JP6820365B2 - Simplified interface and operation in watering system - Google Patents

Description

An exemplary embodiment relates to an intelligent system in general, and more particularly to a system for intelligent watering, including a simple interface and components configured to facilitate operation.

Soil care and maintenance tasks may include lawn care and / or landscaping tasks related to growth promotion and lawn or garden pruning, and this lawn or garden should be overgrown as a result of their efforts. .. Growth promotion generally requires individuals to take routine precautions to ensure that the growing conditions are appropriate for plant growth and to provide the necessary care and care tasks for further growth enhancement. Will be done.

As technical capabilities have improved, various devices or sensors have been developed that can be used to monitor growing conditions in various ways. Therefore, it is possible for gardeners to use sensors or devices in specific locations to monitor the growing conditions and modify the growing conditions if necessary. However, even with improvements to surveillance devices or sensors, gardeners are still often required to perform approximately manual work in order to place and / or operate the devices or sensors.

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

In an exemplary embodiment, a user terminal is provided for intelligent control of the garden maintenance function. This user terminal may be configured to communicate with the gateway. The gateway may be configured to communicate with sensor devices and sprinkler devices, including one or more sensors, 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 a processing circuit configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with sensor equipment and sprinkler equipment via this gateway.

In another exemplary embodiment, a system is provided for intelligent control of the garden maintenance function. The system consists of a sensor device containing one or more sensors located on a section of land and a sprinkler device placed in this section and configured to selectively supply water to this section. , A user terminal, and a gateway. The gateway may be configured to communicate with sensor devices and sprinkler devices via a first network and with user terminals via a second network. The user terminal may include a processing circuit configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with sensor equipment and sprinkler equipment via this gateway.

Some exemplary embodiments may improve the operator's ability to maximize the beauty and productivity of the operator's garden and garden, and may make improvements in a user-friendly and intuitive way.

As described above, the present invention has been described in general terms, but from here on, references are made to the attached drawings, and the attached drawings are not always in scale.

The block diagram of the system which concerns on an exemplary embodiment. A block diagram of deployed components of a system according to an exemplary embodiment. The figure which shows the deployed component which was duplicated for a plurality of water pipes which concerns on an exemplary embodiment. The block diagram of the processing circuit which can be used in the deployed component which concerns on an exemplary embodiment. The block diagram of the processing circuit which can be used in the user terminal which concerns on an exemplary embodiment. Flow diagrams of various operations associated with the control of a sprinkler computer according to an exemplary embodiment. Flow diagrams of various operations associated with adding devices to the network and monitoring battery and / or connection status, according to an exemplary embodiment. A flow diagram of various operations associated with monitoring the battery status of deployed components, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that can be generated in a user terminal according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that can be generated in a user terminal according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that can be generated in a user terminal according to an exemplary embodiment. A chart for relating a moisture range or a specific humidity range to a corresponding cycle time for making measurements on a sensor, according to an exemplary embodiment.

Here, some exemplary embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the accompanying drawings illustrate some, but not all, exemplary embodiments. .. In fact, the examples described and depicted herein should not be construed as limiting with respect to the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided to meet the applicable legal requirements of this disclosure. Similar reference codes refer to similar elements throughout the text. Moreover, as used herein, the term "or" should be construed as a logical operator that results in true whenever one or more of its operands are true. Also, the term "garden maintenance" is intended to relate to any outdoor improvement or maintenance-related activity and is particularly applicable to activities that are directly linked to grassland, turf or turf soil care. There is no need to. Therefore, yard maintenance should be understood to include landscaping, lawn care, combinations thereof, and / or the like. As used herein, an operable bond relates to a direct or indirect connection, both of which are functional components that are operably connected to each other. It should be understood as allowing interconnection.

An exemplary embodiment monitors and / or monitors the condition of the garden (ie, the condition of the lawn and / or the garden), whatever may be in multiple locations throughout a particular plot. Alternatively, it may provide an intelligent system to maintain and allow the operator a flexible interface with devices in the system. In addition, the devices of this system may be tuned for their activities and / or to adapt to their environment, or at least to the current state or stimulus present within those environments. Can be configured in. In some cases, the actions and / or monitoring performed may be accomplished with the assistance of mobile resources such as robot rover. In this regard, for example, the system may utilize a communication network that collects information about training conditions from sensor devices and associate this information with the area in which this information was collected. The system gives operators great flexibility in remotely controlling various components of the system and programming such components in each individual component via a processing circuit. An interface mechanism that allows it to be used can also be used. Therefore, programming can be coordinated remotely, but at least some of that programming is also local so that the system can work with or without connectivity. Can be remembered. In some cases, the connection mode of the system may utilize the home network component and the wide area network component (for example, the Internet), but the deployed component (for example, the component in the garden / garden). , Or other components related to garden maintenance) and gateways configured to provide an interface between the home network / wide area network components. As described above, the processing modes may be distributed between the local management components and the remote management components, so that some modes of garden maintenance utilize remote resources. Or at least while incorporating information obtained from the open air, other aspects can be managed locally. In any case, the adaptability and ease of interface and control is a characteristic of the system that is improved by using exemplary embodiments.

Thus, the system can use any combination of fixed and / or mobile resources that can accommodate different areas and collect data related to a particular segment of the parcel. A particular segment may have different types of plants within that segment, and thus may optionally have different growing conditions that are desirable in relation to each individual of that segment. The owner / operator may program the operation instructions to guide the deployed components with respect to the operation within a particular segment, which particular segment may be referred to as a "zone". In some cases, the processing circuit may be provided to allow the user to define specific operating parameters, and therefore the system adapts the current state to operate according to those operating parameters. I can let you. If an internet connection is possible, in some cases the system may be associated with plants identified as desirable growing conditions 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 breeding condition parameter associated with that zone, the user can see the breeding condition parameters associated with the various areas, and the desired breeding condition (eg, for example) for the corresponding zone. , Moisture level, temperature, lighting level, pH, and / or any or all of the same), the behavior of system components can be programmed. In some cases, scheduling between deployed components avoids collisions or avoids conflicts to prevent damage to the components, ineffective use of resources, or substantially reduced behavior. Otherwise it can be adjusted. The deployed components associated with the zone may provide reports and / or alerts to the operator through the gateway, allowing the operator to intervene in certain circumstances, or These components may simply respond and notify the operator of those responses via the gateway.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system 10 that can be used to achieve the basic operations described above, according to an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that within the context of FIG. 1, certain tasks such as mowing, feeding chemicals, visual surveillance and / or similar can be performed by the robot or robot rover 15. Since the system can operate without the robot rover 15, the robot rover 15 is shown by the dashed line in FIG. The robot or other device may also be involved in certain other garden maintenance tasks, such as raked (rake), fertilization, lighting, wildlife placement and / or similar. ..

Other tasks, such as watering the lawn, may be performed by a sprinkler head and / or a sprinkler computer that interfaces with the sprinkler head. The sprinkler head may be attached to a hose and the sprinkler computer turns on / off watering at each sprinkler head location by providing a central shutoff valve for the hose. A mechanism for controlling the hose may be provided. The hose, sprinkler head and / or sprinkler computer may form the sprinkler 20 together.

On the other hand, various sensors monitor the soil or other growing conditions (eg, lighting level, moisture level, pH, temperature, video or image data, etc.) by inserting such sensors into the soil. Can be used to Therefore, these sensors can be understood to take various forms within the system 10. However, generally speaking, those sensors may have a connection to the system 10 to improve the operation of the system components based on the soil and / or growing condition information collected by the sensors. Regardless of the particular configuration or placement paradigm, various sensors may represent the sensor device 30 as described above.

The sensor device 30 and, in some cases, one or more of the devices constituting the sprinkler device 20 may also communicate with the gateway 40 via a wired or wireless connection. The gateway 40 may subsequently have a wired or wireless connection to the access point (AP) 45, which may be directly or indirectly connectable to the user terminal 50. The AP45 may be a router on the operator's home network. In some cases, the direct connection of the AP45 to the user terminal 50 may be provided by a short-range wireless communication method (eg, Bluetooth®, WiFi and / or similar). The indirect connection of the AP 45 to the user terminal 50 may occur via the network 60. The network 60 includes a data network (eg, local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN) (eg, internet), wireless personal area network (WPAN), and / Or something similar), this data network may be a device (eg, a deployed component) and a processing element (eg, a personal computer, a server computer, or the like). It may combine with a device and / or a network such as user terminal 50. Communication between the network 60 and other devices in the system 10 can be achieved by either a wired or wireless communication mechanism and a corresponding communication protocol. Therefore, for example, some or all of the sensors of the sensor device 30, the sprinkler device 20 and / or the robot rover 15 are connected to the user terminal 50 by a wired communication means and / or a wireless communication means. obtain.

Although the robot rover 15 is shown separately in FIG. 1, it is also understood that the robot rover 15 may function as one or both of a portion of the sensor device 30 and a portion of the sprinkler device 20. I want to be. However, the ability of the robot rover 15 to function as one or both of a part of the sensor device 30 and a part of the watering device 20 and the robot rover 15 for performing other tasks (eg, mowing). The robot rover 15 is shown separately in FIG. 1, assuming that the capabilities are combined with or independent of the sensor device 30 and the sprinkler device 20.

The gateway 40 may be a translation agent configured to interface with any or all of the deployed components via wired or wireless communication. In some embodiments, the gateway 40 provides a high performance antenna to allow the gateway 40 to wirelessly communicate with the deployed components via a 868 MHz wireless link (eg, a first wireless link). Can include. However, in other cases, other wireless links may be used. The first radio link, and the components connected by the first radio link, can be part of a first network extending outdoors (eg, a garden network) or a deployed component network. Components that are inside a home or business and extend to and from the user terminal 50 may form a second network. Therefore, the gateway 40 can be a translation agent between the first network and the second network. The gateway 40 can be an aggregation point and communication center for communication in both networks.

Therefore, the gateway 40 is provided in the operator's home or other indoor environment and still wirelessly communicates with the deployed component (via the first wireless link) to the component from the operator. The instructions can be translated and the instructions can be provided to the AP45 via a second radio link. In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication can be secured by using encryption or other security techniques. Gateway 40 may also provide secure cloud data storage through a connection to network 60 (eg, via AP45). In some examples, the first and second radio links may be different radio links that use different communication protocols and / or frequencies.

The gateway 40 may also provide the ability for the operator to interface with the user terminal 50, such as monitoring, controlling, and programming each of the deployed components using the user terminal 50. In particular, in some cases, the user terminal 50 provides an easy-to-use interface for easy setup and / or interaction with the gateway 40 (and the corresponding deployed components reachable through the gateway 40). It may be configured to run a adapted application (or app). Thus, the user terminal 50 may be a smartphone or other mobile terminal, laptop computer, PC, or other computing / communication device. Therefore, the user terminal 50 interfaces with the gateway 40 and / or the corresponding processing circuit of the deployed component to program and control the deployed component in a manner described in more detail below. , Or may include processing circuits that are otherwise allowed to interact.

The interaction between the user terminal 50 and the gateway 40 to facilitate the programming of the deployed components, the control of the deployed components, or the interaction with the deployed components is irrigation and / or reaping. It can create an interactive and fully connectable garden system for control / coordination. The application that can be executed 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 automatic garden system. In addition, the connection to content on the Internet via network 60 allows educational content to be integrated into the operation of the system, providing an improved interface for operators and an operator's landscaping experience. It can provide more control and control over the acquisition of sufficient satisfaction.

2 and 3 show water movement paths that can be implemented for exemplary embodiments. However, some of the components may be removed in simpler exemplary embodiments, as some components provide a more complex architecture in other exemplary embodiments. Please understand that it may be added to. Therefore, the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 are not provided to limit the components included in the system, but various examples of several components that may be included in one exemplary system. It only shows. Further, it should be understood that FIG. 3 is only illustrated to show one way in which multiple water supply pipes can be provided to service a compartment or garden. The fact that FIG. 3 shows only two water pipes is not intended to suggest that an exemplary embodiment can operate with only two water pipes. In contrast, exemplary embodiments may be implemented using any number of tubes, as well as separate and / or different water sources.

Here, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the water source 100 can be used to fill the first water pipe 110 via the sprinkler computer 120. In some cases (see FIG. 3), the water source 100 may also fill the second water pipe 112 via the second watering computer 122. The first water pipe 110 and the second water pipe 112 can be flexible watering hoses or garden hoses, respectively. The first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 can each be one of the deployed components forming one component of the watering device 20 of FIG. The first watering computer 120 and the second watering computer 122 can be attached directly to the water source 100 such that the water source 100 is a faucet or tap to which pressurized water of a home or other structure is supplied. However, in another example, a hose or other connector may be provided between the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122 and the water source 100. An example of such other connectors is shown in FIG. 3, which is the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second, which may otherwise be identical or similar to each other in their assembly and operation. An example is shown in which a splitter 125 is provided for splitting water between a sprinkler computer 122, and a first water pipe 110 and a second water pipe 112.

In an exemplary embodiment, one or more sprinklers (eg, first sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 132) may receive water from the first water pipe 110 and the second water pipe 112, respectively. The first water pipe 110 may be selectively filled to provide water for spraying from the first sprinkler 130 under the control of the first sprinkler computer 120. Similarly, the second water pipe 112 may be selectively filled to provide water for spraying from the second sprinkler 132 under the control of the second sprinkler computer 122. When the first water pipe 110 is filled, the first sprinkler 130 is provided with pressurized water distributed through the first sprinkler 130, and the second sprinkler 132 is provided with the operation of the second sprinkler computer 122. Depending on the water, water may be provided as well. The first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 can typically be components that do not provide any local intelligence. Instead, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 can be controlled to turn the sprinkler function on and off only through the operation of the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122, respectively. possible. However, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 can optionally have intelligent components and / or control modes provided within them.

One or more sensors (eg, first sensor 140 and second sensor 142) are also within the compartment serviced by the sprinkler to detect or sense the state in the vicinity of the corresponding sensor. It can be provided in various places. The first sensor 140 and the second sensor 142 may correspond to each one of the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132, respectively, and the app on the user terminal 50 may correspond to the first sensor 140 or Information received from each one of the second sensors 142 can be directed to the first sprinkler computer 120 or the second sprinkler computer 122 based on this information, if necessary. It may be configured to take note of such correspondence so that it can be associated with each other.

In some examples, some of the deployed components may include a local power supply (P / S) 150 for the corresponding one of the deployed components. The P / S 150 of each component may be a battery or a battery pack. Of the deployed components, each powered component has a processing circuit for controlling each individual component, and the deployed component is via a first wireless link (or). Alternatively, it may also include a communication circuit (C / C) 160 that includes an antenna to allow communication with the gateway 40 (via a wired connection). The robot rover 15 may also be an example of the deployed components, and therefore the robot rover 15 may also include P / S 150 and C / C 160. However, it should be understood that the various power and communication circuit components may have different scale, structural and structural features.

The first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122 may each further include a valve 170, which separates the water source 100 from the first water pipe 110 and / or the second water pipe 122, respectively. , The water source 100 may be operably coupled to the first water pipe 110 and / or the second water pipe 122, respectively. The valve 170 is accessible based on instructions received through the gateway 40 or stored schedule information stored through the C / C 160 of the first sprinkler computer 120 or the second sprinkler computer 122, or otherwise. It can be operated based on the schedule information. The first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122 may provide convenience for the operation of the system 10. This is because the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122 manually instruct the operation of the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122 by programming the schedule on the user terminal 50 or by manually instructing the operation of the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122. By doing so, it can be controlled from any place and / or at any time via the application on the user terminal 50. However, in some cases, this app may be used to program the sprinkler computer 120 for automatic operation of the valve 170 based on sensor data received from the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142. Can also be used.

In an exemplary embodiment, the C / C 160 may include a processing circuit 210, as shown in FIG. The processing circuit 210 may be configured to perform data processing, execution of control functions, and / or other processing and management services according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 210 may be embodied as a chip or chipset. In other words, the processing circuit 210 may include one or more physical packages (eg, chips) containing materials, components and / or wiring on a structural assembly (eg, baseboard). This structural assembly may provide physical strength, size maintenance, and / or limitation of electrical interaction to the component circuits contained therein. Thus, the processing circuit 210 may optionally be configured to implement embodiments of the invention on a single chip or as a single "system on chip". Thus, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute a means for performing one or more operations to provide the functions described herein.

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

The device interface 220 may include one or more interface mechanisms to allow communication with other devices via the gateway 40. In some cases, the device interface 220 may be any means, because the device interface 220 is capable of sending and receiving messages through the gateway 40. For example, a device or circuit embodied in either hardware configured to receive data from and / or send data to gateway 40, or a combination of hardware and software. It may be. In some exemplary embodiments, the device interface 220 may provide an interface for communication with components of system 10 or communication with the outside of system 10 via gateway 40. When the C / C 160 is for a sensor, the device interface 220 obtains sensor data for communication to another device (eg, a sprinkler computer), such as a temperature sensor, pH sensor, etc. Further interface with light sensors, moisture sensors and / or similar) may be made. On the other hand, if the C / C 160 is for a sprinkler computer, the device interface 220 interfaces to other on-board components (eg, a user interface that includes lights and main buttons as described below). May be provided.

Processor 212 can be embodied in several different ways. For example, the processor 212 may include, for example, a microprocessor or other processing element, a coprocessor, a controller, or various other computing or processing devices (eg, an application specific integrated circuit) as various processing means. , FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or integrated circuits such as the same) may be embodied as one or more. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 212 may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 214 or otherwise accessible to the processor 212. Therefore, the processor 212 can perform the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention regardless of whether it is configured by hardware or a combination of hardware and software (for example, the embodiment of the processing circuit 210). Represents an entity (physically embodied in a circuit), while being configured accordingly. Thus, for example, if the processor 212 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or similar, the processor 212 may be specially configured hardware to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, if the processor 212 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processor 212 to perform the operations described herein. ..

In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 212 (or processing circuit 210) may be embodied as a C / C 160, may include a C / C 160, or may otherwise control the C / C 160. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processor 212 (or processing circuit 210) takes on the corresponding function in response to the execution of instructions or algorithms that appropriately configure the processor 212 (or processing circuit 210). Is said to cause each of the actions described in relation to the C / C160 (and the corresponding distributed components with which the C / C160 is associated). As an example, the C / C 160 of the sensor detects environmental parameters (eg, sensor data) to the gateway 40 (and finally to the app on the user terminal 50) via the first wireless link. Alternatively, it may be configured to report sensor data (to storage in the cloud via network 60). In some cases, the sensor C / C160 can be a traditional set of sensor data (eg, the magnitude of previous sensor measurements) and a current set of sensor data (eg, the magnitude of the latest sensor measurements). ) Can be configured to determine the difference. The amount of this difference can then be used to determine if the sensor reports the current set of sensor data. If this difference is small (eg, less than the threshold amount), the sensor does not have to report a new value. However, if this difference is large enough (eg, greater than the threshold amount), the sensor may report a new value. Therefore, the C / C160 of the sensor may be configured to perform battery saving techniques in connection with reporting sensor data. The sensor C / C160 reports sensor data on a given schedule or in response to a given activity or event (or determines whether it should be reported based on the criteria discussed above. It can also be configured to do). If a trigger event (eg, a temporal trigger or an action-based trigger) occurs, the sensor C / C160 should make a decision on the current sensor data and report this sensor data. Can be judged.

The C / C 160 of the watering computer may be configured to control the operation of the valve 170 based on schedule information locally stored in the memory 214 of the C / C 160. The watering computer's C / C160 may also allow changes to schedules, other programming actions, and / or execution of real-time control over the position of the valve 170. Thus, for example, an operator may be allowed to remotely monitor the current position and / or program settings of valve 170 and make changes to either. In some embodiments, the watering computer's C / C160 may be programmed to supply water when sensor data is received that falls within or exceeds a range or threshold. Thus, for example, if the sensor data indicates that the soil moisture is below a given threshold, the sprinkler computer may be configured to open the valve 170 to supply water to the sprinkler.

The C / C 160 of the robot rover 15 may be configured to control the movement and movement of the robot rover 15. Further, the C / C 160 of the robot rover 15 allows the gateway 40 to allow user access to changes in the operation schedule of the robot rover 15 and / or in real time for various operations of the robot rover 15. It may be possible to perform control. In an exemplary embodiment, the app on the user terminal 50 may be used to adjust the watering and reaping schedules and / or avoid collisions. Additional or alternative, if the operator makes changes to the schedule or performs real-time control of one or more components, the app on user terminal 50 will see the proposed changes to the schedule or It may provide a warning to indicate that there may be a problem with the current operation, or it may prevent such changes from occurring. Thus, for example, if the robot rover 15 is mowing in an area where the sensor indicates a low soil moisture value that would normally trigger the valve opening of the valve 170 through programming a watering computer. Warnings may be provided to indicate that the robot rover 15 should change its behavior or that the opening of the valve 170 can be delayed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the deployed electronic component (eg, a component having a P / S 150) may further include a reset button 230 provided in its secure portion. In some cases, the reset button 230 may be provided within or near the battery compartment of the corresponding device. The reset button 230 may trigger different functions through programming the processing circuit 210 for the corresponding different situations and / or methods of operation. For example, a short press of the reset button 230 may put the corresponding device into pairing mode. Once in pairing mode, the device may be discoverable by the gateway 40 and / or other device during a given period of time. The app on the user terminal 50 may be used to detect a device in pairing mode, and once detected, the app deploys the device (eg, first network, i.e., deployed). It may be used to pair with another device (of the component network). As a result, the gateway 40 and the corresponding device C / C160 may be able to communicate with each other continuously, event-driven, or on a schedule basis via a first wireless link. Thus, for example, the first sensor 140 may be configured to provide sensor data (eg, via a gateway 40) to the first watering computer 120. In some cases, the first sensor 140 may be paired with the first sprinkler computer 120 via a setup procedure and then communicate on a schedule basis or activity based / event driven. In some cases, a simple replacement or insertion of the battery for power-on can be an additional or alternative way to enter pairing mode.

In some cases, a long press of the reset button 230 (eg, pressing the reset button 230 for more than 5 seconds) can result in the device returning to factory settings. In that way, the contents of memory 214 may be erased or reset to initial settings or initial state. Other features may be provided further or as alternatives. In addition, 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 the gateway 40 and the sensor or sprinkler computer can occur for pairing purposes and to facilitate operational activity, and the system 10 is ultimately configured for that operational activity. Thus, for example, the operator may use the app on the user terminal 50 to connect to the gateway 40, interact with the deployed components, and / or program the deployed components. One or more control consoles or interface screens may be provided that provide the option of. In some cases, the initial setup of the system may be facilitated by putting the individual deployed components into pairing mode (sequentially or simultaneously). As a result, the deployed components can be discovered via the first wireless link and 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 similar can be done. obtain. The deployed components can then be paired with each other and configured for individual and / or coordinated functional performance.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first sprinkler computer 120 may be paired with a second sprinkler computer 122, a robot rover 15 and / or a first sensor 140. When the first sprinkler computer 120 is paired with the first sensor 140 and connected to the first sensor 140, the operator can select instructions or scheduling options for intelligent irrigation. It may have options provided (eg, via an app). Therefore, the first watering computer 120 may be commanded with respect to a particular stimulus that may be received from the first sensor 140 to trigger the valve opening of the valve 170. Further, the first sprinkler computer 120 causes the first sprinkler computer 120 to "ping" or so to the first sensor in order to initiate communication for receiving the sensor data. A schedule or list of event triggers (eg, in memory 214) that would otherwise attempt to communicate with the first sensor may be provided. The valve 170 may be opened based on the sensor data received (eg, whether a certain threshold parameter was reached or not).

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

When the first sprinkler computer 120 is paired with the second sprinkler computer 122 and connected to the second sprinkler computer 122, the sprinkling schedule or operation is adjusted to manage or prevent pressurized conditions. Can be done. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when 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 are connected. At the same time, the water pressure may be insufficient to effectively fill. Thus, by allowing the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122 to communicate with each other, one operation can be communicated to the other (eg, via the gateway 40), and as a result, The second watering computer 122 does not open its valve 170 while the first watering computer 120 is currently involved in the watering operation.

The deployed components of various exemplary embodiments can be adaptive to different conditions or situations. In addition, the adaptive properties of the deployed components may be provided as programmable features, in which case the operator is a tunable parameter, relationship, or response using the user terminal 50. Specific adaptive behavior can be programmed. In the context of some examples, the programmable functionality is programmable via the gateway 40 (ie, from the app and / or user terminal 50 that is remote from the programmed component. ) Should be understood. In another example, the adaptive properties of the deployed components may be provided as a default feature. Therefore, the adaptive capabilities of the deployed components may be connection-dependent (eg, connection-dependent) for remote programming, or connection-independent (eg, if there is no connection). Alternatively, depending on the loss of connection, default programming exists or is provided.

In some embodiments, the battery power level is communicated to the gateway 40 and the signal strength value associated with communication with the sensor and / or sprinkler computer may also be determined at the gateway 40. This information (along with the sensor data) may be provided to the app on the user terminal 50 to warn the operator if the battery power is low or the signal strength is low. Battery replacement and / or sensor relocation can then be undertaken to improve the situation. As mentioned above, in some cases, the sensor may also trigger a report, adaptively depending on its surroundings. In an exemplary embodiment, the sprinkler computer may attempt to ping the sensor through the gateway 40 to trigger the reporting of sensor data. However, the sensor may be configured to determine the amount of change in the requested parameters (eg, via C / C160) before determining whether to respond to the ping. In some embodiments, a change of at least a certain amount or percentage (eg, 5%) may be required before the sensor reports sensor data via wireless transmission. Radio transmission consumes more power than internal operation (eg, determining the amount of change and current sensor data), thus saving some transmission cycles when there is little data change. By doing so, the battery life can be substantially extended. If a ping is sent and no response is received, the previously received value may be replaced and communicated to the operator (eg, via the app).

The operator may wake up the sprinkler computer and / or sensor by sending a ping or wake-up message to either component via the app. Wake-up messages request specific data from such components in real time, or in such components, to see if the device is still responsive and active. It may be used to initiate an action in real time. In addition, in some cases, the operator may send a wake-up or setup signal to cause the corresponding device to transmit a beacon for at least a predetermined time (eg, 3 minutes). During this time, these devices may be deployed and the operator may check the app to see how much signal strength is detected by the gateway 40. Therefore, the operator places these devices in real time to ensure that the location where a device is currently located 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 a frost warning capability. In particular, it should be understood that freezing of water within the body of the sprinkler computer can be harmful to the valve 170, since the sprinkler computer typically has pressurized water in the vicinity of the valve 170. Thus, the C / C160 of one or more components (particularly the sprinkler computer) may be configured to identify potential frost situations that could damage the sprinkler computer. In some embodiments, the sprinkler computer (and / or) when the temperature reaches a predetermined threshold interval from the freezing point (eg, 5 degrees Celsius or about 5.6 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit)). 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 the operator. However, in each case, the ability to identify current temperature conditions and alert operators to possible frost events is such that the deployed components are adaptive to their surroundings and / or circumstances. To be, there is another example of how it can be configured (either by the operator program or by default).

Another example of the adaptability of the deployed components is related to the inability to connect to the first network or the loss of connection to the first network. For example, the sprinkling schedule may be maintained in the cloud, on the user terminal 50 or elsewhere, but in some cases the sprinkling schedule (or at least a portion thereof) may be stored locally in the sprinkling computer. For example, memory 214 may be configured to record at least the watering schedule information immediately before it is used. Therefore, power is lost at the gateway 40 or another system component, thereby making the connection impossible, and the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122, respectively, at least immediately before each of them. Information indicating the watering schedule can be stored. Thus, for example, at 1300 the first sprinkler computer 120 opens the valve 170 and at 1305 the valve closes, while the second sprinkler computer 122 opens the valve 170 at 1305. Valve, and at 1318, if the valve is closed, if the connection to the watering schedule cannot be achieved, or if the 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 via the user terminal 50. As described above, the user terminal 50 may be a mobile device (eg, a smartphone) or a fixed terminal (eg, a PC). However, the user terminal 50 may be other devices such as tablets, laptop computers and / or the like. In any case, the user terminal 50 may be configured to provide a simple and intuitive interface to allow the operator to control the operation of the system 10. FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of some components of the user terminal 50 that may configure the user terminal to provide an app for controlling the system 10.

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

User interface 330 (if implemented) provides audible output, visual output, mechanical output or other output to the user to receive user input indications at user interface 330 and / or to the user. It may communicate with the processing circuit 310 to provide. As such, the user interface 330 may include, for example, a display (eg, a touch screen display), one or more buttons or keys (eg, a function button or keyboard), and / or other input / output mechanisms (eg, eg). Microphones, mice, speakers, cursors, joysticks, lights and / or similar) may be included. User interface 330 is intended to provide warnings, alerts and / or notifications to the user or operator in response to various triggered conditions detected (eg, via sensor device 30 or other components). Can be configured. System malfunctions, equipment damage or tampering, equipment theft and other component related stimuli may also be defined as triggers for generating warnings, alerts and / or notifications. In some cases, the user interface 330 will do so, depending on whether the plant growing conditions are out of specification or recommended, or if the system components have schedule or operational inconsistencies. It may be configured to generate warnings, alerts and / or notifications. This notification may be provided for general status, current status and / or similar. This warning, alarm and / or notification may be generated by a light, sound, visual display, or other device, which other device may be connected to the Action Manager 340, or the Action Manager 340. Can be part. In some cases, this notification may be provided by text message or email.

In an exemplary embodiment, the processing circuit 310 may be configured to perform data processing, control function execution and / or other processing and management services according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it can be understood that the processing circuit 310 may be configured to control the motion manager 340 or to be embodied as the motion manager 340. The operation manager 340 should receive the sensor information from the sensor device 30 and / or the sprinkler device 20 and provide the information to be provided to the owner / operator and / or the sensor device 30 and / or the sprinkler device 20. It can be configured to make decisions about the order. In some cases, the processing circuit 310 may process the state information received from the sensor device 30 and compare the state information with the growing state parameters stored in the memory 314 for a given zone.

In an exemplary embodiment, the memory 314 provides information, data, applications, instructions or the like that allows the operation manager 340 to perform various functions according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Can be configured to remember. For example, memory 314 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by processor 312. Additional or alternative, memory 314 may be configured to store instructions for execution by processor 312. Alternatively, the memory 314 may include one or more databases capable of storing a wide variety of data sets, depending on the input from the sensor network. Of the contents of memory 314, applications may be stored for execution by processor 312 to perform functions associated with each individual application. In some cases, those applications may include an application for the generation of a control console to provide options for controlling the system. In some cases, those applications also, or alternatively, include applications for receiving information about component activity / status, environmental parameters, schedule information, device pairing, and / or similar. The motion manager 340 may be able to define a response to such information (eg, based on predefined programming or user input). The information / parameters may be entered by the operator, received from the deployed components, or accessible via the internet based on the entry of the ID of the plant vegetation in a given zone. It may be extracted or obtained from various databases or sources.

Therefore, the motion manager 340 may provide, for example, an interface mechanism for controlling the motion of the watering computer. FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of one example of an operation that can be facilitated by the operation manager 340 according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the sprinkler computer (WC) may be initially closed and the user terminal 50 may present a control console (or set of control consoles). Through this, the operator can provide an instruction to start the operation of FIG. In operation 400, a command may be provided to open the valve (ie, valve 170) of the sprinkler computer. In motion 402, a determination may then be made as to whether the robot rover 15 is active in (or in all) the area. If the robot rover 15 is active, an alarm may be issued at the user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 in motion 404. The operator can then determine in operation 406 whether the valve opening should be allowed. If the operator decides not to open the valve, the flow returns to its initial state. If the operator decides to allow the valve to open anyway (eg, disabling or ignoring the alarm), then in operation 408, the operator is asked to enter the duration of the valve opening. Can be requested. It should be noted that the operator may also have the option to cancel in order to return to the initial state at this point instead of entering the duration.

Assuming that a duration has been entered, in operation 410 an activation signal may be sent from the user terminal to the sprinkler computer to command the valve to open. As a result, the valve can remain open until the duration expires, at which time the valve can close and the flow returns to its initial state. However, in operation 412, the operator may insert an instruction to manually close the valve. Then, in operation 414, a determination may be made as to whether this manual valve closure is before the scheduled start time or overlaps with the scheduled start time. If this manual valve closure (out of schedule) defines an end time that precedes the next scheduled start time, then in operation 416 this schedule can be maintained and in operation 420 the valve can be closed. As a result, the flow may return to its initial state in preparation for reopening according to this schedule. However, if this manual valve closure corresponds to a scheduled start time, then in operation 418 this schedule can be skipped and in operation 420 the valve can be closed so that the flow is scheduled for the next time. It is possible to return to the initial state so that it is ready to open the valve again when the opened valve time has come. On the other hand, from the initial state, when the scheduled valve opening time is reached in operation 422, the valve can be opened at the corresponding time in operation 410, and in operation 424, as the time expires, The valve can be closed. Similarly, from the initial state, if valve opening is triggered by sensor data in operation 426, the valve may open in operation 410 and then after a predetermined period of time has expired in operation 424 or in operation 428. When the condition is cleared in, the valve can be closed. It should be noted that the operator may manually open or close the valve 170 by operating a local button on the sprinkler computer. If a manual (local) operation is performed, the above-mentioned actions can still be performed and the time that remains open (or until the next programmed valve opening) goes to the action manager 340. It can be redefined by the schedule information entered.

In some cases, the sprinkler computer (eg, the first sprinkler computer 120 and the second sprinkler computer 122) has a limited user in the form of a main button provided on its front panel and a light assembly. May include an interface. The light assembly may include three LEDs, which may be capable of representing red, green and yellow in succession or in flash. These LEDs can help provide status information associated with attempts to pair the sprinkler computer with another device, battery status, valve status and / or similar. FIG. 7 shows some actions associated with performing a pairing action and a block diagram of how information is displayed on the sprinkler computer during such actions.

In an exemplary embodiment, the user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 is used to first provide control console options for adding devices to the first network, and as a result, these devices. Can be discovered by gateway 40 and recognized by operation manager 340. In this way, the sprinkler computer can be added in operation 500. In operation 502, pairing mode was initiated for the watering computer (eg, by inserting the battery into the deployed components, by pressing the reset button, or by selecting an option on the user terminal 50). If the sprinkler computer can be discovered by the gateway 40, the gateway 40 can communicate the ID of the discovered sprinkler computer to the user action manager 340, and as a result, information indicating the discovered sprinkler computer is provided in the user interface. Can be displayed at 330. In operation 504, a determination is made as to whether pairing is possible. In operation 506, a green blinking LED light output may be provided (in the sprinkler computer) if the sprinkler computer can be found and paired. The user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 may further or optionally provide an indication for the detection of the sprinkler computer. If the gateway 40 cannot find the sprinkler computer, in operation 508, a red LED light output can be generated for a predetermined duration (eg, 20 seconds continuous).

Once the gateway 40 discovers the sprinkler computer and is capable of being paired with the sprinkler computer, the LED light output during pairing mode (which can last for 3 minutes, or for some other predetermined period of time). ) May be changed to a signal strength indicator. Here, too, similar indications can be provided at the user terminal 50. If the signal strength is strong (eg, exceeding the threshold amount), the LED light output may remain green in operation 510. In operation 512, the LED light output will be, if the sprinkler computer is separated by a sufficient distance, is shielded from communication with the gateway 40, or otherwise has a signal strength below the threshold. Can turn yellow. In both cases, the lighting of that color may be maintained for 20 seconds or for some other predetermined period. However, if the gateway 40 loses contact with the watering computer, the flow can proceed from operation 504 to operation 508 and the LED light output can turn red again.

In some examples, signal strength indications may be presented for a given period of time (eg, 20 seconds). After the expiration of a given period, the LED light output may generally indicate the battery status of the watering computer in operation 514. Battery status may only be provided when a query is received to preserve battery life. However, battery-state indications may also indicate that a connection to gateway 40 is still available. Therefore, in operation 516, the connection state can be monitored, and if the connection is lost, in operation 518, a red flashing LED light output can be presented.

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

In some exemplary embodiments, the robot rover 15 may be configured to operate within an area defined by a boundary wire or by some other method. The robot rover 15 then moves around in the bordered area to ensure that the service is provided to the entire area. The robot rover 15 may operate to mow grass on or in a parcel (ie, a parcel of land), the boundaries of which are one or more physical boundaries (eg, fences, walls, etc.). Curbs and / or similar), learned positional boundaries, boundary wires, or combinations thereof may be used. The robot rover 15 can be controlled, at least in part, via an on-board control circuit. This control circuit may include, among other things, the ability to detect boundary wires to redirect the robot rover 15 to other areas within its compartment. The control circuit may also control a positioning module that uses GPS, radio beacon triangulation, odometry, or other means for determining a location (eg, its own location or the location of a device encountered).

In an exemplary embodiment, the robot rover 15 may be battery driven via one or more rechargeable batteries. Therefore, the robot rover 15 may be configured to return to a charging station, which may be located at a location on a section, to recharge the battery. The battery can power the drive system and the function control system of the robot rover 15. However, the control circuit of the robot exploration vehicle 15 selectively controls the application of power or other control signals to the drive system and / or the function control system in order to instruct the operation of the drive system and / or the function control system. You may. Therefore, the movement and movement of the robot rover 15 on a section is to systematically traverse the section while the robot rover 15 is operating to perform a function on the work area of that section. Can be controlled by a control circuit in a way that allows. In some embodiments, the control circuit wirelessly communicates with the user terminal 50 via the gateway 40 to allow the operator to control the operation of the robot rover 15 via the motion manager 340. Can be configured to. Therefore, the operator can remotely provide programming instructions through the first and second networks, or in real time in one or more aspects of the robot rover 15's actions (eg, reaping, positioning, etc.). Can be made possible to control.

As described above, the motion manager 340 may be configured to provide an interface mechanism for controlling the motion of the sprinkler computer. In some cases, these interface mechanisms allow the operator to interact with the data, request the data, or view the data retrieved through the gateway 40, one or more control consoles or display screens. May be provided via. Therefore, the operation manager 340 may interact with the components of the second network in order to access the gateway 40, and the gateway 40 uses the communication protocol regardless of the communication protocol used in the second network. It translates into the corresponding protocol of the first network (eg, the garden network) and accesses the information for display on the user terminal 50. However, the motion manager 340 is intended to provide programming instructions for robot rover 15, sprinkler computers, sensors, and / or similar deployed components that are part of the first network. May also interact in the same manner as the gateway 40. In addition, motion manager 340 may also allow real-time control or data extraction to occur. The operation manager 340 may also receive warnings or warnings related to battery status, signal status, weather related alarms (eg, frost alarms), and / or similar from the deployed components.

FIG. 9 includes FIGS. 9A-9C and shows some examples of interface screens or control consoles that may be provided by operation manager 340 in some embodiments. FIG. 9A shows a basic start screen showing the home page 600 of the application. The app may display general sensor data section 610, which general sensor data section 610 shows the current garden conditions (eg temperature, lighting conditions, soil moisture, pH, and / Or similar) can be displayed. In some cases, the app may also display device status information 620, which displays each device in the first network with corresponding status information (eg, battery status, operational status). , And / or the like). In an exemplary embodiment, options for adding new devices may also be provided in Box 630.

In some cases, selecting 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 can be accessed depending on the selection of sensor data section 610. In some embodiments, the sensor status screen 650 may include a current sensor data section 660 that may display the current sensor data. Historical sensor data section 670 may also be provided to show historical data over a given period of time, which may be user selectable. Setting adjustment option 680 may also be provided to allow the operator to select various sensor settings. Sensor settings relate to watering computers, pairing activities, signal strength, battery levels, identification of nearby plant types, identification of soil types, and / or trigger points for triggering similar. obtain.

In some embodiments, the robot rover or sprinkler computer may be selected and similarly controlled for the sensors as described above. That is, after adding a device (eg, via the new device add box 630), the device may be paired in the manner described above. As a result, the device and its status may appear as selectable devices in the device status information 620. FIG. 9C shows an exemplary device status screen 700 for a watering computer. Corresponding settings may be provided for the device at any time after pairing or after the device has been added. The settings include signal strength indications (eg for placement and setup) at 710, options for pairing with sensors at 720, or scheduling options (manual start) at 730. Includes). If the device is a robot rover 15, additional options may be offered for selecting a camera view (eg, in real time). Further, the motion manager 340 may be further configured to store image data of the image captured by the robot rover 15. In some cases, the motion manager 340 may store such images in a library of images that can be selected and reviewed 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 avoid unnecessary energy consumption. For example, in some cases, the C / C 160 of the sensor 140 may be configured using an intelligent measurement cycle. The intelligent measurement cycle may be adaptable based on the results of previous measurements. For example, the intelligent measurement cycle may be adaptable based on the results of the previous measurement and / or the results of multiple measurements immediately preceding the current situation. In the context of an intelligent measurement cycle, the measurement interval 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 to be good for plants. For drier soils, the measurement interval may be reduced to avoid not detecting rain or manual watering. In an exemplary embodiment, prior to a planned (eg, system-programmed) irrigation event, soil moisture measurements can be made regardless of the results of previous measurements. This can ensure that the condition of the land is known before the irrigation decision is made.

In some cases, multiple cycle times may be defined for various corresponding moisture levels or specific humidity ranges. For example, charts such as the chart shown in FIG. 10 may be provided to define the corresponding cycle time 800 for different moisture or humidity ranges 810. In this chart, the value ranges are simply listed as TBDs to indicate that any desired range can be entered for these values. The interface provided by the action manager 340 may be used to define these values. Although some corresponding exemplary cycle times 800 are listed, these are merely exemplary and are not intended to be limited. Furthermore, it should be understood that in some cases, instead of charts, a mathematical functional relationship between soil moisture and cycle time may be defined. Thus, in some cases, more accurate adjustment of the cycle time may be possible.

Therefore, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using one or more devices, such as the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-5. Therefore, the system of the exemplary embodiment is such that a sensor device having one or more sensors located on a block of land and a sensor device located in this section and selectively watering this section. It may include a sprinkler configured and a gateway configured to provide communication with the sensor device and the sprinkler. The gateway may provide an interface between the first network and the second network. The first network may include at least watering equipment and sensor equipment. The system may also include a user terminal comprising a processing circuit configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with a sensor device and a sprinkler device via a gateway.

The system may further include robotic rover, which is also adaptively configured. In an exemplary embodiment, the sprinkler may include a sprinkler computer comprising a valve assembly. The sprinkler computer is operably coupled to the water source and the water pipe, so that the valve assembly can be operated by the sprinkler computer to alternate between connecting the water source with the water pipe and separating the water source from the water pipe. possible. In some embodiments, the provision for setup of the sensor and sprinklers by allowing the sensor and sprinklers to be paired with each other and with the gateway. In an exemplary embodiment, the processing circuit may be configured to provide an interface for current sensor data and historical sensor data. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuit 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 circuit may be configured to provide an interface for system setup that includes an indication of the signal strength of the device in the first network to the gateway. Alternatively or additionally, the treatment circuit may be configured to provide an interface for adjusting the watering schedule of the watering computer. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuit may be configured to allow remote coordination between the operation of the robot rover and the operation of the sprinkler computer. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuit may be configured to provide alerts to the operator based on battery status, schedule discrepancies, and weather issues. In an exemplary embodiment, the battery status of the sprinkler computer can be displayed at the user terminal via a processing circuit. Alternatively or additionally, the connection status of the sprinkler computer may be visible on the user terminal via a processing circuit.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention described herein are those skilled in the art to which these inventions belong, with the benefit of the teachings presented in the aforementioned description and associated drawings. Let's do it. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. I want you to understand. Further, the description and associated drawings described above illustrate exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, whereas different combinations of elements and / or functions are attached. It should be understood that alternative embodiments may be provided without departing from the scope of the claims. In this regard, for example, combinations of elements and / or functions that differ from those expressly described above are also intended to be stated as part of the appended claims. Where benefits, benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, such benefits, benefits and / or solutions are applicable to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that it is not always applicable to all exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, any advantage, benefit or solution described herein is essential, required or essential for all embodiments or for what is claimed herein. Should not be considered. Although certain terms are used herein, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense and are not used for limited purposes.

Claims (2)

A sensor device (30) comprising one or more sensors (140, 142) located on a block of land.
A sprinkler device (20) arranged in the compartment and configured to selectively supply water to the compartment.
With the user terminal (50)
With a gateway (40) configured to communicate with the sensor device (30) and the sprinkler device (20) via a first network and with the user terminal (50) via a second network. In the system (10)
The user terminal (50) is configured to provide a remote interface for communicating with the sensor device (30) and the sprinkler device (20) via the gateway (40). equipped with a,
The remote interface adds an additional device that communicates with the user terminal (50), the device being a robot (15) that provides a camera view to the remote interface of the user terminal (50).
The user terminal (50) comprises a motion manager that stores one or more images of the camera view, the system (10). The one or more images are stored in a library of images, it can be selected through the interface of said user terminal (50) by an operator, and it is possible to review system of claim 1 ( 10).