| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 239063000 | WITH CUTOFF OR FLOW VARYING MEANS OPERATED BY MEANS RESPONSIVE TO DISCHARGED FLUID (E.G., GROUND MOISTURE SENSING) | 22 |
| 20080223950 | MULTI-ZONE SPRINKLER SYSTEM WITH MOISTURE SENSORS AND CONFIGURABLE SPRAY PATTERN - An irrigation system comprises sprinkler heads with an electrically configurable spray pattern, moisture sensors, and a controller. Based upon input signals from the moisture sensors, the controller dynamically configures the spray pattern of the sprinkler head to allow more water to fall on areas that need to be watered and less water to fall on areas that do not require additional water. The irrigation system can additionally comprise fire sensors. Based upon input from the fire sensors, the controller activates the sprinklers. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080251600 | Method and a System for Regulation of Pressure - A mobile spraying plant | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090321535 | IRRIGATION SYSTEM - An irrigation system comprises an irrigation zone, a controller, a valve, one or more pipes and at least one ground sensor. The system of pipes is connected to the value, which is operable to read water quantity per unit time. The ground sensors determine water flow and absorption by observing changes in surface temperature. The controller is in communication with the ground sensors and regulates water flow to the irrigation zone based on the readings from the ground sensors. The controller is programmed to deliver a predetermined volume of water and the ground sensor uses an infrared thermometer. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20110036923 | DEVICE FOR SPREADING LIQUID MANURE - The invention relates to devices for spreading liquid manure, wherein a liquid manure sensor ( | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110042480 | Wireless Sprinkler Control - The present invention provides a system and method to control the flow duration and the flow rate of each individual sprinkler head wirelessly in each zone of an automatic sprinkler system. The system comprises a plurality of sensors, preferably wireless, to control the sprinkler heads, either directly or through a controller. The system enables precise control over irrigation times for the areas covered by each sprinkler head. The system also enables each sprinkler head to control its on/off and duration decisions based on receiving data from a sensor within an irrigation zone of an automatic sprinkler system. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110049260 | Electronic Irrigation System Software - In one embodiment, the present invention includes irrigation control software for a computer that interacts with the features of a plurality of advanced sprinklers, environmental sensors, and other available data. The irrigation control software provides a graphical user interface to create a more efficient irrigation scheduling control interface. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110210187 | Automatic Sprinkler and Irrigation System - The present invention provides an irrigation system that allows user to input two soil moisture levels, i.e., the Dry Value and the Wet Value, by conducting a manual watering cycle, i.e., turning on the valves through a Controller when the soil needs watering and turning off the valves when the soil is sufficiently wet. The Controller keeps the soil moisture between the Dry and Wet Values by automatically turning on the valves when the soil moisture reaches the Dry Value, and turning off the valves when soil moisture reaches the Wet Value, at the user-determined desirable watering time periods of the day. In larger areas, the ground could be divided into multiple zones. The Controller could apply different Dry and Wet Values to different zones. The system's simplicity is further enhanced by the solar powered wireless moisture sensors. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20120091222 | Soil Moisture Sensor and Controller - Moisture sensor devices and methods are disclosed herein. One embodiment includes an integrated moisture sensor and controller to be placed in soil comprising a controller circuit for controlling a switch; a sensor circuit comprising a probe and adapted to provide a soil moisture level; and a memory coupled to the controller circuit. The controller, sensor circuits, and the memory integrated into a single device positioned within the soil; the switch coupled to the controller circuit and to be coupled to a control line of an irrigation controller between the controller and a valve, the control line to carry a power signal from the controller to the valve; the controller circuit is adapted to cause interruption of irrigation based on the moisture level of the soil and a soil moisture threshold; the memory adapted to store data of the soil moisture threshold level and the moisture level of the soil. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120261487 | Computer-Operated Landscape Irrigation And Lighting System - A multi-zone landscape irrigation and lighting system includes a personal computer equipped with a detachable wireless remote, and a multi-station controller operating a plurality of irrigation valves and lighting circuits in accordance with schedules wirelessly transmitted to it by the computer through the remote. When detached from the computer, the remote can wirelessly operate selected irrigation or lighting zones manually. The computer has an intuitive graphic user interface capable of using actual zone photographs to identify individual zones in a strip of zone icons. The icon strip is movable past a lens-like window, the zone icon under the lens at a given time determining the zone currently programmable. A residential system can be operated by a contractor from the street, and the system can be programmed by e-mail from the contractor's shop. Fully automatic operation may be derived from data obtained over the Internet. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20120273587 | Wireless Sprinkler Control - The present invention provides a system and method to control the flow duration and the flow rate of each individual sprinkler head wirelessly in each zone of an automatic sprinkler system. The system comprises a plurality of sensors, preferably wireless, to control the sprinkler heads, either directly or through a controller. The system enables precise control over irrigation times for the areas covered by each sprinkler head. The system also enables each sprinkler head to control its on/off and duration decisions based on receiving data from a sensor within an irrigation zone of an automatic sprinkler system. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20130099022 | Electronic Irrigation System Software - In one embodiment, the present invention includes irrigation control software for a computer that interacts with the features of a plurality of advanced sprinklers, environmental sensors, and other available data. The irrigation control software provides a graphical user interface to create a more efficient irrigation scheduling control interface. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130161411 | Soil Moisture Responsive Irrigation Flow Control Valve - A housing has at least one port for allowing entry of subterranean water into an interior of the housing when the housing is buried in soil. The housing has an inlet fitting configured to be coupled to drip tubing and an outlet for discharging water conveyed from a pressurized water source conveyed through the tubing. A valve includes a valve member that is movable to open and close a fluid communication path between the inlet fitting and the outlet. A hygroscopic member is positioned in the interior of the housing and is capable of absorbing subterranean water and expanding to move the valve member to close the fluid communication path. A spring element is positioned to bias the valve member to open the fluid communication path. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20140263719 | WATER SPRINKLER SYSTEM - The present invention provides an improved sprinkler system that allows each sprinkler to be independently controlled, thus each sprinkler is its own irrigation zone. Further, the improved sprinkler system operates wirelessly. Each sprinkler includes a valve, a valve control means attached to the valve, a microprocessor connected to the valve control means, and a transceiver connected to the microprocessor. Each sprinkler is in wireless communication with a base station, which can be programmed to individually control each sprinkler Optionally, the sprinkler may include a moisture sensor, which allows for more precise irrigation based on conditions present in or around the sprinkler head. In another embodiment, a valve communicating client (VCC) is connected to a valve control means of a valve. The base station may similarly control the VCC. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140312141 | Variable Pressure Sprinkler System - A sprinkler head has an inlet to receive a fluid from a pipeline, and a nozzle to spray the received fluid. In one embodiment, a body that couples the inlet to the nozzle includes an electromechanical fluid flow control device via which to vary an amount of fluid pressure presented to the nozzle. In another embodiment, the nozzle includes an electromechanical aperture via which to vary a flow of the received fluid. An electromechanical wheel coupled to the nozzle rotates the nozzle in a direction. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140339326 | SPRINKLER CONTROL MODULE - Sprinkler control units, that are designed to control water usage in residential and commercial above ground sprinkler systems, are disclosed herein. The sprinkler control units operate with any above-ground sprinkler system. They require reduced external power, and use the water flowing through the device to generate power. and are powered by the water flowing through the module. The modules are built with buried sensors that measure the ground saturation level, thus altering the water supply provided through the sprinkler system(s). | 11-20-2014 |
| 20150090807 | DISCHARGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DISCHARGE BY A DISCHARGE SYSTEM - A discharge system includes: a head unit including discharge heads that discharge a liquid material from nozzle openings that are communication with cavities onto a target by changing the internal pressure of the cavities using piezo elements; a viscosity estimating unit that estimates the viscosity of the liquid material by sucking the liquid material from first vessels that hold the liquid material into the cavities; and a waveform control unit that controls the voltage applied to the piezo elements according to the estimated viscosity of the liquid material. | 04-02-2015 |
| 20160088808 | DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM EMITTER AND DIVERTER VALVE ACTUATED BY HYDROPHILIC MATERIALS - A drip irrigation system valve for placement directly onto soil, including a valve chamber defining an interior space and having an open bottom in fluid communication with the soil onto which it is placed; a water inlet in fluid communication with said interior space and having a valve seat disposed on an interior end; a base stake connected to said valve chamber for insertion into soil; a platform for supporting an expandable member; an expandable member disposed on said platform within said interior space; a valve membrane disposed within said interior space above said expandable member and having an upper side and a lower side and which defines a water reservoir within said interior space above said upper side and which prevents water entering into said valve chamber and from directly contacting said expandable membrane; and a valve seal disposed on said upper side of said valve membrane immediately above said expandable member for sealing engagement with said valve seat when said expandable member is wetted and in an expanded state. | 03-31-2016 |
| 20160109569 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING SOIL CHARACTERISTICS - A soil detection and planting apparatus. The apparatus includes a vehicle and a controller coupled to the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a planting device coupled to the vehicle, the planting device configured to plant seeds or plants into a soil material. The apparatus includes a ground penetrating radar sensor coupled to the vehicle. The ground penetrating radar soil sensor is configured to scan the soil material up to a designated depth beneath a surface of the soil material, wherein the ground penetrating radar soil sensor is further configured to provide a sensor feedback signal to the controller with respect to an intrinsic characteristic of the soil material. The controller is configured to instruct placement of a seed or a plant into the soil material based on the feedback signal. | 04-21-2016 |
| 239064000 | With overriding second control means | 2 |
| 20120126026 | Moisture Probe and System - An advanced landscape irrigation control system that integrates a soil moisture probe with a timer-based controller which can be used to directly control a single irrigation zone without need for a separate timer-based controller. The invention is equally capable of being installed as a soil moisture sensor that operates under the control of a traditional timer-based controller. The moisture probe and system disclosed in this invention is fully buried in the soil and electrically connected to the water solenoid-valve(s), measuring temperature and soil moisture content using a capacitive-based probe in determining water solenoid-valve(s) operation. The device has no user settings and requires no calibration, including determining optimal soil moisture content by a unique method of recognizing soil signatures, or the unique electrical response of soils to water. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20140117108 | Smart Irrigation Assistant - The Smart Irrigation Assistant (SIA) adaptor works in conjunction with an existing standard sprinkler timer to automatically modify the amount of water that is delivered to each zone based on the relative humidity. Provisions are also made for having the water delivered in intervals within the maximum time set on the standard sprinkler timer. This allows time for the water to soak into the ground before the remainder of the water allocated for that zone is applied. The SIA is powered from the existing standard sprinkler timer. It is connected to each of the wires that control the irrigating valves and it is connected in series with the common (ground) wire that goes to all valves. The SIA breaks the connection on the common circuit to the valves in order to stop the flow of water to the active zone. | 05-01-2014 |
| 239065000 | By level or weight in testing receiver | 2 |
| 20080251601 | WATER SENSOR APPARATUS - A water sensor apparatus used in connection with a watering system. The water sensor apparatus includes a main housing comprising an inlet and an outlet. A valve mechanism is provided inside the main housing. The valve mechanism opens and closes the outlet of the main housing in response to a water level collected in the main housing and a water pressure entering the inlet of the main housing. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090121043 | HORIZONTAL-TYPE ATOMIZING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLABLE WORKING FLUID LEVEL - A horizontal-type atomizing apparatus with automatically controlled working fluid level includes a portable horizontal base internally defining a dispensing chamber and an atomizing chamber horizontally opposite to but communicating with each other; a pressure container assembled to the dispensing chamber for supplying a working fluid into the dispensing chamber and the atomizing chamber; and an atomizing module arranged on the base. By utilizing the principle of atmospheric pressure balance, the working fluid in the dispensing chamber is maintained at a constant level, allowing the atomizing module to obtain constant volume of working fluid and constant working load to produce a stable amount of mist containing uniformly-sized droplets. An ambient atmospheric condition sensing unit is included for detecting atmospheric conditions in the environment surrounding the atomizing apparatus, regulating the amount of mist to be produced, and generating a warning signal for timely replenishing the working fluid. | 05-14-2009 |
