Drought adjustment techniques and apparatuses for irrigation controllers
AssigneeHusqvarna AB
InventorsStuart J. Eyring, Jason R. Sims, Brad J. Wardle, Eric T. Price
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Abstract
Irrigation controllers, methods, and computer readable media for altering a watering schedule for an irrigation controller in accordance with determined drought conditions are disclosed. An adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate may be calculated based on a determined drought category. The watering schedule for the watering zone may be altered in accordance with the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate.
Claims20
An irrigation controller for adjusting a watering schedule for a watering zone based on determined drought conditions, the irrigation controller being configurable to control irrigation of the watering zone in accordance with the watering schedule, the irrigation controller comprising:
- a set of one or more processors;
- and
- a drought adjustment component for calculating, using a landscape evaporation transpiration rate for the watering zone, an adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate for the watering zone based on a determined drought category for the watering zone, wherein the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate is reduced for each successively more severe determined drought category such that each successively more severe determined drought category results in decreased watering of the watering zone in accordance with an adjusted watering schedule, wherein the calculating is performed using at least one processor of the set of one or more processors, and wherein the watering schedule is adjusted in accordance with the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate to formulate the adjusted watering schedule.
A method for adjusting a watering schedule stored on an irrigation controller based on determined drought conditions, the irrigation controller being configurable to control irrigation of a watering zone in accordance with the watering schedule, the method comprising:
- calculating, using a landscape evapotranspiration rate for the watering zone, an adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate for the watering zone based on a determined drought category for the watering zone, wherein the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate is reduced for each successively more severe determined drought category such that each successively more severe determined drought category results in decreased watering of the watering zone in accordance with an adjusted watering schedule, wherein the calculating is performed using at least one processor of a set of one or more processors, wherein each processor of the set of one or more processors comprises a portion of the irrigation controller or is in electronic communication with the irrigation controller, and wherein the watering schedule is adjusted in accordance with the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate to formulate the adjusted watering schedule.
A computer program product for adjusting a watering schedule stored on an irrigation controller based on determined drought conditions, the irrigation controller being configurable to control irrigation of a watering zone in accordance with the watering schedule, the computer program product comprising:
- a non-transitory computer readable medium;
- and
- computer program code, encoded on the non-transitory computer readable medium, configured to cause at least one processor of a set of one or more processors to perform at least the following step:
- calculating, using a landscape evapotranspiration rate for the watering zone, an adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate for the watering zone based on a determined drought category for the watering zone, wherein the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate is reduced for each successively more severe determined drought category such that each successively more severe determined drought category results in decreased watering of the watering zone in accordance with an adjusted watering schedule, wherein the calculating is performed using at least one processor of a set of one or more processors, wherein each processor of the set of one or more processors comprises a portion of the irrigation controller or is in electronic communication with the irrigation controller, and wherein the watering schedule is adjusted in accordance with the adjusted landscape evapotranspiration rate to formulate the adjusted watering schedule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.