WO2002023299A1 - Regulateur d'irrigation a fonctions de modulation par operateur - Google Patents

Regulateur d'irrigation a fonctions de modulation par operateur Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002023299A1
WO2002023299A1 PCT/US2000/025143 US0025143W WO0223299A1 WO 2002023299 A1 WO2002023299 A1 WO 2002023299A1 US 0025143 W US0025143 W US 0025143W WO 0223299 A1 WO0223299 A1 WO 0223299A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
irrigation
controller
schedule
irrigation controller
current
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/025143
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Kirk Buhler
Tony Givargis
Original Assignee
Aqua Conservation Systems, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Aqua Conservation Systems, Inc. filed Critical Aqua Conservation Systems, Inc.
Priority to PCT/US2000/025143 priority Critical patent/WO2002023299A1/fr
Priority to AU2000275794A priority patent/AU2000275794A1/en
Publication of WO2002023299A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002023299A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
    • A01G25/00—Watering gardens, fields, sports grounds or the like
    • A01G25/16—Control of watering
    • A01G25/165—Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations

Definitions

  • the field of the invention is irrigation controllers.
  • irrigation systems have been developed that automatically control the application of water to landscapes. These irrigation systems can range from simple systems that vary irrigation on a timed control basis to very complex systems that vary irrigation based on climatic and geographic conditions. This climatic and geographic data is received by or inputted into the irrigation controller, which then processes this data to control the distribution of water to the landscape in an efficient manner.
  • schedules 1 and 2, or A and B A primary reason for applying multiple irrigation applications is to reduce runoff of water from the landscape. Runoff may occur when high irrigation rates are applied to the landscape during extremely dry weather, when there is slow infiltration of water into the soil (soils with a high clay content), and/or when there are slopes. Therefore, during a given irrigation schedule the controller may effect watering of all the stations, but with some stations initially applying only half of the water required for good plant growth. Then, after the first portion of the schedule is completed the irrigation controller executes the second portion of the schedule, in which only those stations that had applied half of what was required will apply the second half.
  • irrigation controller was modified in some manner, it may need to be manually reset so that it executes the regular irrigation schedule again. If a user forgets to reset the irrigation controller, the lawn or other irrigated area may not be watered for several days until the irrigation user sees brown spots or wilted plant material, and then resets the irrigation controller to execute the regular irrigation schedule again.
  • the irrigation user may not only forget to reset the controller after an additional irrigation schedule is applied but may also forget to reset the irrigation controller when he/she makes other changes to the. settings of their controller. With most controllers, when the irrigation user changes the controller from the normal run mode, the controller must be manually reset to the normal run mode for it to execute the regular irrigation program again.
  • an irrigation controller includes or more operator convenience features including: (a) a first mechanism that selects for temporary execution as a group the current pre-programmed irrigation schedule and another pre-programmed irrigation schedule that is not otherwise programmed to execute together with the current pre-programmed irrigation schedule; (b) a second mechanism that temporarily executes an additional watering time to the current irrigation program schedule without altering the current irrigation schedule, where the additional watering time comprises at least two applications to a single zone (c) a third mechanism that effects an automatic return to the current irrigation program from a plurality of irrigation controller settings other than an offsetting.
  • the first mechanism may advantageously select from more than three possible permutations of the irrigation schedules.
  • the second mechanism may advantageously include and an additional watering time that comprises an initial irrigation program that was inputted in the irrigation controller when the irrigation controller was installed.
  • the additional watering time may include only a portion of the initial irrigation program.
  • the additional watering time may include includes either a single water application to each of a plurality of watering zones, or multiple applications to each of a plurality of watering zones
  • the third mechanism may advantageously include automatic return from an additional watering time setting, or a fixed duration test for a plurality of watering stations.
  • Preferred controllers and methods use at least one irrigation program that is at least partly derived from ETo data.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic of an irrigation controller according to an aspect of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an irrigation system according to an aspect of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an irrigation controller executing irrigation schedules according to an aspect of the present invention.
  • an irrigation controller 200 generally includes a microprocessor 220, an on-board memory 210, manual input devices 230 through 232 (buttons and/or knobs) that include a device for adding a day of watering, an input/output (I/O) circuitry 221 connected in a conventional manner, a display screen 250, electrical connectors 260 which are connected to a plurality of irrigation stations 270 and a power supply 280, a rain detection device 291, a flow sensor 292, a pressure sensor 293 and a temperature sensor 294.
  • I/O input/output
  • a display screen 250 electrical connectors 260 which are connected to a plurality of irrigation stations 270 and a power supply 280, a rain detection device 291, a flow sensor 292, a pressure sensor 293 and a temperature sensor 294.
  • the controller has one or more common communication internal bus(es).
  • the bus can use a common or custom protocol to communicate between devices.
  • This bus is used for internal data transfer to and from the EEPROM memory, and is used for communication with peripheral devices and measurement equipment including but not limited to water flow sensors, water pressure sensors, and temperature sensors.
  • a single irrigation controller 200 operates two irrigation stations 400. It will be understood that these stations 400 are indicative of any two or more irrigation stations, and are not to be interpreted as limiting the number or configuration of stations. Structure and operation of the irrigation controller is preferably as described elsewhere herein except as to the operation of the add a day button.
  • the irrigation controller 200 operates solenoids (not shown), which open the station valves 350 to allow irrigation water to be distributed to the various irrigation stations 400 and thereby irrigate the landscape through one or more (four are shown for each irrigation station but it may be any number) irrigation sprinkler heads 360.
  • an irrigation program is programmed into the controller, and is stored in the memory.
  • the initial irrigation program is modified during the year to execute an irrigation of the landscape that meets the water requirements of the landscape plants with a minimum waste of water.
  • the current programmed irrigation applications are at least partly derived from environmental transpiration (ETo) data that will generally result in the irrigation applications closely approximating the watering needs of the landscape plants with a minimum waste of water.
  • ETo environmental transpiration
  • the initial irrigation program preferably includes a complete application by all irrigation stations 400 operated by the irrigation controller 200.
  • the initial irrigation program may result in each irrigation station 400 making a single water application to each zone, each irrigation station 400 making multiple water applications to each zone, or some irrigation stations 400 making single applications to some zones and other irrigation stations 400 making multiple applications to other zones.
  • an irrigation controller executes a current irrigation schedule that results in irrigating of the landscape.
  • Prior art irrigation controllers will generally execute Schedule A 300 when the irrigation controller is set to apply additional water to the landscape.
  • Zone B 311 and Zone C 312 would receive the full irrigation amount.
  • Zone A 310 would receive only one third of the full irrigation amount since only the 1 st run time 320 would be applied.
  • No prior art irrigation controller is known that will execute all irrigation schedules when an additional water application is made to the landscape.
  • an irrigation controller would execute Schedule A 300, Schedule B 301, and Schedule C 302 when the controller is set to apply additional water to the landscape.
  • Zone A 310 receiving a full irrigation amount since the 1 st run time 320, the 2 nd run time 321, and the 3 rd run time 322 would be applied to the landscape.
  • Zone B 311 and Zone C 312 would also both receive the full irrigation amount.
  • the irrigation controller 200 is programmed to automatically return to the current irrigation program.
  • the "return to current” function also occurs from any other mode besides "off. Thus, "return to current” can occur from a two minute or other test setting, a schedule modifying mode, or any other setting other than the off setting.

Abstract

L'invention concerne un régulateur d'irrigation (200) comportant au moins plusieurs fonctions de modulation par opérateur. L'une de ces fonctions permet d'activer l'exécution temporaire dépendant d'un programme d'irrigation en cours préétabli (300, 301, 302), et d'un autre programme d'irrigation préétabli (300, 301, 302) qui n'est pas programmé normalement aux fins d'exécution conjointe avec le programme d'irrigation préétabli. Une autre fonction de ce type consiste à introduire une ou plusieurs commandes d'irrigation simples (230, 231, 232) ajoutant une durée d'irrigation complémentaire à un programme d'irrigation en cours. Il peut s'agir d'une durée pour irrigation unique de chaque zone (310, 311, 312), irrigations multiples (320, 321) de chaque zone (310, 311, 312) ou irrigations uniques de certaines zones (311, 312) et irrigations multiples d'autres zones (310). Une troisième fonction pemet, à partir d'un réglage quelconque autre que le mode arrêt, de revenir automatiquement au programme d'irrigation en cours. De préférence, le programme d'irrigation en cours est établi au moins en partie sur la base des données d'évapotranspiration (Eto).
PCT/US2000/025143 2000-09-13 2000-09-13 Regulateur d'irrigation a fonctions de modulation par operateur WO2002023299A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2000/025143 WO2002023299A1 (fr) 2000-09-13 2000-09-13 Regulateur d'irrigation a fonctions de modulation par operateur
AU2000275794A AU2000275794A1 (en) 2000-09-13 2000-09-13 Irrigation controller with operator convenience features

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2000/025143 WO2002023299A1 (fr) 2000-09-13 2000-09-13 Regulateur d'irrigation a fonctions de modulation par operateur

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002023299A1 true WO2002023299A1 (fr) 2002-03-21

Family

ID=21741774

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2000/025143 WO2002023299A1 (fr) 2000-09-13 2000-09-13 Regulateur d'irrigation a fonctions de modulation par operateur

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2000275794A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2002023299A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106888929A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-06-27 卢璐娇 节水农业的大棚灌溉方法
CN106912327A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-04 卢璐娇 大棚灌溉方法
CN106922483A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-07 卢璐娇 节水灌溉方法
CN106941970A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-14 卢璐娇 节水型大棚灌溉方法
CN106941971A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-14 卢璐娇 提高水资源利用率的灌溉方法
CN108157134A (zh) * 2017-12-13 2018-06-15 深圳市易成自动驾驶技术有限公司 无人驾驶洒水方法、洒水车及计算机可读存储介质

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4176395A (en) * 1977-11-16 1979-11-27 Clemar Manufacturing Corporation Interactive irrigation control system
US5023787A (en) * 1988-02-01 1991-06-11 Rainbird Sprinkler Mfg. Corp. Irrigation control and flow management system
US5229937A (en) * 1988-02-01 1993-07-20 Clemar Manufacturing Corp. Irrigation control and flow management system
US5870302A (en) * 1994-02-17 1999-02-09 Waterlink Systems, Inc. Evapotranspiration remote irrigation control system

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4176395A (en) * 1977-11-16 1979-11-27 Clemar Manufacturing Corporation Interactive irrigation control system
US5023787A (en) * 1988-02-01 1991-06-11 Rainbird Sprinkler Mfg. Corp. Irrigation control and flow management system
US5229937A (en) * 1988-02-01 1993-07-20 Clemar Manufacturing Corp. Irrigation control and flow management system
US5870302A (en) * 1994-02-17 1999-02-09 Waterlink Systems, Inc. Evapotranspiration remote irrigation control system

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106888929A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-06-27 卢璐娇 节水农业的大棚灌溉方法
CN106912327A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-04 卢璐娇 大棚灌溉方法
CN106922483A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-07 卢璐娇 节水灌溉方法
CN106941970A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-14 卢璐娇 节水型大棚灌溉方法
CN106941971A (zh) * 2017-02-10 2017-07-14 卢璐娇 提高水资源利用率的灌溉方法
CN108157134A (zh) * 2017-12-13 2018-06-15 深圳市易成自动驾驶技术有限公司 无人驾驶洒水方法、洒水车及计算机可读存储介质

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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