US 2012/0072036 A1 · Hybrid Irrigation Controller

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method and software program product for detecting and counteracting a temperature sensor failure with an irrigation controller operating in auto adjust watering mode. A plurality of pseudo temperature data are created from solar radiation for a particular location using unique pseudo temperature conversions for each temperature parameter. The pseudo temperature values can be compared to corresponding measured temperature values from the sensor to validate the integrity of the measurement. These pseudo temperature values are used in place of the measured temperatures for calculating a potential evapotranspiration water deficit for the site. Furthermore, if some valid measured temperature data existed prior to the sensor failure, the measured temperature data is compared to the corresponding pseudo temperature data. Any differences detected between the two values can be used to correct the pseudo temperature toward the measure temperature. The accuracy of the potential evapotranspiration water deficit using the corrected pseudo temperature values approach that of using measured temperature values.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A method for operating an advanced irrigation controller, said advanced irrigation controller capable of receiving communications from a temperature sensor and coupled to a plurality of irrigation values for controlling an irrigation run time for each plurality of irrigation values for regulating irrigation water to a plurality of irrigation zones on the site, said method comprising:

receiving day, date and time information and site location information for the site at the advanced irrigation controller;
finding a current solar radiation value from the site location information and a current date;
finding a pseudo temperature data conversion from the site location information;
creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the current date;
receiving current measured temperature data from the temperature sensor;
comparing the current measured temperature data with the current pseudo temperature data;
calculating a water amount for the site from the current solar radiation value and one of the current measured temperature data and the current pseudo temperature;
and
activating the plurality of irrigation values using the water amount for the site for activating run times of the plurality of irrigation values.

6 more elements

A method for operating an advanced irrigation controller, said advanced irrigation controller capable of receiving communications from a temperature sensor and storing said communications in a controller memory and said advanced irrigation controller being coupled to a plurality of irrigation values for controlling an irrigation run time for each plurality of irrigation values for regulating irrigation water to a plurality of irrigation zones at the site, said method comprising:

receiving day, date and time information and site location information for the site at the advanced irrigation controller;
accessing the controller memory for current measured temperature data received from the temperature sensor;
finding a current solar radiation value from the site location information and a current date;
finding a pseudo temperature data conversion from the site location information;
creating current pseudo temperature data from the pseudo temperature data conversion, the current solar radiation value and the current date;
calculating a water deficit for the site from the current solar radiation value and the current pseudo temperature;
and
activating the plurality of irrigation values using the water deficit for the site for activating run times of the plurality of irrigation values sufficient to cancel at least a portion of the water deficit.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hybrid Irrigation Controller

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Hybrid Irrigation Controller

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Abstract

Claims32