminal 50. In particular, in some cases, the user terminal 50 may have a simple setup for interaction with the gateway 40 (and correspondingly located components reachable via the gateway 40) and an easy-to-use relay. It may be configured to execute an application (or app) that is customized to provide at least one of them. User terminal 50 may thus be a smartphone or other mobile terminal, or a laptop, PC, or other computing / communication device. In this manner, the user terminal 50 may be programmed and / or controlled and / or interact with the located components as described in more detail below, with the gateway 40 and / or the located components. It may include a processing circuit that can be relayed to one of the corresponding processing circuits.

  The programming of the arranged components, the interaction between the user terminal 50 and the gateway 40 to facilitate the control of the arranged components, or the interaction with the arranged components may be for irrigation or An interactive fully connectable garden system for mowing control / regulation can be created. The application that can be executed on the user terminal 50 may be configured to control at least one of components arranged in real time or on a program basis. The resulting system can be a fully connected automated garden system. Also, connection to content on the Internet via the network 60 may allow for the integration of educational content into the operation of the system, providing the operator with an improved interface and full satisfaction with its horticultural experience. To provide more control and. For example, the educational content may include a video illustrating how to start, how to program, or how to troubleshoot any operation on components of the watering device 20. In an exemplary embodiment, the app operates such that at least some of the watering devices 20 operate in a first mode with a locally stored watering schedule and in a second mode of operation as an autonomous pressure pump. As such, it can be used to program.

  FIG. 2 illustrates a water movement path that may be implemented in connection with the exemplary embodiment. However, some of the components may be removed in a simple exemplary embodiment, and some components may be added to provide a more complex architecture in other exemplary embodiments. Should be understood. Thus, the example of FIG. 2 is not provided to limit in relation to components included in the system, but merely illustrates examples of some components that may be included in one exemplary system. . Also, while FIG. 2 shows a single water line, it should be understood that in other embodiments, multiple water lines may be employed to service a parcel or garden. Thus, the exemplary embodiments may be implemented with any number of lines and separate and distinct water sources.

  Referring now to FIG. 2, water source 100 may be used to charge water line 110 by watering pump 120. In some exemplary embodiments, water source 100 may include a heating element 101 for heating water in water source 100. Further, the water source 100 may include a level sensor 105 for detecting a water level in the water source 100. In some cases, water source 100 may also supply a second water line with a second watering pump or with watering pump 120. Water line 110 may be a flexible water hose or garden hose. The watering pump 120 may be one of the arranged components that forms one component of the watering device 20 of FIG. The watering pump 120 may be operably connected to the water source 100 such that the water source 100 is a pressurized water supply for the water line 110 when the watering pump 120 is operable. However, when the watering pump 120 is not operable, the water line 110 is substantially depressurized, or at least has residual pressure remaining from the last operation of the watering pump 120. Thus, it should be understood that water source 100 is not a typical pressurized water supply for a home or other structure. Alternatively, water source 100 may typically be a reservoir or aquarium, or another non-pressurized water source.

  In the exemplary embodiment, one or more sprinklers (eg, first sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 132) may receive water from water line 110. Water line 110 may be selectively charged under the control of a watering pump 120 to provide water for spraying from first sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 130,132. Similarly, if used, the second water line may include a watering pump 120 or a second watering pump to provide water for spraying from any additional sprinklers associated with the second water line. It can be selectively charged under the control of a pump. As the water line 110 is charged, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may be provided with pressurized water distributed therethrough in response to operation of the watering pump 120. The first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may typically be components that have no local intelligence. Alternatively, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may only be controllable by operation of the watering pump 120 to turn on and off the watering function. However, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may in some cases have intelligent components and / or control aspects provided therein.

  One or more sensors (e.g., first sensor 140 and second sensor 142) may also be located at various locations within the compartment served by the sprinkler to detect or sense conditions proximate to the corresponding sensor. Can be provided. The first sensor 140 and the second sensor 142 may correspond to the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132, respectively, and are configured such that the application in the user terminal 50 takes into account such correspondence. Thus, information received from each of the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142 can be associated with an action that can be commanded to the watering pump 120 based on that information as needed.

  In some examples, some of the deployed components may include a power supply 150 that is local to a corresponding one of the deployed components. The power supply 150 for each component may be a battery or battery pack, or a main power supply. Each of the powered components disposed may also include a communication circuit 160. Communication circuitry 160 allows processing components to control each component and the located components to communicate with gateway 40 via a first wireless link (or alternatively by a wired connection). And an antenna for. The robot rover 15 (if employed) may also be an example of a deployed component, and thus the robot rover 15 may also include a power supply 150 and a communication circuit 160. However, it should be understood that various power and communication circuit components may have different dimensions, structures, and configuration features.

  The watering pumps 120 may generally operate under the control of the communication circuit 160 to isolate / operably connect the water source 100 to / from the water line 110, respectively. The watering pump 120 may operate based on the operating mode, volume mode command received via the gateway 40, or by the stored or accessible communication information 160 of the watering pump 120, or the stored or accessible operating information or volume. You can operate based on the information. Irrigation pump 120 may provide convenience for operation of system 10. This is because, as described in more detail below, by selecting or executing a desired / programmed mode of operation, volume mode, by an app at the user terminal 50, or by locally stored programming instructions. This is because the watering pump 120 can be controlled at any time from anywhere.

  In the exemplary embodiment, communication circuit 160 may include processing circuit 201 as shown in FIG. The processing circuit 201 may be configured to perform at least one of data processing, control function execution, and other processing and management services according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, processing circuit 201 may be embodied as a chip or chipset. In other words, the processing circuit 201 comprises one or more physical packages (eg, chips) that include at least one of materials, components, and / or wiring on a structural assembly (eg, a baseboard). May be included. A structural assembly may provide physical strength, size savings, and / or electrical interaction limitations for component circuits included on the structural assembly. The processing circuit 201 may thus be configured to embody embodiments of the present invention, in some cases, on a single chip or as a single "system on a chip." Thus, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute a means for performing one or more operations to provide the functionality described herein.

  In the exemplary embodiment, processing circuit 201 may include one or more instances of processor 205 and memory 203 that may communicate with or control device interface 207. As such, processing circuitry 201 may comprise a circuit chip (eg, an integrated circuit) configured (eg, in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software) to perform the operations described herein. Chip). In some embodiments, the processing circuit 201 may communicate with internal electronic components of at least one of the watering pump 120, the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142, and the robot rover 15, Communication with other external components may be enabled.

  Device interface 207 may include one or more relay mechanisms to enable communication with other devices via gateway 40. In some cases, device interface 207 may be any means, such as a device or circuit embodied in either hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The means is configured to receive data from the gateway 40 and transmit data to the gateway 40 with the device interface 207 capable of transmitting and receiving messages via the gateway 40. In some exemplary embodiments, device interface 207 may provide an interface for communication with components of system 10 or outside of system 10 via gateway 40. If the communication circuit 160 is for a sensor, the device interface 207 may further include a sensor (e.g., a temperature sensor) to obtain sensor data for communicating with another device (e.g., the watering pump (s)). , PH sensor, optical sensor, humidity sensor, and the like, and / or the like. On the other hand, if the communication circuit 160 is for the watering pump 120, the device interface 207 provides an interface to other on-board components (eg, a user interface that includes lights and main buttons as described below). obtain.

  Processor 205 may be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, the processor 205 may be a variety of processing means, such as one or more microprocessors or other processing elements, coprocessors, controllers, or integrated, for example, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). It can be embodied as various other computers or processors including circuits. In an exemplary embodiment, processor 205 may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 203 or may be accessible to processor 205. In this manner, the processor 205, whether configured with hardware or a combination of hardware and software, performs operations according to embodiments of the present invention while being configured according to hardware and software. Possible entities (eg, physically embodied as circuits in the form of processing circuits 201) may be represented. Thus, for example, if processor 205 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, or equivalent, processor 205 is specifically configured hardware for performing the operations described herein. obtain. Alternatively, as another example, if processor 205 is embodied as an execution unit of a software instruction, the instruction may specifically configure processor 205 to perform the operations described herein. .

  In an exemplary embodiment, processor 205 (or processing circuit 201) may be embodied as including communication circuit 160 or as controlling communication circuit 160. Thus, in some embodiments, processor 205 (or processing circuit 201) may instruct communication circuit 160 to execute instructions or algorithms that configure processor 205 (or processing circuit 201) accordingly. It may be said that the corresponding function is performed to generate each of the operations described in connection with communication circuit 160 (and the corresponding distributed component with which communication circuit 160 is associated). As an example, the sensor's communication circuit 160 detects environmental parameters (eg, sensor data) and sends the sensor data to the gateway 40 (and ultimately to the app on the user terminal 50) via the first wireless link. Alternatively, it may be configured to report to the storage in the cloud via the network 60) or to the watering pump 120. In some cases, the communication circuitry 160 of the sensor may include a previous set of sensor data (eg, the magnitude of the previous sensor measurement) and a current set of sensor data (eg, the magnitude of the latest sensor measurement). May be configured to determine the difference between The amount of the difference may then be used to determine whether the sensor reports a current set of sensor data. If the difference is small (eg, less than a threshold amount), the sensor may not report a new value. However, if the difference is large enough (eg, greater than a threshold amount), the sensor may report a new value. In this manner, the sensor communication circuit 160 may be configured to perform power saving techniques with respect to reporting of sensor data. The sensor's communication circuitry 160 also determines whether to report sensor data differently (or based on the criteria described above) on a given schedule or in response to a particular activity or event. ). If a trigger event (e.g., a temporal or behavior-based trigger) occurs, the communication circuitry 160 of the sensor may make a determination of the current sensor data and determine whether to report the sensor data.

  The communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 may be configured to receive an indication from the gateway 30 about the mode of operation of the watering pump 120, as defined by an app or by locally stored programming. For example, the gateway 40 may receive an instruction from the user via the user terminal 50 from the user as to which mode of operation (e.g., controlling the on / off cycle of the pump) the user wants the watering pump 120 to operate. obtain. In some exemplary embodiments, user-selectable modes of operation of watering pump 120 may include, but are not limited to, intelligent mode, schedule mode, or manual mode. If the intelligent mode is selected by the user, the watering pump 120 may operate independently based on a programmed trigger. In some cases, the trigger may be sensor data received from the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142. For example, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 turns on the watering pump 120 when sensor data within a specific range or threshold is received, or when sensor data exceeding a specific range or threshold is received. And can be programmed to provide water. Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, if the sensor data indicates that soil moisture is below a given threshold, the watering pump 120 may be configured to allow water to be supplied to the sprinkler, It can be configured to energize the watering pump 120.

  If the schedule mode is selected by the user, the operator may select a schedule on which the watering pump 120 may operate. For example, the user may select a particular time or number of days during which the watering pump 120 should operate. If the manual mode is selected by the user, the watering pump 120 may operate only for user-selected options on the user terminal 50 that direct the operation of the watering pump 120. Thus, the user may decide to water the lawn at any time and instruct the watering pump 120 to operate via the user terminal 50. In some cases, a user may select more than one mode of operation at a time. For example, the user may send a command via the gateway 40 to the watering pump 120 regarding the schedule on which the watering pump 120 will operate. However, in addition to this provided schedule, the user may also instruct the watering pump 120 to operate in the intelligent mode at the same time. For example, a user may define a trigger on which the watering pump 120 may operate. These triggers may include, but are not limited to, soil moisture below or above a given threshold. Accordingly, the watering pump 120 may be configured to operate on a schedule via the communication circuit 160 while operating in response to a predefined trigger. Even if the user selects that the watering pump 120 operates in both intelligent and scheduled modes, the user may select the manual operating mode to operate the watering pump 120 whenever the user desires. The user can select this manual operation mode without affecting the already programmed intelligent mode and schedule mode.

  Furthermore, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 may be configured to receive an instruction from the user (via the gateway 40) for the capacity mode of the watering pump 120. Thus, gateway 40 not only determines which mode of operation (e.g., on / off cycle control) the user wants watering pump 120 to operate, but also when volume mode defines pump speed and output pressure, A command may also be received from the user by the user terminal 50 as to which volume mode the watering pump 120 should operate. Volume modes of the watering pump 120 that may be selectable by the user include, but are not limited to, 1) fine drip mode, 2) low volume mode, 3) saving mode, 4) automatic mode, or 5) garden mode. Not done. The fine drip mode may provide a small amount of water at a slow drip or trickle pressure, for example. The user may select a fine drip mode to irrigate or water the flowers or plants. The low volume mode may be suitable when only a small area is irrigated or watered. The conserving mode ensures that the watering pump 120 does not operate while operating in a house where a shower, washing machine, dishwasher, or the like, or the like is associated with the compartment, It may be ensured that sufficient water pressure is maintained both with the watering pump 120. In the automatic mode, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 determines an appropriate amount of water to be supplied by the watering pump 120 based on the sensor data received from the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142. May be possible. Garden mode can be selected if it is desired to completely soak the garden, lawn, or flowerbed, and full pump or line pressure is desired.

  In some cases, the capacity mode may be selectable based on a particular area of the lawn or parcel. Still further, some of the capacitive modes may be simultaneously selectable. For example, the user may select via user terminal 50 that the garden mode should be adopted at 8:00 am on Saturday for Zone 1 of the parcel. For the sprayable period for Zone 1, the garden mode is selected, and the user can also select the saving mode. Thus, if the washing machine is operating at 8:00 am on Saturday morning, the communication circuit 160 will remain in the garden mode until a stoppage of the washing machine is detected or a preset time delay elapses. It may be configured to delay the operation of the watering pump 120. In another case, the user may be warned by the user terminal 50 that the garden mode has not been implemented because it was detected that the washing machine was being operated. Upon receiving this warning, the user may disable the saving mode and implement the garden mode. Also, in some cases, the user may select when the garden mode should be rescheduled.

  In a further exemplary embodiment, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 may also receive sensor data by the level sensor 105 from the water source 100. For example, if the water source 100 is a water reservoir / tank, the water reservoir / tank may have a level sensor 105 that detects the water level in the water reservoir / tank. Based on the detected water level, the watering pump 120 may be programmed to adjust aspects of the capacity mode or the operating mode accordingly to ensure that a sufficient water supply is maintained in the reservoir / tank. . For example, if the user selects that garden mode should be used for Zone 1 every Monday to Friday at 8:00 am, the watering pump 120 may use the data received from the water reservoir / tank water level sensor 105 based on the data received. It may be possible to determine that there will not be enough water supply to carry out the programmed schedule. Accordingly, the communication circuit 160 may be configured to automatically adjust a schedule programmed to match the detected water level. In some cases, the user may be alerted or alerted by the user terminal 50 about insufficient water volume so that the user may adjust the schedule accordingly. For example, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 indicates that based on the data received from the level sensor 105, the aquarium / reservoir has only 50% of the water required for the operation mode or volume mode selected by the user. Can be determined. Thus, the communication circuit 160 may automatically modify the operation of the watering pump 120 to provide 50% less water than would have been supplied under the selected operating mode or volume mode. However, in other cases, the communication circuit 160 is configured to provide a warning to the user that there is insufficient water to operate the watering pump 120 according to the selected mode of operation or volume mode. Can be done. The user may then be able to select how he wishes to modify the programming of the watering pump 120. For example, the user may be provided with an option to reduce the amount of water scheduled to be supplied by the selected mode of operation or volume mode by 50%, or in some cases, the detected water level of the aquarium / reservoir. It may be possible for the user to modify the selected operation or volume to fit within the capacity of the user.

  In some exemplary embodiments, the last received instruction for the operation mode or the capacity mode from the user may be stored locally in the memory 203 of the communication circuit 160. Thus, if the communication circuit 160 loses connection with the gateway 40, the communication circuit 160 may continue to adopt the last received command for the operating mode or the capacity mode. In another exemplary embodiment, if the communication circuit 160 has lost its connection to the gateway 40 or has lost its connection for more than a preset time, the communication circuit 160 will switch to the selected mode of operation or capacity. It may be configured to override the last received command from the user for the mode and switch to the default setting. In some cases, the default setting may be an intelligent operating mode or an automatic capacity mode. Accordingly, the communication circuit 160 determines an appropriate time for watering and an appropriate amount of water supplied by the watering pump 120 based on the sensor data received from the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142. Will be. In any case, the default settings or the last received command (and any program associated therewith) are stored locally in the communication circuit 160 so that the watering pump 120 operates regardless of connection to the network 60. be able to.

  The communication circuit 160 of the robot rover 15 can be configured to control traveling and operation of the robot rover 15. In addition, the communication circuit 160 of the robot rover 15 allows the gateway 40 to allow the user to participate in the modification of the operation schedule of the robot rover 15 or to perform real-time control of various operations of the robot rover 15; Alternatively, it is possible to allow the user to participate in the modification of the operation schedule of the robot rover 15 and to enable real-time control of various operations of the robot rover 15. In an exemplary embodiment, the app at the user terminal 50 is used to adjust the programmed watering schedule and mowing schedule, or to avoid conflict between the programmed watering schedule and mowing schedule, or to program the watering schedule. The schedule and mowing schedule can be adjusted and employed to avoid conflict between the programmed watering schedule and mowing schedule. Additionally or alternatively, if the operator modifies the operating mode of the watering pump 120, or performs manual control of one or more components, the app on the user terminal 50 may use the schedule or the current operation. A warning may be provided to indicate that a proposed change to the mode may be problematic, or such a change may be prevented from being made. Thus, for example, when the robot rover 15 mows in a region where the sensor indicates a low soil moisture value that normally triggers the operation of the watering pump 120 by programming the watering pump 120, the robot rover 15 A warning may be provided indicating that the operation should be changed or that operation of the watering pump 120 may be delayed.

  In the exemplary embodiment, the electronically located component (eg, the component having the power supply 150) is further provided with a local operator 211 (eg, a button, knob, or other control device) provided on a portion thereof. ). In some cases, a local actuator 211 may be provided to allow local manual setting of one or more characteristics of the watering pump 120. Thus, for example, the local operator 211 can be used to determine at least one of the pump output pressure, speed, volume mode, operating mode, and the like. The local operator 211 may trigger different functions by programming the processing circuit 201 for corresponding different situations and / or operating methods. For example, a certain operation of the local controller 211 may cause a corresponding device to enter a pairing mode. Upon entering the pairing mode, the device may be detectable by the gateway 40 and / or other devices at a given time. An app on the user terminal 50 may be used to detect a device in pairing mode, and upon detection, the app may also connect the device (eg, to a first network of a deployed component network). ) Can be used to pair with another device. The gateway 40 and the communication circuit 160 of the corresponding device may then be able to communicate with each other via the first wireless link on a continuous, event-driven or scheduled basis. Thus, for example, first sensor 140 may be configured to provide sensor data to watering pump 120 (eg, via gateway 40). In some cases, the first sensor 140 may be paired with the watering pump 120 via a set-up procedure and thereafter communicate on a schedule or based on activity or event driven. In some cases, simple replacement or insertion of a battery to power up the device may be an additional or alternative way to initiate pairing mode.

  In some cases, a specific defined actuation (or actuation pattern) of local actuator 211 may return the device to factory settings. Accordingly, the contents of the memory 203 can be erased or reset to an initial setting or state. Other functions may additionally or alternatively be provided. Also, some devices may have additional buttons or operable members.

  Communication between the gateway 40 and the sensor or irrigation pump 120 may occur for pairing and to facilitate the operational activities in which the system 10 is ultimately configured. Thus, for example, the operator may use the app at the user terminal 50 to connect to the gateway 40, and as described above, may be arranged with options for interaction with the arranged components. One or more control consoles or interface screens may be provided that provide at least one of options for programming components. In some cases, initialization of the system may be facilitated by placing the individual placed components in a pairing mode (either sequentially or simultaneously). The deployed components are then discoverable via a first wireless link and can be added to a first network. When added to the first network, the deployed components are considered to be interacting / programmable assets of the first network and / or the like. The arranged components can then be paired with one another and configured into individual and / or cooperative functional capabilities.

  In the exemplary embodiment, the watering pump 120 may be paired with at least one of the other second watering pump, the robot rover 15, and the first sensor 140. When the watering pump 120 is paired and connected to the first sensor 140, the operator provides an option (e.g., by an app) to select a desired operating or volume mode of the watering pump 120. May be provided. If the intelligent mode of operation is selected by the user, the watering pump 120 may thus be instructed regarding a particular stimulus that may be received from the first sensor 140 to trigger operation of the watering pump 120. However, as described above, the watering pump 120 may "ping" the first sensor 140 to initiate communication to receive sensor data, or may schedule or trigger a communication (e.g., (In memory 203). Based on the received sensor data (eg, whether certain threshold parameters have been achieved), the watering pump 120 may be turned on or off.

  If the watering pump 120 is paired and connected to the robotic rover 15, automatic adjustment of the schedule can be achieved at least with respect to ensuring that mowing and watering are not performed in the same area at the same time. An app on the user terminal 50 may ensure that scheduling of mowing during watering (or vice versa) is not possible. However, in view of the fact that the operator can control at least one of the watering pump 120 and the robot rover 15 to start the operation, the app on the user terminal 50 can further control the watering pump or the robot in real time. Any attempt to initiate operation of the rover 15 may be prevented when the other is operating in the same area.

  If the irrigation pump 120 is paired and connected to another irrigation pump, the irrigation schedule, i.e., operation, can be adjusted to manage or prevent an under-pressure condition or over-discharge of the water source 100. . For example, if the watering pump is connected to the same water source, there may be insufficient water supply to effectively charge both the water line 110 and the second water line at the same time. Thus, by allowing multiple watering pumps to communicate with each other, one operation is communicated to the other (eg, via gateway 40) so that the water source 100 and its supply can be effectively managed. obtain.

  Thus, the deployed components of various exemplary embodiments may adapt to various situations or conditions. In addition, the adaptive nature of the located components may be provided as described above as a programmable mechanism in which the operator can use the user terminal 50 to program modes, adjustable parameters, relationships or responses. In the context of some examples, the programmable mechanism is remotely programmable via the gateway 40 (i.e., programmable from the application and / or the user terminal 50 remote from the component being programmed). Should be understood. In another example, the adaptive nature of a deployed component may be provided as a default mechanism. Thus, the adaptive capabilities of the deployed components may be dependent on connectivity for remote programming (eg, connectivity dependent), or when there is no connection or when responding to disconnection of the connection. Alternatively, it can be either connectivity independent (eg, default programming) to be set.

  In some embodiments, the battery power level may be communicated to the gateway 40, and signal strength values associated with the communication of the sensor and / or the watering pump may also be determined at the gateway 40. This information may be provided (along with sensor data) to an app on the user terminal 50 to alert the operator when battery power is low or signal strength is low. Battery replacement and / or sensor relocation may then be performed to improve the situation. As mentioned above, in some cases, the sensor may adaptively respond to its surroundings to trigger a report. In an exemplary embodiment, the watering pump 120 may attempt to ping the first sensor 140 via the gateway 40 to trigger the reporting of sensor data. However, the first sensor 140 may be configured (e.g., via the communication circuit 160) to determine the amount of change in the requested parameter before determining whether to respond to the ping. In some embodiments, the first sensor 140 may require at least a certain amount or percentage (eg, 5%) change before reporting the sensor data via wireless transmission. Wireless transmissions consume more power than internal operations (e.g., to determine the amount of change and current sensor data), thus saving some transmission periods if there are only a few data changes. This can substantially extend the battery life. If a ping is sent and no response is received, the last value received may be replaced and communicated to the operator (eg, by the app).

  The operator can turn on / off or activate the watering pump and / or the sensor by sending a command by the user terminal 50 through the gateway 40. For example, the activation message may be used to determine if the devices are still responsive and active, or to request specific data from such components in real time, or such components. May be used to initiate an action. Further, in some cases, the operator may send an activation signal or a setup signal to cause the corresponding device to emit a beacon for at least a preset amount of time (eg, three minutes). During this time, the device may be positioned and the operator may check the app to verify the value of the signal strength detected via gateway 40. The operator can thus position the device in real time and verify that the location where the device is currently located is a good location in terms of its ability to communicate with the gateway 40.

  In some embodiments, one or more of the arranged components may further include a frost alert function. In particular, it should be understood that freezing of water in the body of the watering pump can make the watering pump fragile, as the watering pump typically may have some residual water therein. Accordingly, the communication circuit 160 of one or more components (especially the watering pump) may be configured to identify a potential frost situation that may damage the watering pump or other watering equipment 20. In some embodiments, if the temperature reaches a preset threshold distance from the freezing point (eg, 5 ° C. or 10 ° F.), the watering pump 120 (and / or the sensor) should be prevented from damage. A warning may be issued (e.g., by an app on the user terminal 50) to alert the operator that The preset threshold may be a factory setting or may be set by an operator. However, in each case, the ability to identify the current temperature situation to alert the operator to a possible frost event is that the located component is adapted with respect to its surroundings and / or situation. Here is another example of how it could be configured (by operating program or by default).

  In a further exemplary embodiment, water source 100 (or sprinkling pump 120 in some cases) may include a heating element 101 configured to heat the water to a temperature programmed by a user. For example, if a frost event is detected, heating element 101 may heat the water to avoid freezing of components of watering pump 120 or water source 100. Also, for flowers or plants that require a certain temperature of water to enhance their growth situation, the heating element 101 can be configured to heat the water to a desired temperature programmed by the user.

  Another example of the adaptability of a deployed component relates to the inability to connect to the first network or to block the connection to the first network. For example, the last received operating mode or capacity mode can be maintained in the cloud, the user terminal 50, or elsewhere, but in some cases, the current operating mode or capacity mode (or at least one of the current operating mode or capacity mode). Part) may be stored locally in the watering pump. For example, the memory 203 can be configured to record at least the last employed watering schedule information. Thus, if power is lost at the gateway 40, or at another system component where connection becomes impossible, the watering pump 120 stores information indicating at least its respective last watering schedule. I can do it. Thus, for example, if the watering pump 120 operates at 1300 and shuts down at 1305, if the connection of the network 60 to determine the watering schedule cannot be realized, or if the connection is lost, the watering pump 120 will The watering will be continued in the operation mode and volume mode provided in the above. In some cases, if the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 determines that the connection has been disconnected for longer than the preset time interval, the communication circuit 160 disables the previously provided operation mode, volume mode. Thus, it can be configured to operate with the default settings as described above.

  In a further exemplary embodiment, the located component communication circuitry 160 may be capable of determining usage and uptime of each located component. For example, the communication circuit 160 may be configured to monitor and calculate the running time of the watering pump 120 and the resulting water usage. Thus, the communication circuit 160 may be able to determine the amount of water used over a particular time interval, such as hours, days, weeks, months or months (ie, seasons). These calculations may be provided to the user by the user terminal 50. Based on the calculations, communication circuit 160 may determine an average operating time and usage of watering pump 120 over a preset time interval. Using these calculated average uptime and usage values, communication circuit 160 may be configured to monitor any further usage and uptime of watering pump 120. If the operating time or usage exceeds the average operating time and usage value, the communication circuit 160 is configured to send an alert to the user terminal 50 via the gateway 40 to indicate status detection of an abnormal situation. obtain.

  A further example of the flexibility of a deployed component relates to the ability of the located component's communication circuitry to determine a recommended maintenance interval for the deployed component. For example, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 calculates the recommended maintenance interval of the watering pump 120 using the average operation time and the usage amount of the watering pump 120 over the preset period calculated as described above. It may be possible. This recommended maintenance interval may be displayed on the user terminal. In some exemplary embodiments, a user may be able to override this recommended maintenance interval. The user may be able to select how he wants to calculate the maintenance interval (ie, after a certain period of time or a certain calculated usage). In that case, the communication circuit 160 may be configured to alert the user when time has elapsed or when a specified usage has occurred. Further, the user may be able to enter when the last maintenance was performed on the watering pump 120. By inputting the last maintenance performed, the communication circuit 160 may be configured to reset the maintenance interval and recalculate according to the above.

  In some exemplary embodiments, the located component communication circuit 160 may be further configured to send a message to the user that operation of the located component has begun. In other cases, the communication circuit 160 may be configured to transmit a message when a deployed component fails during operation or when an error occurs during operation. For example, if the communication circuit 160 detects a drop in water pressure or a significant increase in flow, the communication circuit 160 may be configured to determine, for example, a hose rupture. When such an event occurs, an error message or a warning is transmitted to the user by the user terminal 50.

  If a fault or error occurs during operation of the located component, the user terminal 50 may have the option of the user sending feedback to the manufacturer or supplier about the error or fault. In a further exemplary embodiment, the user terminal 50 is deployed by the manufacturer or supplier in response to receiving a request from a user regarding a failure or error of a deployed component or in response to receiving feedback. May be configured to allow having remote access to the configured components.

  In one exemplary embodiment, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 may be specifically configured to receive data from the pump sensor assembly 155 of the watering pump 120 (see FIG. 2). The data received from the pump sensor assembly 155 may depend on the type of sensor employed in the watering pump 120, however, the data may include environmental parameters and operating parameters. Environmental parameters may include water temperature, water quality, pH, or content of chalk or minerals or fertilizer received in the watering pump 120. Operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, flow rate, water volume, and pump run time. Data detected by the pump sensor assembly 155 may be made available to a user by the user terminal 50. In some cases, the user may have selected a threshold or range for pump sensor assembly data. For example, the user may have input via the user terminal 50 that the fertilizer content of the water is within a certain range. Based on this input by the user, communication circuit 160 may be configured to receive data from pump sensor assembly 155 regarding the detected fertilizer content of water. If the fertilizer content is above or below a threshold set by the user, the communication circuit 160 may automatically adjust the fertilizer provided to the water (as described in more detail below), or May be configured to alert the user that he can adjust the fertilizer accordingly. For example, the water source 100 may include a fertilizer pump 103 (see FIG. 2) for distributing the fertilizer into the water. Thus, if the detected fertilizer content of the water is above or below a threshold set by the user, the communication circuit 160 will direct the fertilizer pump 103 of the water source 100 according to its excess or deficiency to indicate its distribution of fertilizer. May be configured to modify

  In some exemplary embodiments, the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 may be further configured to detect an indication of a required amount to fill a watering container, such as a watering can. When the watering can is within the preset area of the watering pump 120, the communication circuit 160 reads from the watering can an indicator of the amount of water to be dispensed to the watering can (eg, an RFID tag or other encoded information). May be configured. For example, if the watering can is programmed to fill 2 gallons of water, communication circuit 160 may receive instructions to fill the watering can with 2 gallons of water. However, in some cases, the sprinkler may not be completely empty, but simply needs to be refilled. Thus, the watering can can include a level sensor that detects and measures the water level or volume in the watering can. This measured water level or amount can be read via the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120. Based on the reading, communication circuit 160 determines that the sprinkler need only accept one gallon to fill the sprinkler.

  The watering pump 120 described above may take different physical forms. However, an exemplary structure for implementing the watering pump 120 may be a reciprocating pump or a rotary pump. Thus, for example, the watering pump 120 may include a centrifugal pump having an impeller. Sprinkle pump 120 may include a housing body and a first faucet adapter. In some cases, the first faucet adapter may be configured to relay with a faucet of a pressurized water system (eg, water source 100). In other exemplary embodiments, the watering pump 120 may also include a second faucet adapter that may be configured to relay with a faucet of the water container system. However, in a further exemplary embodiment where the watering pump 120 includes both a first faucet adapter and a second faucet adapter, the first faucet adapter may be configured to relay with a fresh water source, The two faucet adapters can be configured to relay with water with fertilizer additives (as described below). In some cases, the sprinkler assembly may be integrated into the housing body 200 of the watering pump 120. The sprinkler assembly may be operable in a manner similar to that described herein. However, other pump configurations can be employed.

  In some cases, the irrigation pump 120 may also include a pump sensor assembly 155, as described above. Pump sensor assembly 155 may include sensors for detecting and measuring both environmental and operating factors. Environmental factors can include, but are not limited to, water temperature, pH, mineral content, total dissolved solids or chalk content sensors. The operating factor may include, but is not limited to, any of flow, water flow, or pump operating time.

  In some exemplary embodiments, the watering pump 120 may include a filter to remove some of the solids or minerals from the water. In some cases, the filter may include a filter sensor. The filter sensor may be configured to detect a stage of the filter. For example, if the filter is almost clogged, the sensor may be configured to detect a clogging condition.

  As mentioned above, the components located (eg, the watering pump 120) may be largely controlled by the user by the user terminal 50. As described above, the user terminal 50 can be a mobile device (eg, a smartphone) or a fixed terminal (eg, a PC). However, the user terminal 50 can also be at least one other device of a tablet, a laptop, and the like. In any case, the user terminal 50 may be configured to provide a simple and intuitive interface to allow an operator to control the operation of the system 10. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating some components of a user terminal 50 that may configure the user terminal to provide an app for controlling the system 10.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 50 includes a processing circuit 310, a processor 205, a memory 203, and a device interface 207, which may be similar to the processing circuit , A processor 312, a memory 314, and a device interface 320. The particular structure, form, and dimensions of components such as these can vary. However, the details of these components will not be described in detail again, since the general function may be similar. Instead, it is to be understood that these components are generally similar, except for specific configurations, content and structural changes. As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 50 may further include a user interface 330 and an operation manager 340.

  The user interface 330 (if implemented) receives instructions for user input at the user interface 330 or provides the user with an audible, visual, mechanical, or other output; Alternatively, it may receive an indication of user input at the user interface 330 and communicate with a processing circuit 310 that provides an audible, visual, mechanical, or other output to the user. Thus, the user interface 330 may include, for example, a display (eg, a touch screen display), one or more buttons or keys (eg, function buttons or a keyboard), and other input and output mechanisms (eg, a microphone, A mouse, a speaker, a cursor, a joystick, a light, and / or the like). The user interface 330 may alert, alert, and / or notify a user or operator in response to various trigger conditions being detected (e.g., by the sensor device 30 or other components). It can be configured to provide. For example, watering pump 120 may include a sensor that detects when watering pump 120 is damaged, tampered with, or stolen. Stimuli associated with system failure, equipment damage or tampering, equipment theft, and other components may also be defined as triggers for the generation of warnings, alarms, and / or notifications. In some cases, the user interface 330 may respond that the uptime or usage of the watering pump 120 is outside the recommended range, or that a system component has a scheduled or operational conflict. And may be configured to generate at least one of such warnings, alerts, and notifications. Notifications may also be provided for general conditions, current conditions, and / or the like. The alerts, alerts, and / or notifications may be generated by lights, sounds, visual indicators, or other devices that are connected to or may be part of the operations manager 340. In some cases, the notification may be provided by text message or email. Still further, the user interface 330 may be configured to allow the user to delegate operation of the system to a second user for a preset period of time. For example, if the user is on vacation or outside the town, the second user may be given permission to control the system via the second user's user interface.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the processing circuit 310 is configured to perform data processing, control function execution, and / or other processing and management services according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. obtain. Thus, it will be appreciated that the processing circuitry 310 may be configured to control the operations manager 340 or may be embodied as the operations manager 340. The operation manager 340 receives the sensor information from at least one of the sensor device 30 and the watering device 20, and provides the information to be provided to the owner / operator and the sensor device 30 and the watering device 20. It may be configured to make a decision on at least one of the instructions to be performed. The processing circuit 310 may, in some cases, process the status information received from the sensor device 30 and compare the status information to growth status parameters stored in the memory 314 for a given zone.

  In the exemplary embodiment, memory 314 stores information, data, applications, instructions, or the like to enable operations manager 340 to perform various functions according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It can be configured to store the equivalent. For example, the memory 314 can be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 312. Additionally or alternatively, memory 314 may be configured to store instructions for execution by processor 312. As yet another alternative, memory 314 may include one or more databases that may store various data sets in response to input from the sensor network. Among those stored in memory 314, a plurality of applications may be stored for execution by processor 312 to perform functions associated with each application. In some cases, the application may include an application for creating a control console for providing options for controlling the system. In some cases, the application may include an application for receiving information regarding component activity / status, environmental parameters, operating or capacity modes, device pairing, and / or the like. Or alternatively, may be included. The information allows the operations manager 340 to define a response to the information (eg, based on predefined programming or user input). Information / parameters can be entered by an operator, received from located components, or extracted from a database or source accessible via the Internet based on entries of plant vegetation identities in a given zone Or can be obtained. The operations manager 340 may therefore not only provide a relay mechanism for controlling the operation of the watering pump 120, but also the operations manager 340 may be embodied in the network 60. In the case where the operations manager 340 is embodied in a network, the operations manager 340 may be configured to extract information / parameters from multiple users over a preset area, such as a state or a country. The information / parameters may include data extracted from the located components of a plurality of users. For example, based on data extracted from some user's located components, a water shortage may be detected in the user's area. Thus, if the user selects to recognize a water shortage in his area, the operations manager 340 may be configured to not allow the user to select a programming option that would require a large amount of water.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one example of an operation that may be facilitated by an operations manager 340 according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the watering pump may be initially off, but the user terminal 50 may be provided with a control console (or a series of controls) from which an operator may provide instructions for initiating the operation of FIG. Console). Instructions may be provided at operation 400 to turn on the watering pump 120 (ie, by manual mode selection). In response, at operation 401, a signal regarding the capacity mode may be received. When the pump is turned on and a volume mode signal is received, a determination may be made in operation 403 as to whether there is sufficient water volume to perform volume mode. If not, the user may be prompted to change the volume mode selection to fit within the detected volume of water. Once a selection is made to ensure sufficient water capacity, a determination is made in operation 402 as to whether the robot rover 15 is operating in the area (or all). If the robot rover 15 is in operation, an alarm may be issued to the user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 in operation 404. At operation 406, the operator may then determine whether to allow operation of the watering pump 120. If the operator decides not to activate the watering pump 120, the flow returns to the initial state. If the operator determines (eg, disabling or ignoring the alert) to allow operation of the watering pump 120 for the time being, at operation 408 the operator may be required to enter an operating period for the watering pump 120. Note that the operator may also have an option to cancel in order to return to the initial state instead of inputting a period at this time.

  Once the time period has been entered, at operation 410, an activation signal may be issued from the user terminal 50 to the watering pump 120 to indicate the operation. The watering pump 120 may remain in operation until the watering pump 120 can be stopped or the period for which the flow returns to the initial state has expired. However, at operation 412, the operator may also be interrupted by a command to manually stop the watering pump. Then, in operation 414, a determination may be made whether the manual stop is before or overlaps the scheduled start time. If this manual stop (off-schedule) defines an end time before the next scheduled start time, the schedule is maintained in operation 416 and the watering pump 120 is stopped in operation 420, thereby scheduling the flow. To return to the initial state so that the state becomes operable again. However, if the manual stop corresponds to the scheduled start time, the schedule is skipped in operation 418 and the watering pump 120 is stopped in operation 420, so that the operation is ready again when the next scheduled operation time comes. The flow can return to the initial state as it did. On the other hand, in operation 422, when the scheduled operation time comes from the initial state, watering pump 120 operates at the corresponding time in operation 410, and in operation 424, in response to the elapse of the period, watering pump 120 may be stopped. Similarly, in operation 426, when an operation is triggered by sensor data from the initial state, the watering pump 120 is operated in operation 410, and after a period set in operation 424 has elapsed, or in operation 428, a condition is set. Can be stopped if is cleared. Note that the operator can also manually operate or stop the watering pump 120 by operating a local button or knob on the watering pump 120. When a manual (local) operation is performed, the above-described operation is performed as it is, and the opening maintaining time (or the next programmed opening) can be controlled again by the schedule information input to the operation manager 340.

  In some cases, the watering pump 120 may include a limited user interface in the form of a main button (or knob) and light assembly provided on its front panel. The light assembly may include three LEDs, which may be able to represent red, green and yellow by lighting or flashing. The LED may be useful to provide status information associated with an attempt to pair the watering pump with another device, battery status, pump status, and / or the like.

  In the exemplary embodiment, the user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 first controls to add devices to the first network so that they are discovered via the gateway 40 and recognized by the operations manager 340. Can be employed to provide console options. When the pairing mode is initiated for the watering pump 120 (e.g., by inserting a battery into a located component, or by pressing a reset button, or by selecting an option on the user terminal 50), The watering pump 120 is discovered via the gateway 40 so that the information representing the discovered watering pump 120 can be displayed on the user interface 330, and the gateway 40 performs a user operation on the identification information of the discovered watering pump 120. The manager 340 may be communicated. A determination is then made as to whether pairing is possible. The user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 may also provide, or alternatively provide, an indication of detection of the watering pump 120. If the gateway 40 cannot find the watering pump 120, it may generate an LED lighting output.

  If the gateway 40 is found and can be paired with the watering pump, the LED lighting output during the pairing mode can be converted to a signal strength indicator. Again, a similar instruction can be provided at the user terminal 50.

  FIG. 6 includes FIGS. 6A through 6D and illustrates some examples of interface screens or control consoles that may be provided by operations manager 340 in some embodiments. FIG. 8A shows a basic start screen showing the home page 600 of the application. The app may display a general watering pump data section 610 that may display uptime and usage data associated with the watering pump 120. In some cases, the app may also display device status information 620. The status information 620 of the device may indicate each device of the first network, for example, along with status information corresponding to at least one of a battery status, an operation mode, an operation status, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, an option may also be provided at box 630 to add a new device. In some cases, options may be provided at box 640 for the commissioned operation of the system to a second user.

  In some cases, selecting the watering pump data section 610 (ie, individual sensors) may provide various individual or aggregated screens showing the status of each sensor. FIG. 6B illustrates an exemplary pump status screen 650 that may be accessed in response to selection of the pump data section 610. In some embodiments, the pump status screen 650 may include a current pump data section 660 that may display current pump data. A historical pump data section 670 may also be provided to show historical data over a given time interval (which may be user selectable). A setting adjustment option 680 may also be provided to allow an operator to select various pump settings. The pump settings may relate to selecting at least one of the operating or capacity mode, pairing activity, signal strength, battery level, and the like.

  FIG. 6C shows an exemplary device status screen 700 that may be accessed in response to the selection of the current pump data 660. In some embodiments, selecting the current pump data will cause a graphical representation of water usage for the day to appear in section 720. In section 740, the user may select a statistics option to obtain a detailed breakdown of the water usage associated with the day.

  FIG. 6D illustrates an exemplary device status screen 750 that may be accessed in response to selection of historical pump data 670. In some embodiments, when selecting historical pump data, a graphical representation of last week's water usage appears, for example, in section 770. In section 790, the user may select a statistics option to obtain a detailed breakdown of the water usage associated with the week. At selection 800, the user may select a data range option to define the exact range over which historical pump data should be collected. Thus, if the user wants to see the data usage last month, the user may adjust the range of days accordingly.

  Embodiments of the present invention may therefore be implemented using one or more devices, such as those shown in FIGS. Thus, the system of the exemplary embodiment is configured to include a sensor device including one or more sensors disposed in a parcel of land, and to be disposed in the parcel and selectively spray water on the parcel. It may include a watering device and a gateway configured to provide communication with the sensor device and the watering device. The watering apparatus may include a watering pump operably connected to the water source and the water line to alternately connect the water source to the water line and to separate the water source from the water line. In an exemplary embodiment, the watering pump includes two water inlets (eg, an inlet for fresh water and an inlet for reservoir water, or an inlet for normal water and an inlet for water with fertilizer). obtain. The watering pump further includes a pump sensor assembly configured to detect an environmental parameter and an operating parameter, and a processing circuit configured to operate the pump based on the detected environmental parameter and the operating parameter. obtain. In some embodiments, the watering pump may be configured to turn on or off for a preset time interval. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may have sensors to recognize possible theft or tampering. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may be configured to read a code or chip on the watering can that allows the watering pump to put a predetermined amount of water into the watering can. In some embodiments, the watering pump may have a housing that includes a water sprinkler (eg, a contour cultivation sprinkler).

  In an exemplary embodiment, the gateway constitutes a first network that includes a user with at least watering equipment and sensor equipment, and a second network that allows a user terminal to wirelessly communicate with the gateway. In a further exemplary embodiment, the operating parameters may include any one of water flow, pump run time, or flow. By detecting water volume, pump run time, or flow rate, events such as hose rupture may be recognized. The environmental parameters may include any one of water temperature, pH, chalk content, mineral content, or total dissolved solids. By detecting the total dissolved solids, chalk content, or mineral content of the water, turbidity of the water can also be detected. Alternatively or additionally, by detecting the water temperature, the watering pump may be enabled to alert a user to a frozen condition to prevent damage to the watering pump.

  The watering pump may further include a filter for removing solids, chalk, or minerals from the water. The filter may include a sensor for detecting a clogged condition of the filter. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may further include a heating element, wherein the heating element heats the water to a preset temperature depending on the temperature of the water received from the water source that is below a preset threshold. It is configured to In another exemplary embodiment, the water source may include a heating element, and the heating element is configured to heat the water to the preset temperature in response to the temperature of the water being below a preset threshold. .

  The processing circuit may be further configured to determine a recommended maintenance interval for the watering pump. Alternatively or additionally, the maintenance interval may be based on a preset time period, water volume, or pump run time. In other cases, the maintenance interval may be a calculated interval based on the last maintenance entered by the user. In a further exemplary embodiment, the maintenance interval may be based on a time interval or water volume entered by the first user. The processing circuitry may be further configured to detect a loss of connection with the gateway or sensor and a time associated therewith. In the event of a disconnection, the processing circuit of the watering pump may be configured to store all operating modes, volume modes, or any other information received from the user by the user terminal.

  In some cases, the water source may include a level sensor that detects the amount of water in the water source. The water source can be an aquarium / reservoir, and the amount of water in the aquarium / reservoir detected by the level sensor calculates how much water can be used by the watering pump 120 when performing the operating mode, the volume mode. Can be used to Further, the amount of water detected by the level sensor can be used to employ an efficient watering schedule for the amount of water in the aquarium / reservoir. Alternatively or additionally, the water source may include a fertilizer pump that allows a user to dispense a desired amount of fertilizer into the water. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may include a knob that allows the dispensing of a preset amount of water from the water source. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may pressurize the water in the water source, and the watering pump may have a motor with variable speed.

  The processing circuit is further configured to receive an operation mode command from the gateway, determine an operation mode of the watering pump based on the operation mode command received from the gateway, and instruct the watering pump to operate according to the operation mode. obtain. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the processing circuit further receives a capacity mode command from the gateway, receives water source sensor data indicative of an amount of water in the water source, and outputs the capacity mode command and the water source sensor data from the gateway. And determining whether the watering pump is operable in response to the received capacity mode command, and if the processing circuit determines that the watering pump is operable, watering to operate in accordance with the capacity mode command. It can be configured to direct the pump. In some exemplary embodiments, the user terminal may include an interface that displays the status of the watering pump. In a further exemplary embodiment, the user terminal may include an interface for displaying water usage by the watering pump.

  Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention described herein, while having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings, will occur to those skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain. There will be. Therefore, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Should. Also, while the foregoing description and the associated figures describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, different combinations of elements and / or functions may be present in the accompanying figures. It should be understood that alternative embodiments may be provided without departing from the scope of the claims. In this regard, for example, it is contemplated that different combinations of elements and / or functions than those explicitly mentioned above may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Where an advantage, benefit, or solution to a problem has been described herein, such advantage, benefit, and / or solution is not necessarily all illustrative embodiments, but may include some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that it may be applicable to various embodiments. Therefore, any advantages, benefits, or solutions described herein should not be deemed critical, necessary, or essential to all embodiments or what is claimed herein. Although specific terms have been employed herein, they have been used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (21)

A sensor device (30) including one or more sensors (140, 142) provided in a parcel of land;
A watering device (20) provided in the compartment and configured to selectively spray water to the compartment;
A user terminal (50);
A gateway (40) configured to communicate with the sensor device (30), the watering device (20), and the user terminal (50);
In a system (10) comprising
The watering device (20) includes a water source (100) for alternately connecting the water source (100) to the water line (110) and disconnecting the water source (100) from the water line (110). ) And a water pump (120) operably connected to the water line (110), wherein the water pump (120) comprises:
A pump sensor assembly (155) configured to detect environmental and operating parameters;
A communication circuit (160), the communication circuit (160) including an antenna for enabling the watering pump (120) to communicate with the gateway (40);
With
The system (10), wherein the communication circuit (160) is configured to monitor and calculate the operating time of the watering pump (120) and the resulting water usage.   The system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit (160) is configured to determine an amount of water used over a particular time interval.   The system (10) of claim 2, wherein the particular time interval is an hour, day, week, month or months.   4. The communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is configured to determine an average operating time and usage of the watering pump over a preset time interval. 5. System (10).   The communication circuit (160) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the user terminal (50) is configured to inform a user of an operation time of the watering pump (120) and a calculation result of water usage by the user terminal (50). The system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.   The user terminal (50) is configured to be able to provide a plurality of interface screens (600, 650; 700, 750), and the state of the watering pump (120) and the amount of water used by the watering pump (120). The system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an interface (330) for displaying at least one of the following.   The plurality of interface screens (600, 650; 700, 750) further include a device status screen (700), wherein the device status screen (700) includes a section (720) displaying a graph of water usage for the day. The system (10) according to claim 6, comprising:   The apparatus status screen (700) includes a section (740) configured to allow a user to select a statistical option to obtain a detailed breakdown of water usage associated with the day. A system (10) according to claim 7. The plurality of interface screens (600, 650; 700, 750) include a pump status screen (650) and a device status screen (750),
The pump status screen (650) includes a historical pump data section (670) configured to show historical data over a given time interval;
The device status screen (750) is configured to be accessible in response to selection of the historical pump data section (670) and configured to display a graph of water usage for the last week (770). The system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising:   The device status screen (750) further includes a section (790) configured to allow a user to select a statistical option to obtain a detailed breakdown of water usage associated with the week. Item 10. The system (10) according to item 9.   The gateway (40) includes a first network including at least the watering device (20) and the sensor device (30), and a user wirelessly communicating with the gateway (40) by the user terminal (50). The system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (10) comprises a second network for enabling. To alternately connect the water source (100) to the water line (110) and disconnect the water source (100) from the water line (110), the water source (100) and the water line (110) are alternately connected. And a watering pump (120) operably connected to
A pump sensor assembly (155) configured to detect environmental and operating parameters;
A communication circuit (160), the communication circuit (160) including an antenna for allowing the watering pump (120) to communicate with the gateway (40);
With
The watering pump (120), wherein the communication circuit (160) is configured to monitor and calculate the operating time of the watering pump (120) and the water usage accordingly.   The watering pump (120) according to claim 12, wherein the communication circuit (160) is configured to determine an amount of water used over a particular time interval.   The watering pump (120) according to claim 13, wherein the specific time interval is hours, days, weeks, months or months.   15. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the communication circuit (160) is configured to determine an average operating time and usage of the watering pump (120) over a preset time interval. Watering pump (120).   16. The communication circuit (160) according to any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the communication circuit (160) is configured to inform a user of an operation time of the watering pump (120) and a calculation result of water usage by the user terminal (50). A watering pump (120) according to one of the preceding claims.   The user terminal (50) is configured to be able to provide a plurality of interface screens (600, 650; 700, 750), and the state of the watering pump (120) and the amount of water used by the watering pump (120). 17. The watering pump (120) of claim 16, including an interface (330) for displaying at least one of the following.   The plurality of interface screens (600, 650; 700, 750) further include a device status screen (700), wherein the device status screen (700) includes a section (720) displaying a graph of water usage for the day. The watering pump (120) according to claim 17, comprising:   The device status screen (700) includes a section (740) configured to allow a user to select a statistical option to obtain a detailed breakdown of water usage associated with the day. A watering pump (120) according to claim 18. The plurality of interface screens (600, 650; 700, 750) include a pump status screen (650) and a device status screen (750),
The pump status screen (650) includes a historical pump data section (670) configured to show historical data over a given time interval;
The device status screen (750) is configured to be accessible in response to selection of the historical pump data section (670) and configured to display a graph of water usage for the last week (770). A watering pump (120) according to any one of claims 17 to 19, comprising:   The device status screen (750) further includes a section (790) configured to allow a user to select a statistical option to obtain a detailed breakdown of water usage associated with the week. Item 21. A watering pump (120) according to item 20.