Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110093123 | IRRIGATION WATER CONSERVATION WITH AUTOMATED WATER BUDGETING AND TIME OF USE TECHNOLOGY - The present invention provides a multitude of embodiments for landscape water conservation with automated water budgeting or seasonal adjustment. Water budget automation may be implemented within an irrigation controller, by means of an add-on or a plug-in to the controller, or broadcast from a central location. The environmental data used for automated water budgeting may be historical including ambient temperature, wind, solar radiation, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, or evapotranspiration, or combinations thereof, or with a combination of current sensor data. The automated water budgeting may be accomplished with a percentage accumulation method which adjusts watering intervals and schedules, or on a daily percentage basis. In addition, government based restricted watering schedules may be combined within all the above embodiments to provide additional flexibility for water conservation. | 04-21-2011 |
20110301767 | AUTOMATED LANDSCAPE WATERING RESTRICTIONS - Many water districts, municipalities and other governmental authorities have implemented local irrigation and watering restrictions to conserve water. These watering restrictions generally change from season to season, with different schedules being effective at different time periods during the year. Embodiments of the present invention provide for automatic implementation of these seasonal or periodic watering restrictions to prevent watering when it is not allowed, and include the capability of updating the currently implemented restrictions according to the date or time of year. Embodiments of the present invention may be provided in controllers, in modules that are added on to existing controllers, or in modules that are plugged into existing controllers with or without smart technology. Other embodiments provide for broadcast of the watering restrictions and/or signals that are received and implemented by controllers, add-ons or plug-ins of the present invention. | 12-08-2011 |
20120072037 | IRRIGATION CONTROLLER WATER MANAGEMENT WITH TEMPERATURE BUDGETING - The present invention provides methods for water conservation with irrigation controllers based upon the ambient temperature and extraterrestrial radiation of a particular geographical area. It receives a preliminary irrigation schedule from the operator and computes a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, then modifying the preliminary irrigation schedule based upon that ratio. The present invention utilizes fewer variables, is less complex, and is much easier to install and maintain than the current evapotranspiration-based controllers. | 03-22-2012 |
20120095604 | LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT WITH AUTOMATED WATER BUDGET & SEASONAL ADJUST, AND AUTOMATED IMPLEMENTATION OF WATERING RESTRICTIONS - Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for water conservation with landscape irrigation controllers, plug-in and add-on devices, and centralized systems. In embodiments of the invention, a water budget percentage is determined by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and the preliminary irrigation schedule or station run times are automatically modified based upon that water budget percentage. Embodiments of the present invention also provide for automation of mandated landscape watering restrictions alone, or in various combinations with water budgeting methods and apparatus. | 04-19-2012 |
20130253712 | IRRIGATION CONTROLLER WATER MANAGEMENT WITH TEMPERATURE BUDGETING - The present invention provides methods for water conservation with irrigation controllers based upon the ambient temperature and extraterrestrial radiation of a particular geographical area. It receives a preliminary irrigation schedule from the operator and computes a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, then modifying the preliminary irrigation schedule based upon that ratio. The present invention utilizes fewer variables, is less complex, and is much easier to install and maintain than the current evapotranspiration-based controllers. | 09-26-2013 |
20140081470 | LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT WITH AUTOMATED WATER BUDGET & SEASONAL ADJUST, AND AUTOMATED IMPLEMENTATION OF WATERING RESTRICTIONS - Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for water conservation with landscape irrigation controllers, plug-in and add-on devices, and centralized systems. In embodiments of the invention, a water budget percentage is determined by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and the preliminary irrigation schedule or station run times are automatically modified based upon that water budget percentage. Embodiments of the present invention also provide for automation of mandated landscape watering restrictions alone, or in various combinations with water budgeting methods and apparatus. | 03-20-2014 |
20150039143 | LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT WITH AUTOMATED WATER BUDGET & SEASONAL ADJUST, AND AUTOMATED IMPLEMENTATION OF WATERING RESTRICTIONS - Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for water conservation with landscape irrigation controllers, plug-in and add-on devices, and centralized systems. In embodiments of the invention, a water budget percentage is determined by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and the preliminary irrigation schedule or station run times are automatically modified based upon that water budget percentage. Embodiments of the present invention also provide for automation of mandated landscape watering restrictions alone, or in various combinations with water budgeting methods and apparatus. | 02-05-2015 |