# US 10,368,506 B2 · Control system for an irrigation system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,368,506 B2 - Document ID: US10368506B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/143,913 - Filed: 2018-09-27 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-23 - Assignees: Lindsay Corporation - Applicants: Lindsay Corporation - Inventors: Ward V. Neesen; Reece Robert Andrews; Brant Burkey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368506B2 ## CPC - A01G 25/165: {Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations} - A01G 25/16: Control of watering - G05B 15/02: electric - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - A01G 25/162: {Sequential operation} - Y02A 40/22: Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract A control system for a low-volume irrigation system includes a plurality of valve controllers for opening and closing valves; an irrigation system controller for controlling the valve controllers in accordance with an irrigation plan; and a graphical user interface for allowing a user to interact with the irrigation controller and to create the irrigation plan. The graphical user interface displays an irrigation zone list, an irrigation set list, and an irrigation plan field. The user interface has drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing from the irrigation zone list to be dragged and dropped into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list and that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control system for controlling valves of an irrigation system via an irrigation system controller, each valve having a valve controller, the control system comprising: a graphical user interface for allowing a user to interact with the irrigation controller and to create an irrigation plan, the graphical user interface comprising, on a single interactive page: information for a number of irrigation zones, the information being in an irrigation set listing of an irrigation set list on the graphical user interface, the irrigation plan including the information for the irrigation zones; an irrigation plan field displaying the irrigation plan to be implemented by the irrigation system controller; and an irrigation zone list containing a listing of irrigation zones of the irrigation system, each of the irrigation zones being configured to be controlled by one of the valve controllers; functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing from the irrigation zone list to be copied into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list; and functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be copied into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, further comprising: drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing from the irrigation zone list to be dragged and dropped into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list; and drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control system of claim 2, wherein the drag and drop functionality associates data for an irrigation zone listing with an irrigation set listing when the irrigation zone listing is dragged and dropped into the irrigation set listing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The control system of claim 2, wherein the drag and drop functionality associates data for an irrigation zone listing with the irrigation plan when the irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing containing the irrigation zone listing is dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, further comprising communications equipment for communicating the irrigation plan from the graphical user interface to the irrigation system controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, further comprising communications equipment for communicating instructions in the irrigation plan from the irrigation system controller to the valve controllers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is remotely accessible. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of host computers including repositories for data and programs implemented by the graphical user interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, further comprising functionality for customizing run time parameters. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, further comprising functionality for adding completed irrigation plans to a calendar for scheduling operation of the irrigation system. ### Claim 11 A control system for controlling valves of an irrigation system via an irrigation system controller, each valve having a valve controller, the control system comprising: a graphical user interface accessible via mobile communication devices for allowing users to interact with the irrigation controller and to create the irrigation plan, the graphical user interface comprising, on a single interactive page: an irrigation set list containing a listing of irrigation sets, each irrigation set listing containing information for an irrigation zone; an irrigation zone list containing a listing of irrigation zones of the irrigation system, each of the irrigation zones being configured to be controlled by one of the valve controllers; and an irrigation plan field displaying the irrigation plan to be implemented by the irrigation system controller, the irrigation plan including information for at least one irrigation zone or at least one irrigation set, irrigation zone listings from the irrigation zone list being configured to be copied into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list, the irrigation zone listings and the irrigation set listings being configured to be copied into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan, the irrigation set list existing separate from and outside of the irrigation plan field. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The control system of claim 11, further comprising: drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing from the irrigation zone list to be dragged and dropped into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list; and drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The control system of claim 12, wherein the drag and drop functionality associates data for an irrigation zone listing with an irrigation set listing when the irrigation zone listing is dragged and dropped into the irrigation set listing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The control system of claim 12, wherein the drag and drop functionality associates data for an irrigation zone listing with the irrigation plan when the irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing containing the irrigation zone listing is dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The control system of claim 11, further comprising communications equipment for communicating the irrigation plan from the graphical user interface to the irrigation system controller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The control system of claim 11, further comprising communications equipment for communicating instructions in the irrigation plan from the irrigation system controller to the valve controllers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The control system of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface is remotely accessible. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The control system of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of host computers including repositories for data and programs implemented by the graphical user interface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The control system of claim 11, further comprising functionality for customizing run time parameters and functionality for adding completed irrigation plans to a calendar for scheduling operation of the irrigation system. ### Claim 20 A control system for controlling valves of an irrigation system via an irrigation system controller, each valve having a valve controller, the control system comprising: a remotely accessible graphical user interface for allowing a user to interact with the irrigation controller and to create an irrigation plan, the graphical user interface comprising, on a single interactive page: information for a number of irrigation zones, the information being in an irrigation set listing of an irrigation set list on the graphical user interface, the irrigation plan including the information for the irrigation zones; an irrigation plan field displaying the irrigation plan to be implemented by the irrigation system controller; and an irrigation zone list containing a listing of irrigation zones of the irrigation system, each of the irrigation zones being configured to be controlled by one of the valve controllers, the graphical user interface being configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of host computers including repositories for data and programs implemented by the graphical user interface; drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing from the irrigation zone list to be dragged and dropped into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list; drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan; functionality for customizing run time parameters; and functionality for adding completed irrigation plans to a calendar for scheduling operation of the irrigation system.