JP2023017061A - Simplified interface and operation in watering system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simplified interface and operation in a watering system.

SOLUTION: A user terminal may be configured to communicate with a gateway. The gateway may be configured to communicate with sensor equipment including one or more sensors and watering equipment via a first network. The gateway may also be configured to communicate with the user terminal via a second network. The user terminal may include processing circuitry that is configured to provide a remote interface for communication with the sensor equipment and the watering equipment via the gateway.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Exemplary embodiments relate generally to intelligent systems, and more particularly to systems for intelligent watering that include components configured to facilitate simple interfaces and operations.

Soil care and maintenance tasks may include lawn care and/or landscaping tasks associated with promoting growth and pruning a lawn or garden that is desirably lush as a result of those efforts. . Growth promotion generally requires the routine attention of individuals to ensure that growing conditions are suitable for plant growth and to provide the necessary care and grooming tasks for further growth enhancement. be done.

As technological capabilities improve, a variety of devices or sensors have been developed that can be utilized to monitor growing conditions in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is possible for gardeners to use sensors or devices at specific locations to monitor growing conditions and, if necessary, correct growing conditions. However, even with improved monitoring devices or sensors, gardeners are still often required to perform more or less manual work to place and/or operate the device or sensor.

Accordingly, some exemplary embodiments may provide the capability for intelligent control or management of multiple resources for garden maintenance with the assistance or incorporation of a user terminal. Thus, for example, the operation of sensor equipment and watering equipment (with or without robotic rover) can be remotely adjusted for efficient landscaping and lawn care.

In an exemplary embodiment, a user terminal is provided for intelligent control of garden maintenance functions. This user terminal may be configured to communicate with the gateway. The gateway may be configured to communicate with sensor equipment comprising one or more sensors and watering equipment via the first network. The gateway may also be configured to communicate with user terminals via the second network. The user terminal may include processing circuitry configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with sensor equipment and watering equipment via the gateway.

In another exemplary embodiment, a system is provided for intelligent control of garden maintenance functions. The system comprises a sensor device comprising one or more sensors located on a parcel of land, and a watering device located on the parcel and configured to selectively apply water to the parcel. , a user terminal, and a gateway. The gateway may be configured to communicate with sensor devices and watering devices over a first network and with user terminals over a second network. The user terminal may include processing circuitry configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with sensor equipment and watering equipment via the gateway.

Some exemplary embodiments may improve an operator's ability to maximize the beauty and productivity of his or her lands and gardens, and may make improvements in a user-friendly and intuitive manner.

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily to scale.

1 is a block diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of deployed components of a system according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 illustrates deployed components replicated for multiple water tubes, according to an exemplary embodiment; 4 is a block diagram of processing circuitry that may be used in a deployed component, according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of processing circuitry that may be used in a user terminal in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of various operations associated with controlling a watering computer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of various operations associated with adding a device to a network and monitoring battery and/or connection status, according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of various operations associated with monitoring battery status of deployed components, according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments; FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments; FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments; 4 is a chart for relating moisture or specific humidity ranges to corresponding cycle times for making measurements in a sensor, according to an exemplary embodiment;

Some exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, exemplary embodiments are illustrated. . Indeed, the examples described and depicted herein should not be construed as limitations as to the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, the term "or" should be interpreted herein as a logical operator that yields a result of true whenever one or more of its operands are true. Also, the term "garden maintenance" is intended to relate to any outdoor grounds improvement or maintenance-related activity and applies specifically to activities directly tied to grassland, lawn or sod care. you don't have to. Thus, yard maintenance should be understood to include landscaping, lawn care, combinations thereof, and/or the like. As used herein, operable coupling relates to a direct or indirect connection, in either case, the functional connection of components operably coupled to each other. It should be understood as enabling interconnection.

Exemplary embodiments monitor and/or or maintain and provide an intelligent system to allow operators flexible interfacing with the devices in the system. Additionally, the devices of the system may have their activities adjusted and/or adapted to their environment, or at least to the current conditions or stimuli existing within their environment. can be configured to In some cases, the actions performed and/or monitoring may be accomplished with the assistance of mobile resources such as robotic rovers. In this regard, for example, the system may utilize a communications network that collects information about growing conditions from sensor equipment and associates this information with the area in which this information was collected. The system provides the operator with great flexibility in remotely controlling various components of the system and programming such components via processing circuitry in each individual component. An interface mechanism can also be used that allows one to have Thus, programming can be coordinated remotely, but at least some of that programming is also local so that the system can operate with or without a connection. can be stored. In some cases, connectivity aspects of the system may utilize home network components and wide area network components (e.g., the Internet), but deployed components (e.g., components within a yard/garden) , or otherwise related to yard maintenance) and home network/wide area network components. As noted above, processing aspects may be distributed between local and remote management components such that some aspects of garden maintenance utilize remote resources, Or at least, information obtained from the field may be incorporated, while other aspects may be managed locally. In any event, adaptability and ease of interface and control are properties of the system that are improved by using the exemplary embodiments.

Thus, the system can employ any combination of fixed and/or mobile resources that collect data related to specific segments of the parcel, which may correspond to different areas. A particular segment may have different types of plants within that segment, and thus may optimally have different growing conditions desired in association with each individual of that segment. An owner/operator may program operating instructions to direct deployed components for operation within a particular segment, which may be referred to as a "zone." In some cases, the processing circuitry may be equipped to allow the user to define certain operating parameters, and thus the system adapts the current state to operate according to the operating parameters. can let Assuming an internet connection is available, in some cases the system will determine the desired growing conditions and the identified plants based on stored information associated with each plant from a database or online resource. can be used to correlate Thus, each zone may have a corresponding training parameter associated with that zone, and a user may view training parameters associated with various areas to determine the desired training conditions (e.g., , moisture level, temperature, light level, pH, and/or the like). In some cases, schedules between deployed components are conflict avoidable to prevent damage to components, ineffective use of resources, or substantially reduce behavior, or Otherwise it can be adjusted. A deployed component associated with a zone may provide reports and/or alerts to an operator via a gateway to allow the operator to intercede in certain situations, or These components may simply respond and notify the operator of their responses via the gateway.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system 10 that can be used to accomplish the basic operations described above, according to an exemplary embodiment. Within the context of FIG. 1, it should be appreciated that certain tasks, such as mowing, chemical application, visual surveillance and/or the like, may be performed by the robot or robotic rover 15 . The system can operate without the robotic rover 15, so the robotic rover 15 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. Robots or other devices may also be involved in performing certain other garden maintenance tasks such as raking, fertilizing, lighting, wildlife placement and/or the like. .

Other tasks, such as watering a lawn, may be performed by a sprinkler head and/or a watering computer that interfaces with the sprinkler head. The sprinkler heads may be attached to hoses, and the watering computer can turn on/off watering at each sprinkler head location by providing a central shut-off valve for that hose. may provide a mechanism to control the A hose, sprinkler head and/or watering computer may together form the watering device 20 .

On the one hand, various sensors monitor soil or other growing conditions (e.g., light level, moisture level, pH, temperature, video or image data, etc.) by inserting such sensors into the soil. can be used to As such, these sensors may be understood to take various forms within system 10 . Generally speaking, however, those sensors may have connections to system 10 to improve the operation of system components based on the soil and/or growing condition information collected by those sensors. Various sensors may represent the sensor device 30 as described above, regardless of the particular configuration or deployment paradigm.

Sensor equipment 30, and possibly one or more of the devices that make up watering equipment 20, may also communicate with gateway 40 via wired or wireless connections. The gateway 40 in turn may have a wired or wireless connection to an access point (AP) 45, which may be directly or indirectly connectable to the user terminal 50. AP 45 may be a router in the operator's home network. In some cases, direct AP 45 connectivity to user terminals 50 may be provided by short-range wireless communication methods (eg, Bluetooth®, WiFi and/or the like). Indirect connection of AP 45 to user terminal 50 may occur via network 60 . Network 60 includes data networks (e.g., local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN), wide area networks (WAN) (e.g., Internet), wireless personal area networks (WPAN), and and/or the like), and the data network includes devices (e.g., deployed components) and processing elements (e.g., personal computers, server computers, or the like). Devices and/or databases such as user terminals 50 may be coupled. Communications between network 60 and other devices in system 10 may be accomplished by either wired or wireless communication mechanisms and corresponding communication protocols. Thus, for example, some or all of the sensors of the sensor device 30, the watering device 20 and/or the robotic rover 15 are connected to the user terminal 50 by wired and/or wireless communication means. obtain.

It is also understood that although the robotic rover 15 is shown separately in FIG. 1 , the robotic rover 15 may function as part of the sensor device 30 and/or part of the watering device 20 . want to be However, the ability of the robotic rover 15 to function as part of the sensor device 30 and/or part of the watering device 20, and the ability of the robotic rover 15 to perform other tasks (e.g., mowing). Robotic rover 15 is shown separately in FIG.

Gateway 40 may be a translation agent configured to interface with any or all of the deployed components via wired or wireless communications. In some embodiments, gateway 40 includes a high performance antenna to enable gateway 40 to wirelessly communicate with deployed components via an 868 mHz radio link (e.g., a first radio link). can contain. However, other wireless links may be used in other cases. The first wireless link and the components connected by the first wireless link may be part of a first network that extends outdoors (eg, a garden network) or a deployed component network. Components within a home or business that extend to and between user terminals 50 may form a second network. As such, the gateway 40 can be a translation agent between the first network and the second network. Gateway 40 may be the aggregation point and communication center for communications on both networks.

As such, the gateway 40 is provided within the operator's home or other indoor environment and still communicates wirelessly (via the first wireless link) with the deployed component to provide the operator with access to that component. Instructions may be translated, which may be provided to AP 45 via a second wireless link. In exemplary embodiments, wireless communications may be secured by using encryption or other security techniques. Gateway 40 may also provide secure cloud data storage through connection to network 60 (eg, via AP 45). In some examples, the first wireless link and the second wireless link may be different wireless links using different communication protocols and/or frequencies.

Gateway 40 may also provide the ability for an operator to interface with user terminal 50 , such as to monitor, control, and program each of the deployed components using user terminal 50 . In particular, in some cases, user terminal 50 is designed to provide an easy-to-use interface for easy setup and/or interaction with gateway 40 (and corresponding deployed components reachable through gateway 40). It may be configured to run adapted applications (or apps). Accordingly, user terminal 50 may be a smart phone or other mobile terminal, laptop computer, PC, or other computing/communication device. As such, user terminal 50 interfaces with corresponding processing circuitry of gateway 40 and/or deployed components to program and control deployed components in a manner described in more detail below. , or otherwise include processing circuitry enabled to interact.

Interaction between the user terminal 50 and the gateway 40 to facilitate programming of deployed components, control of deployed components, or interaction with deployed components may be performed during irrigation and/or harvesting. An interactive and fully connectable garden system for control/coordination can be created. An app that may run on the user terminal 50 may be configured for real-time or programming-based control of any or all of the deployed components. The resulting system can be a holistic, connected and automated garden system. In addition, connectivity to content on the Internet via network 60 allows educational content to be integrated into the operation of the system, providing operators with an improved interface and enhanced operator's landscaping experience. It can provide more control over obtaining full satisfaction.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate water transfer paths that may be implemented for exemplary embodiments. However, some of the components may be omitted in simpler exemplary embodiments, and some components may be removed in other exemplary embodiments to provide more complex architectures. It should be understood that it may be added to the Accordingly, the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 are not provided to be limiting as to the components included in this system, but rather various examples of some of the components that may be included in one exemplary system. It only shows Further, it should be understood that FIG. 3 is merely illustrative to illustrate one manner in which multiple water supply pipes may be provided to service a parcel or garden area. The fact that FIG. 3 shows only two water tubes is not intended to suggest that the exemplary embodiment can only operate with two tubes. To the contrary, exemplary embodiments may be practiced with any number of tubes and separate and/or different water sources.

2 and 3, water source 100 can be used to fill first water pipe 110 via watering computer 120 . Optionally (see FIG. 3), the water source 100 may also fill the second water pipe 112 via the second watering computer 122 . First water tube 110 and second water tube 112 may each be a flexible watering hose or garden hose. First watering computer 120 and second watering computer 122 may each be one of the deployed components forming one component of watering equipment 20 of FIG. The first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 may be attached directly to the water source 100 such that the water source 100 is a faucet or spigot supplied with a pressurized water supply for a home or other structure. However, in other examples, hoses or other connectors may be provided between the first and second watering computers 120 and 122 and the water source 100 . An example of such another connector is shown in FIG. 3, which includes a first watering computer 120 and a second watering computer 120 which may otherwise be identical or similar to each other in their assembly and operation. A watering computer 122 and a splitter 125 are provided to split the water between the first water tube 110 and the second water tube 112. FIG.

In an exemplary embodiment, one or more sprinklers (eg, first sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 132) may receive water from first water pipe 110 and second water pipe 112, respectively. First water pipe 110 may be selectively filled to provide water for spraying from first sprinkler 130 under the control of first watering computer 120 . Similarly, the second water pipe 112 may be selectively filled to provide water for spraying from the second sprinkler 132 under control of the second watering computer 122 . When the first water pipe 110 is filled, the first sprinkler 130 is provided with pressurized water that is dispensed through the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 is provided with water for operation of the second watering computer 122 . Depending, water may be provided as well. First sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 132 may typically be components that are not provided with any local intelligence. Instead, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 are controllable to turn the watering function on and off only through the operation of the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122, respectively. could be. However, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 can possibly have intelligent components and/or control aspects provided therein.

One or more sensors (e.g., first sensor 140 and second sensor 142) are also provided within the compartment serviced by the sprinkler to detect or sense conditions in the vicinity of the corresponding sensor. It can be offered at various locations. First sensor 140 and second sensor 142 may each correspond to a respective one of first sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 132, and an app at user terminal 50 may Information received from each one of the second sensors 142 is used to determine actions that can be directed to the first watering computer 120 or the second watering computer 122 based on this information, if desired. It can be configured to note such correspondence so that it can be correlated to.

In some examples, some of the deployed components may include a local power supply (P/S) 150 to corresponding ones of the deployed components. Each component P/S 150 may be a battery or battery pack. Each powered one of the deployed components includes processing circuitry for controlling the respective respective component and the deployed component via the first wireless link (or Alternatively, it may also include a communication circuit (C/C) 160 including an antenna for allowing it to communicate with the gateway 40 (via a wired connection). Robotic rover 15 may also be one example of a deployed component, and thus may also include P/S 150 and C/C 160 . However, it should be understood that the various power and communication circuitry may have different scale, construction and compositional features.

The first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 may each further include a valve 170 that isolates the water source 100 from the first water line 110 and/or the second water line 122, respectively. , first water tube 110 and/or second water tube 122, respectively. The valve 170 may be configured based on instructions received through the gateway 40 or schedule information stored or otherwise accessible via the C/C 160 of the first watering computer 120 or the second watering computer 122. can be operated based on schedule information that is First watering computer 120 and second watering computer 122 may provide convenience to the operation of system 10 . This is because the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 either by programming a schedule at the user terminal 50 or by manually directing the operation of the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122. This is because it can be controlled from anywhere and/or at any time via an app on the user terminal 50 . However, in some cases, the app may be used to program watering computer 120 for automatic operation of valve 170 based on sensor data received from first sensor 140 or second sensor 142. can also be used.

In an exemplary embodiment, C/C 160 may include processing circuitry 210, as shown in FIG. Processing circuitry 210 may be configured to process data, perform control functions, and/or perform other processing and management services in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 210 may be embodied as a chip or chip set. In other words, processing circuitry 210 may comprise one or more physical packages (eg, chips) that include materials, components and/or wiring on a structural assembly (eg, baseboard). This structural assembly may provide physical strength, size preservation, and/or electrical interaction limitation to the component circuitry contained thereon. Accordingly, processing circuitry 210 may, in some cases, be configured to implement embodiments of the present invention on a single chip or as a single "system-on-chip." As such, in some cases a chip or chip set may constitute means for performing one or more operations to provide the functionality described herein.

In an exemplary embodiment, processing circuitry 210 may include one or more instances of processor 212 and memory 214 that may communicate with or otherwise control device interface 220. . As such, processing circuitry 210 may be implemented as a circuit chip (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) configured (e.g., by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software) to perform the operations described herein. may be embodied. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 210 is configured to control the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122, the first sensor 140 and the second sensor 142, and/or the internal electronic components of the robotic rover 15. and may enable external communication with other components.

Device interface 220 may include one or more interface mechanisms for enabling communication with other devices via gateway 40 . In some cases, device interface 220 may be any means that, because device interface 220 is capable of sending and receiving messages via gateway 40, For example, a device or circuit embodied either in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software configured to receive data from and/or transmit data to gateway 40, etc. can be In some exemplary embodiments, device interface 220 may provide an interface for communication with components of system 10 or external to system 10 via gateway 40 . If the C/C 160 is for sensors, the device interface 220 connects sensors (e.g. temperature sensors, pH sensors, interface with light sensors, moisture sensors and/or the like). On the other hand, if the C/C 160 is for a watering computer, the device interface 220 interfaces to other on-board components (eg, a user interface including lights and main buttons as described below). may be provided.

Processor 212 may be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, processor 212 may be implemented as various processing means, such as a microprocessor or other processing element, co-processor, controller, or various other computing or processing device (eg, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). , an integrated circuit such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or the like). In an exemplary embodiment, processor 212 may be configured to execute instructions stored within memory 214 or otherwise accessible to processor 212 . As such, processor 212, whether implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, is capable of performing operations in accordance with embodiments of the present invention (e.g., in the form of processing circuitry 210). , represents an entity (physically embodied in a circuit), while being configured accordingly. Thus, for example, if processor 212 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, or the like, processor 212 may be hardware specifically configured to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, if processor 212 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure processor 212 to perform the operations described herein. .

In exemplary embodiments, processor 212 (or processing circuitry 210 ) may be embodied as C/C 160 , include C/C 160 , or otherwise control C/C 160 . As such, in some embodiments, processor 212 (or processing circuitry 210) directs C/C 160 to undertake corresponding functions in response to execution of instructions or algorithms configuring processor 212 (or processing circuitry 210), as appropriate. may be said to cause each of the operations described in connection with C/C 160 (and the corresponding distributed components with which C/C 160 is associated) by pointing to . As an example, the sensor's C/C 160 detects environmental parameters (e.g., sensor data) and sends them to the gateway 40 (and, ultimately, to an app on the user terminal 50) over a first wireless link. or via network 60 to storage in the cloud). In some cases, the sensor's C/C 160 may include a previous set of sensor data (e.g., previous sensor reading magnitude) and a current set of sensor data (e.g., most recent sensor reading magnitude). ) can be configured to determine the difference between This amount of difference can then be used to determine whether the sensor reports the current set of sensor data. If this difference is small (eg, less than a threshold amount), the sensor may not report a new value. However, if this difference is large enough (eg, greater than a threshold amount), the sensor may report a new value. As such, the sensor's C/C 160 may be configured to implement battery saving techniques in connection with reporting sensor data. The sensor's C/C 160 reports sensor data on a given schedule or in response to certain activities or events (or makes decisions as to whether to report based on the criteria discussed above). perform). When a triggering event (e.g., a temporal trigger or an action-based trigger) occurs, the sensor's C/C 160 makes a determination of the current sensor data and whether or not to report this sensor data. can judge.

The watering computer C/C 160 may be configured to control the operation of the valve 170 based on schedule information stored locally within memory 214 of the C/C 160 . The watering computer C/C 160 may also allow changes to the schedule, other programming operations, and/or execution of real-time control over valve 170 position. Thus, for example, an operator may be enabled to remotely monitor the current valve 170 position and/or program settings and make changes to either. In some embodiments, the watering computer C/C 160 may be programmed to irrigate when sensor data is received that falls within or exceeds a certain range or threshold. Thus, for example, when sensor data indicates that soil moisture is below a given threshold, the watering computer may be configured to open valve 170 to supply water to the sprinkler.

C/C 160 of robotic rover 15 may be configured to control movement and motion of robotic rover 15 . In addition, the C/C 160 of the robotic rover 15 may allow the gateway 40 to allow user access to changes in the schedule of operations of the robotic rover 15 and/or to control various operations of the robotic rover 15 in real-time. It may be possible to exercise control. In an exemplary embodiment, an app on user terminal 50 may be used to coordinate watering and mowing schedules and/or avoid collisions. Additionally or alternatively, if the operator makes changes to the schedule or performs real-time control of one or more components, the app at the user terminal 50 can make suggested changes to the schedule or A warning may be provided to indicate that the current operation may be problematic, or it may prevent such a change from being made. Thus, for example, if the robotic rover 15 is mowing in an area where sensors indicate low soil moisture values that would normally trigger the opening of the valve 170 via programming the watering computer, A warning may be provided to indicate that robotic rover 15 should change its behavior or that opening of valve 170 may be delayed.

In an exemplary embodiment, deployed electronic components (eg, components with P/S 150) may further include a reset button 230 provided in the secure portion thereof. In some cases, reset button 230 may be provided in or near the battery compartment of the corresponding device. Reset button 230 may trigger different functions through programming of processing circuitry 210 for corresponding different conditions and/or methods of operation. For example, a short press on reset button 230 may cause the corresponding device to enter pairing mode. Once in pairing mode, the device may become detectable by gateway 40 and/or other devices for a given period of time. An app on the user terminal 50 may be used to detect the device in pairing mode, and once detected, the app identifies the device (e.g., the first network, i.e., deployed It may be used to pair with another device (of a component network). As a result, gateway 40 and corresponding device C/C 160 may be enabled to communicate with each other over 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 first watering computer 120 (eg, via gateway 40). In some cases, the first sensor 140 may be paired with the first watering computer 120 via a setup procedure and thereafter communicate on a schedule basis or activity based/event driven basis. In some cases, simple replacement or insertion of the battery for power-up may be an additional or alternative method for initiating pairing mode.

In some cases, a long press of reset button 230 (eg, pressing reset button 230 for more than 5 seconds) may result in the device returning to factory settings. As such, the contents of memory 214 may be erased, or otherwise reset to a default or initial state. Other features may be provided in addition or alternatively. Additionally, some devices may have additional buttons or operable members. For example, the first watering computer 120 may have a main button on the housing of the first watering computer 120, as described in more detail below.

Communication between gateway 40 and sensors or watering computers may occur for pairing purposes and to facilitate operational activity for which system 10 is ultimately configured. Thus, for example, an operator may use an app at user terminal 50 to connect to gateway 40, interact with deployed components, and/or program deployed components. One or more control consoles or interface screens may be provided that provide options for: In some cases, initial setup of the system may be facilitated by placing individual deployed components (either sequentially or simultaneously) into pairing mode. As a result, the deployed component becomes discoverable via the first wireless link and can be added to the first network. Once added to the first network, the deployed components are considered resources of the first network that can be interacted with/programmed and/or the like. obtain. The deployed components can then be paired with each other and configured for individual and/or coordinated functional performance.

In an exemplary embodiment, first watering computer 120 may be paired with second watering computer 122 , robotic rover 15 and/or first sensor 140 . When the first irrigation computer 120 is paired with and connected to the first sensor 140, the operator can select commands or scheduling options for intelligent irrigation. It may have options provided (eg, via an app). Accordingly, first watering computer 120 may be commanded regarding specific stimuli that may be received from first sensor 140 to trigger opening of valve 170 . Additionally, the first watering computer 120 causes the first watering computer 120 to "ping" the first sensor to initiate communication to receive sensor data, or so on. A schedule or list of event triggers may be provided (eg, in memory 214) that would otherwise attempt to communicate with the first sensor. Based on received sensor data (eg, whether certain threshold parameters have been reached or not reached), valve 170 may be opened.

When the first watering computer 120 is paired and connected to the robotic rover 15, the automatic adjustment of the schedule at least ensures that mowing and watering are not done in the same area at the same time. can be achieved in connection with An app on the user terminal 50 may ensure that it is not possible to schedule mowing during watering periods (or vice versa). However, assuming that the operator can take control of the watering computer and/or robotic rover 15 to initiate operation, the app on the user terminal 50 will initiate operation of the watering computer or robotic rover 15. Any attempt to do so may be further prevented in real time when the other is also operating in the same area.

When a first watering computer 120 is paired with and connected to a second watering computer 122, watering schedules or operations are adjusted to manage or prevent under-pressure situations. can be For example, as shown in FIG. 3, if the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 are connected to the splitter 125, both the first water pipe 110 and the second water pipe 112 There may be insufficient water pressure to fill effectively at the same time. Thus, by allowing the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 to communicate with each other, the actions of one can be communicated to the other (e.g., via gateway 40), resulting in: The second watering computer 122 does not open its valve 170 while the first watering computer 120 is currently engaged in watering operations.

Deployed components of various exemplary embodiments may be adaptive to various conditions or situations. Additionally, the adaptive nature of deployed components may be provided as programmable features, where the operator, using user terminal 50, is an adjustable parameter, relationship, or response. Specific adaptive behavior can be programmed. In the context of some examples, programmable features are remotely programmable via gateway 40 (i.e., programmable from an app and/or user terminal 50 remote from the component being programmed). ) should be understood as In other examples, the adaptive nature of deployed components may be provided as default functionality. Thus, the adaptive capabilities of deployed components may be connection dependent (e.g., connection dependent) or connection independent (e.g., if there is no connection, Or depending on the loss of connection, default programming exists or is provided.

In some embodiments, the battery power level is communicated to gateway 40 and signal strength values associated with communication with sensors and/or watering computers may also be determined at gateway 40 . This information (along with sensor data) can be provided to an app at 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 undertaken to remedy the situation. As noted above, in some cases sensors may also adaptively trigger reports in response to their surroundings. In an exemplary embodiment, the watering computer may attempt to ping the sensor via gateway 40 to trigger reporting of sensor data. However, the sensor may be configured to determine the amount of change in the requested parameter (eg, via C/C 160) before determining whether to respond to the ping. In some embodiments, at least a certain amount or percentage (eg, 5%) change may be required before the sensor reports sensor data via wireless transmission. Wireless transmission consumes more power than internal operations (e.g. determining the amount of change and current sensor data), thus saving several transmission cycles if there is little data change By doing so, battery life can be substantially extended. If a ping is sent and no response is received, the previously received value may be substituted and communicated to the operator (eg, via an app).

The operator may wake up the watering computer and/or sensors by sending a ping or wake up message to either component via the app. A wake up message may be used to ascertain whether a device is still responsive and active, or to request specific data from such component in real time, or to request specific data from such component in real time. May be used to initiate actions in real time. Further, in some cases, the operator may send a wake-up or setup signal to cause the corresponding device to transmit beacons for at least a predetermined period of time (eg, 3 minutes). During this time, these devices can be deployed and the operator can check the app to see how much signal strength is detected by gateway 40 . The operator therefore places these devices in real time to ensure that the location where a device is currently installed is a good location in terms of its ability to communicate with the gateway 40. be able to.

In some embodiments, one or more of the deployed components may further include frost warning capabilities. In particular, it should be appreciated that water freezing within the body of the watering computer can be detrimental to the valve 170, as the watering computer typically has pressurized water in the vicinity of the valve 170. Accordingly, the C/C 160 of one or more components (particularly the watering computer) may be configured to identify potential frost conditions that may damage the watering computer. In some embodiments, the watering computer (and/or A warning may be issued (eg, through an app on the user terminal 50) to alert the operator that the sensor should avoid damage. The predetermined threshold may be factory set or may be set by an operator. In either case, however, the ability to identify current temperature conditions and alert the operator of a possible frost event is essential to ensure that deployed components are adaptive to their surroundings and/or conditions. To be another example of how it can be configured (either by the operator program or by default).

Another example of the adaptability of deployed components relates to being unable to connect to or losing connectivity to the first network. For example, the watering schedule may be maintained in the cloud, on the user terminal 50, or elsewhere, although in some cases the watering schedule (or at least a portion thereof) may be stored locally at the watering computer. For example, memory 214 may be configured to record at least the most recent watering schedule information used. Thus, power is lost at gateway 40 or another system component, thereby making connection impossible and first watering computer 120 and second watering computer 122 each at least Information indicative of a watering schedule may be stored. Thus, for example, at 1300 the first watering computer 120 opens its valve 170 and at 1305 it closes its valve, while the second watering computer 122 opens its valve 170 at 1305. and at 1318, when closing that valve, when connection to the watering schedule cannot be achieved, or when connection is lost, each of the first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 , will continue watering on the previously provided schedule.

In an exemplary embodiment, the user interface for the system may be provided primarily through user terminal 50 . As noted above, user terminal 50 may be a mobile device (eg, smart phone) or a fixed terminal (eg, PC). However, user terminal 50 may be other devices such as tablets, laptop computers and/or the like. In any event, user terminal 50 may be configured to provide a simple and intuitive interface for allowing an operator to control the operation of system 10 . FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of some components of user terminal 50 that may be configured to provide an app for control of system 10 .

As shown in FIG. 5, user terminal 50 includes processing circuitry 310, processor 312, memory 314, which may be similar in form and/or function to processing circuitry 210, processor 212, memory 214 and device interface 220 described above. and device interface 320 . The specific structure, form and scale of such components may vary. However, the overall capabilities may be similar, so these components will not be described in detail again. Instead, it should be understood that these components are generally similar except for changes in certain configurations, content and structure. As shown in FIG. 5, user terminal 50 may further include user interface 330 and operations manager 340 .

User interface 330 (if implemented) receives indications of user input at user interface 330 and/or provides audible, visual, mechanical or other output to the user. may communicate with processing circuitry 310 to provide. As such, user interface 330 may include, for example, a display (eg, a touch screen display), one or more buttons or keys (eg, function buttons or keyboard), and/or other input/output mechanisms (eg, microphones, mice, speakers, cursors, joysticks, lights and/or the like). User interface 330 may provide warnings, alerts and/or notifications to a user or operator in response to various trigger conditions detected (eg, via sensor device 30 or other components). can be configured. System failures, equipment damage or tampering, equipment theft and other component-related stimuli may also be defined as triggers for generating alerts, alarms and/or notifications. In some cases, user interface 330 may be prompted to do so in response to plant growing conditions falling outside of specification or recommended ranges, or in response to system components having scheduling or operational conflicts. may be configured to generate various warnings, alerts and/or notifications. This notification may be provided regarding general status, current state and/or the like. The alerts, alarms and/or notifications may be generated by lights, sounds, visual displays, or other devices that may be connected to or connected to the operations manager 340 . can be part of In some cases, this notification may be provided by text message or email.

In an exemplary embodiment, processing circuitry 310 may be configured to process data, perform control functions, and/or perform other processing and management services in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention. As such, it can be appreciated that processing circuitry 310 may be configured to control or be embodied as operations manager 340 . The operations manager 340 receives sensor information from the sensor device 30 and/or the watering device 20 and provides information to be provided to the owner/operator and/or to the sensor device 30 and/or the watering device 20. It may be configured to make decisions regarding instructions. Processing circuitry 310 may optionally process state information received from sensor equipment 30 and compare the state information to growth state parameters stored in memory 314 for a given zone.

In an exemplary embodiment, memory 314 stores information, data, applications, instructions, or the like to enable operations manager 340 to perform various functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention. can be configured to store For example, memory 314 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by 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 a wide variety of data sets in response to inputs from the sensor network. Among the contents of memory 314, applications may be stored for execution by processor 312 to perform functions associated with respective respective applications. In some cases, those applications may include applications for the creation of control consoles to provide options for control of the system. In some cases, those applications also or alternatively include applications for receiving information regarding component activity/status, environmental parameters, schedule information, device pairing, and/or the like. , may allow the action manager 340 to define responses to such information (eg, based on predefined programming or user input). Their information/parameters may be entered by the operator, received from deployed components, or accessible via the Internet based on entry of the vegetation ID of the plants in a given zone. may be extracted or obtained from any database or source.

Thus, operations manager 340 may, for example, provide an interface mechanism for controlling the operations of a watering computer. FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of one example of operations that may be facilitated by operations manager 340, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the watering computer (WC) may initially be closed and the user terminal 50 may present a control console (or series of control consoles) that 6, the operator can provide instructions to initiate the operations of FIG. At operation 400, an instruction may be provided to open a valve of the watering computer (ie, valve 170). Then, at operation 402, a determination may be made as to whether robotic rover 15 is active in the area (or at all). If the robotic rover 15 is active, an alert may be issued at the user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 at operation 404 . The operator may then determine in operation 406 whether to allow the valve to open. If the operator decides not to open the valve, flow returns to the initial state. If the operator decides to allow the valve to open anyway (e.g., disabling or ignoring the alarm), then in operation 409 the operator is asked to enter the duration for which the valve is to be opened. can be requested for Note that instead of entering a duration, the operator may also have the option to cancel at this point to return to the initial state.

Assuming the duration has been entered, at operation 410 an activation signal may be issued from the user terminal to the watering computer to command the valve to open. As a result, the valve may remain open until the duration expires, at which time the valve may close and flow returns to the initial state. However, at operation 412 an operator may insert an instruction to manually close the valve. A determination may then be made at operation 414 as to whether this manual valve closing is before or overlaps with the scheduled start time. If this manual valve closing (unscheduled) defines an end time that is before the next scheduled start time, then at operation 416 this schedule may be maintained and at operation 420 the valve may be closed. , so that the flow can return to its initial state ready to open again according to this schedule. However, if this manual valve closing corresponds to a scheduled start time, then at operation 418 this schedule may be skipped and at operation 420 the valve may be closed so that flow is rescheduled to the next scheduled start time. When the set valve opening time arrives, the initial state can be restored so that preparations for opening the valve can be made again. On the other hand, from the initial state, if at operation 422 the scheduled valve opening time is reached, then at operation 410 the valve may open at the corresponding time and at operation 424 as the time expires: The valve can be closed. Similarly, from an initial state, if opening is triggered by sensor data in operation 426, the valve may open in operation 410 and then after expiration of a predetermined period of time in operation 424 or The valve can be closed when the conditions in are cleared. Note that the operator may manually open or close valve 170 by operating a local button on the watering computer. If a manual (local) operation is performed, the actions described above can still be performed and the time the valve remains open (or until the next programmed open) is sent to the action manager 340. It can again be defined by incoming schedule information.

In some cases, the watering computers (e.g., first watering computer 120 and second watering computer 122) have limited user access in the form of main buttons and light assemblies provided on their front panels. It can contain an interface. The light assembly may include three LEDs, which may be capable of displaying red, green and yellow colors either sequentially or flashing. These LEDs can help provide status information associated with attempts to pair the watering computer with another device, battery status, valve status and/or the like. FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of some of the operations associated with performing pairing operations and how information is displayed on the watering computer during such operations.

In the exemplary embodiment, user interface 330 of user terminal 50 is used to initially provide a control console option for adding devices to the first network, so that these devices may be discovered by gateway 40 and recognized by operations manager 340 . Thus, a watering computer may be added at operation 500 . At operation 502, pairing mode is initiated for the watering computer (e.g., by inserting a battery into a deployed component, or by pressing a reset button, or by selecting an option on user terminal 50). In that case, the watering computer may be discovered by the gateway 40, which may communicate the ID of the discovered watering computer to the user actions manager 340 so that information indicating the discovered watering computer is displayed in the user interface. It can be displayed at 330 . At operation 504, a determination is made as to whether pairing is possible. If the watering computer is discovered and able to be paired, a green blinking LED light output may be provided (at the watering computer) in operation 506 . User interface 330 of user terminal 50 may also or alternatively provide an indication of detection of the watering computer. If the gateway 40 cannot find the watering computer, in operation 509 a red LED light output may be generated for a predetermined duration (eg, 20 seconds continuous).

Once the gateway 40 has discovered the watering computer and is able to pair with it, the LED light output during pairing mode (which may last for 3 minutes, or some other predetermined period of time). ) may be turned into a signal strength indicator. Again, similar indications may also be provided at the user terminal 50 . If the signal strength is strong (eg, exceeds a threshold amount), then at operation 510 the LED light output may remain green. If the watering computer is a sufficient distance away, is shielded from communication with the gateway 40, or otherwise has a signal strength below the threshold, then in operation 512 the LED light output is May turn yellow. In both cases, illumination of that color may be maintained for 20 seconds or some other predetermined period of time. However, if the gateway 40 loses contact with the watering computer, flow may proceed from operation 504 to operation 509 and the LED light output may become red again.

In some examples, an indication regarding signal strength may be presented for a given period of time (eg, 20 seconds). After a given period of time expires, the LED light output may generally indicate the battery status of the watering computer at operation 514 . Battery status may be provided only when a query is received to conserve battery life. However, the battery status indication may also indicate that a connection to gateway 40 is still available. As such, at operation 516, the connection status may be monitored, and if the connection is lost, at operation 518, a red flashing LED light output may be presented.

In an exemplary embodiment, battery capacity can be checked remotely or locally at any time. FIG. 8 illustrates some actions that may be associated with such activities. In an exemplary embodiment, a battery check may be initiated at operation 530 via the operations manager 340 by interacting with the operations manager 340 at the user terminal 50 or via a main button on the watering computer itself. A check is then made in operation 532 for the battery status in the battery pack of the watering computer. If the battery capacity is estimated to be greater than 4 weeks, then at operation 534 the LED light output may show (or flash) green for 20 seconds. If the battery capacity is less than 4 weeks but more than 2 weeks, then in operation 536 the LED light output may indicate yellow by flashing for 20 seconds. If the battery capacity is less than two weeks, at operation 538 the LED light output may show red by flashing for 20 seconds. If the valve is in the off position, at operation 540 the LED light output may be a continuous red color (responsive to ping only).

In some exemplary embodiments, robotic rover 15 may be configured to operate within an area defined by boundary wires or by some other method. The robotic rover 15 then moves around within the bounded area to ensure that the entire area is served. Robotic rover 15 may operate to mow grass on a parcel (i.e., parcel of land) or in a zone, the boundary of which is defined by one or more physical boundaries (e.g., fences, walls, curbs and/or the like), learned positional boundaries, boundary wires, or combinations thereof. Robotic rover 15 may be controlled, at least in part, via on-board control circuitry. This control circuitry may include, among other things, the ability to detect boundary wires in order to redirect the robotic rover 15 to other areas within the parcel. This control circuit may also control a positioning module that uses GPS, radio beacon triangulation, odometry, or other means for determining location (eg, its own location, or the location of an encountered device).

In an exemplary embodiment, robotic rover 15 may be battery powered via one or more rechargeable batteries. Accordingly, robotic rover 15 may be configured to return to a charging station, which may be located at a location on a parcel, to recharge its batteries. The battery may power the drive system and functional control system of the robotic rover 15 . However, the control circuitry of the robotic rover 15 selectively controls the application of power or other control signals to the drive system and/or the function control system to direct the operation of the drive system and/or the function control system. You may Thus, robotic rover 15 movement and operation over a parcel systematically traverses the parcel while robotic rover 15 operates to perform functions on the parcel's work area. can be controlled by a control circuit in a manner that allows In some embodiments, this control circuitry communicates wirelessly with user terminal 50 via gateway 40 to allow the operator to exercise control over the operation of robotic rover 15 via operation manager 340 . can be configured to As such, the operator can remotely provide programming instructions through the first network and the second network, or in real time, control one or more aspects of robotic rover 15 operation (e.g., mowing, positioning, etc.). can be enabled to control the

As described above, the operations manager 340 may be configured to provide an interface mechanism for controlling the operations of the watering computer. In some cases, these interface mechanisms are one or more control consoles or display screens that allow an operator to interact with data, request data, or view data acquired through gateway 40. may be provided via As such, the operations manager 340 may interact with the components of the second network to access the gateway 40, which uses whatever communication protocol is used in the second network. The information is accessed for display at the user terminal 50 by translating it into the corresponding protocol of the first network (eg, the garden network). However, the operations manager 340 may be used to provide programming instructions to the robotic rover 15, watering computer, sensors, and/or like of deployed components that are part of the first network. may also interact with gateway 40 in a similar manner. Additionally, the operations manager 340 may also allow real-time control or data extraction to occur. The operations manager 340 may also receive warnings or alerts from deployed components related to battery status, signal status, weather-related alerts (eg, frost alerts), and/or the like.

Figure 9, which includes Figures 9A-9C, shows some examples of interface screens or control consoles that may be provided by the operations manager 340 in some embodiments. FIG. 9A shows a basic start screen showing the home page 600 of the app. The app may display a general sensor data section 610, which measures current garden conditions (e.g., temperature, lighting conditions, soil moisture, pH, and/or or similar). In some cases, the app may also display device status information 620, which identifies each device in the first network with corresponding status information (e.g., battery status, operational status, , and/or the like). In an exemplary embodiment, an option to add new devices may also be provided at box 630 .

In some cases, selecting the sensor data section 610 (or individual sensors) may provide various individual or collective screens showing the status of each sensor. FIG. 9B shows an exemplary sensor status screen 650 that may be accessed upon selection of the sensor data section 610. As shown in FIG. In some embodiments, the sensor status screen 650 may include a current sensor data section 660 that may display current sensor data. A historical sensor data section 670 may also be provided to show historical data over a given time period (which may be user selectable). A setting adjustment option 680 may also be provided to allow the operator to select various sensor settings. Sensor settings relate to trigger points for triggering the watering computer, pairing activity, signal strength, battery level, nearby plant type identification, soil type identification, and/or the like. obtain.

In some embodiments, the robotic rover or watering computer may be selected and similarly controlled in the manner described above for the sensors. That is, after adding a device (eg, via the Add New Device box 630), the device may be paired in the manner described above. As a result, the device and its status may appear as a selectable device in device status information 620 . FIG. 9C shows an exemplary device status screen 700 for a watering computer. After pairing, or any time after a device is added, corresponding settings may be provided for that device. The settings include signal strength indication at 710 (e.g., for placement and setup), options for pairing with sensors at 720, or options for scheduling at 730 (manual initiation). including). If the device is a robotic rover 15, additional options for selecting camera views (eg, in real time) may also be provided. Additionally, motion manager 340 may be further configured to store image data for images captured by robotic rover 15 . In some cases, the operations manager 340 may store such images in a library of images that are selectable and reviewable by the operator via the user terminal 50 .

In some embodiments, additional design features may be used to try to avoid unnecessary measurements and thus also unnecessary energy consumption. For example, in some cases C/C 160 of sensor 140 may be configured with an intelligent measurement cycle. An intelligent measurement cycle may be adaptive based on the results of previous measurements. For example, an intelligent measurement cycle may be adaptive based on the result of a previous measurement and/or the results of multiple measurements immediately preceding the current situation. In the context of intelligent measurement cycles, measurement intervals may be extended for various situations. For example, if the soil moisture level is high, the measurement interval may be increased. This is because moist soil is generally considered good for plants. For drier soils, the measurement interval may be decreased to avoid not detecting rain or manual watering. In an exemplary embodiment, prior to a planned (eg, system programmed) irrigation event, soil moisture measurements may be taken regardless of the results of previous measurements. This may ensure that land conditions are known before irrigation decisions are made.

In some cases, multiple cycle times may be defined for different corresponding moisture content levels or specific humidity ranges. For example, a chart such as the chart shown in FIG. 10 may be provided to define the corresponding cycle times 800 for different moisture or humidity ranges 810. FIG. In this chart, the value ranges are simply listed as TBD to show that any desired range can be entered for these values. Interfaces provided by the operations manager 340 may be used to define these values. Although some corresponding exemplary cycle times 800 are listed, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Further, it should be appreciated that in some cases, instead of a chart, a mathematical functional relationship between soil moisture and cycle time may be defined. In this way, more precise adjustment of the cycle time may be possible in some cases.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using one or more devices, such as the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-5. Thus, an exemplary embodiment system includes a sensor device having one or more sensors located on a parcel of land and a sensor device located on the parcel to selectively provide water to the parcel. A configured watering device and a gateway configured to provide communication with the sensor device and the watering device may be included. A gateway may interface between a first network and a second network. The first network may include at least watering equipment and sensor equipment. The system may also include a user terminal comprising processing circuitry configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with the sensor device and the watering device via the gateway.

The system may further include a similarly adaptively configured robotic rover. In exemplary embodiments, the watering equipment may include a watering computer that includes a valve assembly. A watering computer is operably coupled to the water source and the water pipe, whereby the valve assembly is operable by the watering computer to alternately couple the water source with the water pipe and isolate the water source from the water pipe. could be. In some embodiments, provision for setup of the sensor device and the watering device by allowing the sensor device and the watering device to pair with each other and with the gateway. In exemplary embodiments, the processing circuitry may be configured to provide an interface for current sensor data and historical sensor data. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry may be configured to provide an interface for adding new devices to the first network and an interface for displaying device status. . Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry may be configured to provide an interface for system setup comprising an indication of signal strength of devices of the first network to the gateway. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry may be configured to provide an interface for coordinating the watering schedule of the watering computer. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry may be configured to allow remote coordination of the operations of the robotic rover and the watering computer. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry may be configured to provide alerts to the operator based on battery status, schedule conflicts, and weather problems. In an exemplary embodiment, the battery status of the watering computer is displayable via processing circuitry at the user terminal. Alternatively or additionally, the connection status of the watering computer may be displayable via processing circuitry at the user terminal.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions described herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. deaf. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims Please understand. Furthermore, although the foregoing description and associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or features, different combinations of elements and/or features may be It should be understood that alternative embodiments may be provided without departing from the scope of the following claims. In this regard, for example, combinations of elements and/or functions other than those explicitly set forth above are also contemplated as recited in some of the appended claims. Where advantages, benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some exemplary embodiments. , are not necessarily applicable to all exemplary embodiments. Therefore, no advantage, benefit or solution described herein is essential, required or essential to all embodiments or to what is claimed herein. should not be considered to be Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (4)

a sensor device (30) comprising one or more sensors (140, 142) located on a parcel of land;
a watering device (20) disposed in said compartment and configured to selectively apply water to said compartment;
a user terminal (50);
configured to communicate with said sensor device (30) and said watering device (20) comprising a watering computer via a first network and with said user terminal (50) via a second network; in a system (10) comprising a gateway (40) configured with
said user terminal (50) processing circuitry (310) configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with said sensor device (30) and said watering device (20) via said gateway (40); with
the watering computer has a user interface for manually controlling the watering computer even when the remote interface is available;
The user interface provides at least warnings, alarms and notifications in response to plant growing conditions falling outside of specification or recommended ranges, or in response to system components having scheduling or operational conflicts. A system (10) configured to generate one. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the watering computer is used to open and close a valve. 3. The system (10) of claim 2, wherein said user interface of said computer comprises local buttons provided on a front panel of said watering computer for operating said valve. 3. The system (10) of claim 2, wherein said user interface of said computer comprises a light assembly.

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