JP7301895B2 - intelligent watering pump - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Exemplary embodiments relate generally to intelligent systems, and more particularly to systems for intelligent watering that include components configured to facilitate simple interface and operation.

Grounds care maintenance activities can include either lawn care or horticultural activities, or both lawn care and horticultural activities, related to the growth promotion and care of lawns or horticulture, and hopefully include these. A lawn or yard grows thick as a result of the efforts of Growth promotion usually requires individuals to pay routine attention to ensuring that growing conditions are suitable for growing plants and to providing the necessary care and nursery services to further enhance growth. have requested to

As technology has improved, various devices or sensors have been developed that can be employed to monitor various aspects of growing conditions. Gardeners are thus enabled to employ sensors or devices at specific locations to monitor and, if necessary, correct growth conditions. However, although monitoring devices or sensors have improved, gardeners still often require advanced equipment to deploy or operate devices or sensors, or to deploy and operate devices or sensors. manual work must be done.

Some exemplary implementations may therefore provide intelligent control or management capabilities for numerous assets related to yard maintenance with the assistance or inclusion of user terminals. As such, for example, sensor equipment and watering equipment operation (with or without robotic rover) can be remotely adjusted for efficient gardening and lawn care using smart watering pumps.

In an exemplary embodiment, a system is provided for intelligent control or management of multiple assets for garden maintenance. The system comprises a sensor device including one or more sensors disposed on a parcel of land, a watering device provided on said parcel and configured to selectively water said parcel, and a sensor device and A gateway configured to provide communication with the watering equipment may be included. The watering equipment may include a watering pump operably connected to the water source and the water line to alternately connect the water source to the water line and disconnect the water source from the water line. be done. The watering pump further includes a pump sensor assembly configured to sense an environmental parameter and an operational parameter; and a processing circuit configured to operate the watering pump based on the sensed environmental and operational parameters. , can include

In another exemplary embodiment, a watering pump is provided for intelligent control or management of garden maintenance. A watering pump may be operably connected to the water source and the water line for alternately connecting the water source to the water line and disconnecting the water source from the water line. The irrigation pump includes a pump sensor assembly configured to sense an environmental parameter and an operational parameter, and a processing circuit configured to operate the irrigation pump based on the sensed environmental and operational parameters. It can contain more.

Some exemplary embodiments can enhance the operator's ability to maximize the beauty and productivity of the operator's yard and garden, but in a user-friendly and intuitive manner. .

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale.

1 is a block diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the arranged components of the system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating processing circuitry that may be employed in arranged components according to an exemplary embodiment; 4 is a block diagram illustrating processing circuitry that may be employed in a user terminal in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating various operations for controlling a watering pump in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments; FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments; FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments; FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary interface console or screen that may be generated at a user terminal in accordance with exemplary embodiments;

Several exemplary embodiments are described more generally below with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing some, but not all, exemplary embodiments. Indeed, the examples described and illustrated herein should not be construed as limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout. Also, as used herein, the term "or" should be interpreted as a logical operator yielding true whenever one or more of its operators are true. Furthermore, the term "yard maintenance" is intended to relate to any outdoor site improvement or maintenance-related activity and should be specifically applied to activities directly tied to the care of grass, lawn, or sod. no. As such, yard maintenance should be understood to include at least one of gardening, lawn care, and combinations thereof and their equivalents. As used herein, operable connection should be understood to relate to a direct connection or an indirect connection, and in either case, operably connected to each other. Allows functional interconnection of components.

Exemplary embodiments may provide an intelligent system that can be used in any yard situation (i.e., lawn and garden, or both) that can potentially be many locations. to at least monitor, or maintain, or monitor and maintain over a particular section of the system, allowing the operator to interface with the devices in the system in a flexible manner. Moreover, the devices of the system are arranged in such a way that their activity can be coordinated, or that the device adapts to the current situation or stimulus present in the device's environment, or that the activity of the device can be matched and the device can be configured to adapt to the current conditions or stimuli present in the device's environment. In some cases, either or both of the operations performed and the monitoring may be accomplished with the aid of intelligent watering pumps. In this regard, for example, an intelligent watering pump may include a pump sensor assembly, a communications network that collects information about growth from sensor devices for correlating the information with the area where the information was collected, and a network of other users. can be utilized to provide intelligent and efficient watering of parcels of land. The sprinkler pump thus allows the operator great flexibility in remote control of the various components of the system and programming of such components via the processing circuitry in each component. It can be employed in a system that includes a relay mechanism for The programming may thus be coordinated remotely, but at least a portion of the programming may also be stored locally so that the system may operate with or without a connection. In some cases, the connectivity aspects of the system may utilize home network components and wide area network components (e.g., the Internet), but may also utilize deployed components (e.g., components within a garden/garden, or , yard maintenance related components) and home network/wide area network components. As already mentioned, processing aspects are designed such that some aspects of yard maintenance may utilize remote assets, or at least incorporate information available from abroad, while other aspects may be managed locally. , may be distributed between a local management component and a remote management component. In either case, adaptability and ease of relaying and control are system characteristics that are improved by employing exemplary embodiments.

The system therefore collects data relating to specific segments of parcels that may correspond to different areas, either fixed assets or mobile assets or fixed and mobile assets. Any combination can be employed. In particular, the system may employ intelligent watering pumps configured to be programmed to service one or more such specific segments. A particular segment may have different types of plants within it, and thus may optimally have different growth conditions desired in association with each one of the segments. An owner/operator may program operating instructions to guide deployed components (including intelligent water pumps) for operation in one or more specific segments, said specific segments being referred to as "zones." can be In some cases, processing circuitry may be provided to allow the user to define specific operating parameters so that the system operates according to the operating parameters and can be adapted to the current situation. . Given the availability of internet connectivity, in some cases the system associates desired growth conditions with the identified plant species based on stored information associated with each plant species from databases or online resources. can be employed for Thus, each zone may have a corresponding growth condition parameter associated with it, and the user can view growth condition parameters for various regions, thereby determining the desired growth condition (e.g., , moisture level, temperature, light level, pH, and/or the like). In some cases, schedules among deployed components may be non-conflicting or otherwise organized to prevent damage to components, inefficient use of resources, or efficiency-reducing behavior. A deployed component associated with a zone may provide reports and/or alerts to an operator via the gateway to allow the operator to intervene in certain situations, and the component may simply respond to the operator and notify the operator of the response by the gateway.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 10 that can be used to accomplish the basic operations described above in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. In the context of FIG. 1, it should be understood that certain tasks such as mowing, chemical application, visual surveillance, and/or the like may be performed by a robot, i.e., robotic rover 15. is. Robot rover 15 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 because the system can operate without robot rover 15 . Robots and other devices may also be engaged to perform certain other yard maintenance tasks such as raking, fertilizing, lighting, displacing wildlife and/or the like. can.

Other tasks, such as lawn watering, may be performed by a sprinkler/irrigation head and/or a watering pump in communication therewith. The sprinkler/irrigation heads may be attached to the hoses, and the watering pumps may be attached to each sprinkler/irrigation head by providing a central intelligent controllable source for providing water to the sprinkler/irrigation heads and/or hoses. A mechanism may be provided to control the water spray on/off at the irrigation head position. The hose, sprinkler/irrigation head, and/or water pump may together form the watering device 20 .

Alternatively, various sensors may be employed. Such sensors can be inserted into the soil to monitor the soil or other growth conditions (e.g. light levels, moisture levels, pH, temperature, video or image data, etc.). can be adopted. These sensors may thus be understood to take various forms within system 10 . Generally speaking, however, the sensors will have connectivity to system 10 to enhance the operation of system components based on soil and/or growth condition information collected by the sensors. can. Regardless of the particular configuration or deployment paradigm, various sensors may represent sensor device 30 as described.

Sensor device 30 may communicate with gateway 40 via a wired connection or via a wireless connection. Additionally, in some cases, one or more devices, including watering equipment 20, may also communicate with gateway 40 via wired or wireless connections. Gateway 40 in turn may have a wired or wireless connection to access point 45 , which may be directly or indirectly connected to user terminal 50 . The access point 45 may be a router of the operator's home network. In some cases, the direct connection of access point 45 to user terminal 50 is at least one of short-range wireless communication methods (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi®, and the like). one). Indirect connection of access point 45 to user terminal 50 may occur via network 60 . Network 60 may include local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs) (e.g., the Internet), wireless personal area networks (WPANs), and the like. , at least one of the data networks. The data network connects devices (e.g., deployed components) to devices such as processing elements (e.g., personal computers, server computers, or the like) and/or databases such as user terminals 50. can connect. Communications between network 60 and other devices in system 10 may be accomplished by either wired or wireless communication mechanisms and corresponding communication protocols. In this way, for example, a part or all of at least one of the sensors of the sensor device 30, the watering device 20, and the robot rover 15 can communicate by at least one of wired and wireless communication means. It can be connected to a user terminal 50 .

Also, although the robot rover 15 is shown separately in FIG. 1 , it should be noted that the robot rover 15 may act as part of the sensor device 30 and/or part of the watering device 20 . should understand. However, the ability of the robotic rover 15 to act as part of the sensor device 30 and/or part of the watering device 20, in combination with the sensor device 30 and the watering device 20, or independently thereof. The robotic rover 15 is shown separately in FIG.

Gateway 40 may be a conversion agent configured to relay with at least one of the deployed components by wired or wireless communication. In some embodiments, gateway 40 may include a high performance antenna that allows gateway 40 to wirelessly communicate with deployed components over an 868 mHz radio link (eg, the first radio link). However, other wireless links may be employed in other cases. The first wireless link and the components connected by it may be part of a first network extending outdoors (eg a garden network), ie a deployed component network. Components within the home or business and components extending to and between the user terminal 50 may form a second network. Thus, gateway 40 may be a translation agent between a first network and a second network. Gateway 40 may be an aggregation point and communication center for communicating on both networks.

Thus, the gateway 40 can be located in the operator's home, or another indoor environment, and can be used to translate commands from the operator to the gateway 40 (via the first wireless link). ) may communicate wirelessly with the deployed components and provide the instructions to the access point 45 via a second wireless link. In exemplary embodiments, wireless communications may be secured by employing encryption or other security techniques. Gateway 40 may also provide secure cloud data storage through connection to network 60 (eg, via access point 45). In some examples, the first and second wireless links may be different wireless links employing different communication protocols and/or frequencies.

Gateway 40 may also provide the ability for each of its deployed components to be monitored, controlled, programmed, or relayed by an operator using user terminal 50 . In particular, in some cases, user terminal 50 provides easy set-up and easy-to-use relaying for interaction with gateway 40 (and corresponding deployed components reachable through gateway 40). It may be configured to run an application (or app) that is customized to provide one or the other. User terminal 50 may therefore be a smart phone or other mobile terminal, or a laptop, PC, or other computing/communication device. Thus, the user terminal 50 may be configured to interface with the gateway 40 and/or the deployed components to program, control, or otherwise interact with the deployed components as described in more detail below. It may include a processing circuit capable of interfacing with either corresponding processing circuit.

Programming of the deployed components, interaction between the user terminal 50 and the gateway 40 to facilitate control of the deployed components, or interaction with the deployed components may be used for irrigation or An interactive, fully connectable garden system for mowing control/regulation can be created. An app that may run on the user terminal 50 may be configured to control at least one of the components deployed in real-time or programmatically. The resulting system can be a fully connected automated garden system. Also, the connection to content on the Internet via network 60 may allow educational content to be integrated into the operation of the system, giving the operator an improved interface and complete satisfaction of their gardening experience. Provides more control and for. For example, educational content may include videos that illustrate how to start, program, or troubleshoot any operation involving the watering device 20 components. In an exemplary embodiment, the app allows at least some of the watering devices 20 to operate on a locally stored watering schedule in a first mode and as autonomous pressure pumps in a second mode of operation. It can be used to program

FIG. 2 illustrates water travel paths that may be implemented in connection with exemplary embodiments. However, some of the components may be removed in simple exemplary embodiments and some may be added to provide more complex architectures in other exemplary embodiments. should be understood. Accordingly, the example of FIG. 2 is not provided to be limiting with respect to the components included in the system, but merely to illustrate some examples of components that may be included in one exemplary system. . Also, while FIG. 2 shows a single water line, it should be understood that in other embodiments, multiple water lines may be employed to service a plot or garden. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments may be implemented with any number of lines and separate and distinct water sources.

Referring now to FIG. 2, water source 100 may be used to charge water line 110 by watering pump 120 . In some exemplary embodiments, water source 100 may include heating element 101 for heating water within water source 100 . Additionally, the water source 100 may include a level sensor 105 for detecting the water level within the water source 100 . In some cases, water source 100 may also feed a second water line, either by a second water pump or by water pump 120 . Water line 110 can be a flexible water hose or garden hose. Watering pump 120 may be one of the arranged components forming one component of watering device 20 of FIG. Watering pump 120 may be operably connected to water source 100 such that water source 100 provides a pressurized water source for water line 110 when watering pump 120 is operable. However, when the watering pump 120 is not operational, the water line 110 is substantially depressurized, or at least has residual pressure remaining from the last operation of the watering pump 120 . As such, it should be understood that the water source 100 is not a typical pressurized water source for a home or other structure. Alternatively, the water source 100 may typically be a reservoir or aquarium, or another non-pressurized water source.

In exemplary embodiments, one or more sprinklers (eg, first sprinkler 130 and second sprinkler 132 ) may receive water from water line 110 . Water line 110 may be selectively charged under the control of water pump 120 to provide water for spraying from first sprinkler 130 and second sprinklers 130 , 132 . Similarly, the second water line, if used at all, is connected to the water pump 120 or the second water line to provide water for spraying from any additional sprinklers associated with the second water line. It can be selectively charged under the control of a pump. When the water line 110 is charged, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may be provided with pressurized water dispensed therethrough in response to operation of the watering pump 120 . The first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may typically be components without any local intelligence. Alternatively, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may only be controllable by operating the water pump 120 to turn the watering function on and off. However, the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132 may, in some cases, have intelligent components and/or control aspects provided therein.

One or more sensors (e.g., first sensor 140 and second sensor 142) are also positioned at various locations within the compartment serviced by the sprinkler to detect or sense conditions in proximity to the corresponding sensor. can be provided. The first sensor 140 and the second sensor 142 may correspond to the first sprinkler 130 and the second sprinkler 132, respectively, and the application on the user terminal 50 is configured to take such correspondence into consideration. , whereby the information received from each of the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142 can be correlated with actions that can be directed to the watering pump 120 based on that information, if desired.

In some examples, some of the deployed components may include a power source 150 that is local to a corresponding one of the deployed components. The power source 150 for each component can be a battery or battery pack, or a mains power source. Each powered component in the array may also include communication circuitry 160 . Communication circuitry 160 includes processing circuitry for controlling each component and enabling deployed components to communicate with gateway 40 via a first wireless link (or alternatively by a wired connection). and an antenna for Robot rover 15 (if employed) may also be an example of deployed components, and thus may also include power supply 150 and communication circuitry 160 . However, it should be understood that various power and communication circuitry components may have different dimensions, structures, and construction features.

Watering pumps 120 may generally operate under the control of communication circuit 160 to disconnect/operably connect water source 100 to/from water line 110, respectively. The irrigation pump 120 operates based on operating mode, capacity mode instructions received via the gateway 40, or stored or made accessible by the communication circuitry 160 of the irrigation pump 120, or stored or made accessible by the irrigation pump 120's operating information and capacity. Based on the information, you can act. Watering pump 120 may provide convenience in operating system 10 . This is because, as described in more detail below, by selecting or executing the desired/programmed operating mode, capacity mode, by an app on the user terminal 50, or by locally stored programming instructions, This is because the sprinkler pump 120 can be controlled from anywhere at any time.

In an exemplary embodiment, communication circuitry 160 may include processing circuitry 201 as shown in FIG. Processing circuitry 201 may be configured to perform data processing, control function execution, and/or other processing and management services in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 201 may be embodied as a chip or chipset. In other words, the processing circuitry 201 may include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) that include materials, components, and/or wiring on a structural assembly (e.g., baseboard). can include The structural assembly may provide physical strength, size savings, and/or limited electrical interaction for component circuits contained on the structural assembly. Processing circuitry 201 may thus, in some cases, be configured to embody embodiments of the present invention on a single chip, or as a single "system on a chip." Thus, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute means for performing one or more operations to provide the functionality described herein.

In an exemplary embodiment, processing circuitry 201 may include one or more instances of processor 205 and memory 203 that may communicate with or control device interface 207 . As such, processing circuitry 201 is a circuit chip (e.g., an integrated circuit) configured (e.g., in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software) to perform the operations described herein. chip). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 201 may communicate with internal electronic components of at least one of watering pump 120, first or second sensors 140 or 142, and robotic rover 15, It may allow communication with other external components.

Device interface 207 may include one or more relay mechanisms for enabling communication with other devices via gateway 40 . In some cases, the device interface 207 may be some means such as a device or circuit embodied either in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The means are arranged to receive data from the gateway 40 and to transmit data to the gateway 40 with a device interface 207 adapted to transmit and receive messages via the gateway 40 . In some exemplary embodiments, device interface 207 may provide an interface for communication with components of system 10 or external to system 10 via gateway 40 . If the communication circuit 160 is for sensors, the device interface 207 may also connect sensors (e.g., temperature sensors) to obtain sensor data for communication with other devices (e.g., watering pump(s)). , pH sensor, light sensor, humidity sensor and/or the like). On the other hand, if communication circuit 160 is for watering pump 120, device interface 207 provides an interface to other on-board components (eg, a user interface including lights and main buttons as described below). obtain.

Processor 205 may be embodied in many different ways. For example, the processor 205 may be implemented as various processing means such as one or more microprocessors or other processing elements, co-processors, controllers, or integrated circuits such as, for example, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). It may be embodied as various other computing or processing devices containing circuitry. In an exemplary embodiment, processor 205 may be configured or accessible to processor 205 to execute instructions stored in memory 203 . Thus, whether implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, processor 205 may be configured in accordance with hardware or software while performing operations in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. It may represent any possible (eg, physically embodied as a circuit in the form of processing circuit 201) entity. Thus, for example, when processor 205 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, or the like, processor 205 is hardware specifically configured to perform the operations described herein. obtain. Alternatively, as another example, if processor 205 is embodied as an executioner of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure processor 205 to perform the operations described herein. .

In exemplary embodiments, processor 205 (or processing circuitry 201 ) may be embodied as including or controlling communication circuitry 160 . Thus, in some embodiments, processor 205 (or processing circuitry 201) directs communication circuitry 160 to execute instructions or algorithms that configure processor 205 (or processing circuitry 201) accordingly. Corresponding functions may be performed to cause each of the operations described in connection with communication circuitry 160 (and the corresponding distributed components with which communication circuitry 160 is associated). As an example, sensor communication circuitry 160 detects environmental parameters (e.g., sensor data) and transmits the sensor data to gateway 40 (and ultimately to an app on user terminal 50) over a first wireless link. or to storage in the cloud via network 60 ) or to watering pump 120 . In some cases, sensor communication circuitry 160 may communicate a previous set of sensor data (e.g., the magnitude of a previous sensor measurement) and a current set of sensor data (e.g., the magnitude of the most recent sensor measurement). may be configured to determine the difference between The amount of difference can then be used to determine whether the sensor reports the current set of sensor data. If the difference is small (eg, less than a threshold amount), the sensor may not report a new value. However, if the difference is large enough (eg, greater than a threshold amount), the sensor may report a new value. In this manner, the sensor's communication circuitry 160 may be configured to implement power saving techniques with respect to reporting sensor data. Sensor communication circuitry 160 may also report sensor data differently (or determine whether to report based on the criteria described above) on a given schedule or in response to certain activities or events. ) can be configured as follows: When a triggering event (eg, a temporal or behavioral-based trigger) occurs, the sensor's communication circuitry 160 may make a determination of current sensor data and determine whether to report sensor data.

Communication circuitry 160 of irrigation pump 120 may be configured to receive instructions from gateway 30 as to the mode of operation of irrigation pump 120, as defined by an app or by locally stored programming. For example, the gateway 40 receives instructions from the user via the user terminal 50 regarding in which mode of operation the irrigation pump 120 is desired to operate (e.g., to control the on/off cycle of the pump). obtain. In some exemplary embodiments, user-selectable modes of operation of watering pump 120 may include, but are not limited to, intelligent mode, scheduled mode, or manual mode. When the intelligent mode is selected by the user, the watering pump 120 may operate independently based on programmed triggers. In some cases, the trigger may be sensor data received from first sensor 140 or second sensor 142 . For example, communication circuitry 160 of water pump 120 turns on water pump 120 when sensor data is received within a particular range or threshold, or when sensor data is received above a particular range or threshold. can be programmed to provide water. Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, when sensor data indicates that soil moisture is below a given threshold, water pump 120 will: It may be configured to energize the watering pump 120 .

If the schedule mode is selected by the user, the operator may select the schedule on which the watering pump 120 may operate. For example, the user may select specific hours or days that the watering pump 120 should operate. When manual mode is selected by the user, the irrigation pump 120 may operate only for user-selected options on the user terminal 50 that direct the operation of the irrigation pump 120 . Therefore, the user can decide to water the lawn at any time and instruct the user terminal 50 to operate the watering pump 120 . In some cases, the user may select multiple modes of operation at once. For example, a user may send instructions to watering pump 120 via gateway 40 regarding the schedule on which watering pump 120 should operate. However, in addition to this provided schedule, the user may also direct the watering pump 120 to operate in intelligent mode at the same time. For example, a user may define triggers by which the watering pump 120 may operate. These triggers may include, but are not limited to, soil moisture falling below or exceeding a given threshold. Thus, the watering pump 120 can be configured to operate on a schedule while operating in response to predefined triggers via the communication circuit 160 . Even if the user chooses to operate the water pump 120 in both intelligent and scheduled modes, the user may select the manual operating mode to operate the water pump 120 whenever the user desires. The user may select this manual mode of operation without affecting the intelligent and schedule modes already programmed.

Furthermore, communication circuitry 160 of watering pump 120 may be configured to receive instructions from a user (via gateway 40 ) regarding the capacity mode of watering pump 120 . Thus, the gateway 40 not only determines in which operational mode the user wishes the watering pump 120 to operate (eg, on/off cycle control), but also if the capacity mode defines the pump speed and output pressure. Instructions may also be received from the user by the user terminal 50 as to in which capacity mode the watering pump 120 should operate. Capacity modes of watering pump 120 that may be selectable by the user include, but are not limited to: 1) fine drip mode, 2) small volume mode, 3) economy mode, 4) automatic mode, or 5) garden mode. not. A fine drip mode, for example, may provide a small amount of water with a gentle drip or trickle pressure. A user may select fine drip mode to irrigate or water flowers or plants. A low volume mode may be suitable when only a small area is to be irrigated or watered. Conservation mode ensures that the irrigation pump 120 does not run while operating the home associated with the lot, such as a shower, washing machine, dishwasher, or the like, and It can be ensured that sufficient water pressure is maintained both with the watering pump 120 . The automatic mode allows the communication circuit 160 of the irrigation pump 120 to determine the appropriate amount of water to be dispensed by the irrigation pump 120 based on sensor data received from the first sensor 140 or the second sensor 142. can enable Garden mode may be selected when a garden, lawn, or flowerbed is desired to be completely soaked and full pump or line pressure is desired.

In some cases, the capacity mode may be selectable based on the specific area of the lawn or plot. Still further, some of the capacity modes may be selectable at the same time. For example, the user may select via user terminal 50 that garden mode should be employed for zone 1 of the parcel at 8:00 am on Saturday. Along with selecting garden mode, the user may also select conservation mode for the sprayable period for zone 1 . Thus, if the washing machine is running at 8:00 am on Saturday morning, the communication circuit 160 will continue to operate in garden mode until it detects that the washing machine has stopped or until a preset time delay has elapsed. It may be configured to delay operation of the watering pump 120 . In other cases, the user may be alerted by the user terminal 50 that the garden mode was not implemented because the washing machine was detected to be in operation. Upon receiving this alert, the user may disable economy mode and implement garden mode. Also, in some cases, the user may select when garden mode should be rescheduled.

In a further exemplary embodiment, communication circuitry 160 of watering pump 120 may also receive sensor data from water source 100 via level sensor 105 . For example, if the water source 100 is a water reservoir/tank, the water reservoir/tank may have a level sensor 105 that detects the water level of the water reservoir/tank. Based on the sensed water level, the irrigation pump 120 can be programmed to adjust aspects of the volume mode or operation mode accordingly to ensure that sufficient water supply is maintained in the reservoir/tank. . For example, if the user selects that garden mode should be used for zone 1 every Monday through Friday at 8:00 am, the water pump 120 will , it may be possible to determine that there will not be sufficient water supply to carry out the programmed schedule. Accordingly, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to automatically adjust the programmed schedule to match the detected water level. In some cases, the user may be sent a warning or alert by the user terminal 50 of the insufficient amount of water for the user to adjust their schedule accordingly. For example, communication circuitry 160 of watering pump 120 determines, based on data received from level sensor 105, that the tank/reservoir contains only 50% of the water required for the user-selected mode of operation or volume. can be determined. Accordingly, communication circuitry 160 may automatically modify the operation of watering pump 120 to supply 50% less water than would have been supplied under the selected mode of operation or capacity. However, in other cases, the communication circuit 160 is configured to provide a warning to the user that there is insufficient water volume for the watering pump 120 to operate according to the selected mode of operation or capacity. can be The user may then be able to select how they wish to modify the programming of the watering pump 120 . For example, the user may be provided with the option to reduce the amount of water scheduled to be dispensed by the selected mode of operation or capacity by 50% or, in some cases, the detected water level in the aquarium/reservoir. It may be possible for the user to modify the selected operation or volume so that it fits within the capacity of the .

In some exemplary embodiments, the last received instruction from the user regarding operational mode or capacity mode may be stored locally in memory 203 of communication circuitry 160 . Accordingly, if communication circuitry 160 loses connection with gateway 40, communication circuitry 160 may continue to adopt the last received instruction regarding operational or capacity modes. In another exemplary embodiment, if communication circuitry 160 loses connection to gateway 40 or loses connection for longer than a preset amount of time, communication circuitry 160 switches to the selected mode of operation or capacity. It may be configured to override the last received instruction from the user regarding the mode and switch to default settings. In some cases, the default setting may be intelligent operation mode or automatic capacity mode. Accordingly, communication circuitry 160 determines the appropriate time of watering and the appropriate amount of water to be supplied by watering pump 120 based on sensor data received from first sensor 140 or second sensor 142. It will be. In any event, the default settings or last received command (and any programming associated therewith) are stored locally in communication circuitry 160 so that watering pump 120 operates regardless of its connection to network 60. be able to.

The communication circuitry 160 of the robotic rover 15 may be configured to control locomotion and operation of the robotic rover 15 . The communication circuitry 160 of the robot rover 15 also allows the gateway 40 to allow the user to participate in modifying the schedule of operations of the robot rover 15, or to provide real-time control over various operations of the robot rover 15; Alternatively, it may allow the user to participate in modifying the schedule of operations of the robotic rover 15 and allow real-time control over various operations of the robotic rover 15 . In an exemplary embodiment, an app at the user terminal 50 to coordinate a programmed watering schedule and a mowing schedule, or to avoid conflict between a programmed watering schedule and a mowing schedule, or a programmed watering schedule. It can be employed to coordinate schedules and mowing schedules and to de-conflict programmed watering and mowing schedules. Additionally or alternatively, if the operator makes modifications to the operating mode of the irrigation pump 120, or takes manual control of one or more components, the app on the user terminal 50 can update the schedule or current operation. A warning may be provided to indicate that proposed changes to the mode may be problematic, or such changes may be prevented from being made. Thus, for example, when the robot rover 15 is mowing in areas where sensors indicate low soil moisture values that would normally trigger operation of the water pump 120 by programming the water pump 120, the robot rover 15 may A warning may be provided indicating that operation should be changed or that operation of the watering pump 120 may be delayed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the electronically-located component (eg, the component with power supply 150) also has local controls 211 (eg, buttons, knobs, or other controls) provided thereon. ). In some cases, local operator 211 may be provided to allow local manual setting of one or more characteristics of watering pump 120 . Thus, for example, local operator 211 may be used to determine at least one of pump output pressure, speed, capacity mode, operating mode, and the like. The local operator 211 may trigger different functions by programming the processing circuitry 201 for corresponding different situations and/or methods of operation. For example, certain actuation of the local controller 211 may cause the corresponding device to enter pairing mode. Once in pairing mode, the device may be detectable by gateway 40 and/or other devices for a given time. An app on the user terminal 50 may be used to detect a device in pairing mode, and when detected, the app may also identify the device (e.g., the first network of the deployed component networks). ) can be used to pair with another device. Gateway 40 and communication circuitry 160 of the corresponding device may then be able to communicate with each other over the first wireless link on a continuous, event-driven, or scheduled basis. Thus, for example, first sensor 140 may be configured to provide sensor data to watering pump 120 (eg, via gateway 40). In some cases, the first sensor 140 may be paired with the irrigation pump 120 through a setup procedure and thereafter communicate on a scheduled or activity-driven or event-driven basis. In some cases, simply replacing or inserting a battery to power up the device may be an additional or alternative method for entering pairing mode.

In some cases, a particular defined actuation (or pattern of actuation) of the local operator 211 may restore the device to factory settings. Accordingly, the contents of memory 203 may be erased or reset to a default or initial state. Other features may additionally or alternatively be provided. Also, some devices may have additional buttons or operable members.

Communication between the gateway 40 and the sensor or water pump 120 may occur for pairing and to facilitate the operational activities in which the system 10 is ultimately configured. Thus, for example, an operator may use an app on the user terminal 50 to connect to the gateway 40, with options for interaction with the deployed components and the deployed One or more control consoles or interface screens may be provided that provide options for programming the components and/or. In some cases, system initialization may be facilitated by placing (either sequentially or simultaneously) individual deployed components in pairing mode. The deployed component is then discoverable via the first wireless link and can be added to the first network. Once added to the first network, the deployed component is considered to be an interactive/programmable first network asset and/or equivalent. The deployed components can then be paired with each other and configured into individual and/or cooperative functional capabilities.

In an exemplary embodiment, the water pump 120 may be paired with at least one of another secondary water pump, the robot rover 15 and the first sensor 140 . When the irrigation pump 120 is paired and connected to the first sensor 140, the operator has options provided (eg, by the app) to select the desired operating or capacity mode of the irrigation pump 120. can have When the intelligent operation mode is selected by the user, the irrigation pump 120 may thus be instructed regarding specific stimuli that may be received from the first sensor 140 to trigger operation of the irrigation pump 120 . However, as described above, the irrigation pump 120 "pings" the first sensor 140 so that it initiates communication to receive sensor data, or schedules or triggers communication (e.g., in memory 203). Based on received sensor data (eg, whether certain threshold parameters have been achieved), watering pump 120 may be turned on or off.

When the watering pump 120 is paired and connected to the robotic rover 15, automatic adjustment of the schedule may be achieved, at least with respect to ensuring that mowing and watering are not done in the same area at the same time. An app on the user terminal 50 may ensure that scheduling mowing (or vice versa) during watering is not possible. However, given that the operator can control the water pump 120 and/or the robot rover 15 to initiate operation, the app on the user terminal 50 can also control the water pump or robot in real time. Any attempt to initiate operation of rover 15 may be prevented when the other is operating in the same area.

When the watering pump 120 is paired and connected to other watering pumps, the watering schedule, or operation, can be adjusted to manage or prevent underpressure conditions or overdrainage of the water source 100. . For example, if the sprinkler pumps are connected to the same water source, there may be insufficient water supply to effectively charge both the water line 110 and the second water line at the same time. Thus, by enabling multiple watering pumps to communicate with each other, the operation of one can be communicated to the other (e.g., via gateway 40) such that the water source 100 and its supply of water can be effectively managed. obtain.

Thus, the arranged components of various exemplary embodiments may be adapted to various situations or conditions. Additionally, the adaptive nature of the deployed components may be provided as described above as a programmable mechanism that allows an operator, using user terminal 50, to program modes, adjustable parameters, relationships or responses. In some example contexts, the programmable mechanism is remotely programmable via gateway 40 (i.e., programmable from an app and/or user terminal 50 that is remote from the component being programmed). should be understood. In other examples, the adaptive nature of deployed components may be provided as a default mechanism. Thus, the adaptability of deployed components may be dependent on connectivity for remote programming (e.g., connectivity dependent) or may be present in the absence of connectivity or in response to loss of connectivity. , or may be configured connectivity independent (eg, default programming).

In some embodiments, the battery power level may be communicated to the gateway 40 and signal strength values associated with sensor and/or water pump communications may also be determined at the gateway 40 . This information can be provided (together with sensor data) to an app on the user terminal 50 to alert the operator when battery power is low or signal strength is low. Battery replacement and/or sensor relocation may then be performed to remedy the situation. As previously mentioned, in some cases a sensor may adaptively respond to its surroundings to trigger a report. In an exemplary embodiment, watering pump 120 may attempt to ping first sensor 140 via gateway 40 to trigger reporting of sensor data. However, first sensor 140 may be configured (eg, via communication circuitry 160) to determine the amount of change in the requested parameter before determining whether to respond to the ping. In some embodiments, at least a certain amount or percentage (eg, 5%) of change may be required before the first sensor 140 reports sensor data via wireless transmission. Wireless transmission consumes more power than internal operations (e.g., for determining the amount of change and current sensor data), thus saving several transmission cycles when there are few data changes Thereby, battery life can be substantially extended. If a ping is sent and no response is received, the last value received may be substituted and communicated (eg, by the app) to the operator.

The operator can turn on/off or activate the watering pump and/or sensor by sending commands through the gateway 40 by the user terminal 50 . For example, activation messages may be used to confirm whether devices are still responsive and active, or to request specific data from such components in real time, or to request specific data from such components in real time. can be used to initiate actions in Further, in some cases, the operator may send a wake-up or setup signal to cause the corresponding device to beacon for at least a preset amount of time (eg, 3 minutes). During this time, the device can be positioned and the operator can check the app to see the signal strength values detected through gateway 40 . The operator can therefore locate the device in real-time and verify that the location where the device is currently located is a good location in terms of its ability to communicate with the gateway 40 .

In some embodiments, one or more of the deployed components may further include frost warning functionality. In particular, it should be appreciated that freezing of water within the body of the water pump can render the water pump vulnerable, as the water pump typically can have some residual water therein. Accordingly, the communication circuitry 160 of one or more components (particularly the watering pump) may be configured to identify potential frost conditions that may damage the watering pump or other watering equipment 20 . In some embodiments, the irrigation pump 120 (and/or the sensor) should be prevented from being damaged when the temperature reaches a preset threshold distance from the freezing point (e.g., 5°C or 10°F). An alert may be issued (eg, by an app on the user terminal 50) to alert the operator that this is the case. The preset threshold may be a factory setting or may be set by an operator. In either case, however, the ability to identify current temperature conditions in order to alert the operator of a possible frost event is critical to the ability of deployed components to adapt with respect to their surroundings and/or conditions. Another example of how it can be configured (either by the operating program or by default) to be static.

In a further exemplary embodiment, water source 100 (or watering pump 120 in some cases) may include heating element 101 configured to heat water to a user-programmed temperature. For example, if a frost event is detected, the heating element 101 may heat the water to avoid freezing the water pump 120 or components of the water source 100 . Also, for flowers or plants that require water at a specific temperature to enhance growing conditions, the heating element 101 can be configured to heat the water to the desired temperature programmed by the user.

Another example of the adaptability of deployed components relates to loss of connectivity to or blocking of connectivity to the first network. For example, the last received operational mode or capacity mode may be maintained in the cloud, user terminal 50, or elsewhere, while in some cases the current operational mode or capacity mode (or at least one thereof) may be part) can be stored locally on the watering pump. For example, memory 203 may be configured to record at least the last watering schedule information employed. Thus, if power is lost at the gateway 40, or at another system component that renders connectivity impossible, the water pumps 120 store at least information indicative of their respective last watering schedules. can. Thus, for example, if the watering pump 120 operates at 1300 and shuts down at 1305, if network 60 connectivity for determining the watering schedule cannot be achieved, or if connectivity is lost, the watering pump 120 will Watering will continue in the operating mode and capacity mode provided for the In some cases, if the communication circuit 160 of the watering pump 120 determines that the connection has been lost for longer than a preset time interval, the communication circuit 160 disables the previously provided operating mode, capacity mode. can be configured to operate with default settings as previously described.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the deployed component communication circuitry 160 may be capable of determining the usage and uptime of each deployed component. For example, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to monitor and calculate the operating hours of watering pump 120 and thus water usage. Accordingly, communication circuitry 160 may be able to determine the amount of water used over a particular time interval, such as an hour, day, week, month or months (ie season). These calculations may be provided to the user by user terminal 50 . Based on the calculations, communication circuitry 160 may determine the average operating time and usage of watering pump 120 over the preset time interval. Using these calculated average run time and usage values, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to monitor further usage and run time for any of the watering pumps 120 . If the uptime or usage exceeds the average uptime and usage values, the communication circuitry 160 is configured to send an alert to the user terminal 50 via the gateway 40 to indicate abnormal condition status detection. obtain.

A further example of deployed component adaptability relates to the ability of the deployed component's communication circuitry to determine recommended maintenance intervals for the deployed component. For example, using the average run time and usage of the water pump 120 over a preset period of time calculated as described above, the communication circuit 160 of the water pump 120 calculates a recommended maintenance interval for the water pump 120. it may be possible. This recommended maintenance interval may be displayed on the user terminal. In some exemplary embodiments, the user may be able to override this recommended maintenance interval. A user may be able to select how they want to calculate maintenance intervals (ie, after a certain period of time or after a certain calculated amount of usage). In that case, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to alert the user when time has elapsed or when a specified amount of usage has occurred. Additionally, the user may be able to input when the last maintenance was performed on the watering pump 120 . By entering the last maintenance performed, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to reset the maintenance interval and recalculate as described above.

In some exemplary embodiments, the deployed component communication circuitry 160 may be further configured to send a message to the user that operation of the deployed component has begun. In other cases, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to send a message if a deployed component fails during operation or if an error occurs during operation. For example, if communication circuitry 160 detects a drop in water pressure or a significant increase in flow, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to determine, for example, that a hose has burst. When such an event occurs, an error message or warning will be sent by the user terminal 50 to the user.

If a fault or error occurs during operation of the deployed component, the user terminal 50 may have the option for the user to send feedback about the error or fault to the manufacturer or supplier. In a further exemplary embodiment, user terminal 50 is deployed by a manufacturer or supplier in response to receiving a request from a user regarding a failure or error in a deployed component, or in response to receiving feedback. can be configured to allow having remote access to the components.

In one exemplary embodiment, communication circuit 160 of watering pump 120 may be specifically configured to receive data from pump sensor assembly 155 (see FIG. 2) of watering pump 120 . The data received from pump sensor assembly 155 may depend on the types of sensors employed in watering pump 120; however, the data may include environmental parameters and operational parameters. Environmental parameters may include water temperature, water quality, pH, or chalk or mineral or fertilizer content of water received within watering pump 120 . Operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, flow rate, water volume and pump run time. Data sensed by pump sensor assembly 155 may be made available to the user by user terminal 50 . In some cases, the user may have selected thresholds or ranges for the pump sensor assembly data. For example, the user may have entered via the user terminal 50 that the fertilizer content of the water is within a certain range. Based on this input by the user, communication circuitry 160 may be configured to receive data from pump sensor assembly 155 regarding the detected fertilizer content of the water. If the fertilizer content is above or below a user-set threshold, communication circuitry 160 may automatically adjust the fertilizer provided to the water (as described in more detail below), or can be configured to alert the user so that the fertilizer can be adjusted accordingly. For example, water source 100 may include fertilizer pump 103 (see FIG. 2) for dispensing fertilizer into the water. Therefore, if the detected fertilizer content of the water is above or below the threshold set by the user, the communication circuit 160 instructs the fertilizer pump 103 of the water source 100 to dispense fertilizer accordingly. can be configured to modify the

In some exemplary embodiments, communication circuitry 160 of watering pump 120 may be further configured to detect an indication of the volume required to fill a watering container, such as a watering can. When the water can is within a preset area of the water pump 120, the communication circuitry 160 reads from the water can an indication (e.g., an RFID tag or other encoded information) regarding the amount of water to be dispensed to the water can. can be configured to For example, if the watering can is programmed to hold two gallons of water, communication circuitry 160 may receive an instruction to fill the watering can with two gallons of water. However, in some cases, the watering can may not be completely empty and simply needs to be refilled. Accordingly, the water can includes a level sensor that detects and measures the water level or volume within the water can. This measured water level or volume can be read via communication circuit 160 of watering pump 120 . Based on the reading, communication circuit 160 determines that the water spray only needs to receive 1 gallon to fill the water can.

The watering pump 120 described above may take different physical forms. However, exemplary structures for embodying watering pump 120 may be reciprocating or rotary pumps. Thus, for example, watering pump 120 may include a centrifugal pump with an impeller. Watering pump 120 may include a housing body and a first faucet adapter. In some cases, the first faucet adapter may be configured to interface with a faucet of a pressurized water system (eg, water source 100). In other exemplary embodiments, the watering pump 120 may also include a second faucet adapter that may be configured to interface with the faucet of the water container system. However, in further exemplary embodiments in which the watering pump 120 includes both a first faucet adapter and a second faucet adapter, the first faucet adapter may be configured to relay with a fresh water source, Two faucet adapters may be configured to relay water with fertilizer additives (as described below). In some cases, the sprinkler assembly may be integrated into the housing body 200 of the water pump 120 . This sprinkler assembly may be operable in a manner similar to that described herein. However, other pump constructions can also be employed.

In some cases, watering pump 120 may also include pump sensor assembly 155 as described above. Pump sensor assembly 155 may include sensors to detect and measure both environmental and operational factors. Environmental factors may include, but are not limited to, either water temperature, pH, mineral content, total dissolved solids or chalk content sensors. Operating factors may include, but are not limited to, any of flow rate, water volume, or pump run time.

In some exemplary embodiments, watering pump 120 may include a filter to remove some solids or minerals from the water. In some cases, a filter may include a filter sensor. A filter sensor may be configured to detect the stage of the filter. For example, if the filter is almost clogged, the sensor can be configured to detect the clogging condition.

As noted above, the deployed components (eg, watering pump 120) may be controlled in large part by the user through user terminal 50. FIG. As noted above, user terminal 50 may be a mobile device (eg, smart phone) or a fixed terminal (eg, PC). However, user terminal 50 may also be other devices such as tablets, laptops and/or the like. In either case, user terminal 50 may be configured to provide a simple and intuitive interface for allowing an operator to control the operation of system 10 . FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating some components of a user terminal 50 that may be configured to provide an app for control of system 10 .

As shown in FIG. 4, user terminal 50 may be similar in form and/or function to processing circuitry 201, processor 205, memory 203, and device interface 207 described above, processing circuitry 310. , a processor 312 , a memory 314 , and a device interface 320 . The specific structure, form, and dimensions of components such as these may vary. However, since the general functionality may be similar, the details of these components will not be described in detail again. Instead, it should be understood that these components are generally similar except for certain organization, content and structural changes. As shown in FIG. 4, user terminal 50 may further include user interface 330 and operations manager 340 .

User interface 330 (if implemented) receives indications of user input at user interface 330 or provides audible, visual, mechanical, or other output to the user; Or, it may communicate with processing circuitry 310 that receives indications of user input at the user interface 330 and provides audible, visual, mechanical, or other output to the user. As such, user interface 330 includes, for example, a display (eg, a touch screen display), one or more buttons or keys (eg, function buttons or keyboard), and other input and output mechanisms (eg, microphone, mouse, speaker, cursor, joystick, light, and/or the like). User interface 330 provides warnings, alarms, and/or notifications to a user or operator in response to various trigger conditions being detected (eg, by sensor device 30 or other components). can be configured to provide For example, the water pump 120 may include sensors that detect when the water pump 120 is damaged, tampered with, or stolen. Stimuli related to system failure, equipment damage or tampering, equipment theft, and other components may also be defined as triggers for generation of alerts, alarms, and/or notifications. In some cases, the user interface 330 may be displayed in response to the water pump 120 running time or usage being outside the recommended range, or in response to a system component having a scheduling or operational conflict. may be configured to generate such alerts, alerts and/or notifications. Notifications may also be provided for general conditions, current status, and/or the like. Warnings, alarms, and/or notifications may be generated by lights, sounds, visual displays, or other devices that may be connected to or part of operations manager 340 . In some cases, notification may be provided by text message or email. Furthermore, user interface 330 may be configured to allow a user to delegate operation of the system to a second user for a preset period of time. For example, if the user is on vacation or out of town, the second user may be given permission to control the system through the second user's user interface.

In the exemplary embodiment, processing circuitry 310 is configured to process data, perform control functions, and/or perform other processing and management services in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. obtain. As such, it will be appreciated that processing circuitry 310 may be configured to control operations manager 340 or may be embodied as operations manager 340 . The operations manager 340 receives sensor information from the sensor device 30 and/or the watering device 20 and provides information to be provided to the owner/operator and to the sensor device 30 and the watering device 20. It may be configured to make a decision regarding at least one of the power instructions. Processing circuitry 310 may, in some cases, process the context information received from sensor device 30 and compare the context information to growth condition parameters stored in memory 314 for a given zone.

In the exemplary embodiment, memory 314 stores information, data, applications, instructions, or the like to enable operations manager 340 to perform various functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. can be configured to store equivalents. For example, memory 314 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by processor 312 . Additionally or alternatively, memory 314 may be configured to store instructions for execution by processor 312 . As yet another alternative, memory 314 may include one or more databases that may store various data sets in response to inputs from sensor networks. Among those stored in memory 314, multiple applications may be stored for execution by processor 312 to perform functions associated with the respective applications. In some cases, the applications may include applications for creating a control console for providing options for controlling the system. In some cases, the application is configured to receive information regarding at least one of component activity/status, environmental parameters, operational or capacity modes, device pairing, and the like. may also or alternatively include The information allows operations manager 340 to define responses to the information (eg, based on predefined programming or user input). The information/parameters may be entered by an operator, received from a deployed component, or extracted from a database or source accessible via the Internet based on entries of vegetation identities within a given zone. or can be obtained. Operations manager 340 may thus not only provide a relay mechanism for controlling the operation of watering pump 120 , but operations manager 340 may be embodied in network 60 . In cases where operations manager 340 is embodied in a network, operations manager 340 may be configured to extract information/parameters from multiple users across a preset region, such as a state or country. Information/parameters may include data extracted from deployed components of multiple users. For example, based on data extracted from several user-placed components, a water shortage may be detected in the user's area. Thus, if a user chooses to be aware of water shortages in their area, the operations manager 340 may be configured not to allow the user to select programming options that would require large amounts of water.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one example of operations that may be facilitated by operations manager 340 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the watering pump may initially be off, but the user terminal 50 provides a control console (or set of controls) to which the operator can provide instructions to initiate the operation of FIG. console). An instruction may be provided at operation 400 to turn on the watering pump 120 (ie, by manual mode selection). In response, at operation 401, a signal regarding capacity mode may be received. Once the pump is turned on and a volume mode signal is received, a determination may be made at operation 403 as to whether there is sufficient water volume to run volume mode. If not, the user may be prompted to change the volume mode selection to stay within the detected water volume. Once a selection has been made to ensure sufficient water capacity, at operation 402 a determination is made as to whether the robotic rover 15 is operating in (or all) areas. If the robotic rover 15 is running, an alert may be issued to the user interface 330 of the user terminal 50 at operation 404 . At operation 406 , the operator may then determine whether to allow operation of the watering pump 120 . If the operator decides not to activate the watering pump 120, flow returns to the initial state. If the operator decides to allow operation of the watering pump 120 for the time being (eg, disabling or ignoring the alarm), at operation 408 the operator may be prompted for the duration of operation of the watering pump 120 . Note that the operator may also have the option of canceling to return to the initial state instead of entering a duration at this time.

Once the time period is entered, at operation 410 an activation signal may be issued from the user terminal 50 to the watering pump 120 to direct its operation. The watering pump 120 may remain in operation until the watering pump 120 may be turned off or a period of time for flow to return to its initial state has expired. However, at operation 412 the operator may also interrupt the command to manually stop the watering pump. A determination may then be made at operation 414 whether the manual stop is before or overlaps with the scheduled start time. If this manual off-schedule defines an end time that is before the next scheduled start time, then at operation 416 the schedule is maintained and at operation 420 the irrigation pump 120 is stopped, thereby resuming the flow from the schedule. can be returned to the initial state so as to be operable again according to . However, if the manual stop corresponds to the scheduled start time, then at operation 418 the schedule is skipped and at operation 420 the watering pump 120 is stopped so that it is ready for operation again when the next scheduled operation time arrives. The flow can return to the initial state as done. On the other hand, if the scheduled operation time has arrived from the initial state in operation 422 , the water pump 120 can be operated at the corresponding time in operation 410 , respond to the elapse of the time period in operation 424 , and the water pump 120 can be stopped. Similarly, if operation was triggered by sensor data from an initial state at operation 426 , watering pump 120 operates at operation 410 after a preset time period at operation 424 or after a condition is cleared. It should be noted that the operator can also manually operate or stop the water pump 120 by operating a local button or knob on the water pump 120 . Once manual (local) operation is performed, the operations described above are still performed and the opening maintenance time (or the next programmed opening) can again be controlled by the schedule information entered into the operations manager 340.

In some cases, watering pump 120 may include a limited user interface in the form of a main button (or knob) and light assembly on its front panel. The light assembly may include three LEDs, which may be capable of lighting up or flashing to represent red, green and yellow. The LEDs can be useful in providing status information associated with attempts to pair the watering pump with another device, battery status, pump status and/or the like.

In the exemplary embodiment, user interface 330 of user terminal 50 first controls to add devices to the first network as they are discovered via gateway 40 and recognized by operations manager 340 . It can be employed to provide console options. Once the pairing mode is initiated for the watering pump 120 (e.g., by inserting a battery into a deployed component, or by pressing the reset button, or by selecting an option on the user terminal 50), When the water pump 120 is discovered via the gateway 40, the gateway 40 passes the identification information of the discovered water pump 120 to the user interface 330 so that information representing the discovered water pump 120 can be displayed. Manager 340 may be communicated with. A determination is then made whether pairing is possible. User interface 330 of user terminal 50 may also or alternatively provide an indication of detection of watering pump 120 . If the gateway 40 cannot find the watering pump 120, it may generate an LED lighting output.

If the gateway 40 is discovered and able to pair with the water pump, the LED lighting output during pairing mode can be converted into a signal strength indicator. Again similar instructions may be provided at the user terminal 50 .

FIG. 6, which includes FIGS. 6A-6D, shows some examples of interface screens or control consoles that may be provided by operations manager 340 in some embodiments. FIG. 8A shows a basic start screen showing the home page 600 of the app. The app may display a general watering pump data section 610 that may display run time and usage data associated with the watering pump 120 . In some cases, the app may also display device status information 620 . The device status information 620 may indicate each device of the first network along with status information corresponding to at least one of, for example, battery status, operational mode, operational status, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, an option may also be provided at box 630 to add new devices. In some cases, an option may be provided at box 640 for delegated operation of the system to a second user.

In some cases, selecting the watering pump data section 610 (ie, individual sensors) may provide various individual or aggregated screens showing the status of each sensor. FIG. 6B shows an illustrative pump status screen 650 that may be accessed in response to selecting pump data section 610 . In some embodiments, the pump status screen 650 may include a current pump data section 660 that may display current pump data. A historical pump data section 670 may also be provided to show historical data over a given time interval (which may be user selectable). A setting adjustment option 680 may also be provided to allow the operator to select various pump settings. Pump settings may relate to selecting operational or capacity modes, pairing activity, signal strength, battery level and/or the like.

FIG. 6C shows an exemplary device status screen 700 that may be accessed in response to selecting current pump data 660. FIG. In some embodiments, selecting the current pump data will cause a graphical representation of water usage for the day to appear in section 720 . In section 740, the user may select the statistics option to obtain a detailed breakdown of water usage associated with the day.

FIG. 6D shows an exemplary device status screen 750 that may be accessed in response to selecting historical pump data 670. FIG. In some embodiments, upon selecting historical pump data, a graphical representation of last week's water usage appears in section 770, for example. In section 790, the user may select the statistics option to obtain a detailed breakdown of water usage associated with the week. At selection 800, the user may select a data range option to define the exact range over which historical pump data should be collected. Therefore, if the user wants to see data usage for the last month, the user can adjust the day range accordingly.

Embodiments of the present invention may thus be implemented using one or more devices such as those shown in FIGS. 1-6. Thus, the system of the exemplary embodiment comprises a sensor device including one or more sensors positioned on a parcel of land and a sensor device positioned on the parcel and configured to selectively water the parcel. A watering device and a gateway configured to provide communication with the sensor device and the watering device may be included. The watering equipment may include a watering pump operably connected to the water source and the water line for alternately connecting the water source to the water line and disconnecting the water source from the water line. In an exemplary embodiment, the watering pump includes two water inlets (eg, an inlet for fresh water and an inlet for reservoir water, or an inlet for regular water and an inlet for water containing fertilizer). obtain. The watering pump further includes a pump sensor assembly configured to sense environmental and operational parameters, and processing circuitry configured to operate the pump based on the sensed environmental and operational parameters. obtain. In some embodiments, the watering pump may be configured to turn on or off for preset time intervals. Alternatively or additionally, the water pump may have sensors to recognize possible theft or tampering. Alternatively or additionally, the water pump may be configured to read a code or chip on the water can that allows the water pump to fill the water can with a preset amount of water. In some embodiments, a watering pump can have a housing that includes a water sprinkler (eg, a contour sprinkler).

In an exemplary embodiment, the gateway forms a first network that includes at least watering equipment and sensor equipment for users, and a second network that allows user terminals to wirelessly communicate with the gateway. In further exemplary embodiments, the operational parameters may include any one of water volume, pump run time, or flow rate. By sensing water volume, pump run time, or flow rate, events such as hose bursts can be recognized. Environmental parameters may include any one of water temperature, pH, chalk content, mineral content, or total dissolved solids. Water turbidity can also be detected by detecting the total dissolved solids, chalk content, or mineral content of the water. Alternatively or additionally, sensing the water temperature may enable the water pump to warn the user of a freezing condition to prevent damage to the water pump.

The sprinkler pump may further include a filter to remove solids, chalk, or minerals from the water. The filter may include a sensor for detecting a clogged condition of the filter. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may further include a heating element, the heating element heating the water to a preset temperature in response to the temperature of the water received from the water source being below the preset threshold. configured to In other exemplary embodiments, the water source may include a heating element, and in response to the temperature of the water being below a preset threshold, the heating element is configured to heat the water to a preset temperature. .

The processing circuitry may be further configured to determine a recommended maintenance interval for the watering pump. Alternatively or additionally, maintenance intervals may be based on preset time periods, water volumes, or pump run times. In other cases, the maintenance interval may be a calculated interval based on the last maintenance entered by the user. In a further exemplary embodiment, the maintenance interval may be based on a time interval or water volume entered by the first user. The processing circuitry may be further configured to detect loss of connectivity with a gateway or sensor and the time associated therewith. In the event of a disconnection, the processing circuitry of the watering pump may be configured to store all operating modes, capacity modes, or any other information received from the user by the user terminal.

In some cases, the water source may include a level sensor that detects the amount of water in the water source. The water source may be a tank/reservoir, and the amount of water in the tank/reservoir detected by the level sensor is used to calculate how much water can be used by the irrigation pump 120 when implementing the operating mode, capacity mode. can be used to Additionally, the amount of water detected by the level sensor can be used to adopt an efficient watering schedule for the amount of water in the aquarium/reservoir. Alternatively or additionally, the water source may include a fertilizer pump that allows the user to dispense a desired amount of fertilizer into the water. Alternatively or additionally, the watering pump may include a knob that allows a preset amount of water to be dispensed from the water source. Alternatively or additionally, the water pump may pressurize the water of the water source, and the water pump may have a variable speed motor.

The processing circuitry is further configured to receive operating mode instructions from the gateway, determine an operating mode of the watering pump based on the operating mode instructions received from the gateway, and instruct the watering pump to operate in accordance with the operating mode. obtain. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the processing circuit further receives capacity mode instructions from the gateway, receives water source sensor data indicative of the amount of water in the water source, and receives the capacity mode instructions from the gateway and the water source sensor data. determining whether the water pump is operable in accordance with the received capacity mode instructions, and if the processing circuit determines that the water pump is operable, the water spraying pump is configured to operate in accordance with the capacity mode instructions; It can be configured to direct the pump. In some exemplary embodiments, the user terminal may include an interface that displays the status of the watering pump. In a further exemplary embodiment, the user terminal may include an interface for displaying water usage by the water pump.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions described herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. be. Therefore, it should be understood that the invention should not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. should. Also, although the foregoing description and associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of specific exemplary combinations of elements and/or features, different combinations of elements and/or features may be provided in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that alternative embodiments may be provided without departing from the scope of the claims. In this regard, for example, it is contemplated that different combinations of elements and/or features other than those explicitly mentioned above may be claimed as part of the appended claims. If advantages, benefits, or solutions to problems are described herein, such advantages, benefits, and/or solutions may be present in some, but not necessarily all, illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that it may be applicable to any embodiment. Therefore, no advantage, benefit or solution described herein should be considered critical, necessary or essential to all embodiments or to what is claimed in this application. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (4)

a sensor device (30) comprising one or more sensors (140, 142) located on a parcel of land;
a watering device (20) provided in the compartment and configured to selectively irrigate the compartment;
a gateway (40) configured to communicate with the sensor device (30) and the watering device (20);
in a system (10) comprising
The watering device (20) is adapted to alternately connect the water source (100) to the water line (110) and disconnect the water source (100) from the water line (110) to 100) and a watering pump (120) operably connected to said water line (110), said watering pump (120) comprising:
a communication circuit (160) including an antenna for enabling said watering pump (120) to communicate with said gateway (40);
a local operator (211) connected with the communication circuit (160);
with
the local operator (211) is configured to allow local manual setting of one or more characteristics of the watering pump (120);
said communication circuitry (160) includes processing circuitry (201) configured to perform at least one of data processing, control function execution, and management services;
A system (10) characterized in that said local operator (211) is a button or knob capable of triggering different functions by programming said processing circuitry (201) for different actuation. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the local operator (211) is used to determine at least one of pump output pressure, speed, capacity mode, and operating mode. Said water source (100) and said water line (110) for alternately connecting said water source (100) to said water line (110) and disconnecting said water source (100) from said water line (110). a watering pump (120) operably connected to
said watering pump (120) comprising a communication circuit (160), said communication circuit (160) including an antenna for enabling said watering pump (120) to communicate with a gateway (40);
The watering pump (120) comprises a local operator (211) connected to the communication circuit (160),
the local operator (211) is configured to allow local manual setting of one or more characteristics of the watering pump (120);
said communication circuitry (160) includes processing circuitry (201) configured to perform at least one of data processing, control function execution, and management services;
A watering pump (120) wherein said local operator (211) is a button or knob that can trigger different functions by programming said processing circuit (201) for different operations. The watering pump (120) of claim 3 , wherein the local operator (211) is used to determine at least one of pump output pressure, speed, capacity mode, and operating mode.

Images