# US 9,750,204 B2 · System and method for irrigation management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,204 B2 - Document ID: US9750204B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/134,148 - Filed: 2016-04-20 - Published: 2016-08-11 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14 - Assignees: Lindsay Corporation - Applicants: Lindsay Corporation - Inventors: Cory Wolgast - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750204B2 ## CPC - A01G 25/16: Control of watering - A01G 25/092: {movable around a pivot centre} - B05B 12/085: {responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged (B05B1/3006, B05B1/323 take precedence; spray pistols designed to control volume of flow with the controlling means being fluid actuated B05B7/1254)} - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - G05B 2219/2625: Sprinkler, irrigation, watering - 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) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - 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) ## Abstract An irrigation management system includes a water pump, at least one mobile irrigation system, and a pump controller. The mobile irrigation system includes a water pressure sensor for generating water pressure data indicating water pressure in the irrigation system. The pump controller is configured to receive the water pressure data generated by the water pressure sensor, to compare a target water pressure with the sensed water pressure data to determine a difference between the target water pressure and the sensed water pressure, and to adjust operation of the water pump to increase or decrease water pressure to the irrigation system in a manner that resolves the difference between the target water pressure and the sensed water pressure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An irrigation management system for controlling a plurality of irrigation systems, the irrigation management system comprising: a controller configured to: compare water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems with a target water pressure to determine differences between the water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems and the target water pressure; determine whether the differences indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure; if the differences indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a greatest deviation below the target water pressure; and adjust water pressure of the irrigation systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The irrigation management system of claim 1, the controller configured to adjust water pressure of the irrigation systems only when the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure is greater than a predetermined amount. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The irrigation management system of claim 2, the predetermined amount being between two percent and ten percent of the target water pressure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The irrigation management system of claim 2, the predetermined amount being between 1 psi and 10 psi. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The irrigation management system of claim 1, the controller configured to adjust water pressure of the irrigation systems such that the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure is resolved in a predetermined amount of time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The irrigation management system of claim 5, the predetermined amount of time being between one minute and five minutes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The irrigation management system of claim 1, the controller configured to adjust water pressure of the irrigation systems within bounds of a maximum setpoint and a minimum setpoint. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The irrigation management system of claim 1, the controller being implemented by a computer located remotely from the irrigation systems. ### Claim 9 An irrigation management system for controlling one or more water pumps supplying water to a plurality of irrigation systems, the irrigation management system comprising: a controller configured to: receive water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems; compare the water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems with a target water pressure to determine differences between the water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems and the target water pressure; determine whether the differences indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure; if the differences indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a greatest deviation below the target water pressure; and adjust operation of the one or more water pumps to increase water pressure to the irrigation systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The irrigation management system of claim 9, the controller configured to adjust operation of the one or more water pumps only when the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure is greater than a predetermined amount. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The irrigation management system of claim 10, the predetermined amount being between two percent and ten percent of the target water pressure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The irrigation management system of claim 10, the predetermined amount being between 1 psi and 10 psi. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The irrigation management system of claim 9, the controller configured to adjust operation of the one or more water pumps to increase water pressure to the irrigation systems such that the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure is resolved in a predetermined amount of time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The irrigation management system of claim 13, the predetermined amount of time being between one minute and five minutes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The irrigation management system of claim 9, the controller configured to adjust operation of the one or more water pumps within bounds of a maximum setpoint and a minimum setpoint. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The irrigation management system of claim 9, the controller being implemented by a computer located remotely from the one or more water pumps and from the irrigation systems. ### Claim 17 An irrigation management system for controlling one or more water pumps supplying water to a plurality of irrigation systems, the irrigation management system comprising: a controller configured to: receive water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems; compare the water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems with a target water pressure to determine differences between the water pressure data from each of the irrigation systems and the target water pressure; determine whether the differences indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure; if the differences indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a greatest deviation below the target water pressure; adjust operation of the one or more water pumps to increase water pressure to the irrigation systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure; if the differences do not indicate that water pressure of at least one of the irrigation systems is lower than the target water pressure, determine whether the differences indicate that water pressure of each of the irrigation systems is higher than the target water pressure; if the differences indicate that water pressure of each of the irrigation systems is higher than the target water pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a smallest deviation above the target water pressure; and adjust operation of the one or more water pumps to decrease water pressure to the irrigation systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target water pressure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The irrigation management system of claim 17, the controller configured to, after determining which of the differences indicates the smallest deviation above the target water pressure, determine whether the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target water pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold, and to adjust operation of the one or more water pumps only if the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target water pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The irrigation management system of claim 17, the controller configured to, after determining which of the differences indicates the greatest deviation below the target water pressure, determine whether the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure is greater than a first predetermined threshold, and to adjust operation of the one or more water pumps only if the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target water pressure is greater than the first predetermined threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The irrigation management system of claim 19, the controller configured to, after determining which of the differences indicates the smallest deviation above the target water pressure, determine whether the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target water pressure is greater than a second predetermined threshold, and to adjust operation of the one or more water pumps only if the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target water pressure is greater than the second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold differentiating from the target threshold more the first predetermined threshold.