초록 ▼

An irrigation system for controlling a plurality of watering stations whereby each station is irrigated in accordance with the specific soil needs at that station; the system includes a plurality of irrigation controllers, one at each watering station, each controller including a power line transcei

An irrigation system for controlling a plurality of watering stations whereby each station is irrigated in accordance with the specific soil needs at that station; the system includes a plurality of irrigation controllers, one at each watering station, each controller including a power line transceiver, a micro-processor, an erasable non-volatile memory, and an actuating circuitry for activating a valve actuator in response to data received from a computer; a power line network powers the controllers and serves as a medium through which the controllers communicate between one another and the computer.

대표청구항 ▼

[ The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:] [1.] An irrigation system for controlling a plurality of irrigating stations whereby each said irrigation station is irrigated in accordance with its soil needs for irrigation, each sai

[ The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:] [1.] An irrigation system for controlling a plurality of irrigating stations whereby each said irrigation station is irrigated in accordance with its soil needs for irrigation, each said irrigation station including valve actuating means, said irrigation system comprising:a) computer means including display means for displaying the soil needs for irrigation and the water content measured from each irrigation station, said computer means establishing irrigation schedules for said irrigation stations;b) a plurality of irrigation controllers, one at each of said irrigation stations, each said irrigation controller comprising:a power line protection unit being coupled to a power line network;a power line transceiver and a power supply being coupled to said power line protection unit;sensing means for collecting soil data including soil water content to measure the soil needs for irrigation and permittivity of the soil using a probe attached to said sensing unit and buried in soil at said irrigation station;a micro-processor being coupled to said power line transceiver and said sensing means, said micro-processor including a stored firmware program to independently control said valve actuating means based on said irrigation schedules downloaded from said computer means and said soil data collected by said sensing means;an actuating circuitry, coupled to said micro-processor, for activating said valve actuating means; anda valve end protection unit connected to said actuating circuitry, wherein said power supply feeds low voltage direct current to said micro-processor, said power line transceiver, said sensing means and said actuating circuitry;c) said power line network for supplying power to said irrigation controllers and said valve actuating means and acting as a two-way communication medium through which said irrigation controllers communicate between one another and said computer means; andd) a computer interface for interfacing said power line network with said computer means.