Irrigation water conservation with automated water budgeting and time of use technology

A method of automatically adjusting an irrigation schedule in a controller comprising the steps of:

• a. providing said controller inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure, wherein said enclosure includes an air temperature sensor located therein near ground level in communication with said controller;
• b. said controller automatically periodically comparing current local environmental data obtained from said temperature sensor to stored local geo-environmental data to determine a water budget percentage;
• and
• c. said controller automatically periodically adjusting said irrigation schedule according to said water budget percentage.

A method of automatically adjusting an irrigation schedule in a controller comprising the steps of:

• a. providing said controller inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure, wherein said enclosure includes an air temperature sensor located therein near ground level in communication with said controller;
• b. providing said controller with smart water technology selected from the group of automated water percentage budgeting, evapotranspiration, solar radiation and soil moisture based;
• and
• c. said controller automatically adjusting said irrigation schedule according to said smart water technology using data from said temperature sensor.

A method of automatically changing an irrigation schedule of a controller at a location comprising the steps of:

• a. providing said controller inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure at said location, wherein said enclosure includes an air temperature sensor located therein near ground level;
• b. providing a separate module wired to said controller;
• c. providing said module with historical environmental data for said location;
• d. providing current environmental data to said module from said temperature sensor;
• e. said module periodically comparing said current local environmental data to said historical environmental data to determine a water budget percentage;
• and
• f. said module automatically causing adjustment to said irrigation schedule according to said water budget percentage.

A self-contained irrigation system comprising:

• a. an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. an irrigation controller with a microprocessor located within said enclosure programmed with an irrigation schedule and stored local geo-environmental data;
• c. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure in communication with said microprocessor;
• d. programming in said microprocessor to determine a water budget percentage by comparing current local environmental data from said sensor to said stored local geo-environmental data;
• and
• e. said microprocessor having programming to adjust said irrigation schedule according to said water budget percentage.

A method of affecting the operation of an irrigation controller having a microprocessor comprising the steps of:

• a. providing said controller inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure, said controller being in communication with an air temperature sensor located inside said enclosure near ground level for providing current temperature data to said controller;
• b. providing said microprocessor with historical geo-environmental data;
• c. said microprocessor periodically determining a water budget percentage by comparing said temperature data to said historical geo-environmental data;
• and
• d. affecting the operation of said controller based upon.

An irrigation system comprising:

• a. an irrigation controller provided inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure, said controller having an input port;
• b. a separate module in communication with said controller through said input port;
• and
• c. an air temperature sensor located inside said enclosure near ground level in communication with said module;
• wherein said module is provided with stored geo-environmental data, and has programming to determine a water budget percentage by comparing current data from said sensor to said stored geo-environmental data, and programming to communicate said water budget percentage to said controller through said input port.

A self-contained outdoor smart irrigation system comprising:

• a. a controller having an irrigation schedule provided in an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. an air temperature sensor located within said enclosure near ground level;
• c. a microprocessor in said controller capable of determining a water budget percentage by comparing stored geo-environmental data to data from said sensor;
• d. said microprocessor capable of adjusting said irrigation schedule based on said water budget percentage.

A method of automatically adjusting an irrigation schedule in a controller provided inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure, said enclosure having an air temperature sensor provided therein near ground level in communication with said controller comprising the steps of:

• a. said controller automatically preventing watering according to an implemented governmental watering restriction;
• b. said controller periodically comparing current temperature data from said sensor to stored local geo-environmental data to determine a water budget percentage;
• and
• c. said controller periodically adjusting said irrigation schedule according to said water budget percentage when allowed according to said implemented watering restriction.

A self-contained irrigation system comprising:

• a. an irrigation controller mounted within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure, the controller having self-adjusting technology;
• b. an air temperature sensor located near ground level inside said enclosure, and at least one additional environmental sensor mounted within or upon said outdoor enclosure;
• and
• c. a microprocessor within said controller that uses data from said temperature sensor to automatically adjust an irrigation schedule of said controller.

A self-adjusting outdoor irrigation system comprising:

• a. a controller provided within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. a microprocessor in said controller programmed with an irrigation schedule and historical geo-environmental data for said location;
• and
• c. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said outdoor enclosure and at least one additional environmental sensor for providing current environmental data to said microprocessor,
• wherein said microprocessor is capable of automatically adjusting said irrigation schedule according to a comparison of said current environmental data and said historical geo-environmental data for said location.

A self-adjusting irrigation controller comprising:

• a. an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. an air temperature sensor located within said enclosure near ground level;
• and
• c. a microprocessor in said controller located within said enclosure that is capable of automatically adjusting an irrigation schedule based upon data from said temperature sensor and historical geo-environmental data programmed into said controller microprocessor.

A method of providing self-adjusting irrigation technology in an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure without remotely located environmental sensors comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an irrigation controller within said enclosure, said controller having programming for self-adjusting irrigation;
• b. placing an air temperature sensor near ground level within said enclosure in communication with said controller;
• and
• c. said controller periodically using data from said temperature sensor to implement said self-adjusting irrigation technology.

A self-contained irrigation apparatus located within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure comprising:

• a. an irrigation controller within said enclosure, said controller further comprising a microprocessor with a water budget percentage feature and an irrigation schedule;
• b. a separate module programmed with historical geo-environmental data for said location also located within said enclosure in communication with said controller microprocessor;
• c. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure for periodically providing current temperature data to said module;
• and
• d. said module capable of determining a water budget percentage by comparing said historical geo-environmental data to said temperature sensor data and communicating said percentage to said irrigation controller microprocessor.

A method of automating the water budget feature of an irrigation controller provided inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a separate module within said enclosure, said module having historical geo-environmental data for said location;
• b. locating an air temperature sensor near ground level within said enclosure in communication with said module;
• c. said temperature sensor periodically providing current temperature data to said module;
• d. said module determining a water budget percentage by comparing said historical geo-environmental data to said current temperature data;
• e. said module communicating said water budget percentage to said controller through an available input port;
• and
• f. said controller automating said water budget feature using said communicated water budget percentage.

An irrigation system comprising:

• a. an irrigation controller having a water budget feature located within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. a separate module located within said enclosure in communication with said controller, said module having programming to automate the water budget feature of said controller using temperature data;
• c. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure for periodically providing said module with said temperature data;
• and
• d. a power source for said system selected from the group of AC, DC, solar, battery, and ambient light.

A method of operating a self-adjusting controller having an irrigation schedule located in an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure comprising the steps of:

• a. placing an air temperature sensor near ground level within said enclosure;
• b. periodically providing temperature data from said temperature sensor to said controller;
• and
• c. said controller modifying said irrigation schedule according to said temperature data.

A self-contained irrigation system comprising:

• a. a self-adjusting irrigation controller with an irrigation schedule provided within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure and at least one additional environmental sensor located within or upon said enclosure;
• and
• c. a microprocessor in said controller capable of using data from said at least one environmental sensor and said temperature sensor to automatically modify said irrigation schedule based on evapotranspiration or water budget percentage technology.

A self-contained, self-adjusting irrigation system comprising:

• a. an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. a self-adjusting irrigation controller having a microprocessor located within said enclosure;
• and
• c. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure;
• wherein said controller microprocessor is capable of adjusting at least one irrigation schedule based on data from said temperature sensor.

A method of adjusting an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller in an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure comprising the steps of:

• a. providing said irrigation controller with self-adjusting technology;
• b. placing an air temperature sensor near ground level within said enclosure to provide current ambient temperature data to said controller;
• c. providing historic geo-environmental data for said location to said controller;
• d. said controller periodically determining a water budget percentage by comparing said historic geo-environmental data to said current ambient temperature sensor data;
• and
• e. said controller automatically adjusting said irrigation schedule according to said determined water budget percentage.

A self-adjusting irrigation system comprising:

• a. an irrigation controller with a microprocessor and a power source mounted within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure in communication with said controller;
• c. at least one additional environmental sensor located within or upon said enclosure in communication with said controller;
• d. said microprocessor receiving and using data from said temperature and said additional environmental sensor to automatically adjust an irrigation schedule of said controller.

A method of automating a water budget feature of an irrigation controller housed inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure comprising the steps of:

• a. locating an air temperature sensor near ground level within said enclosure;
• b. providing said controller with historical geo-environmental data for said location;
• c. providing said controller with current environmental data from said sensor;
• d. said controller periodically comparing said historical geo-environmental data to said current sensor data to determine a water budget percentage;
• and
• e. automating said water budget feature of said controller with said determined water budget percentage.

A method of automating the water budget feature of an irrigation controller housed in an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure at a location comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a separate module within said enclosure with an input port;
• b. providing an air temperature sensor near ground level within said enclosure to provide current air temperature data to said module through said input port;
• c. programming said module with historical geo-environmental data for said location;
• d. said module determining a water budget percentage by comparing said historical geo-environmental data to said current temperature data;
• e. communicating said determined water budget percentage to said controller;
• and
• f. said controller automatically adjusting its water budget feature according to said communicated water budget percentage from said separate module.

A method of providing environmental data to an irrigation controller with smart water technology for automatically adjusting an irrigation schedule in said controller comprising the steps of:

• a. providing said smart irrigation controller inside an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. providing an air temperature sensor placed near ground level within said enclosure;
• c. communicating data from said sensor to said smart controller;
• and
• d. said controller using said sensor data to automatically adjust said irrigation schedule.

An irrigation system comprising:

• a. an irrigation controller provided within an outdoor located ground mounted enclosure;
• b. a separate module programmed with historical geo-environmental data provided within said enclosure in communication with said controller;
• and
• c. an air temperature sensor located near ground level within said enclosure in communication with said module for providing temperature data to said module.