WO2008074905A1

WO2008074905A1 - Electronic device for remote stations for distance control

Info

Publication number: WO2008074905A1
Application number: PCT/ES2007/000732
Authority: WO
Inventors: Miguel Angel Zamora; Antonio Fernando Gomez Skarmeta; Tresaco Enrique Monsalve
Original assignee: Dracotic, S.L.
Priority date: 2006-12-21
Filing date: 2007-12-14
Publication date: 2008-06-26
Also published as: ES2302458B1; ES2302458A1

Abstract

Electronic device for remote stations for distance control, formed by units (1), as a modular structure, comprising a supply plate (4), a control plate (5) and a communication plate (8); a 8-bit microcontroller (6), a card (7), with a wireless link via GPRS and 433MHz Radio, internet protocols independent of the medium (GPRS or radio), a connection interface with GPRS modems, a connection interface with 433MHz Radio modems, and an amplification stage; with control of various hydrants, amplifiable by means of expansions, accepting irrigation programmes, by means of control of opening/closing of valves by time, volume or combination of both, and calculation for each hydrant, of volumes and flow rates, and total, partial and time meters, and equipped with general purpose digital inputs(9), analogue inputs (10) meters (11) and outputs for electrovalves (12).

Description

REMOTE STATION ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR REMOTE CONTROL

D E S C R I P C I Ó N

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention, as stated in the present specification, refers to an electronic device of remote stations for remote control.

More specifically, the present invention consists of an electronic device, especially intended for the control of irrigation networks with very specific requirements of energy consumption, functionality, operability, robustness and reliability, whose objective is to allow the control of irrigation through the use of Long-range wireless technologies, with very low consumption, autonomous operation, fully configurable and reprogrammable remotely, integrable in a control network with a central station, which minimizes the bytes to be exchanged with it and that can remain in permanent communication or Only communicate through programmable events.

^ - The device is designed for wide dissemination in the agricultural sector at a reduced cost, which implies numerous possibilities of configuring remote stations forming interconnected control networks between them, depending on the type of each irrigable area. Likewise, the maintenance of the device is also expected to be the minimum possible, so that the design contributes to minimizing the consumption in its operation, and thus being able to guarantee maximum durability without intervention, making the diagnosis and updating of its functionality remotely , also being transparent to the user.

SCOPE

The field of application of the present invention is that of telecommunications, especially dedicated to the development of agriculture, allowing, however, for its characteristics, its application in other sectors such as electrical or gas distribution, with similar problems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, the world of communications is increasingly present in all the new technological developments of today, especially in the industrial field. In fact, in recent years, the development of distributed systems for monitoring and control purposes has grown remarkably. The mechanism used to communicate these distributed systems with each other is very diverse, from the simplest based on serial cable communications, to wireless communication, according to the various current standards.

Until recently, the vast majority of devices that allowed Internet connectivity were computer systems based either on personal computers or large computers. But nevertheless, Currently, a wide range of devices with an Internet connection can be found, with very specific characteristics related to parameters such as size, cost and consumption, among others, according to their application scenario.

The introduction of the Internet into embedded systems based on small programmable microcontrollers has led to the launch of the low-cost mobile device market with an Internet connection. All this, in addition, has been helped by the parallel diffusion of wireless technologies with wide coverage (GPRS / UTM), which allow the connection of these devices in very remote areas.

Focusing on the developments on irrigation automation, today we can find numerous developments on irrigation control, although it is wired devices in most cases, which is an important limitation of distance and access to remote places, cost of materials, and with the additional inconvenience of having to wire in agricultural areas, where there are great possibilities of cable breakage, often resulting in expensive maintenance of the system, not sustainable in the long term, therefore, the connection via cable results Not recommended due to the high cost, little flexibility in the face of changes and a high degree of deterioration.

Devices with wireless communication, meanwhile, have important advantages over wired systems:

- Provide immediate connectivity and entry into service. - Allow your location change as necessary.

- The necessary infrastructure is maintained by third parties.

In other cases we find irrigation control devices capable of wireless cellular communication through SMS and, more rarely, the most innovative, with GPRS. In principle, these are devices similar to those recommended here, but with limitations in terms of device consumption design, interoperability (local and remote) and, above all, functionalities (network connection possibilities).

There are also, in this type of devices, those that have radio communications in the 433 MHz free band, using commercial modems. In this case, these are radio modems with high consumption and can only be used in devices that have the possibility of large energy costs.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the electronic device proposed by the invention, has as its main objective to be configured as remote stations for remote control, flexible, reliable and low cost, based on GPRS wireless technology and / or UHF Radio, as well as cable, allowing control operations and monitoring of the entire irrigation water distribution network installed in the irrigable area from the control stations or directly by the owners, using a PC, a mobile phone, a PPC (pocket computer), or a PLC (automaton).

To do this, and specifically, the device comprises a series of remote control units or stations, which are units based on a microcontroller, embedded in a card, and equipped with wireless communications (GPRS and / or UHF Radio) and via cable , in the case of autonomous and intelligent systems that, for example in the event of a drop in communications, will continue to work normally, even in the event of a sudden power outage, saving all data in non-volatile memory and maintaining them until the supply returns.

The invention is designed as a modular structure, with a power unit, a control unit and a communication unit, having a capacity for several hydrants, preferably four, expandable by expansions, and accepting irrigation programs with several daily shifts, for one week for each hydrant, for example. It has opening / closing valves by time, by volume or mixed. Calculate, for each hydrant, volumes and flows, in addition to total, partial and hourly meters.

Attached to these units, the invention also provides for the provision of other expansion units, (greater number of hydrants, digital inputs and outputs, and analog) through an expansion bus.

The remote stations are designed to allow different communication architectures, according to the community of irrigators, all of them having the possibility of connection GPRS, Radio UHF, and cable, the possibility of concentration of signals from different nearby hydrants being foreseen (due to lack of GPRS coverage or to optimize communications), using radio communication between said stations. Thus, one of them can function as an intelligent concentrator (mixed GPRS-radio unit) of up to ten other remote stations, maintaining UHF radio link in free band with those, and on the other hand establishing link with the GPRS control center.

The stations have a minimum consumption thanks to the hardware design and its intelligent management of components, which allows to enter in low-power mode those modules that are not necessary at all times, which gives them greater autonomy. They support different power systems, such as two-wire cable, battery, solar panel, hydroturbine or alternating voltage. They are robust devices, prepared for inexperienced handling, for which they have protection against short circuits at the outputs and against power surges.

The invention advantageously allows the firmware and all the parameters of the stations to be completely modified remotely, with the consequent saving that this implies in the maintenance of the device.

In summary, it is worth highlighting a series of important points that the electronic device of remote stations for remote control that is recommended and that substantially differentiate it from what is already known in the market advantageously meets:

- Low cost. In most cases, a large number of units of these will be necessary systems. The embedded systems used, based on the current general-purpose microcontrollers, are made up of low-cost components that perfectly fit this requirement.

- Low consumption. Related to two aspects of the system, since on the one hand the low consumption translates favorably in economic terms, directly reducing the costs of energy consumption, and on the other, since the locations where these autonomous systems must operate will generally require the incorporation of own batteries, if their consumption is minimal, so that it includes the hardware and software necessary to minimize the reading of equipment powered from them, allowing "sleep" to unnecessary devices at every moment and that communications are established only when determined , it also saves significantly in displacements for replacement, or recharge.

- Interoperability. The device designed is designed to be located in remote areas or difficult to access, and therefore the configuration (including identification) and firmware update can be done remotely, without the need for any displacement and intervention on it, and of course, without stopping working, being the GPRS communication itself the way used to update the device software. At the same time, the device has the possibility of local interoperability through a laptop with which the card can be maneuvered.

- Wireless network connection- The device communicates via GPRS with the central station, also admitting the possibility of communication between stations via radio (as well as, of course, the radio connections directly to the central station or via cable) and allowing the wireless connection of medium and short distance, which allows to form networks of wireless point-multipoint connection, creating sensor networks wireless that reduce the number of GPRS lines, for nearby sensors, with the consequent cost savings in telephony. In addition, the device is capable of communicating only when necessary or staying permanently connected, according to the communications requirements and battery life.

- Reduced physical dimensions, related to the size and weight of the system and the environments and locations in which it must be located to carry out its work.

- Integrity and robustness. Since the system must be reliable, in the sense that it can be used in applications that require it (device control, monitoring of critical variables), the device is equipped with redundancies and safety mechanisms to avoid unexpected situations, being able to support extreme conditions of temperature and humidity, as well as to support erroneous manipulations of entrances and exits, allowing the short circuit or overvoltage of the same ones without suffering damages.

The new electronic remote station device for remote control represents, therefore, an innovative structure with structural and constitutive characteristics unknown until now for such purpose, reasons that together with its practical utility, provide it with sufficient foundation to obtain the privilege of exclusivity that is requested.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, this descriptive report is attached, as an integral part thereof, of a set of drawings, in which with character Illustrative and not limiting, the following has been represented:

Figure number 1.- Shows a perspective view of the electronic device of remote stations for remote control according to the invention, in which its configuration and the main parts and elements it comprises are appreciated.

Figure number 2.- Shows, in a block diagram, a schematic representation of the interrelation between different remote station devices and the central station.

PREFERRED REIUIIZATION OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned figures, and according to the numbering adopted, an example of a preferred embodiment of the electronic device of remote stations for remote control can be observed, which comprises the parts indicated and described in detail to continuation.

Thus, as can be seen in Figure 1, the device in question is essentially constituted from remote control units or stations

(1), formed by a casing shell (2), provided of a practicable cover (3), inside which all the elements that it comprises are integrated and integrated properly protected.

Each of said units or stations (1) is designed as a modular structure, with a power board (4), a control board (5), and a communication board (8), incorporating a microcontroller (6) , preferably 8 bits, embedded in a card (7), also having a wireless link via GPRS and 433MHz Radio, provision of Internet protocols independently to the medium

(GPRS or radio), connection interface with different models of GPRS modems, connection interface with 433MHz radio modems, including a 10OmW amplification stage, possibility of firmware update via GPRS, option of long distance radio repeater and possibility of collision detection and retransmissions in radio communications with standard Internet protocols.

Said microcontroller (6) has the capacity to control several hydrants (H), preferably four, expandable by expansion, accepting irrigation programs, as appropriate, by controlling the opening and closing of valves by time, by volume or mixed, as well as the calculation for each hydrant, of volumes and flows, in addition to total, partial and hourly counters, for which the unit (1) also has corresponding general-purpose digital inputs (9), analogue (10), of counters (11) and outputs for solenoid valves (12).

As can be seen in Figure 2, annexes to These units (1), the invention also provides for the arrangement of other expansion units (1 ') / (greater number of hydrants (H), digital and analog inputs / outputs) via an expansion bus (13) .

The remote stations (1) are designed to allow different communication architectures, according to the irrigation community, all of them having the possibility of GPRS connection (14), UHF radio (15), and cable (16), the possibility of concentration of signals from different nearby hydrants (due to lack of GPRS coverage or to optimize communications), using radio communication (15) between said stations or units (1).

Thus, as can be seen in the aforementioned figure 2, one of them can function as an intelligent concentrator (mixed unit GPRS-radio) (the) of up to ten other remote stations (1), maintaining UHF radio link (15) in free band with those, and on the other hand establishing GPRS link (14) with the central control unit or station (Ib).

Describing sufficiently the nature of the present invention, as well as the way of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to broaden its explanation so that any person skilled in the art understands its scope and the advantages derived therefrom, stating that, within its essentiality, it may be implemented in other embodiments that differ in detail from that indicated by way of example, and to which it will also achieve the protection that is sought provided that it is not altered, changed or modified its fundamental principle .

Claims

RE IVINDICATIONS

1.- ELECTRONIC DEVICE OF REMOTE STATIONS FOR REMOTE CONTROL, of the type specially designed for the control of irrigation networks, allowing the control of irrigation through the use of long-range wireless technologies, being constituted by remote control units or stations ( 1), formed by an enclosure (2), provided with a practicable cover (3), inside which all the elements that comprise and enable its operation are integrated and properly protected, characterized by the fact of each of said units or stations (1) is designed as a modular structure, with a power board (4), a control board (5), and a communication board (8); incorporating a microcontroller (6), preferably 8 bits, embedded in a card (7), also having a wireless link via GPRS and 433MHz Radio, provision of Internet protocols independently to the medium (GPRS or radio), connection interface with different models of GPRS modems, connection interface with 433MHz radio modems, including a 10OmW amplification stage, possibility of firmware update via GPRS, option of radio repeater for long distances and possibility of collision detection and retransmissions in radio communications with standard Internet protocols.

2. ELECTRONIC DEVICE OF REMOTE STATIONS FOR REMOTE CONTROL, according to claim 1, characterized in that said microcontroller (6), which incorporates each unit (1), has the capacity to control several hydrants, preferably four, expandable through expansions, accepting irrigation programs, as appropriate, by controlling the opening and closing of valves by time, by volume or mixed, as well as the calculation for each hydrant, of volumes and flows, in addition to total, partial and hourly meters, for which the unit (1) also has corresponding general-purpose digital inputs (9), analogue (10), counters (11) and outputs for solenoid valves (12).

3.- ELECTRONIC DEVICE OF REMOTE STATIONS FOR REMOTE CONTROL, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that you attach to the units (1), the arrangement of other expansion units (I ') is optionally provided, (greater number of hydrants, digital inputs and outputs, and analog) through an expansion bus (13).

4.- ELECTRONIC DEVICE OF REMOTE STATIONS FOR REMOTE CONTROL, according to '' claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the remote stations (1) are suitable to allow different communication architectures, according to the irrigation community, having all of them the possibility of connection GPRS (14), UHF Radio (15), and cable (16), the possibility of concentration of signals from different nearby hydrants being provided, using radio communication (15) between said stations.

5.- ELECTRONIC DEVICE OF REMOTE STATIONS FOR REMOTE CONTROL, according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, optionally, one of the units (1) can function as an intelligent concentrator (mixed unit GPRS-radio) (the ) of up to ten other remote stations (1), maintaining UHF radio link (15) in free band on those, and on the other hand establishing GPRS link (14) with the central control unit or station (Ib).