Irrigation control system
AssigneeEnergy Management Corporation
InventorMichael Hirsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Irrigation control apparatus includes a mast or masts, a soil moisture sensor or sensors associated with a lower portion of each mast, data transmission apparatus associated with an upper portion of each mast to transmit data continuously measured by the sensor, and circuitry to process that transmitted data.
Claims23
In irrigation control apparatus, the combination comprising
- (a) a mast having a lower portion adapted to be removably inserted into the earth,
- (b) soil moisture sensing means associated with said lower portion of the mast to be inserted into the earth to controlled depth to sense moisture at the depth, and
- (c) data transmitting means on an upper portion of the mast and operatively connected with said sensing means for transmitting to a central station continuous measurement data corresponding to moisture levels continuously sensed by said (b) means at the location of the mast.
In the method of controlling irrigation of plants in a field, and employing a unit including a mast having a lower portion adapted for removable insertion into the earth, and soil moisture sensing means associated with said lower portion, the mast having an upper portion and circuit means on said upper portion operatively connected with said sensing means for continuously transmitting to a control station data indicative of actual soil moisture conditions of the soil at the mast local, the steps that include:
- (a) vertically inserting said mast into the earth along in plant row, so that said sensing means is inserted to controlled depth below ground surface level,
- (b) operating said sensing means to continuously produce said data,
- (c) operating said circuit means to transmit said continuous data to said control station,
- (d) processing said data to derive an output which is a function of actual soil moisture level and desired soil moisture level, and
- (e) using said output to control irrigation of said plants in the field.
In irrigation control apparatus, the combination comprising
- (a) a mast having a lower portion adapted to be removably inserted into the earth,
- (b) soil moisture sensing means associated with said lower portion of the mast, and
- (c) data transmitting means on an upper portion of the mast and operatively connected with said sensing means for transmitting to a central station data indicative of soil moisture conditions at the location of the mast,
- (d) said sensing means including vertically spaced tensiometers carried by said lower portion of the mast for establishing moisture gradient data at a known spacing,
- (e) there being a multiplicity of said masts with said (b) and (c) elements associated therewith, said masts inserted into the earth at spaced locations in a field or fields,
- (f) and a computer at said central station operatively connected to said multiple data transmitting means associated with said masts, via multiple data transmission links.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.